Why isn't the 6.5 Grendel more popular?

[AZHunter56]

Wondering why the Grendel round doesn't get any press as compared to the 300 Blackout. I thought that once it was SAAMI approved it would be more popular. Any ideas?

[JDub]

I'd say marketing, mainly, or lack thereof.

[Hoser1]

There has been several magazine articles written on the Grendel. When I first found out about the little round, about 3 yrs ago,I was really liking the fact it stayed supersonic out past 1000yds, accuracy was really good from the pictures in the articles and low recoil. Also at the same time I was looking into the 6.5 creedmoor which is around about 200-300 fps faster and can shoot 140 gr pills without much issue. The creedmoor has gained more attention as it does well with competition shooters, also just about every gun maker out there is building a bolt creedmoor now. After much debate I decided to build the grendel instead, never owned an AR so I pulled the trigger, I feel the round has a ton of potential. It's really hard to say why the round is still not real popular, I think that people are more hung up FPS (me included) than accuracy, it's a great round in the AR-15 platform, if you dont care about that, the creedmoor is the way to go as no one is building a production bolt grendel. Only if savage would build one............

[cory]

Excellent marketing by the Blackout and 6.8mm. And then there's some exceptionally childish behavior by some in the industry that have decided they don't like the chamber so no one else should.

[ah1whiskey]

for me the lack of use of the 6.5g has been one ammo panic and ar-15 panic after the other ever since the round came out, this makes it difficult for barrel makers to make barrels cause without ammo the barrels don't move , and ammo makers are shy to make ammo for uppers/barrels that ain't made yet --when they can't even catch up with conventional ammo sales the making of new types drops to zero--

now that the ammo market is a bit more stable , more folks are moving to the 6.5. since things have sort of calmed some i just built two fresh uppers one in 264 LBC and one in 6.5G just to play with.

if we don't get any more politically motivated ammo/arms panics -- i suspect we will see a lot more interest in the 6.5G round in the next couple years. .

[JASmith]

Speaking as a coauthor of the 6.5 Grendel Reloading handbook, I have put much thought into the question posed by the OP.

Marketing by the "Big Green Machine" along with the aura of a fleeting public association with special forces gave the 6.8 SPC a huge boost.

A similar story exists with the Blackout although less so. The Blackout gets a leg up because even the least knowledgeable of shooters can look at bullet weights, velocites, and bullet diameter and see that it is very close to the 30-30 but on an AR platform

Futhermore, to date, most of us Grendeliers are attracted to the cartridge by technical and frequently esoteric ballistics advantages. This attraction for long range performance distracts folks from the very real fact that very few cartridges are significantly more effective than the Grendel inside 200 yards when medium game or large varmints are considered.

Further, us 'techies' are frequently aghast at the very thought of merely blasting away with such a fine cartridge. That, coupled with the general inarticulate nature of us techies, it is small wonder that the cartridge doesn't get as much sunshine as it could.

[GarandThumb]

It's not just the Grendel, 6.5s in general still seem to be rare birds outside of target shooters.

With the exception of 6.5 creedmoor, there is very little ammo on the shelves at local stores, including Bass Pro. No Grendel ammo, no 6.5x47L ammo, and a smattering of overpriced 260 ammo.

6.5mm brushes, jags, and other related components are also rare. Even places that carry reloading equipment have limited options for 6.5mm bullets. I pretty much have to buy everything for my grendel and 260 online.

[1911man]

Marketing and buzz are definitely part of it. One big obstacle I see is the 6.5 Creedmoor being such a great round that offers all of the advantages of the Grendel with the ability to shoot heavier bullets faster. I love my Grendel and have had alot of fun playing with it but I would never use it over the my Creedmoor in almost any application. Cost of ammo is about the same, cost of reloading about the same. Not to mention my 6.5 Creedmoor shoots factory Horndady ammo to the tune of 1/2 MOA all day. I really wanted a light weight semi auto rifle to hunt with and my Grendel has done that for me, but the Creedmoor beats it everywhere else.

[hdjake73]

I would think with them building grendel based ak's that maybe that will help to spread the word. Having said that it is hard to find for me locally. I saw the military arms channel was going to a YouTube video about the grendel.

