Merry Christmas Horde! New guy looking for some guidance.

[Peregrine]

Hello Horde,

I'm a pistol shooter who's interested in picking up some rifle shooting skills. I've shot AR-15s before, but I'm new to the platform and to rifles in general. There seems to be a lot of good information posted on this forum.

I'm interested in building my first AR-15 chambered in something other than .223/5.56. To be clear, this will be my first build. The 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC both seem pretty attractive. I'm leaning towards 6.5 Grendel based upon versatility and distance capability. I've read just about everything I can find on 6.5 Grendel over the past month or two. Based on what I've read, I'm convinced that if I go the 6.5 Grendel route I would purchase a SAAMI spec barrel and a good bolt with a 0.136" bolt face recess to avoid feeding and extraction issues experienced by others. I am however having a tough time choosing a barrel. This will primarily (90%+) be used as a target gun, but I'd like keep it somewhat light so I could still carry it around and possibly hunt with it down the road. I've been eyeing up lighter 18" barrels, but want to remain open minded about barrel length from those with more experience. What would you recommend?

Thank you,

Jay

[Frontier Gear]

What's your budget? From the limited information that you have posted, my first thought is the 18" Group buy barrel. http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...-S-amp-H-21-50

That's going to be really hard to beat for the price. My next thought would be one of the the Odin barrels. They too have a good price to quality ratio and come with a nice gas block.

This is a 6.5 Grendel forum so of course we will tell you to go with the Grendel. Post the same question on a 6.8 forum and they will tell you to go with the 6.8. However, since you state that this is a target gun 90% of the time, I do think that the Grendel is a better choice for you.

Also, I'd stay away from the BCA barrels for what you are looking for. BCA barrels are good and make for a nice hunting or low budget choice. They do not have a light weight 18" option though. About the best you can get is a fluted 18" version.

[Bigs28]

Depending on budget, group buy barrel, faxon, Odin, Alexander arms are all quality budget friendly. Precision firearms sells Lilja, Krieger, bartlein, criterion for a little more coin.

[Peregrine]

Hello Frontier Gear,

I've got about $525 into the build so far with the following parts:

Mega forged lower and standard billet upper
Geissele SSA-E trigger and LPK

I'd like to keep it at $1,200 or less for the whole build. Obviously that doesn't include glass. I love quality parts, but have experienced some sticker shock and don't want to let this build get ot of hand.

I also have another Mega forged lower and Geissele SSA-E trigger set aside for another build, so I could utilize any of those parts for a 6.5 Grendel build (~$300 in). I'd really like to build something myself so I can familiarize myself with the platform, rather than purchase a complete upper.

That looks like the Faxon barrel I was considering. Great price. I still want to consider one of the lower priced barrels from Precision Firearms if I can keep it within my budget which I assume limits me to a Criterion barrel.

[VASCAR2]

Welcome to the forum Peregrine! Higher end barrels like McGowen, Lilja, PF, Shilen, Hart, JP and cut rifled Satern are more likely to give top accuracy. Odin Works, Ballistic Advantage, Alexander Arms and Faxon get good reviews. Many options today in various price range and options.

[Frontier Gear]

Ok, so you have $675 left. Here is what you still need. This is off the top of my head, but I don't think that I am forgetting anything.

• Barrel
• BCG
• Hand Guard
• Muzzle Device
• Grip
• Stock
• Buffer Tube
• Buffer
• Buffer Spring
• Gas Block
• Gas tube
• Charging handle?
• Magazines

You can easily finish this within budget or you can easily blow your budget with just two items. Since you already have the receivers and trigger, I'd prioritize them in this order.

1. Barrel - Already discussed and the group buy barrel looks like a good fit for the price point of the other parts you have purchased.
2. Gas Block - Some good advise in the forum concerning those and the Odin barrel comes with one if you go that route.
3. Buffer System (spring and buffer) - I really like the JP Enterprise Silent Captured Spring System (JP SCS), but it is not necessary.
4. Stock - Personal preference and have a huge price variance.
5. Everything else.

The barrel will make your gun accurate and a satisfying to shoot. The gas block and buffer system will allow you to tune the rifle and make it reliable so you are not constantly frustrated. The stock will make it comfortable to you and your shooting style. These will provide you with a good foundation on which to build everything else.

