Advice needed on barrel length from Grendel gurus.

[Chandler2112]

I'm going to build a 6.5mm Grendel with its anticipated use to be mostly for hogs and woodland deer, so a 16" barrel first came to mind, especially as I want to keep the weight down. That said, as I live in Arizona, I might try some longer distance, open range, hunting of antelope after I've sharpened my long range shooting abilities (haven't shot past 300-350 years in 20 years).

So, provided I use good quality factory ammo (Hornady 123gr A-MAX and SST), use a high quality scope, and a precision trigger, what is the longest range I should expect to be able to take antelope, or deer, provided my Grendel is outfitted with a good barrel... say a 16" Krieger barrel or an 18" Krieger or Bartlein barrel?

[A5BLASTER]

Depending on how high you are above sea level you can go out to 1000 yards on target with a 16 or 18 inch barrel a member here LRRPF52 has posted targets that he hit at that range, so I dont see why you could do say five to six hundred on a deer are a speed goat.

My grendel has a JP 18 inch barrel and I built it to use for deer and hogs out to six hundred yards here in north louisiana.

[Double Naught Spy]

Accuracy-wise, either you have a good barrel or you don't. You aren't likely to be using open sights, so there is not sight radius advantage of the longer barrel. The advantages of the longer barrel with factory ammo are the additional velocity and associated energy on target. Depending on the bullet, you may be able to push the bullet's performance out 50-200 yards farther with a longer barrel before the bullet slows to the point of not expanding.

So, figure out how far you want to hunt game, the minimal performance velocity for the bullet types, and estimated velocity for the barrel length in order to find the shortest barrel that will perform adequately for you.

With that said, don't buy a cheap barrel (which apparently, you are not).

[VASCAR2]

A member here hunts Antelope in Wyoming every year he has gotten a tag. He posted the results of one hunt where he took a Antelope at 416 yards with his 24" AA 6.5 Grendel with a hand load using Accurate 2520 and a Nosler 120 grain Ballistic Tip. A couple years ago he took another Antelope at about 520 yards IIRC with his 6.5 Grendel. My Friend figures that is about the maximum effective range for his 24" 6.5 Grendel. Evelevation he hunts in Wyoming is around 7200' ASL.

He just built a new 18" 6.5 Grendel, it'll be intersting how he does with the shorter barrel.

Here is the link to the thread discussing antelope hunts in Wyoming and pictures of my Friend's antelope he took at a Laser ranged 416 yards.

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?7288-antelope-hunting-with-the-6.5-G

[Zach987]

I have an 18" Rock Creek barrel and I wouldn't hesitate to use the 123gr sst out to around 500 yards where the velocity drops below the 1800fps threshold for bullet expansion. My skills and choices limit my shots to around 300yds or less, my gun is way more accurate and capable than I am.

[Texas]

I currently have a 16 inch and 20 inch Grendel and am looking to add a 24 inch. From tests we have done, the velocity difference between the 16 inch and 20 in h is about 200 fps with a 100 gr bullet. We are going to use the 24 inch for added velocity.
I agree with previous posts that a barrel will either shoot well or not without respect to length.

[Slappy]

There might be a couple barrels left on the group buy. I am sure of it, because no one has said there are none left! Get one of those!! 16 inch Grendel barrel!!! BANG BANG!!

Very little wait time!!!!

[A5BLASTER]

Given what you just stated in your last post, this is what I would do.

Go to JP website go in to the rifle builder section and build the barrel and bolt combo with the muzzle attacment and gas block and gas tube of your chooseing and the finish of your chooseing, install and rock that bad boy to the wheels fall off.

You will not be disappointed with going with JP products what so ever.

[jamichau]

Thanks, A5Blaster. I'll have a look...

[Klem]

Chandler,

In answer to your question I would say you need to stalk to the closest distance you can before shooting those animals. And do this every time regardless of how far your Grendel might be supersonic.

