6.5 Grendel or No?

[Tjkride]

So I want a new upper for a standard ar that is legal for deer. I was thinking of one in 6.5 grendel. I dont know much about the cartridge or other standard ar cartridges other than 5.56. Any info on uppers and cartridges and opinions would be appreciated.

[carpsniperg2]

My Grendel is one of my favorite AR15 rifles followed by 6x45. If you handload 6x45 is great as well. However the 6.5 is perfect for midsized game lots of factory ammo if you don’t reload. Usually supper accurate little round. We have killed a handful of critters with the 123 sst.

Radical firearms makes some reasonably priced uppers if you find yourself shopping around. If you have a few more bucks Alexander arms makes good uppers or roll your own build.

[Tjkride]

I appreciate it. I like the classic 6.5's. So I figured a new one would be fun.

[carpsniperg2]

I do as well and plenty of the wildcats, like my favorite rifle my 6.5 stw.

Ammo isn’t to spendy if you are buying it. Even local stores usually have some on the shelves.

Low recoil and pretty much anything I feed it, shoots great!

[Yondering]

I say Yes!

There is a lot to like about the Grendel, in long barrels or short. (Ignore the conventional "wisdom" that the Grendel needs a long barrel to be good - it doesn't.) It's very mild to shoot, but due to sleek high b.c. bullets it reaches out there well, and has very good factory ammo available for those who don't load their own. Even the Wolf "Military Classic" 100gr FMJ shoots way better in my Grendel than I'd ever expect from cheap Russian ammo.

For those who don't know - the 6.5 Grendel delivers roughly the same close range ballistics from a short barrel (12"-16") as a 7.62x39 but reaches farther down range and uses better bullets. From a longer barrel of course it is a bit faster.

The Grendel is a slightly longer version of the classic PPC benchrest case, which in turn was derived from an improved (blown out) version of the 7.62x39 case.

[hunter399]

I'm I running a 25/45 , But will say grendal,6x45 ,are pretty high on my list .Kinda depends if you reload or not.
Good luck in your choice.

[Jonathan_S]

6x45 is an excellent option for extremely affordable components in reloading.

Just shot my first 30 rounds through my new one today

[JohnVH]

Heck yes. The Grendel is awesome. Love mine.

[davef]

All I hear is good but I'd also look at the 6.8spc. Takes a .270 bullet.

[CAMPMEAT]

I got one from that Biggerhammer guy on here. Pretty nice......

[pianoman9701]

I love mine. It's comparable in ammo cost to other medium to big game rounds - about $1.25 for Hornady and about $0.70 for Wolf. I don't have the eyes or the glass to shoot it out to its full potential but for me within 300 yards, it's deadly. Biggerhammer also helped me put mine together. I would agree after getting some education from the gun gurus on here that a shorter barrel will only affect velocity. My BHW barrel is 24" and the gun has a lot of heavy furniture to lug around. It's a blast to shoot...from a fixed position. Were I to build another, I'd go shorter and lighter.

[CAMPMEAT]

I love mine. It's comparable in ammo cost to other medium to big game rounds - about $1.25 for Hornady and about $0.70 for Wolf. I don't have the eyes or the glass to shoot it out to its full potential but for me within 300 yards, it's deadly. Biggerhammer also helped me put mine together. I would agree after getting some education from the gun gurus on here that a shorter barrel will only affect velocity. My BHW barrel is 24" and the gun has a lot of heavy furniture to lug around. It's a blast to shoot...from a fixed position. Were I to build another, I'd go shorter and lighter.

I think mine is a 26 inch barrel, John. It's friggin' heavy.

[j_h_nimrod]

Had my buddies 6.5 Grendel Howa Miniaction out shooting rocks at 675yds last week.  Pretty impressive first shot kill having a range card only verified to ~300yds, 3 successive shots minute-of-deer from a less than ideal rest. A great little cartridge, I say go for it.

[Wazukie]

I like mine, I built it and load for it.  18" BHW, 123 SST at just under 2500 fps.  I've stretched to about 700yrds on targets adnd it had no problem dropping  bear last year.

[bullfisher]

Grendel is my favorite AR round.
Was shooting it today with SST factory ammo at 2530fps from a 20" bhw barrel. Ringing steel all day from 300-500yds. I get the hornady bulk bthp ammo from sportsmans warehouse for around 0.75 a round. 

