Grendel Build: What barrel length?

[gondorian]

So right now I'm in the process of gradually building up an AR that will be used mostly as a jack of all trades rifle, where it needs to be accurate enough to reach out and punch paper at a half a mile when I visit with people who have backyards of that sort. It also needs to be light enough to hunt with and possibly do some occasional practical shooting type stuff. (I do have a 5.56 AR which fills that primary role).

I've already decided that it will be in 6.5 Grendel. I don't want to hear a single peep about 6.8 SPC, or how the new 140 vld bullets make it shoot better than a grendel even at range blah blah blah.

So should I get a 16" 18" or 20" barrel?

 

[gotigers]

What critters will you be hunting with it? What terrain will you be hunting in?

Shooting for groups at 800 yards, i would want the longest quality barrel i can afford.

 

[gondorian]

I don't really know what I'll hunt yet. I'm planning to move out of Ill. sooner rather than later after I'm done with my studies. You can't really hunt with centerfire rifles in this state so this is a future looking project mostly because I had a stripped lower sitting all by its lonesome.

Hogs,deer and other medium game are the most likely suspects, but I'm open to pretty much anything that is edible. I've only hunted deer and squirrel before.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Well the Grendel is a might powerful for squirrel...and will do a marginal job on deer, IF you do your part, and rather well.lol

If it's long ranger activities your after, it is my opinion that the 20" (or longer) barrel will do better than the shorter versions.

 

[longdayjake]

I had a 20" that I took an Elk with. It was a little bit heavy but most hunting requires a lot of sitting and doing nothing. The 20" gave me a little bit more velocity for range shooting and made for a good hunting gun. I am currently working on producing some 6.5 grendel Ars so I will be back in the game shortly.

 

[longdayjake]

Well the Grendel is a might powerful for squirrel...and will do a marginal job on deer, IF you do your part, and rather well.

This is just false. I guess you might consider it underpowered for deer if you are one of those guys that can't kill anything with less than a .300 win mag.

 

[Onewolf]

I'm currently building two 6.5 Grendels. One upper for 'fun' stuff will be 16" and one for long range (up to 800yds) will be a SS 24" bull barrel.

 

[sixgunner455]

If you really intend on shooting long range with it, and it sounds like it will be mostly a range toy for the present, then you will likely be happier with a longer barrel.

 

[sfed]

OneWolf
What manufacturer barrels will you be using for each? I am debating building a 6.5 Grendel upper to swap in and out on one of my AR`s, my current thoughts are a 20" barrel that would be a decent all around upper for white tail deer.

 

[Onewolf]

I'm getting the 24" Les Baer upper from Precision Firearms and the 16" upper from J&T Distribution.

 

[sfed]

Thank You, as I stated I am in the debating stage and was wondering about the accuracy of the shorter than 20 inch barrels. The 6.5 Grendel is not a fast round to start with. What velocity do you intend to reach with the 16 inch barrels? I know you lose a certain amount of velocity for every inch shorter the barrel is, will you be able to get 2500fps or so without running into pressure problems?

 

[rayatphonix]

If I was getting it for long range it would be a 24" barrel. You'll need all the velocity you can get at longer ranges. I've got a Precision Grendel with a 24" barrel and it's very, very nice. Much better rifle than I am shooter.

 

[HOOfan_1]

will do a marginal job on deer, .

It is more powerful than the .250 savage and about like a standard pressure .257 Roberts

 

[gondorian]

@longdayjake

About how heavy is your 20" grendel? Also do you have a bull barrel or what sort is it?