The 6.5 journey begins

[TedBrewer5]

I have started my 6.5 adventure. Being local to Palmetto state armory I walked in a few weeks ago and bought a stripped lower to officially kick off my build. Following that I put my request in to be notified when the 20? stainless 6.5 uppers cam back into stock. Daily quickly I was notified that they were available so I ordered one and received it yesterday. White those two things out of the way I have other decisions to make.
This is not a high end build but I do want a certain level of precision out to at least 400 yards.
Looking at an Athlon 6-25x50 scope. I will be hunting with this setup and will utilize the zoom of this scope as well as the illuminated reticle.
Still looking into a charging handle to replace the factory one that came with it that will be more scope friendly.
Undecided about lower parts kit and stock. Psa has a magpul ctr lpk with enhanced trigger and also a magpul lpk with a psa 3.5 lb single stage drop in trigger.
I also at some point would like to replace the A2 flask hider with some sort of brake. Any thoughts you all have would be most appreciated

[VASCAR2]

Congrats on your new build. When it comes to AR-15 there are huge number of accessories available. I have been addicted to the AR-15 platform since the mid 90’s. So much of the AR-15 is personal choice and how you actually use the AR-15. If your using a magnified optic an extended charging handle is very useful. I have used several but have settled on the lower profile design. Many of the larger charging handles can really snag and dig into you while trying the carry the AR-15. I normally use the supplied charging handle and just swap out the latch.

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/charging-handle-parts/latches/ar-15-m16-gen-ii-tactical-latch-prod26345.aspx

I like two stage triggers and I have started buying LaRue MBT 2 S triggers. LaRue Tactical also has decent prices on E-Lander 6.5 Grendel mags as does Brownell’s. All the 6.5 Grendel mags have been affected by lemons getting sold. I think it is luck whether you get good mags or lemons. I’ve been lucky and have only had one faulty ASC mag which I fixed by tweaking a feed lip. I have recently been buying E-Lander mags but you’ll find people who hate E-Lander and like C Products Defense or ASC/AR Stoner mags. YMMV


If you ever think you might shoot beyond 800 yards you might consider a 20 MOA mount as most scopes run out of elevation around 800-850 yards with the 6.5 Grendel at lower elevations. For inexpensive 20 MOA one piece mounts I have good results with Warne 1 inch and 30 MM mounts.

[tdbru]

TB5,
congrats on the build. i am new to AR platforms myself. i had no problem putting a PSA A2 lower kit into a stripped Anderson lower. decided to swap out the fire control group for a Foxtrot Mike 2 stage A2 tool steel nickel boron coated. Heat treated A2 should last a long time plus nickel boron coating. it's about 1/2 the price of one of the high end AR triggers. it's a good value to me. find it at brownells.
the rest of the A2 lower parts went together pretty straight forward. if you're building your own lower, a C clamp will help prevent breaking the trigger guard ears when trying to push the retaining pin through. a 20 penny (or so) nail that is about the same diameter as the front pivot pin will make it easier to install the front takedown detent and spring. grind the tip flat and use it as a slave pin. as far as scopes for hunting, Leupold makes an 3-9 x 40 VX-R patrol. TMR reticle, illuminated dot with various brightness settings (including off). mil/mil turrets. quick focus. motion control on the illumination. rifle sits for a while, the dot turns off to save battery. soon as motion on the scope is detected, re-illuminates. pretty sweet. 3x to 9x good magnification range for the Grendel. not really too heavy or large a scope for hunting. 30mm tube so lots of E and W range on the knobs. zoom mechanism is very smooth. quick (reticle) focus stays set where you set it. turret settings consistently repeatable. i really am happy with it as a choice for my build. tmr only accurate on 9x. have to scale the tick marks if at lower power. you might consider it ? out the door price at sportsman's warehouse was ~ $325 under MSRP, though it was on sale that day. i'm really appreciating it. good luck with the build. welcome to the caliber.
-tdbru

[PNWTargets]

As stated there are a lot of good part options for the AR15. I use CMMG lower part kits and parts. I also use Radian charge handles and selectors. Hands down Magpul is my go to for stocks, grips, etc.

[FLshooter]

That PSA upper will definitely be light and accurate enough for hunting. The PSA MOE lower for $149 shipped is hard to beat.The Magpul stock and grip alone cost around $50. Their nickel boron enhanced triggers are pretty good.And you can always get a JP reduced power spring for $10 which will bring it down to around 3 1/2 pounds.

[TedBrewer5]

I apologize about my grammar in my original post. Terrible.
I have looked into the items you all advised about. Oh, the choices. So many to look into. As far as triggers I am trying to stay around $100 ish. I have found someone locally selling a Giselle ssa-e new in packaging for right around that. I figured you all would recommend that route so I am looking into it. If the falls through I had looked into the LaRue met-2s as well as the Rise Armament 140. I would prefer a drop in but i am not set in stone on it.

[JCSC]

Congrats on the project. I unfortunately (for my wallet )live close to PSA as well.

I am using the PSA NIM 3 stage trigger and I really like it a lot with the reduced power springs.

I switched to the VG6 Gamma 65 comp and noticed a big difference in muzzle jump. My gun used to hop left 4? when fired. Now it?s pretty tame.

I also heard good things about the Odin atlas 6.5

[Kswhitetails]

You won't beat the LaRue MBT triggers for 100 bucks. Anywhere. Even on sale.

Good luck with your build. Square the receiver face. Repeat, square the receiver face.

Seal your gas system, use standard carbine parts, and don't shoot for accuracy until you have at least 100 rounds down range. SS barrels get better with a few dozen rounds through the tube.

PSA is making pretty decent stuff for a fair price from all reports. Good luck!