Monolithic Grendel build

[Vespid_Wasp]

So I saw a pretty good deal on a Mega Monolithic rifle length upper receiver a few days ago, and I went ahead and pulled the trigger on it with the intent to build a Grendel.


I have been researching barrel length, projectiles, wind/elevation and such. Then I was comparing different options like the 69gr Lapua Scenar to the 123gr Lapua Scenar. Then someone told me to run some numbers for the Hornady 73gr ELD 223 vs the Grendel.


So now I find myself in a bit of a quandry. This was going to be my first foray into a rifle like this. I have been shooting 3-gun for a few years and comfortably shoot to 500 yards with a 1-6 optic and 55gr ammo. I don't have time right now to actually compete in PRS events but I though this rifle could be my trainer to learn wind calls, dialing dope, etc.

As I am not particularly concerned with energy. IE, I don't really care that much about energy at this point, am I going to be gaining that much by going with the Grendel? It appears that to get the elevation and windage to be approximate, I will probably need a 24" 223 vs a 20" Grendel. And the 223 will probably be going subsonic around 900 yards.


It doesn't bother me if I can't get to 1000. It's a round number. But so is 888 yards.


I am currently well setup to load 223 ammunition so adding 6.5 Grendel capability would add cost that I could otherwise spend on optics or a better 223 barrel.


With the understanding that I will be limiting myself to perhaps 900, or perhaps 800 yards or less with the shorter supersonic range of the 223. Will I otherwise experience much lost capability if I ignore the difference in energy? Obviously the Grendel is going to carry a lot more energy on hits on steel, and for hunting it would be a legitimate medium game cartridge. But this rifle will spend 95% of the time shooting steel plates from 500-800 yards. I can get to 800 easily on my own property. Can't get to 1000.


I realize this is the Grendel forum and I was leaning heavily toward a new Grendel build but now I am wondering how much I will be gaining given my criteria.



I was looking at a Viper PST Gen II 5-25x scope the the EBR2-C reticle. Barrel...... I was totally up in the air. Was leaning towards an 18" or 20" for the Grendel just for that extra 150fps over a 16". Just curious for opinions. I have about 30 open tabs up on this forum so I am obviously still investigating and I have a lot to learn about this cartridge.

Thanks

[Vespid_Wasp]

I should caveat that I understand that looking at charts isn't exactly real-world. And reading some of the other thread on here where guys clearly MUCH prefer their Grendel for smacking steel. I'm perfectly happy to be convinced that I am wrong, and that I do indeed need to head down the path of a Grendel build.

Anyone who has shot both, I would love to see real world chrono data for both Grendel loads from a 20" barrel and real world chrono data for 73 and 75gr ELD or HPBT bullets at AR15 magazine length.

[StoneHendge]

Grendel all the way. I'll preface this by saying that I'm a 223 fanboy and shoot my 24" bull barreled Anderson 223 more than any other rifle. Why? for the sheer amount of trigger time I can get behind it, the cost to make the ammo and the almost nonexistent recoil. I consider the brass to be free (either LC that I get from my buddies or that I'll pick up from the range when I know it is once fired, or the Norma brass from the TAC 223 I feed my 16" carbine). I figure I'm at a little over 30 cents a round for my 69 gr SMK load that clocks in at 2915 and shoots 5/8 to 3/4, and I got down to a quarter a round with 77 grain NCC blems @ 2810 that does 5 shots at 1/2" at 100, but definitely has degraded accuracy at range. I have under $1500 in the entire scoped rifle - the only investment I put in it was a Geisselle SSA-E to match all of my other rifles. I primarily use it to shoot steel at 450-550 yards. Getting out past that, it is incredibly difficult to spot hits on a 16" square plate at 750 and a 12" square at 800. I can take it to 900 on a 12" round with the 69gr SMK on an extremely calm day, but the hit percentage goes way down because it is destabilizing as it hits Mach 1.2 around 850 (the way that target hangs, its a lot easier to see hits). I shoot at 6600 ASL and that load is actually staying supersonic past 1000. With my 22" Grendel on the other hand where I shoot a medium load of a 123 Scenar at 2580, I've been warming up on the 750 with winds being relatively calm and then play with the 800/900/1016 and Grendel retains enough energy and has enough mass to make all of those hits noticeable and audible.

When the wind starts to blow, all bets are pretty much off with the 223 past the 550. The wind drift for my 123 Scenar load at 900 yards with a 10 mph cross wind is 60". Its 90.7" with the 69 gr SMK, so 50% more drift! To put into perspective how difficult that is getting, the drift for the 223 is 82.5" with a 9 mph wind. So an 8.5" difference for 1 mph at 900 ..... nearly an MOA.

If 95% of your time is going to be shooting steel out to 800 and you've got the Mega upper and put a $1k scope on it, I would also go with as long of a barrel as possible - at least the 20 or maybe even a 22. Once you master the 800 on your property, trust me when I say you'll be looking for a place to take it farther.

[VASCAR2]

Many here will tell you to get a 260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5X47 Lapua for shooting past 800 yards. Elevation above sea level makes a lot of difference for me. I noticed this when I was shooting at 7200' ASL compared to 350'-400' ASL I normally shoot at home.

I have shot a 20" H-Bar Colt AR-15 223/5.56 a good bit and once you get past 400 yards my 20" 6.5 Grendel makes getting hits a lot easier in the wind. The difference in being able to hear hits on steel with 6.5 Grendel compared to 223/5.56 is really significant for me especially past 400 yards.

If I were building a rifle soley for long range in 6.5 Grendel I'd buy a 22" or 24" barrel. After shooting my 6.5 Grendel I don't shoot 223/5.56 past 400 yards anymore. I just like the 6.5 Grendel better, for close in and CQB the 223/5.56 are fine but further out I really prefer my 6.5 Grendels.

[Kilco]

A 22" JP barrel or a 24" AA will get you where you want to be without much fuss.

I shoot my 16" Grendel out to 810 yards regularly without any drama at 660ft asl. A quality barrel at 22, 24 or even 20" will get you to 900-1000 with relative ease as long as your wind reading is on.