6.5 Grendel AR

[giggitygiggity]

I am interested in a 6.5 Grendel AR. I have some Anderson lowers and am interested in a 6.5 Grendel upper. What are your recommendations? I am strongly considering the Wolf complete upper which can be had for $400 (16" upper with BCG and. charging handle). Thanks.

 

[Varminterror]

I'm building a Grendel SPR-type AR for a work associate currently. Personally, I think 16" is counter-indicated for the 6.5 Grendel, but to each their own, so I'd probably recommend against that. I've owned 20" and 24" Grendel uppers, 20" being louder and slower than the 24". I wouldn't cut clear down to 16" unless my specific purpose was short range coyote hunting AND dedicated with a can out front. If I weren't running suppressed, I wouldn't cripple my Grendel with such a short barrel. He's going 20" with a 15" handguard, and will be running suppressed.

If you're wanting to do it on the cheap - it'd be hard to complain about a $400 upper with a home built $200 lower, all in for $600...

 

[LoonWulf]

I agree, i think 16s too short.
Ive got a 20, and its loud and blasty with its break on it (my 16" .458 socom is actually less annoying).
I had a 24 and it was much more pleasant as well as being 200ish fps faster if i remeber correctly.
I cant see the 16 not being obnoxious, and the velocity loss is likely to be substantiall.

I can recommend Radical arms for a lowish cost option, or perhaps build your own.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Brownells had a good price on 6.5 Grendel barrels so I built mine using one. Everything else was parts I picked up here and there. The rifle shot great with several of my reloads and I was very fond of its long range capabilities. Sold it to a friend when I moved from Arizona to Ohio because a long range rifle like that deserved open spaces...lol

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Unless you already have another Grendel, I would just get a 6.8 SPC for a 16" gun. I have multiple Grendels (16", 20", 22") and the 16 was added for my daughter. So you are going to get a bit better performance from the 6.8 in a shorter barrel and have a much wider variety of ammo. Just a thought.

I haven't seen the Wolf upper about which you are referring. Got a link?

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I built a Grendel upper with a 18 inch fluted barrel from Midway. I wanted a light rifle that my wife could handle that would be adequate for deer and possibly bear. It pushes 123 grain bullets at just under 2400fps and is very accurate.
I'd like to have a 24 inch barrel as well.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

I'm very new to the AR game; can a 6.5 Grendel upper be mated with an AR-15 lower, or does it require an AR-10 platform?

Sam

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I'm very new to the AR game; can a 6.5 Grendel upper be mated with an AR-15 lower, or does it require an AR-10 platform?

Sam

AR-15

 

[Lennyjoe]

6.5 Grendel pins directly on an AR15 lower. 6.5 Creedmore requires an AR10 size lower.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

Thanks for the answers.

Is there any other 6.5mm cartridge that would fit the AR-15 platform?

Sam

 

[Varminterror]

None which aren't wildcats. 6.5-223/6.5x45, 6.5-6.8spc, 6.5tcu...

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

Varminterror,

That 6.5/6.8 sounds intriguing!

Sam

 

[Varminterror]

6-6.8 interests me more than the 6.5-6.8

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

6.5 BRX...

 

[DeoreDX]

The Wolf upper is built with the Anderson 16" Grendel barrel. Nothing fancy about it. Parkerized with carbine gas. Carbine gas makes it a little over gassed. I picked up an Anderson barrel and bolt and built an AR around it. Built it cause I wanted to try 6.5G on the cheap and I could shoot the cheap Wolf 6.5 ammo with it. Will shoot about 2MOA with an occasional wild flier with the wolf. But with Hornady 123Gr SST I've yet to make a group above 3/4".

 

[David4516]

I agree with DeoreDX the 123gr Hornady SSTs are good stuff

Also agree that longer barrel makes more sense I think 20 inches or more are the way to go. The 6.5 Grendel is best suited as a longer range AR round and as such the short barreled 6.5 uppers don't make much sense to me.

I'm attaching a pic of my rifle I built it on a Surplus Ammo and Arms lower and a Red-X arms upper

http://shop.redxarms.com/20-RXA15-65-GRENDEL-STRAIGHT-FLUTED-TACTICAL-SS-UPPER-2065GRENDELUH.htm

Attaching another pic of a target I shot with this rifle, 5 shots, 4 of them basically going into the same hole (one flyer but that was my fault not the gun's). Less than 3/4 of an inch, and even less than that if you subtract the bullet diameter

So far the longest range I've shot at is 600 yards but the gun should be capable of more.

Anyway before you dive in and go with the 6.5 Grendel ask yourself how you foresee using the gun. If you think you'll do any long range work (anything over 500 yards or so) it's a great cartridge. If not you might as well stick with the .223 (easier to find ammo/mags)

 

[DeoreDX]

I agree with DeoreDX the 123gr Hornady SSTs are good stuff

Also agree that longer barrel makes more sense I think 20 inches or more are the way to go. The 6.5 Grendel is best suited as a longer range AR round and as such the short barreled 6.5 uppers don't make much sense to me.

Anyway before you dive in and go with the 6.5 Grendel ask yourself how you foresee using the gun. If you think you'll do any long range work (anything over 500 yards or so) it's a great cartridge. If not you might as well stick with the .223 (easier to find ammo/mags)

I chose the 16" to build lighter weight carbine for >300 yard deer/hog rifle. Might have been better with 6.8 at this range but went with Grendel because of cheap ammo availability (aka Wolf Steel) to play around with. Didn't get a chance to go out with it last season maybe next. A 16" Grendel makes a great all around MSR for use in the woods even if you do lose 7-8% velocity over a 20-22". 223/556 is capable for deer/hod sized targets but I wuold much prefer the extra mass the 6.5 gives me. You rarely need that extra velocity in a woods setting and a 16" is quite a bit easier to handle in that setting over a 20-22". But like you said it depends on what you are building the rifle for. My 6.5 isn't something I would try to shoot bulls eyes with at 600 yards.