My New Grendel!

[JPShooter]

Hey Folks,

I've just joined the forum recently and have only a few posts.

I've been awaiting my new upper from Alexander Arms, and it arrived today! (Ordered 14 July and arrived 10 Aug.)

It's the Advanced Weapons System upper with a 20' Shilen barrel, and I mounted an APA GenII Micro Bastard Brake. The lower is a Daniel Defense from a DDM4V7 in Brown Cerakote that I've had sitting in the safe for some time. I upgraded it with an SSA-E and a JP Silent Captured Recoil Spring. The scope, as you can see, is a Vortex 1-6x24 GenII with Aadmount caps, in a Nightforce low Unimount. An FTW sling and Atlas bipod and it's ready to go!

I hope to get to the range with it this week if not next. I've got some Lapua brass and few boxes of 123gr SST's with a few different powders to try, so this should be a lot of fun!

Thanks for all the input that you folks put into this board. It was my lurking here that helped me decide to unload my AR10 in .308 and move in this direction. I've really no need of a .308's ballistics in an AR platform for my use and I feel that the Grendel will suit my needs quite nicely.

UPDATE 2: Decided to give the rifle the rattle can treatment! Waiting on a set of Aadland caps, when they arrive I'll paint them and the bipod to match.

UPDATE: I've decided to change this rig up a little. I did not like the hand guard that came from AA. Nothing wrong with it, quite well made and super nice fit, it was just not what I was after for a hunting/target rig, more of a tactical piece. So I found a guy on another forum who wanted to swap this Troy VTAC for a scope mount that I had. The fit for this barrel is just right in my opinion. I really like it! Now to decide if I want to rattle can this rig or not?

I also decided that one of my NF 2.5-10x32's was a better fit for this rifle, so I moved the Vortex off to another AR in 5.56.

The new setup is of course the second two pics below.

See also a post I will be adding in the reloading section on new load developments.

Jake

[1075 tech]

Looks good! Thinking of selling my LR-308 to fund a Grendel build myself.

[ricsmall]

Great looking stick. Let me know how you like that brake. I have a little jimmy on a 260 ackley bolt gun and love it.

Richard

[VASCAR2]

Great looking rifle, I hope you like your Shilen barrel, I like mine.

[am4966]

Nice

[BluntForceTrauma]

Dang, man! 10 out of 10 points for style! Wow.

[JPShooter]

Thanks for the comments guys! I'll post a range report when the time comes.

[JPShooter]

VASCAR2

I can tell you that I've got a few high end barrels and I also own a borescope.

This Shilen is easily one of the finest bores that I've peered into. I always start a new barrel with a shoot one and clean routine to see the characteristics of how the barrel fouls.

Some barrels have spots (sections/areas) that are like magnets for copper until you smooth them out. This barrel is the most even fouling and easy cleaning that I have experienced thus far.

I've got a Daniel Defense MK12 and that barrel was pretty sweet as well. I've got a Lilja on a GAP 300WM that's very nice as well, and a Noveske Afghan barrel on a NGA X7 AR15 that's top notch as well. This Shilen is the equal to any of these thus far (break in wise), now to see how it shoots!

[VASCAR2]

I don't have a bore scope JPShooter but my Shilen barrel is easy to clean. My Shilen barrel is more accurate than I can shoot it so I've been very satisfied. Please let us know how your 6.5 Grendel shoots but everything sounds like it will be a good shooter.

[danm]

Looks great! Love the scope but you might want more mag depending on how far you're shooting unless this is a hunting rig which would be perfect! BTW, where in N ID? I'm in the Lewiston/Clarkston Valley...

[JPShooter]

Hey Danm,

I'm in Sandpoint, about 55 miles south of the border.

We have a robust wolf population here in the Northern Panhandle with a limit of 5, if you can find them! This is going to be my hunting rig. It's a tad heavy by most standards for a hunting rifle, and i could save a few pounds by taking my GAP Non Typical 300WM along instead, but I just love the AR platform!

I had a GAP10 that I just sold in order to transition to the Grendel. The GAP10 was a very fine rifle, in a class of it's own, it was just a tank! Fully rigged for hunting (with a Night Force F1) it weighed in right at 16 pounds! That's actually the legal limit for a hunting rifle here in ID.

