6.5 Grendel Reloaders????

[Riflehunter1776]

I shoot lighter bullets with H335. First load I tried grouped around 1/2". Because of that, and the fact that the PA Game Commission is a bunch of Fudds who "decided" not to allow semis for deer hunting, I have not yet found occasion to load heavier bullets. Yet.

 

[Buttermilk]

I don't have my load data handy, but my best accuracy came at just over 2500 fps. I stopped at 2560fps.

If I recall correctly, I started at 25.0gr and ended at 27.1gr. Using the Hornady 123 ELDM. The lower charge weights also produced good accuracy but velocity was around 2350 fps at the low end.

I contacted Sierra and they were the ones who suggested Benchmark. I'm pretty sure the charge weights they gave me were the same as Hodgdon's website.

Using CFE223 and IMR8208xbr I can get right 2600 fps and a bit over, but have yet to get as good accuracy as Benchmark.

AR Comp is another good powder to try also.

 

[CaptnC]

I happen to have some Benchmark...

Nosler load data;
120gr. 2431fps with 26.5gr of Benchmark

Their load data is always lite

Thanks for all the info Butter!

 

[yorke-1]

I've had best results with IMR 8208 and BL-C(2). I have used Benchmark, CFE 223, H335, Varget and H4895 with pretty good results as well.

I used the 130gr Accubond at 2440 fps as my primary deer hunting bullet in the Grendel for a couple years with excellent results. That load was used to kill 5 deer in 3 states at ranges from 40 yards to 230 with no problem. I've switched over 130gr Hammer Bullets Sledgehammer at 2520 fps for this year.

My gun is a 19" barreled CZ 527, but you shouldn't have any trouble matching those velocities from a gas gun.

 

[CaptnC]

Ahhhhh...Hammers...I forgot all about those...if this barrel will shoot the 123gr Hammer would be it! Next week I will be ordering some...if it won't shoot Hammer bullets I will contact Classic Firearms about a replacement!

I'm reading reloading info from the Grendel site every day and the IMR 8208 keeps coming up as the preferred powder.

I can't recall anyone saying it shot bad in their gasser.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't know if I'd go for a replacement, as much as money back, and putting that towards an actual match-grade barrel. I know you're not gunning for 1-hole precision, but at the same time, AR's are just like everything else, you get what you pay for.

I would look at the Faxon match-grade 6.5 Grendel barrels, or the Rainier Arms 6.5 Grendel barrels.

http://faxonfirearms.com/match-seri...del-416-r-5r-nitride-nickel-teflon-extension/

https://www.rainierarms.com/rainier-arms-match-6-5-grendel-rifle-barrel-18/

https://www.rainierarms.com/rainier...e-800-gas-block-tin-extension-18-satin-12667/

 

[CaptnC]

Thanks Mud...I truly appreciate all your help. Your certainly one of the best contributors on this site!

I know...you guys keep trying to teach me buy once cry once and your GTG...and I might end up trying to get my money back so I can go full custom.

From what I'm reading though...I'm not convinced the platform is truly worthy of trying to make it a honest long range shooter. Many many guys are seeing 1 to 1.5" groups regularly at 100yds...not really a 1,000 yard shooter.

Certainly not blaming the caliber...it is a 6.5! The 6.5 Creedmoor's little brother if you will...

But the platform is not that stable IMO. The up grades I would need to attempt to squeeze maximum accuracy most likely is more than I want to spend for what I want it for.

Need to replace;
Front hand guard - (currently smooth tube with aluminum nut) needs to beat least a steel nut

Trigger - milspec I now have is horrific

Pitch another $125.00 (plus my $75 refund) for another barrel.

It adds up in a hurry...

 

[Riflehunter1776]

I don't know if I'd go for a replacement, as much as money back, and putting that towards an actual match-grade barrel. I know you're not gunning for 1-hole precision, but at the same time, AR's are just like everything else, you get what you pay for.

I would look at the Faxon match-grade 6.5 Grendel barrels, or the Rainier Arms 6.5 Grendel barrels.

http://faxonfirearms.com/match-seri...del-416-r-5r-nitride-nickel-teflon-extension/

https://www.rainierarms.com/rainier-arms-match-6-5-grendel-rifle-barrel-18/

https://www.rainierarms.com/rainier...e-800-gas-block-tin-extension-18-satin-12667/

I got a faxon light weight gunner bbl, and it shoots almost as well as the heavy Hbar. So for a potential hunting rifle (if PA ever gets their act together) that balances well and doesn't weigh a ton for offhand shots, I'm very pleased with their product.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thanks Mud...I truly appreciate all your help. Your certainly one of the best contributors on this site!

I know...you guys keep trying to teach me buy once cry once and your GTG...and I might end up trying to get my money back so I can go full custom.

