6.5 Grendel Build: Reviews/Opinions

[General RE LEE]

I have a Bushmaster XM15 5.56 that sits in the safe. I got it out to clean it the other day and it dawned on me I could replace the upper to 6.5 Grendel and make it a sweet deer rifle.

I reload so I can get going pretty quick on building loads. I looked at the 6mm ARC and the lack of components has me gravitating to the Grendel.

Questions: Have you folks that went down the Grendel route found it to be a good, light recoil, accurate enough deer cartridge that one can spot hits?

What is the barrel life of the 6.5 Grendel? Guilt free range trips throughout the year without worry of burning up the throat?

Factory ammo availability?

Thank You

 

[Dos Perros]

The 6.5 Grendel is for sure light recoil; my 9 y/o boy shoots it without issue. It can be very accurate, IMO. Certainly accurate enough for shorter range big game hunting. You're going to get more variation introduced by field setups (off tripod, prone off a pack, etc) than the inherent accuracy of the cartridge and rifle.

Barrel life can be assumed to be very good because of the lower powder to projectile weight ratio. It's an efficient cartridge. And it's not super fast.

You can get factory ammo easily enough, but you reload, so do that. Lots of folks are shooting the Hornady SST's or the ELD-M's.

 

[General RE LEE]

The 6.5 Grendel is for sure light recoil; my 9 y/o boy shoots it without issue. It can be very accurate, IMO. Certainly accurate enough for shorter range big game hunting. You're going to get more variation introduced by field setups (off tripod, prone off a pack, etc) than the inherent accuracy of the cartridge and rifle.

Barrel life can be assumed to be very good because of the lower powder to projectile weight ratio. It's an efficient cartridge. And it's not super fast.

You can get factory ammo easily enough, but you reload, so do that. Lots of folks are shooting the Hornady SST's or the ELD-M's.

Yep I am looking to do the 123 Hornady SSTs. Seems to be the sweet spot for the caliber and a good BC.

 

[menhaden_man]

We’ve got two of them and they’re pretty fun for me and the kids. Only two animals so far but they both died quickly with one shot from a kid.

 

[wirehead]

I have a 6.5 G Bear Creek Arsenal upper with 16" barrel. It is unbelievably accurate... sub 1" at 100 yards with Hornady Black 123 ELDM every time I've shot it. During a pressure workup last weekend, it clover leafed 3 shots of 123 ELDMs with Starline Brass and Ramshot TAC. Fluke? Perhaps... we'll see. Getting just over 2450 fps with that load.

All of that said, if I could do it over again, I would without a doubt go with 6 mm ARC. Lower recoil, at least +100 yards effective range above 1800 fps. Good factory ammo support from Hornady. I agree, I've not seen 6mm ARC brass available but then again I've not scoured the interwebs.

A little bit of info here: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/recoil-243-vs-arc-or-grendel.338294/#post-3417222.

I think the other interesting advantage to the 6 ARC comes in what it can do in a bolt gun: https://static.hornady.media/site/hornady/files/load-data/6mm-arc-bolt.pdf

Da heck you say?! Only 200 fps slower than a 6 creed with the 108s? Yea... Let's go.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

If you’re reloading, how do you figure there’s a lack of components to the 6 arc?

 

[General RE LEE]

If you’re reloading, how do you figure there’s a lack of components to the 6 arc?

Brass isn’t available and ammo isn’t widely available. Having to buy factory ammo to shoot for brass is an added expense.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Brass isn’t available and ammo isn’t widely available. Having to buy factory ammo to shoot for brass is an added expense.

Just use Grendel brass. And dunhams carries arc ammo. Pretty sure academy had some as well

 

[MThuntr]

I shoot a 6.5Grendel Palmetto State Complete upper. It's a 10round MOA gun. Shoot 123 SST with CFE223 or similar burn rate powder and you'll be good on deer and antelope out plenty far. Recoil is quite pleasant.

For the cost, it's hard to build one compared to something from PSA, Grendel Hunter, or Bear Creek (admittedly, I've had 2 bad uppers from them so I'm not promoting them though others have had positive outcomes)

 

[MThuntr]

Brass isn’t available and ammo isn’t widely available. Having to buy factory ammo to shoot for brass is an added expense.