Hand guards have a huge mark-up. High price does not mean good quality with these. I've seen hand guards listed over $100 that cost me $45 to buy wholesale. Shop around, but I really question anything more than $150 retail unless it is carbon fiber or something really special.

For the BCG I'd go with the BCA (Bear Creek Arsenal) or the current Anderson BCG. I have never had a problem with either brand.

Your going to need some tools as well if this is your first build. Don't forget to have some budget for those.

Edit: I did forget something, the magazines. Figure about $20-$25 each with shipping.

[Peregrine]

Thanks again. That sounds like solid advice. I'm more interested in spending the majority of the remaining budget on the barrel, BCG, and gas block so the rifle is accurate and cycles properly. I'm still scratching my head over buffer weight and springs. Was looking at springoco's stuff, but I'm not sure how to match buffer weight. Thanks for the warm welcome. I suppose I need to post those questions elsewhere in the forum.

Also, thank you Bigs28 and Vascar2 for your input. Much appreciated.

[NugginFutz]

Welcome to the Horde, Peregrine.

Don't sweat the buffer weights. Depending on your choice of stock, just go with the standard rifle or carbine buffers. If your rifle is properly gassed, then the basic buffers will work just fine. Keep in mind, also, that buffers are relatively cheap. If you find you need to slow down the BCG, you can always do so, later, by using an adjustable gas block or, barring that, a heavier buffer.

Springs? The only thing I'd suggest is considering the JP Silent Spring. You get a buffer and spring in one package. Spendy solution, though, if you're only trying to eliminate that "sproing" sound.

Otherwise, same advice for the standard springs as for the buffers.

[VASCAR2]

The buffer tube determines the spring and buffer. If you use a rifle length buffer tube you want a rifle length spring and buffer. If you use a milspec or commercial carbine buffer tube you use a carbine spring and carbine buffer. If you go with the adjustable gas block you don’t need a heavier buffer because you adjust the amount of gas to function the rifle. An adjustable gas block is desireable if you use a suppressor. A suppressor adds back pressure and increases the dwell time so there is a lot more tune-ability with an adjustable gas block.

[NugginFutz]

The buffer tube determines the spring and buffer. If you use a rifle length buffer tube you want a rifle length spring and buffer. If you use a milspec or commercial carbine buffer tube you use a carbine spring and carbine buffer. If you go with the adjustable gas block you don’t need a heavier buffer because you adjust the amount of gas to function the rifle. An adjustable gas block is desireable if you use a suppressor. A suppressor adds back pressure and increases the dwell time so there is a lot more tune-ability with an adjustable gas block.

Well, you know, it appears I may have assumed a bit when explaining. Thanks, Vascar, for adding context and expounding.

[VASCAR2]

I’m bored NugginFutz and probably spend to much time on my Ipad. I’ve got the gift of the gab but by typing.

[Texas]

Welcome to the forum Peregrine. I have built 12 6.5 Grendels this year with barrel lengths of 12, 14.5, 16, 18, 20, and 24 inches. I have used Anderson, Sabre Defence, Satern, PF, and Sheepdog barrels. The barrels ranged in price from $50-300. The group sizes were pretty consistent with the price of the barrel ranging from 1.5 mMOA to 1/2 MOA. I am concentrating on only 5R barrels now. The next barrel will be a 1:8 twist hand lapped 5R 20 inch cut rifle barrel and bolt ( approx $485) and 12 week wait.

[Peregrine]

Texas,

Thank you for the input. I've been agonizing over choosing a barrel for a while now (several weeks), but decided to go with the group buy to start. I was close to ordering a fluted Criterion barrel from PF for around $500. I know PF has a great reputation. What killed it for me was the intermediate gas length. I just don't want to experience cycling issues. I couldn't pass up the Faxon barrel for $200. The savings will buy me a good bit of ammo.

What BFT said sealed the deal:
“These 18" mid-length barrels are Bill Alexander's favorite length, balancing velocity with good handling — and with the all-weather nitride finish makes a beautiful 6.5 Grendel hunting rig.”

What manufacturer did will you be ordering the 20” barrel from?

Now onto the bolt. Looking for a bolt with a 0.136” bolt face recess that’s easy to clean. Time for some more info hunting.

[Texas]

Texas,

What manufacturer did will you be ordering the 20” barrel from?

It will probably be the bartlein.

[Peregrine]

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