[Biggerhammer]

I love mine. It's comparable in ammo cost to other medium to big game rounds - about $1.25 for Hornady and about $0.70 for Wolf. I don't have the eyes or the glass to shoot it out to its full potential but for me within 300 yards, it's deadly. Biggerhammer also helped me put mine together. I would agree after getting some education from the gun gurus on here that a shorter barrel will only affect velocity. My BHW barrel is 24" and the gun has a lot of heavy furniture to lug around. It's a blast to shoot...from a fixed position. Were I to build another, I'd go shorter and lighter.

I think mine is a 26 inch barrel, John. It's friggin' heavy.

CAMPMEATS “Beast”.



It’s a 26” only two of those barrels were ever done. One is on your rifle and the other is leaning in the corner of my reloading room. This Fallow deer was a Bang-Flop!!!!. 16” Grendel carbine. Hornady Black factory ammo, 123gr ELD-M @ 50 yards. Destroyed the lungs and exited.

[yorketransport]

I love the little Grendel! I've played with it a bit in the ARs but mine's built on a CZ 527.


I'm a heavy bullet guy so I tend to use the 130gr bullets in mine. I shoot the 130gr AR Hybrid for plinking and the 130gr Sledge Hammer for hunting. The 123gr bullets are pretty much ideal for this cartridge though. The factory ammo is really good and reasonably priced too, so it's great for non-reloaders.

[CAMPMEAT]

I love the little Grendel! I've played with it a bit in the ARs but mine's built on a CZ 527.


I'm a heavy bullet guy so I tend to use the 130gr bullets in mine. I shoot the 130gr AR Hybrid for plinking and the 130gr Sledge Hammer for hunting. The 123gr bullets are pretty much ideal for this cartridge though. The factory ammo is really good and reasonably priced too, so it's great for non-reloaders.

Beautiful looking rifle Andrew. Very nice colors on her........

[yorketransport]

I love the little Grendel! I've played with it a bit in the ARs but mine's built on a CZ 527.

I'm a heavy bullet guy so I tend to use the 130gr bullets in mine. I shoot the 130gr AR Hybrid for plinking and the 130gr Sledge Hammer for hunting. The 123gr bullets are pretty much ideal for this cartridge though. The factory ammo is really good and reasonably priced too, so it's great for non-reloaders.

Beautiful looking rifle Andrew. Very nice colors on her........

I got really lucky with that stock! It's one of the nicest factory stocks I've seen on a relatively inexpensive donor gun. Every once in a while I feel bad about dragging it around while hunting, then I remember that I don't care.

[Tjkride]

That 527 is real pretty. I looked at a factory 527 in 6.5g at sportsman yeaterday and was really tempted. It sound like its a great cartridge

[yorketransport]

I had mine built by Grizz Precision about a year before CZ offered the 6.5 Grendel in that rifle. I ordered a 527 Carbine in 7.62x39 as a donor rifle and won the lottery with the stock. We sent a bunch of pictures to the guys at CZ USA when it was done to try and get them to offer it as a factory option. They told us that it was high on the list future projects and then it came out the next year.

You can gain a little bit of performance by using a bolt action too. I shoot the 130gr Bergers at 2430 fps from the 19" barrel and I get 2520 fps with an HBN coated 130gr Sledge Hammer for hunting. I get about 50fps more than I typically see from a similar length gas gun.

[Blacklab]

Built mine several years ago with no regrets. I went with AA on the 18" barrel since he developed the Grendel. Great round shoot it all day and no fatigue  Handload 123 Amax.

[satchel3006]

I’ve got a 16” .300 blackout I’m going to try for deer this year. But the 6.5 is very intriguing especially in something with a 12.5” barrel. How’s the recoil in either an AR or a bolt gun (something like the ruger American) I’ve been looking at getting a big game rifle for my son for next year deer season. I’ve looked at a .243 but a 6.5 is on the radar as well. Plus I would then have to get a 6.5 too, you know for ammo commonality:)

[CAMPMEAT]

I love mine. It's comparable in ammo cost to other medium to big game rounds - about $1.25 for Hornady and about $0.70 for Wolf. I don't have the eyes or the glass to shoot it out to its full potential but for me within 300 yards, it's deadly. Biggerhammer also helped me put mine together. I would agree after getting some education from the gun gurus on here that a shorter barrel will only affect velocity. My BHW barrel is 24" and the gun has a lot of heavy furniture to lug around. It's a blast to shoot...from a fixed position. Were I to build another, I'd go shorter and lighter.