From what I'm reading though...I'm not convinced the platform is truly worthy of trying to make it a honest long range shooter. Many many guys are seeing 1 to 1.5" groups regularly at 100yds...not really a 1,000 yard shooter.

Certainly not blaming the caliber...it is a 6.5! The 6.5 Creedmoor's little brother if you will...

But the platform is not that stable IMO. The up grades I would need to attempt to squeeze maximum accuracy most likely is more than I want to spend for what I want it for.

Need to replace;
Front hand guard - (currently smooth tube with aluminum nut) needs to beat least a steel nut

Trigger - milspec I now have is horrific

Pitch another $125.00 (plus my $75 refund) for another barrel.

It adds up in a hurry...

It can definitely be more accurate than contractor-grade barrels, and cheap mil-spec barrels. Trust me, I used to feel the same way, until I built mine, and used all high-end parts, and it really is like a whole different rifle than those ****** old off-the-shelf mil-spec M4's. The only advantage they have is that fun 3-position giggle-switch...But it's not practical in any sense, other than suppressive firepower.

Anyway, back to your conundrum...

I would go with a nice match-grade barrel like one of the 3 I linked, with a good gas block and a good stainless gas tube.

I would go with a good handguard, like the Seekins Precision MCSR V2 Keymod 15" rail... http://www.seekinsprecision.com/mcsr-rail.html And it will come with it's own proprietary barrel nut.

As for triggers, I recommend the Rise Armament RA-140 trigger. For the price, it is nearly unbeatable... https://www.rainierarms.com/rise-armament-black-fallout-trigger/

I spent more on each one of my uppers than most people spend on their whole AR build. It pays for itself when you go to the range and it shoots MOA or better (which is better than 90% of the other people's hunting rifles that are shooting around you ). You really realize the platform CAN be accurate, and LR capable...You just can't skimp on anything, and must buy match-grade and top-tier quality parts...Including the upper and lower receivers.

 

[Vortex!]

It can definitely be more accurate than contractor-grade barrels, and cheap mil-spec barrels. Trust me, I used to feel the same way, until I built mine, and used all high-end parts, and it really is like a whole different rifle than those ****** old off-the-shelf mil-spec M4's. The only advantage they have is that fun 3-position giggle-switch...But it's not practical in any sense, other than suppressive firepower.

Anyway, back to your conundrum...

I would go with a nice match-grade barrel like one of the 3 I linked, with a good gas block and a good stainless gas tube.

I would go with a good handguard, like the Seekins Precision MCSR V2 Keymod 15" rail... http://www.seekinsprecision.com/mcsr-rail.html And it will come with it's own proprietary barrel nut.

As for triggers, I recommend the Rise Armament RA-140 trigger. For the price, it is nearly unbeatable... https://www.rainierarms.com/rise-armament-black-fallout-trigger/

I spent more on each one of my uppers than most people spend on their whole AR build. It pays for itself when you go to the range and it shoots MOA or better (which is better than 90% of the other people's hunting rifles that are shooting around you ). You really realize the platform CAN be accurate, and LR capable...You just can't skimp on anything, and must buy match-grade and top-tier quality parts...Including the upper and lower receivers.

. I have one of those rise armament RA-140 triggers and I like it.

 

[yorke-1]

An adjustable gas block and a good trigger go a long ways towards an accurate AR. I had a 270 ARP and 6.5 BRX that would hold .75 MOA out to 800 yards once I found good loads for them.

My Grendel bolt gun just has a Black Hole barrel and it shoots .5 MOA with a couple different loads with very little work, so you don't need to spend a ton of money on a barrel. In a gas gun the trick is to find a bullet that shoots well with a long jump and can survive the relatively violent trip from the magazine into the chamber. ARs do terrible things to your carefully loaded ammo.

A good barrel helps with the accuracy but I found that a lot of the issues came from me. Shooting an AR accurately is very different than shooting a bolt gun accurately. It took some adjustments to my technique to get my ARs to shoot better than 1 MOA.

 

[CaptnC]

The gun shoots better in more capable hands...my wife..."The Colombian Sniper" for those who've read about her buck from this year...

She shot her first ever Gobbler with the 6.5 Grendel this afternoon. Shot it in the neck of course...11" beard and spurs over an inch! More on this when I get back where I have a signal.

Game camera has a bunch of hogs hitting the feeder in the day time! So they maybe her next victims.

 

[Vortex!]

Congratulations!!

 

[Georgiashooter]

CaptnC

I really like the 8208,benchmark, 335 for the lighter pills. If you end up going with the 110 hammers you're talking about on grendel forum, I'd bet a stout load of 8208 or benchmark would do the trick. I forget my exact charge under a 100 TTSX, but it was nearly one hole and will nail a Deer to the deck. I'm anxious for your results with the hammer. Looks like a good bullet for the Grendel.