Order 6ARC brass from Starline directly or Druid Hill Armory. Agree that ammo is tough to come by. Personally, if I were to go 6ARC, I'd go bolt action.

 

[seand]

Brass isn’t available and ammo isn’t widely available. Having to buy factory ammo to shoot for brass is an added expense.

All my 6arc brass says 6.5 Grendel on the head. One pass thru a FL die to neck down and set the shoulder back and trim prior to firing. Shoots outstanding.

 

[wirehead]

All my 6arc brass says 6.5 Grendel on the head. One pass thru a FL die to neck down and set the shoulder back and trim prior to firing. Shoots outstanding.

Very good to know. I’ve got a random 556 upper with government pencil barrel laying around that just might get a new 6mm ARC barrel/bolt. That’s the beauty of the AR platform…

 

[4090Sharps]

Brass isn’t available and ammo isn’t widely available. Having to buy factory ammo to shoot for brass is an added expense.

Order 6ARC brass from Starline directly or Druid Hill Armory. Agree that ammo is tough to come by. Personally, if I were to go 6ARC, I'd go bolt action.

I bought 1k from Starline, but have ordered from Druid Hill before and wouldn't hesitate to do so again.

6mm ARC New Starline Brass

NEW Starline Brass, 6mm ARC Bags of 100 cases Unprimed, Small Rifle Primer Pockets This Is NOT Loaded Ammunition

www.druidhillarmory.com

 

[General RE LEE]

I’m not seeing a blistering advantage of the 6 ARC in a gas gun over the Grendel. The heavier bullet for hunting always carries more momentum, which is not often talked about in firearm forums but is king in archery forums.

 

[Formidilosus]

I’m not seeing a blistering advantage of the 6 ARC in a gas gun over the Grendel. The heavier bullet for hunting always carries more momentum, which is not often talked about in firearm forums but is king in archery forums.

Because it has no effect on terminal ballistics. Wound channel size is wound channel size. The Grendel is a good cartridge, but the 6 ARC is better in every measurable way than the Grendel- less recoil, higher MV, less wind drift, and way better factory support with Hornday.

 

[wirehead]

Just some 2 Jan ramblings: Intuitively, it seems there is an ideal caliber for the AR platform… or at least there is a max on caliber as it relates to reaching ideal efficiency for a given caliber. This ideal/max is based on 52ksi max pressure, available case capacity given constraints on COAL and case diameter, and constraints on COAL based on mag length. For example, the Grendel is good but COAL precludes the long heavies and even if you were to shorten the case to allow the long heavies, or magically increase the mag length and thus COAL, the velocity would not be there. The 6 ARC, on the other hand… the case dimensions allow the long heavies for caliber at a velocity that carries >1800 fps for a distance that reasonably exceeds most hunting scenarios for even the well versed general hunting population. I think the 22 ARC / Valkyrie falls in this realm of goodness, as well. It seems 6mm is the max caliber where a cartridge can achieve non-compromised performance within AR constraints and from there, it goes down hill. Don’t get me started on the 300 blackout…

 

[General RE LEE]

Because it has no effect on terminal ballistics. Wound channel size is wound channel size. The Grendel is a good cartridge, but the 6 ARC is better in every measurable way than the Grendel- less recoil, higher MV, less wind drift, and way better factory support with Hornday.

Well shit, guess I’m updating my Midway wish list lol

 

[KenLee]

Yep I am looking to do the 123 Hornady SSTs. Seems to be the sweet spot for the caliber and a good BC.

ELD-M is a better deer killer, from my experience

 

[wirehead]

Well shit, guess I’m updating my Midway wish list lol

Yuuup. I know the feeling

 

[sierracharlie338]

Well shit, guess I’m updating my Midway wish list lol

You could go 6 Grendel…

I have a 6.5 Grendel and love it. When I had a lease in west Texas it was all I carried for the most part. It’s been a hammer for me. Recoil is negligible and it’s a sweet shooting rifle when suppressed.