As far as ballistics go the Grendel is a relatively slow round so you need all the barrel length you can justify to offset the fixed 37.5gns of water, case capacity. Compounding this is when hunting you do not have the luxury of known distances like at the range so with a slow round comes a more pronounced ballistic curve at medium to long range. This means your judging distance-to-target is less forgiving than flatter-shooting 6.5 calibres. A laser range-finder or good understanding of a milling reticle will negate this concern and is almost a must here.

As far a wound ballistics go there's a popular understanding among hunters that ballistic tips don't open-up properly below 2,000fps. Also the temporary wound cavity diminishes the slower your bullet is travelling when it penetrates flesh. For your 16" barrel while a 123SST might stay supersonic out to say 850M it has dropped below 2K fps by 200M (for a scenario of 2,360fps MV). By 500m it is doing 1550fp and that bullet is going to act like a monolith or FMJ match round when it strikes flesh. I am thinking the most it will deliver is a crush trail with no temp wound cavity like a handgun round. Without the bullet's hunting potential you will need to guarantee an accurate hit to prevent unnecessary wounding.

So, why would you risk wounding an animal past 500M when you can stalk closer and guarantee a more humane and devastating shot? Probably why there's not a lot of stuff posted on the internet about hunting past 500 metres given the ethical issues at stake (not to mention missing them). If it was a bad guy and you were in the military, sure, but it is not.

My answer to your question then has nothing to do with the maximum range potential of the gun... 400metres, but preferably closer.

[Chandler2112]

Chandler,

So, why would you risk wounding an animal past 500M when you can stalk closer and guarantee a more humane and devastating shot? Probably why there's not a lot of stuff posted on the internet about hunting past 500 metres given the ethical issues at stake (not to mention missing them). If it was a bad guy and you were in the military, sure, but it is not.

My answer to your question then has nothing to do with the maximum range potential of the gun... 400metres, but preferably closer.

Thanks Klem... after 30 years of hunting, you've told me what I've been doing wrong all the time. Stalking my quarry? Getting closer to the animals I seek to harvest to make an "ethical kill"?

Inherent in my question, by my mention of "quality ammo, precision trigger, high quality barrels" is my obvious desire to make an ethical kill at a specific range.

Pretty sure that was clear... but obviously not to all.

[Chandler2112]

Accuracy-wise, either you have a good barrel or you don't. You aren't likely to be using open sights, so there is not sight radius advantage of the longer barrel. The advantages of the longer barrel with factory ammo are the additional velocity and associated energy on target. Depending on the bullet, you may be able to push the bullet's performance out 50-200 yards farther with a longer barrel before the bullet slows to the point of not expanding.

So, figure out how far you want to hunt game, the minimal performance velocity for the bullet types, and estimated velocity for the barrel length in order to find the shortest barrel that will perform adequately for you.

With that said, don't buy a cheap barrel (which apparently, you are not).

Thanks for your unsolicited recitation of information I was aware of 30 years ago.

[Chandler2112]

I have an 18" Rock Creek barrel and I wouldn't hesitate to use the 123gr sst out to around 500 yards where the velocity drops below the 1800fps threshold for bullet expansion. My skills and choices limit my shots to around 300yds or less, my gun is way more accurate and capable than I am.

Okay and my thanks Zach987.

I appreciate real world answers to my specific questions.

[Chandler2112]

My issue isn't barrel length (which I hope doesn't mean I need to start a new thread).

My post was "Advice needed on barrel length from Grendel gurus".

Your question was "My issue isn't barrel length"...

So... yeah... it obviously does mean you should have started a new thread, so it doesn't invade my thread, and can be searchable for the benefit of others.

[Chandler2112]

Depending on how high you are above sea level you can go out to 1000 yards on target with a 16 or 18 inch barrel a member here LRRPF52 has posted targets that he hit at that range, so I dont see why you could do say five to six hundred on a deer are a speed goat.

My grendel has a JP 18 inch barrel and I built it to use for deer and hogs out to six hundred yards here in north louisiana.

I live at 1,250' ASL elevation but often hunt at elevations 2X-5X that... so elevation is a factor I'll have to keep in mind. Thx for the reminder.