Anything wrong with the 6.5 Grendel?

Django11 · July 15, 2019, 12:02 PM

I'm getting ready to build a 6.5 Grendel in the AR platform, and the question I have is, are there any downsides to this round? I've never really heard anything specific as to why some may not like that round; more that they just prefer something else.

As far as the build goes I'm planning on putting at least a 20" barrel and the rest will be of high quality parts.

My uses for this rifle will be for hunting whitetails and predators, and of course I'll test its limits on the range.

Any insight is appreciated.

T. O'Heir · July 15, 2019, 01:29 PM

Only limited bullet weights in factory ammo. Can't imagine anybody who builds a rifle not reloading though.
Brass is kind of pricey and not readily available. Midway shows 6 makers, only 2 of which are currently available. And one of 'em is Lapua at a bit over a buck per case.

Dusty Rivers · July 15, 2019, 01:44 PM

Look at the 6.8 SPC https://68forums.com/forums/forum.php

a great round.

jmr40 · July 15, 2019, 03:07 PM

If I were inclined to go with anything other than 223/5.56 in an AR the 6.5 Grendel is the way I'd go. But with the military interest in some sort of mystery 6.8 round could change my mind once the details are out.

But for what I do the standard 223/5.56 does what I need. With the right bullets you don't need to go any bigger for deer and varmints at typical ranges. Where the 6.5 or 6.8 would come into play would be for bigger game or longer ranges.

Django11 · July 15, 2019, 04:02 PM

I've looked into the 6.8, but I think the 6.5 is more what I'm after. I also have a 6.5 CM that I will be reloading for as well so I can keep the bullet caliber the same in that area.

I agree that .223 bullets are enough to take down deer; I've dropped a couple in their tracks. I guess I'm just looking to get a little more punch. Part of it might be that I just want something a little different, and I'm a big fan of the AR platform so that's where I'm at.

My main concern has more to do with reliability and things like that.

ed308 · July 15, 2019, 10:32 PM

The 6.5 Grendel is a one of the better alternative AR15 calibers for hunting. Not much difference between it and the 6.8. I like the 6.8 better based on my preference for hunting bullet available in .277 (ie: 90 - 120 grs) plus I like the balance of a shorter barrel (16"). The 95 gr TTSX, 110 gr TSX, 90 gr GD, 110 Accubond and the 120 gr SST are excellent hunting bullets for the 6.8. But if a 20" Grendel floats your boat, it will make a good hunting AR. Starline has Grendel brass in stock for around .50 per case BTW.

TrueBlue711 · July 16, 2019, 10:11 AM

I'm in the same boat as you. I tried the 224 Valk and wasn't happy with the results. So I'm selling the barrel + BCG and just ordered a 22" 6.5 Gren bull barrel + BCG to replace it. I don't have personal experience yet, but from what research I've done, I haven't seen much at all about reliability issues. The round has been out long enough, I think the ammo companies have gotten it figured out for what works good. Though there isn't a huge variety of ammo, I'll probably be using the Hornady BLACK line of ammo for the most part. I like the BLACK line for my other calibers, so I'm hoping the same results will be for the 6.5 Gren.

Old Stony · July 16, 2019, 01:11 PM

I've been shooting hogs with a Creedmore and a Grendel for some time now. The Creedmore was my first foray into the 6.5's and it mostly just sits in the safe now. The Grendel has become one of my favorite rounds and I love the Hornady 123 SST bullets for both calibers. I've taken down some really nice hogs with the Grendel and they drop on the spot.

AgedWarrior · July 16, 2019, 07:05 PM

My first AR build is a 6.5 Grendel. I used an 18” barrel because I wanted a maneuverable yet accurate rifle; the 18” barrel has been great. I found an H2 buffer was great for smoothing mine out when she had just a little to much gas, but I may put a variable gas block on down the road, maybe not. She runs good as is. I liked the cartridge so much I bought a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel too. Love that rifle! The 24” barrel gives the Grendel good legs! I agree with Old Stony, the Hornady 123 SST’s are good performers in the Grendel...May try them in the Creedmore someday too.

doofus47 · July 16, 2019, 07:16 PM

What sort of range are you looking at for your hunting?
I have a 6.5 Grendel with an 18" barrel that gets 2450 fps from factory Hornady hunting ammo (123 grain SST). I'm playing with handloads now that have 110gr all copper bullets firing at 2550 fps. According to Hornady ballistics I'm -3.5 at 250 yards with a 200 yard zero.
Add 100 fps for your extra 2 inches, I would guess, and you could start working out a rough idea of what 6.5Grendel might buy you.
I've taken an antelope with factory Hornady SSTs; the Grendel put it straight down. But no personal results yet with the non-lead handloads. The 6.5 grendel forums has all sorts of info.
It's a pleasure to shoot, as are most AR-sized cartridges.

I agree with the folks above who don't find a large difference between 6.8 and 6.5G at usual hunting ranges. You would probably need to handload if you were determined to get the max potential out of either cartridge.

