Empty AR15 receiver...What upper should I buy or build for a 300 yard deer AR?

[snox801]

So base the 25 oce vs the Grendel with 100gr bullet it appears to be 200 FPS slower than a 100 gr grendle in the same 18" barrel. But you have a very crappy bc ina 25 of that weight. So the only thing you get is cheap brass. But you give up FPS and bc for longer shots how is that better? It's cool and all but I've played with the .223 case a lot.
Mad dog stays the only good bc bullet in 100gr at 2550fps all the other 100gr are bricks that's because you need the case space to move then. You can shoot a much higher bc 100gr 6.5 200 FPS faster in the grendle. Heck if you want a bad bc heavy hitter you can push 100gr in the blk at 2550 but again give up all your bc. Compared to the blk the oce has the same advantages as the grendle does over the oce.

 

[snox801]

To be fair the best your gonna get in a ar mag is gonna be the 6mm ar turbo 40.
Not gonna find a round that will outdo that over a variety of ranges. I just have to many 6.5 grendels to feed now to have different chambers.
Plus I was able to buy a whole upper for the cost of the turbo barrel. But if you are looking for one AR to rule all that is it.

 

[Sid Post]

First, I also own a 6.5g and the often mentioned 6.8SPC. Bolts in both can be problematic for some and definitely a bit more difficult to find with the correct construction for the stresses involved with those rounds. Secondly, granted this is the LRH forum but some of us don't need every rifle in the safe to be a 600+ yard stomper for heavy game. I for one won't ever be Elk 'plinking' at 1000+ yards even with my 300WM (or 338/378 Weatherby) whether I've got my 12x42-56 NF or 6x24-72 Hensoldt on it or not.

In my case, I fully realize the compromises the 257 Ocelot has with 120gr bullet options. I can drive the sub-100gr bullets I want to use at ~3,000FPS. For what and where I hunt that is plenty. Some of the 100gr options for deer-sized animals also fit in the AR-15 magwell just fine with enough powder to run in the 2700~2800FPS range.

The fact I can't run every Long Range .25 bullet known has very little real impact on me. If I want to sling LR wonder bullets at 600+ yards, I'll just use my 257 Weatherby! I don't want to duplicate my Weatherby in an AR-15 either.

Cheap brass, common bolts, etc. with less recoil while still being effective are where I'm at with this rifle. The ability to rapid-fire accurate shots thanks to less recoil is helpful too. A coyote or cow chasing / chicken killing dog won't notice the difference in a 257 Ocelot with 87~100gr bullets over a 257 Weatherby with 100~120gr bullets. The 257 Ocelot will take out more dogs in one go than my bolt action Weatherby too, at least in my hands with my bad shoulder. YMMV!

 

[snox801]

I understand it's a fun round same feeing I have with the 6x45 I have. But the fact remains that the Grendel is well sorted and bolts are no issue anymore. Heck you can buy a very functional upper from psa for the cost of most barrels.
My point being when comparing Apple to apples the Grendel beats the .233 variants every time. I've had thousands of rounds through my grendels and no issues. They had problems at the start but that was so long ago it has no bearing anymore. And yes your bullet selection works for you but in the 100gr plus you give up bc to get it moving which in your case works for your needs. But when someone asks what would be the best all around the Grendel just has it down. For same bullet weight it will always be able to get better bc because it's shorter. Or even heavier bullets for more thump.
Now I am one to love to tinker and love things based off the .223 love my 6x45 and looking at a oce myself but I'm doing it to be a bit different and some fun. But when it comes to him wanting one upper to do it all grendle wins.
Say you never stretch it out for hunting that's fine but to have the option is nice. Or in my brother case. He hunts out to 300-400 with his but shoots comp out to 600 something that would be tough and impossible at 1000 with a oce.
Also do us a favor and try some light hammers in your 25. I gave up my 6x45 cause case gave me few options for deer. But then loaded the 70 hammers great speed and able to take deer and hogs. Love that little round.

 

[Sid Post]

I have a PSA upper in 6.8SPC that is a real tack driver.

Factory ammo for the Grendel around here has been a real problem to find and brass is more expensive too. For myself, I also want to expend as much energy into the target as possible so, pass-throughs with a LR bullet are not my thing right now.

My Grendel really shines at long range so, if I need to pop coyotes or dogs at ~400+ yards, it would be an easy call to take that rifle. It's also nice to hear the bolts have improved from the early days where they were hard to source and had a fairly high failure rate.

 

[SteelBanger]

I get the fun of having a ?x45 and will surely tinker down that road in the future but I think the grendel fits the "best overall" criteria right now for me. So what are the premium bolts you guys are running? With that being the primary failure point I'd like to know I'm buying the best built bolt.

 

[snox801]

I actually just run the psa bolt had no issues.
All the issues have been very early on in the life of the Grendel. They actually had two version and the current one u buy is the newer version.
You will be fine with any decent bolt. I can recommend psa

 

[DVLDOG6.5]

I actually just run the psa bolt had no issues.
All the issues have been very early on in the life of the Grendel. They actually had two version and the current one u buy is the newer version.
You will be fine with any decent bolt. I can recommend psa

I get the fun of having a ?x45 and will surely tinker down that road in the future but I think the grendel fits the "best overall" criteria right now for me. So what are the premium bolts you guys are running? With that being the primary failure point I'd like to know I'm buying the best built bolt.

