6.5 Grendel Realistic velocity out of 16" barrels

mongoslow

mongoslow

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Dec 7, 2013
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I was wondering if any of ya'll had chronoed some of the factory 120-129 grain loads out of the 16" Ruger Ranch or Howa rifles, my Hornady Black and PPU 120 HPBT boxes are both claiming 2600 fps+ on the box but I figure that was from a 22 or 24" barrel and I was wondering what ya'll were getting in the real world out of the shorter carbine length guns
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Given various factors, chronoing yourself from your own gun is the best option. I have seems different rifles with the same length of barrel be over 100 fps different in velocity with the same ammo in the same shooting session.

As for Hornady claiming their Black is 2600+ fps, you must have a very special lot. They only make 6.5 Grendel Hornady Black ammo in 123 gr. and my boxes from multiple purchases all say 2580 fps at the muzzle. Yes, that will be from a 24" test barrel. You can subtract 20-30 fps per inch difference and get some idea of the velocity difference (depending in your barrel), but without actually chronoing, you won't know.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
Given various factors, chronoing yourself from your own gun is the best option. I have seems different rifles with the same length of barrel be over 100 fps different in velocity with the same ammo in the same shooting session.

As for Hornady claiming their Black is 2600+ fps, you must have a very special lot. They only make 6.5 Grendel Hornady Black ammo in 123 gr. and my boxes from multiple purchases all say 2580 fps at the muzzle. Yes, that will be from a 24" test barrel. You can subtract 20-30 fps per inch difference and get some idea of the velocity difference (depending in your barrel), but without actually chronoing, you won't know.
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yep I checked ELD-M 2580 , BARNES VORTEX 2590, PPU wasn't on the box but I think the 120 grain was around 2650 that i looked at online
 
Reasons for my barrel length choices regarding cartridges and bullet weights.

distance being shot
minimum of 2,700 (2,650 maybe in this case)
barrel length to achieve said fps
bullet weight to achieve said fps

300bo doesn't count in this case

I have 2 6.5gren's (20 & 24")
 
Double Naught Spy said:
Given various factors, chronoing yourself from your own gun is the best option. I have seems different rifles with the same length of barrel be over 100 fps different in velocity with the same ammo in the same shooting session.

As for Hornady claiming their Black is 2600+ fps, you must have a very special lot. They only make 6.5 Grendel Hornady Black ammo in 123 gr. and my boxes from multiple purchases all say 2580 fps at the muzzle. Yes, that will be from a 24" test barrel. You can subtract 20-30 fps per inch difference and get some idea of the velocity difference (depending in your barrel), but without actually chronoing, you won't know.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what Hornady uses for testing velocity but I was able to get 2900 out of their 117gr 25-06 ammo in my custom 26in Remington 700 and the box said 2990fps. So I'm not really sure what to think about that.
 
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this little Ranch rifle from Ruger is my 6.5 Grendel, 16" barrel, 10 shot mag, adjustable trigger. I topped it with a Sig Sauer whiskey 3 2.5-7×32 scope and the whole package is just handy as all get out, I zeroed with the PPU Rifleline 120 gr HPBT ammo @ 200 yards and it works pretty dang good for me, I have walked several miles in the old strip pit around me carrying itand it doesn't become a burden like a bigger rifle can.
I did install a .30 caliber Ruger radial brake on it, although the Grendel has light recoil the brake keeps my scope on target while shooting so I can see my impact and adjust my POA if necessary for a follow up shot.
Ruget offers the Ranch in 5.56, 6.5G, 300BO, 350L and 450 bushmaster, they are very handy little walking around rifles and truck guns
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someguy2800 said:
Running a couple simulations in quickload.

120 gr BT with CFE 223
24 inch = 2668 fps
20 inch = 2568 fps
16 inch = 2438 fps

90 gr Speer TNT CFE 223
24 inch = 2975 fps
20 inch = 2855 fps
16 inch = 2700 fps
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thanks, been researching it and it's looking like I can expect 2350-2450 fps out of the little Grendel which is good enough for deer inside of 200 and coyote on out to 350 as long as I'm doing my part
 
The 16" should work nice.I would say 2400fps faster with light bullets .I have several ars in it a 24'bull a 18" for hunting deer and a 16" for a compact ar.They all shoot great .I also have a Howa mini action as well. I want a cz 527 if i can find one !
 
