Looking to build an AR for deer hunting

[calvarez]

Hi, I've been lurking for a while as I researched which caliber to go with. Some months ago when pondering a good deer rifle, I really liked the idea of using an AR for it. I shoot really well with the platform, I'm all around comfortable with it, and ... why not? I hunt with a group that isn't going to give me stink-eye for hunting with an "assault weapon."

So anyway I settled on the Grendel for the obvious reasons... Total compatibility with my existing platform (other than mags sort of), good for deer at middle ranges, low recoil, inexpensive. I have a very nice AR lower with a Timney trigger that would be great for hunting. I spent months looking at options, and was surprised at the price range for an upper or the parts to build one. Just as I was getting ready to go with one of the mid-price options, I ran into a link here to a $337 complete BCA upper. WHAT?? Too good to be true? But nobody had really awful things to say about them, and just two months ago I built a "cheap as you can make it" AR pistol. That has turned out to be AWESOME with no penalties for being cheap (80% lower and full kit for under $300!). So it's on order, UPS doesn't show tracking yet, can't wait to see it/shoot it.

At the same time my friend went with a Ruger rifle in Creedmoor. As I understand the 65grendel.com rules, I'm now required to call him a lot of names and insult his mother, right? He wants to shoot bigger stuff at longer ranges where he lives, Alaska. No desire for AR compatibility.

I'm a life-long shooter and occasional hunter (always with more experienced hunters for help and guidance). I love the AR platform. A few of my other guns are: .50 BMG rifle, AR pistol, AR in .22, Mosin, Glock 27, a few black powder, shorty shotgun, Ruger SR-22, and some others. I like variety in shooting so I have variations more than i have duplicates of certain calibers or guns.

I'm a nerd/entrepreneur in order to feed my hobbies. Currently run a VoIP service provider and a video management software/system company.

[VASCAR2]

Welcome to the forum calvarez! This forum is typically very open minded with members who are gun enthusiast with a wide range of experience. Everybody has a certain amount of knowledge and experience to post in the forums. People on this forum are not beyond disagreeing or pointing out inaccurate information.

I find the 6.5Grendelforum to be one of the better forums on the net and has proven benifical for me on many topics. Only you can decide if this forum is a place you enjoy visiting and being a member. Welcome aboard!

[LRRPF52]

Welcome aboard. I have way more chamberings than just 6.5 Grendel, although I find it to be one of the most utilitarian options there is for the AR15 and Mini/Micro action bolt guns.

I also have .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, tons of 5.56 blasters, etc.

For rifles, I found myself shooting Grendel a lot more since it's so easy to find good ammo for it, and hand-loading doesn't suck up tons of powder, while brass lasts longer than other cartridges I load for.

[Texas]

Welcome to the forum Calvarez. I have not had a single person that has fired my Grendel at 100, 200, and 300 yards that did not want one.

[just_john]

Welcome to the Clan! I hunted with an '06 for decades, killed a lot of four-legged things but once the Grendel bug hit, the others just became dust collectors.

[Kilco]

Welcome sir!!

Ive used a variety of hunting cartridges over the years. Build a 20" Grendel in 2016 that was a fine shooter, just a porker as well. Sold the upper mid august and missed out on hunting with my Grendel during the 2016 season.. (which turned out to be a lifetime best)

This year ive built a lightweight 16" Grendel just over 7 lbs, and I can say without a shadow of doubt its my favorite gun in my cabinet.

Easy to carry, easy to shoot well, easy to reload for, and the performance is far above and beyond what it should be. Outperforms my 20" 308 in every single regard. You are going to enjoy yours as well!!

[StoneHendge]

Welcome aboard! You don't need to call your buddy with the 6.5C names as long as he doesn't act like his rifle has made him the second coming of Chris Kyle while not knowing how to shoot over 200 yards....

A G27 was my first semi handgun. I've since gone to 357 snubbies for concealed and always face a difficult choice between my G20 and GP-100 for backcountry open carry, but the G27 still plays a very important role in my nightstand.

[calvarez]

LOL, nice, thanks for the welcome. Most of my parts have been arriving, like an appetizer, but the upper isn't scheduled to show up until Wednesday...

[Heorot]

Welcome to the best forum on the web for the Grendel! Choosing a caliber for hunting is a journey for some, religion for others.

I started deer hunting with a scout rifle in 7-08, which was considered a bit of an oddity in deer camp back then. Then moved to a .280 in a Thompson Pro Hunter, before realizing that was was way more powder and blast than I needed to get the job done. Then it was an AR10 to prove that one could hunt with one of those evil black guns and then a .308 barrel for the Thompson, because I liked the easy handling and simple manual of arms of a single shot. Then I happened on a Grendel upper and thought it would be an interesting caliber to play around with and give one of my AR15s some more range for target shooting.

That was it, I only carry it for hunting pigs, deer and turkey, as well as target shooting. Although it shoots sub-MOA and kills anything I point it at with factory Hornady A-max, it's fun to play around with the multitude of bullets that are slightly heavier and tout better ballistics in hopes of finding the ultimate death ray for hawgs.

Hope you enjoy your time here, as much as I do!!

[Timmy2Knives]

Welcome bro. Sounds like a fun build. I see you listed AR pistol in your armory. Run some searches on 12.5 grendel barrels. It's a surprisingly effective round out of shorter barrels. Most people say it's best in 20 inches. Not true.

[calvarez]

Welcome bro. Sounds like a fun build. I see you listed AR pistol in your armory. Run some searches on 12.5 grendel barrels. It's a surprisingly effective round out of shorter barrels. Most people say it's best in 20 inches. Not true.

It did cross my mind that it should be a great round for a short rifle (cough--er pistol, SBRs have tax stamps). But honestly I built the AR pistol just because it's so much fun to shoot, but without any practical purpose or intent. I also turned it into an exercise of "how cheap can I build this" to see what I could get away with. The answer is $285 without optics, and it's perfectly reliable, as well as just nice to shoot. I don't feel like much would be gained by spending more. That sort of led to my purchase of a very low cost 6.5 upper, since it doesn't seem like the cost is necessarily tied to usability. I doubt that I'd build another one, but then, it took me a while to understand why people have multiple ARs at all.

[Safety Guy]

calvarez, please report back on the BCA upper after you get a chance to shoot it. I'm looking at them myself.

[calvarez]

It just arrived, hoping to bug out early and shoot tonight, but that's only a 50/50 chance at best.

[DJudge]

It just arrived, hoping to bug out early and shoot tonight, but that's only a 50/50 chance at best.

Welcome! Wondering how it performed...

[calvarez]

I wish I knew...damn work, and I had the wrong rings. So I was only able to get a scope mounted last night, and will shoot this weekend. Really looking forward to it. I ended up switching to a Vortex 2" offset cantilever on recommendation of one of the people in a shop. It ended up that I might not need that style and rings would work, just would be close. She was right that the cantilever would be more flexible, but the rings probably would have been ok. After I do some shooting, I may switch, dunno. It adds .42 pounds to the rig, where the rings were basically nothing.