[VASCAR2]

Since the panic buying has subsided and AR-15 prices have started falling the 6.5 Grendel seems to be attracting more attention. I have noticed several people have recently joined this forum. I can see the lure to using a 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 out of a bolt gun but I wanted to use a 6.5/264 caliber cartridge without going to an AR-10 receiver. The 6.5 Grendel has been very enjoyable cartridge for me and I'd still like to buy a factory bolt action 6.5 Grendel so I don't have to stock another cartridge. I could buy a 223 Remington bolt action but I prefer the ballistics of the 6.5 Grendel in a intermediate class cartridges.

Personally it doesn't bother me the 6.5 Grendel hasn't garnered more attention to the general public. I find firearm enthusiast have prejudices just like everyone else and don't always look objectively at the different cartridges. The 6.5 Grendel is constantly compared to the 6.8 SPC and I chose the 6.5 Grendel because I was interested in shooting more long range targets than hunting. I could see someone choosing the 6.8 SPC if they are more intersted in hunting. Both cartridges have very similar performance in regards to hunting. For long range target shooting the 6.5 Grendel might have the edge but tbere are better cartridges for shooting long range like the 6.5/284, 6.5 CM or 260.

[Lightning8]

I came to the 6.5 Grendel looking for a cartridge that fits into the AR platform but offers the ability to shoot the 6.5 bullet for long range and its hunting potential. I am active on this forum and the 6.8 SPC forum. The 6.8 bills itself as a potential military round and hunting round that fits into the AR platform - do not see a lot of long range discussion for 6.8. The 300 BO - in my opinion only! - has been boosted by the "tactical" perception, the desire for a suppressed round, and the ability to use modified 223/5.56 brass.

I think the ability to shoot cheaper PPU factory ammo and even cheaper Wolf factory ammo will really help the 6.5 Grendel. Cheaper S&B ammo has certainly helped the 6.8.

[PredatorDown]

I know I'm trying to do my part in showing the capabilities of the cartridge. In my small circle of shooting friends, I know of 4 rifles that are the direct result of shooting mine.

[GSPHunter]

There are so many things that make me scratch my head. I personally would much rather have a 7.62x39mm over either the 6.8 or 300BLK. But I guess marketing and hype sometimes win out over ballistic reality. What sold me on the Grendel, was a combination politics (need an AR because President Obama doesn't want me to have one) and the ability to shoot high sectional density bullets at reasonable velocities for hunting.....I can't imagine a hunting situation where a 6.8spc is a better round. With cheap ammunition now available, I think the Grendel will continue to gain popularity.

[LRRPF52]

The Grendel has steadily been gaining popularity since it was introduced. It hits important milestones regularly, and is featured in at least 2-3 gun magazines every time I stop by that section in the store.

The combination of AR15 and 6.5mm is what really results in a significant advantage over the other options.

For example, I have had 2 different .260 Rem AR10's. .260 Rem is a great cartridge, very flat, very fast, but needs a larger action. Try getting a semi auto .260 Rem to weigh what my 18" Grendel does. Then pull the trigger on such a rifle and see if you can spot your own hit. A light .260 Rem gasser has pretty sharp recoil, closer to a .308 Win. Parts commonality for the AR10-type receivers is just not there.

Ammunition for both the .260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmoor were meant for bolt guns, not the AR10 gas system, which works well at RLGS with 147gr FMJBT with fast powders, not 140gr 6.5mm with slower powders, because port pressure is significantly higher.

For every performance advantage one seeks, there is a trade-off. The 6.5 Grendel happens to be one of the most balanced points on the graph when looking at performance,weight, recoil, and ease of access and use for the consumer. That's why it IS so popular, and continues to be so.

[Lightning8]

I will say as a 6.8 and 6.5 Grendel owner/shooter - there are many more factory hunting ammo choices for the 6.8. I just bought three boxes of the SSA brand with the Barnes 110 TSX bullet for my 6.8 at $19.99/box of 20. I wish we could a bigger selection of factory 6.5 Grendel hunting ammo.