July 15, 2019, 12:02 PM	#1
Django11 Member Join Date: May 23, 2017 Posts: 46	Anything wrong with the 6.5 Grendel? I'm getting ready to build a 6.5 Grendel in the AR platform, and the question I have is, are there any downsides to this round? I've never really heard anything specific as to why some may not like that round; more that they just prefer something else. As far as the build goes I'm planning on putting at least a 20" barrel and the rest will be of high quality parts. My uses for this rifle will be for hunting whitetails and predators, and of course I'll test its limits on the range. Any insight is appreciated.

July 15, 2019, 01:29 PM	#2
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Only limited bullet weights in factory ammo. Can't imagine anybody who builds a rifle not reloading though. Brass is kind of pricey and not readily available. Midway shows 6 makers, only 2 of which are currently available. And one of 'em is Lapua at a bit over a buck per case. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 15, 2019, 01:44 PM	#3
Dusty Rivers Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2008 Posts: 235	6.8 SPC Look at the 6.8 SPC https://68forums.com/forums/forum.php a great round. __________________ Dusty: I'm kind of a big deal! Rob Pincus follower PDN NRA Lifetime Member, our only voice!

July 15, 2019, 03:07 PM	#4
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,809	If I were inclined to go with anything other than 223/5.56 in an AR the 6.5 Grendel is the way I'd go. But with the military interest in some sort of mystery 6.8 round could change my mind once the details are out. But for what I do the standard 223/5.56 does what I need. With the right bullets you don't need to go any bigger for deer and varmints at typical ranges. Where the 6.5 or 6.8 would come into play would be for bigger game or longer ranges. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

July 16, 2019, 07:16 PM	#10
doofus47 Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: live in a in a house when i'm not in a tent Posts: 2,483	What sort of range are you looking at for your hunting? I have a 6.5 Grendel with an 18" barrel that gets 2450 fps from factory Hornady hunting ammo (123 grain SST). I'm playing with handloads now that have 110gr all copper bullets firing at 2550 fps. According to Hornady ballistics I'm -3.5 at 250 yards with a 200 yard zero. Add 100 fps for your extra 2 inches, I would guess, and you could start working out a rough idea of what 6.5Grendel might buy you. I've taken an antelope with factory Hornady SSTs; the Grendel put it straight down. But no personal results yet with the non-lead handloads. The 6.5 grendel forums has all sorts of info. It's a pleasure to shoot, as are most AR-sized cartridges. I agree with the folks above who don't find a large difference between 6.8 and 6.5G at usual hunting ranges. You would probably need to handload if you were determined to get the max potential out of either cartridge. __________________ I'm right about the metric system 3/4 of the time. Last edited by doofus47; July 16, 2019 at 07:17 PM. Reason: clarity

July 15, 2019, 04:02 PM	#5
Django11 Member Join Date: May 23, 2017 Posts: 46	I've looked into the 6.8, but I think the 6.5 is more what I'm after. I also have a 6.5 CM that I will be reloading for as well so I can keep the bullet caliber the same in that area. I agree that .223 bullets are enough to take down deer; I've dropped a couple in their tracks. I guess I'm just looking to get a little more punch. Part of it might be that I just want something a little different, and I'm a big fan of the AR platform so that's where I'm at. My main concern has more to do with reliability and things like that.

July 15, 2019, 10:32 PM	#6
ed308 Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2016 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 1,147	The 6.5 Grendel is a one of the better alternative AR15 calibers for hunting. Not much difference between it and the 6.8. I like the 6.8 better based on my preference for hunting bullet available in .277 (ie: 90 - 120 grs) plus I like the balance of a shorter barrel (16"). The 95 gr TTSX, 110 gr TSX, 90 gr GD, 110 Accubond and the 120 gr SST are excellent hunting bullets for the 6.8. But if a 20" Grendel floats your boat, it will make a good hunting AR. Starline has Grendel brass in stock for around .50 per case BTW.

July 16, 2019, 10:11 AM	#7
TrueBlue711 Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2011 Posts: 489	I'm in the same boat as you. I tried the 224 Valk and wasn't happy with the results. So I'm selling the barrel + BCG and just ordered a 22" 6.5 Gren bull barrel + BCG to replace it. I don't have personal experience yet, but from what research I've done, I haven't seen much at all about reliability issues. The round has been out long enough, I think the ammo companies have gotten it figured out for what works good. Though there isn't a huge variety of ammo, I'll probably be using the Hornady BLACK line of ammo for the most part. I like the BLACK line for my other calibers, so I'm hoping the same results will be for the 6.5 Gren.

July 16, 2019, 01:11 PM	#8
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I've been shooting hogs with a Creedmore and a Grendel for some time now. The Creedmore was my first foray into the 6.5's and it mostly just sits in the safe now. The Grendel has become one of my favorite rounds and I love the Hornady 123 SST bullets for both calibers. I've taken down some really nice hogs with the Grendel and they drop on the spot.

July 16, 2019, 07:05 PM	#9
AgedWarrior Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2019 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 210	My first AR build is a 6.5 Grendel. I used an 18” barrel because I wanted a maneuverable yet accurate rifle; the 18” barrel has been great. I found an H2 buffer was great for smoothing mine out when she had just a little to much gas, but I may put a variable gas block on down the road, maybe not. She runs good as is. I liked the cartridge so much I bought a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel too. Love that rifle! The 24” barrel gives the Grendel good legs! I agree with Old Stony, the Hornady 123 SST’s are good performers in the Grendel...May try them in the Creedmore someday too.