I think mine is a 26 inch barrel, John. It's friggin' heavy.

CAMPMEATS “Beast”.



It’s a 26” only two of those barrels were ever done. One is on your rifle and the other is leaning in the corner of my reloading room. This Fallow deer was a Bang-Flop!!!!. 16” Grendel carbine. Hornady Black factory ammo, 123gr ELD-M @ 50 yards. Destroyed the lungs and exited.

My Hammer gun is beauuuuutiful..

[bullfisher]

What velocity are you getting out of that 26" tube?

[pianoman9701]

What velocity are you getting out of that 26" tube?

I would bet 2600. It's 2580 out of the 24" with Horn. A-Max.

[Yondering]

I’ve got a 16” .300 blackout I’m going to try for deer this year. But the 6.5 is very intriguing especially in something with a 12.5” barrel. How’s the recoil in either an AR or a bolt gun (something like the ruger American) I’ve been looking at getting a big game rifle for my son for next year deer season. I’ve looked at a .243 but a 6.5 is on the radar as well. Plus I would then have to get a 6.5 too, you know for ammo commonality:)

My son will be using my short 300 Blk this year for deer, and I'll be using my 12.5" 6.5 Grendel. (out of state hunt on family property down south) It's a real handy little setup for wandering the woods, with the reach to tag a deer farther out if needed.

Recoil is a little more than the 5.56, but still very mild. I'd say it's really similar to the 7.62x39, which makes sense because I'm pushing the same bullet weight at about the same velocity. (123gr ELD-m @ 2350 fps from that 12.5" barrel.)


Pianoman - not sure which Wolf ammo you're referring to for $0.70 per round, but that's way too much for the Military Classic load. I've been paying $6/box, or $0.30 per round from aimsurplus when they have it in stock.

[pianoman9701]

I'll check that out. Maybe I'm remembering wrong. I bought a couple thousand rounds two or three years ago. It might have been $199 for 500 rounds.

[Yondering]

IIRC there is also a more expensive "premium" Wolf ammo line that would be more in line with the $0.70/round you mentioned. The Military Classic load I'm talking about is the 100gr FMJ in laquered steel cases, sold in a desert camo colored box.

BTW that 100gr FMJ has a hollow nose for accuracy, and actually upsets pretty well in water jugs at least. I'm not going to hunt with it or use it for anything serious, but nice to know that it seems to work better than most other FMJ from across the Pacific.

[pianoman9701]

IIRC there is also a more expensive "premium" Wolf ammo line that would be more in line with the $0.70/round you mentioned. The Military Classic load I'm talking about is the 100gr FMJ in laquered steel cases, sold in a desert camo colored box.

BTW that 100gr FMJ has a hollow nose for accuracy, and actually upsets pretty well in water jugs at least. I'm not going to hunt with it or use it for anything serious, but nice to know that it seems to work better than most other FMJ from across the Pacific.

That's the one I shoot. The lacquer shoots a little dirty but it is surprisingly accurate for less expensive ammo.

[bolsen]

We use one in Kodiak every year on deer, and my buddy even used it on his goat hunt this year. They are awesome.

[Yondering]

IIRC there is also a more expensive "premium" Wolf ammo line that would be more in line with the $0.70/round you mentioned. The Military Classic load I'm talking about is the 100gr FMJ in laquered steel cases, sold in a desert camo colored box.

BTW that 100gr FMJ has a hollow nose for accuracy, and actually upsets pretty well in water jugs at least. I'm not going to hunt with it or use it for anything serious, but nice to know that it seems to work better than most other FMJ from across the Pacific.

That's the one I shoot. The lacquer shoots a little dirty but it is surprisingly accurate for less expensive ammo.

That was my experience too; I figured it would do 3-4 moa, like most Wolf ammo, but was surprised to see it'll usually do ~1.5 moa from my Grendel. I like those kind of surprises.

[bullfisher]

We use one in Kodiak every year on deer, and my buddy even used it on his goat hunt this year. They are awesome.

Wow! AR15 grendel mt. goat hunt? Awesome!!

[Biggerhammer]

YES! Smoking a Goat with a Grendel! How cool 😎 is that!!!!

[CAMPMEAT]

What velocity are you getting out of that 26" tube?

I never checked it. Hammer would know I bet..