I run the factory Odin bolts in mine with no problems at all. I have a couple Maxium bolts I bought for fear of failure that I haven't even had to touch yet. So I think that the bolt issue is no longer an issue as previously mentioned.

 

[Maol]

Since the OP's original question was picking a AR upper for GP hunting to 300 yards. Same as mine when I chose the 6.8 SPC, I chimed in. While some others here went SPC too and gave their reasons, I thought maybe I could do a better job explaining why I did than I did earlier. Because it wasn't just the 6.5G's lack of bolt meat, or mag feed issues..

Out to 300 hundred yards in the same barrel length no real difference SPC II v Grendel. SPC bolts are meatier, this matters if you handload to SPC ll higher pressures and longer freebore. In doing research I discovered the SPC II-ARP chamber has even more Freebore for even more seating/loading choices, and the PRI mags help with that too.

When folks compare the 2 they usually forget that manufacturers use the SAAMI Specs of the SPC I not the SPC II, and the significant effect of barrel length on their ballistics.

Handloads in the ARP chamber, fed from PRI Mags to 400 yards equal the Grendel and in a shorter barrel. BTW, neither one's factory ammo was available in stores when I chose the ARP/PRI setup in SPC so that wasn't even an issue at the time. I was looking at handloading either way. I just didn't want a 24" inch barrel.

Past 400 yards the factory Grendel is still noticeably flatter than any SPC II chamber and it is carrying more KE farther too, so it shines for Varmints and in wind at distance shooting paper. But both are **** accurate GP AR hunting rounds to 400.

So without knocking the Grendel, if you don't handload, don't mind longer barrels, a slightly sharper recoil, and want to hunt past 300-400 yards the Grendel edges the SPC. Just saying, that like most that chose the ARP/PRI/SPC combo, we're happy with the choice. I believe the OP chose a 20" 6.5 G, and that as a handloader Bluejay75 will be just as happy sending the 6.5s.

 

[levers4life]

Grendel got a work out last night. 123gr SST, 8208XBR, Hornady Brass - 125yds. Both dropped in their tracks.

 

[Swinehunt74]

Harrison, at AR15 Performance lays out his caliber choice opinion-
"If hunting deer and hogs the 6.8 makes more sense, it is a no fuss no muss work horse. There are more choices of hunting bullets and ammo and the 6.8 factory ammo is apx 100fps faster than the Grendel when the same length barrels and bullet weights are used. If you reload the 6.8 can be loaded 200fps faster than the Grendel and do it without breaking bolts like the Grendel does. A larger dia bullet moving 100fps faster = better terminal performance. SD does not mean anything, as soon as the bullet strikes something that SD figure is no longer valid. The bullet construction and expansion is the most important thing for hunting. Having more hunting bullet choices and better terminal performance puts the 6.8 out front for hunting."

His ARP 6.8 SPC barrels' chambers have more free bore, and are more beneficial if you handload.

Our family has 2 with 20 inch barrels, but you could go much shorter than that with the 6.8.

6.8 SPC has accounted for over 5K hogs last 18yrs, 15-20 culled deer and has outperformed ANY OTHER AR15 cartridge, PERIOD.

 

[762x51]

use good mags and the grendel is fine. i use 15 round mags and load 10. never had a jam but i've only fed hornday black through it. i topped mine with a 1-8x primary arms scope. if you zero it 3/4" high at 100 then the hash marks are supposed to be dead on, at least that's what the instruction manual claims.

as for bolts, i'm running a nitrided type II from toolcraft. i got it for $100 but that before all this covid and election madness. just make sure it's a type II bolt and a type II chamber/barrel.

 

[snox801]

6.8 SPC has accounted for over 5K hogs last 18yrs, 15-20 culled deer and has outperformed ANY OTHER AR15 cartridge, PERIOD.

That's a bad way to state that. If using the Grendel it would have likely killed just as many. The lethality of both is not in question as both do a great job. I can tell you that based on ballistics for both it's a crap shoot with the Grendel edging it out a bit especially are distance increases.
I think if your desire is under 300 yards you get a bit harder hitting round in the 6.8 after that the grendle has more energy. But to state it as a matter of fact does not make it true.

 

[Sid Post]

That's a bad way to state that. If using the Grendel it would have likely killed just as many. The lethality of both is not in question as both do a great job. I can tell you that based on ballistics for both it's a crap shoot with the Grendel edging it out a bit especially are distance increases.
I think if your desire is under 300 yards you get a bit harder hitting round in the 6.8 after that the grendle has more energy. But to state it as a matter of fact does not make it true.

That's a bit like arguing whether a 30-06 or 308Win is better for a feral hog. Both are effective to ranges beyond most shooter's ability to hit even a stationary feral hog.

For me, a dead feral hog is a deal feral hog, whether I use a howitzer or a hog trap, the method of death is less important to me than the fact there is one less property destroying critter on my property.