What is it about the Grendel?

[Mav714]

I'd like to hear others express as to what drew them to the Grendel when there are so many other calibers out there, old and new.
I was seriously looking at the 6.8 but it just didn't feel right. I guess the limited bullet weights etc. for military better then the 5.56, but I'm not in military.
Thanks!

[Blacklab]

For myself I wanted to hunt deer with a AR platform. In Wa st big game hunting must be done in 24 caliber or bigger. So the 6.8 was the first caliber to mind. After doing some reading on what I wanted. I stumbled on to this thing called Grendel 6.5. After more research I found the grendel surpasses the 6.8 in ballistics. The first 200 yards or so there about equal after that grendel wins in accuracy an enegy. Depending on barrel length and twist 1000 yards shots can an are acheived. I don't see myself shooting anything at that distance. Tho @ summers end I want to see 500 yards consistantly. "My goal".

[calshipbuilder]

After spraying 5.56 around for a few years, I got interested in shooting longer ranges. Out of an AR, loaded to mag length, the 5.56 gets blown around pretty bad past 400 yards (YMMV). I originally wanted an AR-10 but when I was doing some research on ballistics and energy I found the Grendel came very close to .308 performance at long range. I found a used LW barrel and pieced together an upper for less than a third of the price of an nice AR-10. I have really enjoyed the low recoil, long range accuracy and, until the last six months, ammo availability both online and in many gun shops.

If I were in the same place today, I'd give the 6.8 a harder look, at that time it was a 300 yard cartridge, now some interesting bullet choices are available. But even then I'd still probably pick the Grendel as its a more established long range cartridge. I also bought a .50 Beowulf upper. It was fun for a while but I decided that for my general blasting purposes, a Binelli SBE stoked with slugs in a mag extension tube would do a similar job with a lower ammo cost (sorry Bill).

[Drifter]

In the realm of medium-game hunting, along with target shooting at extended distances, the high BC 6.5 bullets launched from the AR-15 platform was the attraction for me.

[Whelenon]

An excellent deer/coyote/hog hunting cartridge with a wide range of bullets to choose from in a light weight shooting platform(AR-15) that has an endless amount of options and configurations available. The Grendel has it's limits but what does it does it better than anything it's class. Long range, short range super accurate, low recoil. You can go to the range and shoot all day long and not think twice about it, go to the range and shoot a 75-100 rounds with a 308 bolt gun. I'm a convert from the bigger is better, my go to gun used to be my 35 Whelen, now's a safe queen. After I got it set-up it was once or twice to the range and then deer hunting. My Grendel has been a constant evolution since day one, changing barrels, scopes, handguards, trigger or whatever. I've had a blast just working on it much less shooting it. I'm hooked on the AR platform and the Grendel is the best cartridge available for what I want to do. The Grendel for me has been just great fun, it got my gunsmithing juices flowing again. OK enough of my ranting, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[JDub]

I used to shoot metallic silhouettes (NRA style) with a Savage 110 in .308. The place where I shot, Ojai Valley Gun Club, was very informal so they don't really care if you comply to the NRA rules for the two different rifle classes. So I wanted to build an AR which I could shoot the course and still have a chance of knocking down the rams at 500m. I was convinced I'd have to go AR-10 until the grendel came along.

At the time, alternate AR-15 cartridges were a niche affair and I didn't want to get involved in that. I thought it would be great if the 6.8 took off and at the point where it became popular, that might work out.

While reading about the 6.8SPC, the 6.5 grendel was mentioned in the same forum thread.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the 6.5 grendel would do everything the 6.8SPC would do with better long-range energy. What intrigued me was that it was descended from the 6mm PPC which made it even more appealing.

Here's my mental checklist:

1) Works in an AR-15 (which I already had) - Check!
2) Superior to 5.56 - Check! (The fact that it was superior to 6.8 was a bonus.)
3) High accuracy potential - Check! (I suppose it all depends on the many factors/components but it's the "Son of 6mm PPC" for petesake)
4) Efficient cartridge design - Check!
5) Easy to obtain parts for build - Formerly, Check! (At the time of my build it was easy)
6) Great conversation piece - Check! (Wait, almost any firearm is a great conversation piece)
7) Popular brand reloading dies - Check!
8) Good bullet selection - Check!
9) Low recoil - Check! (Shot my buddy's .450 bushmaster...kicks like a shotgun...almost)
10) Long-range potential - Check! (600 yards...no prob)
11) And the tipper for me was...SAMMI certification. Check! (This is when I took the dive)

I know this has been beat to death but many long-range shooters are turning to .26 cal projectiles over the more traditional .30 cal ones due to their superior ballistics. For the intermediate cartridge size, the 6.5 grendel is as close to perfect as it gets for the AR-15 platform.

With the advice from the fine folks here in the horde, I decided to build the upper myself and I must say it was a fun project. I learned more about ARs than all the reading I've done previously during the build. All thanks to the guys on this forum...can we get a big group hug now?

[cory]

I'm former Marine Infantry, so the AR platform, while it might not be the best platform, it's the most familiar for me, which translates in to me being the most efficient with this platform.

That being said I wanted the best overall caliber available.

I, like many, starting my research looking for a 6.8 SPC build, and came across the Grendel. The ballistics quickly convinced me that the 6.5 Grendel was the best caliber available in the AR 15 platform.

This forum being available was a factor. The advantage of having this amount of centrally located information and potential QUALITY technical advice at my finger tips is a huge intangible of the Grendel.

[Dogue]

When I saw the episode on Future Weapons about the Grendel I told myself I wanted one. After more research I decided to build one, mostly as a range toy but also for hunting and shooting longer ranges. I'm also prior .mil so I'm most comfortable with AR's.

[Nukes]

Seemed to me that one shouldn't have to lug around a 15+ pound rig to shoot long range precision tactical competition, ergo "try the 6.5 Grendel."

[montana]

The 6.5 Grendel is the best caliber for the AR-15 type platform period. Very good long range flight and terminal ballistics, Accurate, and low recoil. It is the T-34 tank of the AR-15 platform cartridges. To improve upon any of the ballistics, accuracy, and low recoil would be at the sacrifice of the others.

[ricsmall]

I had seen uppers at midway for several years, and paid not too much attention to it. I then read an article by David fortier that referred to his 20 inch gdmr as a laser, the research started that night. Then I joined this forum and really became hooked. Oh yeah, all the ballistics, light recoil, that helped. But, laser? I was hooked!

[Nukes]

In that vein, I am perplexed why mine is shooting 0.5-0.6 mil better than the ballistics tables predict. Mind you, I am not complaining, just trying to figure out why.

[cory]

In that vein, I am perplexed why mine is shooting 0.5-0.6 mil better than the ballistics tables predict. Mind you, I am not complaining, just trying to figure out why.

You obviously got a dud. It must of somehow slipped past the QC. Why don't you send it to me and build another one. I'm sure you'll have better luck with the next time.

[Michael]

1. AR 15 platform.
2. Ballistics chart.
3. Ability to take White Tails.
4. Grendel Forum.

[Nukes]

You obviously got a dud. It must of somehow slipped past the QC. Why don't you send it to me and build another one. I'm sure you'll have better luck with the next time.

OK. I just shipped it to you.......... NOT!

[laughing]