I'm getting about 2500 using tac and the 123grn sst in my home built ar using a 16" ballistic advantage barrel. I forget the exact velocity.
 
I tend to get a bit more initial velocity with 123s versus 129s, though I prefer the 129s for long range shooting out to 1200 yards.
I have barrels from 10.5 to 24" and the velocity on those with 123s range from 2550 or so to 2800 depending on the powder. I could load them a little hotter but I don't think I'd get that much velocity gain. I can get higher velocity with 90-110 grain loads of course, but I am not a varmit shooter and anything under 110 loses velocity pretty quickly and wind deflection gets too hard to adjust for past 300 yards on the ranch where I have done most of my long range Grendel shooting.

I actually prefer the 20" barrels because there is not a big velocity jump going to the 24" barrels and shorter rifles are much easier to carry. If I'm not shooting past 250 yards or so I often carry a very lightweight govt profile 16" barrel because the whole rig loaded in just under 7 lbs. I can't express how much I like the 6.5 Grendel in comparison to other AR15 chamberings. I've built a couple of 6 ARC ARs but have not had the opportunity to shoot them enough to fully compare them to the 6.5 Grendel, even though initial testing shown them to shoot a bit flatter.
 
Well, 6.5 Grendel capacity-wise is a 7.62X39 necked down to 6.5, but shooting the same weight bullet. So muzzle speed will be similar to the 7.62X39. Those run 2460 with 16" barrels and cheap ammo. So where do the speed improvements come with the Grendolin? Well, improved powders or super hot loads might get you 100fps. so 2450- 2550 fps.
Now my 270 WSM will beat that by 700 fps. with a slightly heavier bullet. However, much harder to get that round in an AR platform.
 
mshootnit said:
Well, 6.5 Grendel capacity-wise is a 7.62X39 necked down to 6.5, but shooting the same weight bullet. So muzzle speed will be similar to the 7.62X39. Those run 2460 with 16" barrels and cheap ammo. So where do the speed improvements come with the Grendolin? Well, improved powders or super hot loads might get you 100fps. so 2450- 2550 fps.
Now my 270 WSM will beat that by 700 fps. with a slightly heavier bullet. However, much harder to get that round in an AR platform.
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It's possible, but have to use lighter bullets. I have a 6.5prc 22"(built already) & a 7saum that should be here by 10/4/23 if the 7 weeks time is correct in AR platforms. The saum is great due to 2.825" length with Nosler 185rdf's and Hornady 180 edl-x. Using ql and qt the 180 gives the best data. I'm not a 7 fan, but do have a 7-08 22" AR and can't have just 1 in that caliber, so I ordered a saum 28" 8 twist.
 
Not in a bolt gun, but in my 16" 6.5 Grendel AR I get 2400 - 2450 fps with 123 ELDMs and a near-max charge of CFE 223. I give a 50 fps range because that's what I've measured on different days over time. Probably because: (i) I don't think my Caldwell chronograph is super repeatable, and (ii) CFE 223 is not the most temperature stable powder.

Edit to add: I use the same load for all three of Hornady's 123 grain bullets (SST, ELDM, BTHP) with basically the same results. I worked up for each bullet, but they all landed in the same spot which made things easy.
 
I need to get my chrono out and see how fast my 18” Grendel is actually launching the 123 Hornady SSTs, but I’m betting around 2450 based off range results and the ballistic calculator I’ve been using. I still prefer my 6.8 SPCs, but the Grendel is growing on me as a pig hunting cartridge.
 
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marksman13 said:
I need to get my chrono out and see how fast my 18” Grendel is actually launching the 123 Hornady SSTs, but I’m betting around 2450 based off range results and the ballistic calculator I’ve been using. I still prefer my 6.8 SPCs, but the Grendel is growing on me and a pig hunting cartridge.
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I'm with ya about the 6.8spc! I like my 26cals, but love the 6.8 more than the gren!
 
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