6.5 Grendel coming to Rugerville

[Don Lovel]

Now Ruger has a Predator rifle in 6.5 Grendel coming we can sure talk about the round.
This amazing little cartridge is gaining popularity pretty fast. After years of shooting and reloading a pile of.243 and quite a few 6.5 Swede rounds, it is nice to see a cartridge that offers some of the best of both those cartridges.
Bullet weight assortment is much better in 6.5mm than 6mm offers unless you have a barrel twist friendly to 105gr+ weight bullet stability in your 243 or 6mm Remington.
The little Grendel offers shorter barrel length performance better than a 6.5 Arisaka out of a much longer barrel and approaches the standard military load capabilities of the 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser.
Cases can be made from 7.62 x 39 brass and commercial brass for it is getting more available. I have found Grendel ammo in Cabelas, Academy and a couple of Missouri gun shops for fairly reasonable prices and plinking 100gr Wolf is becoming more available and reasonable price.
I want to get a load for a 125gr Nosler Partition to shoot out of a 20" barrel AR upper. I am really hoping I get lucky enough to be able to continue using a big stockpile of Varget powder and get some decent results with it. Being accurate about 2500fps with 125gr bullet would make me pretty happy. Lots of newer propellants out there to make the Grendel shine but I would love to be able to utilize what I already have a nice stash of from all the 243 rounds and 223 rounds I have loaded with it over the years

 

[grobin]

I am sorry to be a curmudgeon but so far as I can tell the only point to the Grendel is that it will work on an M16 upper. Otherwise it is substiationally less flexible than the other 6.5mms out there-particularly the 6.5 Creedmoor. Frankly I would rather get a 6mm Creedmoor.

Yes I have an M16, but with a 300 BLK upper, and don't see any need to add anything.

 

[Mobuck]

"Yes I have an M16, but with a 300 BLK upper, and don't see any need to add anything."

I'll try to make a few observations w/o upsetting too many. I recently purchased a 6.5 Grendel 18" AR upper and have shot it a bit. From what I see, the 6.5G packs about as much energy into the AR platform as I want next to my face. The Hornady ammo is fairly impressive. I shot some groups with the SST ammo and have some of the ELD waiting for nicer weather. The WOLF FMJ is disappointing--I'd call it "blasting ammo" at best. It'll do for barrel break-in and clanging the gong at 200 yards but not what one could describe as accurate. Personally, I feel the 6.5G is good enough for the AR but the only reason I'd buy one in a bolt action would be as a kid's rifle.
I prefer the 6.8SPC as a hunting round as it has proven capable of doing what I expect. This not to say the 6.5G won't do as well but I didn't get a chance to test run it this year. I will say w/o reserve that either (6.5G or 6.8SPC) is a far better deer hunting cartridge than the 300AAC.

 

[grobin]

Well I totally agree! The 300BLK IS fine <100+/- for deer. It's a very versatile cartridge but handicapped by the 9" barrel loads the subgun crowd like.

As for the SPC and Grendel if you are not limited by the AR uppers (I don't feel so limited) the 6.5 Creedmoor is IMHO a far better choice among many.

 

[Mobuck]

Either the 6.5 or 6.8 has double the effective(and ethical) hunting range of the 300AAC which may or may not be a factor of a personal hunting cartridge choice. I carried a 300AAC 16" carbine hunting a couple of days but failed to get a shot within my range restrictions(100 yards). I have little doubt the 110 grain Speer or 125 grain Nosler will kill deer but just don't feel the need to restrict my opportunities to this level.

 

[Psb1911]

No thanks.........I'll stick with the 6.5x55 Swede!

 

[krw]

6.5 Grendel really shines bright in the AR platform. With the higher BC of the 6.5 bullets, It is arguably the best long range hunting cartridge for that platform.
I have 20", Lilja bbled upper that is fantastic.
I also have a 10.5", 300 BlkOut upper I use on a papered SBR lower. I use a SiCo Omega on this upper. Suppressed is the only reason I see the need to use BO. I also have Rem700 BO. It is lots quiter due to no action noise.
I see the 6.5 G being a good kid hunting rifle. Low recoil, good traj to 250yds. Also loading the 6.5G in a bolt action rifle you can get lots more performance due to loading higher pressures.
6.5 Grendel.com has lots good info for the Grendel. krw

 

[Mobuck]

"Also loading the 6.5G in a bolt action rifle you can get lots more performance due to loading higher pressures."

I question that since the 6.5G factory ammo is running around 54000 PSI according the source I checked. I realize some of the magnum cartridges may be reaching 63000 PSI but those use brass designed for such pressures.

 

[krw]

The source I am quoting is "6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbook." On page 36 it says a 50,000 psi max operating press for the cartridge in the AR platform was established to keep the AR rifle bolt fatigue life to a reasonable level.
The next paragraph says most of the classic methods for detecting max safe press does not work until pressures exceed 55,000psi.
I will stand behind statement on press. You need to baby AR platforms, which 6.5 Grendel ammo is massed produced for. But handload them to full potential in a bolt rifle and dont steal gas to operate auto system and you have lots more potential ballistic upside.
BUT, it will never be a 260, 6.5 CM, or a 6.5x55.
It is just the arguably best long range cartridge for a small frame AR. Krw