I see the Grendel as being the perfect hunting cartridge (in an AR platform that is) for my neck of the woods. I expect that I will be lucky to get a shot at 400-600 yards, and most likely it will be an in my face short range encounter, so I figure that the 1-6 is a perfect scope for these parts, as you noted.

For those that aren't aware, the Vortex GenII is a true 1X optic. I have a couple of Aimpoint T1's on other rifles and this is every bit as good if not better at 1X as they are. And the glass at 6X is fantastic! The red dot is very well done as well. I have three other NF scopes (had four but just sold the F1 to make this transition) and I am very impressed with the Vortex 1-6. My only niggle with it is that the elevation and windage is .2 Mil instead of .1 Mil, and no zero stop, but that's a minor thing, oh, and it's a bit heavy! But I guess if I'm out of ammo and have a wounded animal I can always club it to death with the scope, it would take it!

I wish I had more of the open range that you guys have in your area (if I've got your location right), we're really packed in the trees here. Getting a place to shoot over 300-400 yards is a real challenge.

[danm]

Hey Danm,

I'm in Sandpoint, about 55 miles south of the border.

We have a robust wolf population here in the Northern Panhandle with a limit of 5, if you can find them! This is going to be my hunting rig. It's a tad heavy by most standards for a hunting rifle, and i could save a few pounds by taking my GAP Non Typical 300WM along instead, but I just love the AR platform!

I had a GAP10 that I just sold in order to transition to the Grendel. The GAP10 was a very fine rifle, in a class of it's own, it was just a tank! Fully rigged for hunting (with a Night Force F1) it weighed in right at 16 pounds! That's actually the legal limit for a hunting rifle here in ID.

I see the Grendel as being the perfect hunting cartridge (in an AR platform that is) for my neck of the woods. I expect that I will be lucky to get a shot at 400-600 yards, and most likely it will be an in my face short range encounter, so I figure that the 1-6 is a perfect scope for these parts, as you noted.

For those that aren't aware, the Vortex GenII is a true 1X optic. I have a couple of Aimpoint T1's on other rifles and this is every bit as good if not better at 1X as they are. And the glass at 6X is fantastic! The red dot is very well done as well. I have three other NF scopes (had four but just sold the F1 to make this transition) and I am very impressed with the Vortex 1-6. My only niggle with it is that the elevation and windage is .2 Mil instead of .1 Mil, and no zero stop, but that's a minor thing, oh, and it's a bit heavy! But I guess if I'm out of ammo and have a wounded animal I can always club it to death with the scope, it would take it!

I wish I had more of the open range that you guys have in your area (if I've got your location right), we're really packed in the trees here. Getting a place to shoot over 300-400 yards is a real challenge.

Love Sandpoint and the lake and try to make it to Schweitzer a couple times a winter for boarding, best terrain in the area as long as you can see! While I do love the thick woods up there, you're right, we have some pretty open expanses down here. Last time I was at the Lewiston Police range (which officially is only 100 yrds) I ranged a rock outcropping across a farm field at 940yrds and was able to get consistent hits... Now I just need to muster up the nuggets to hike up there and put up a gong...

[JPShooter]

I had a local tell me some years ago that Schweitzer is German for "Can't see squat". It's a great mountain, no lines and when the weather is good there's nothing like, but there is that weather thing

[JPShooter]

Here's some results from today's range trip.

I only shot factory Hornady loads (123 SST) in order to see what the velocity and accuracy of the round is before I start hand loading my own SST's. Something of a goal to shoot for if you will.

The average velocity was 2570 fps (20" Shilen Barrel).

The two groups you see in the photos are as follows.

The larger 5 shot group was with the Magnetospeed on the barrel in order to get an idea what the velocity looked like.

The second group was without the Magnetospeed and I only got 4 rounds before the range went cold for target changes, and I did not want to stick around for just one more shot.

I had hoped for a better grouping (it measures .75 inches center to center), but I know that I'm not as good with a gas gun yet as I am with a bolt. I can make one ragged hole with my .308 bolt gun when I'm on, so I know I can shoot reasonably well at times.

I'm looking forward to what I can do now with hand loads!

[am4966]

Wish we could shoot the wolves here in the Upper Peninsula they are destroying our deer herd! Don't have alot of them but they just need a trimming.

Give it time the Grendel will shoot!