Build advice on first 6.5G bolt gun

[Rteague77]

[Lemonaid]

I aspire to be a long range shooter but do mostly bench rest target shooting at 100 to 300 yards. My experience with the Ruger American Predator has been great, fairly easy to get sub .5 groups at 100 yards. I went with a bench rest style stock of my own devise but I would think the Boydes at one stock would be superier to what I have and the oryx chassis better than even that.
From what has been posted here owners are equally pleased with the accuracy Howa or the CZ. I like the RAP since you can use the same mag that the AR Grendels use and also it's base price is lower.
No direct experience but the Uintah Precision AR style bolt action rifles use premium barrels and they are priced accordingly. Might be a good choice if you can afford one.

[kmon]

From what A5 has said about his I would consider https://cz-usa.com/product/cz-527-varmint-mtr/

[Laman]

Go custom action, one of the Rem clones or my preference Bat. Put in a real benchrest stock and a 26 in Bartlein or Krieger barrel and have fun.

[Klem]

Hi guys, need some advice and help!

I want to see if I can get one to hold 1MOA out to and beyond 1000yrds.
.

RT,

Unfortunately you are going to be disappointed. While the Grendel will make 1,000yds and still be (just) supersonic it drops below 1,350fps/transonic at about 800yds. Your neat 1MOA groups start ballooning out after that like cross sections of a trumpet and unless you can speed the bullet up there's not a thing you can do about it.

With a bolt gun's sturdier action you can load above SAAMI without anything breaking (unlike an AR). If you put a long barrel that helps too. You can go up to 30 - 31" and take advantage of slower powders. Everything will be at the extreme edge however, whereas a Creedmore will be able to do this without breaking a sweat. The small boiler room of a Grendel is just not suited for the magic K and you will end up compensating for this in every other way.

One solution is to get a switch barrel system happening with a Rem or clone. have the heavy stock and long heavy barrel for 1K shooting and unscrew the barrel and swap out the stock for lighter closer range shooting or hunting. So, you have the same action, scope, bolt and mount for two guns. You will need a barrel vise and action wrench to switch barrels - takes about 10-15 min plus a re-zero. That'll save a lot of money and you will be familiar with one scope. Or with the same system you can have two bolts with one barrel a Creedmore for long range and the other a Grendel for short range. The Creedmore, 260Rem, 6.5*47 and Grendel use the same Short Action.

[Stinky Coyote]

[jason miller]

[Klem]

How'd they do grouping at 1K?

Your bullets go transonic (1,340fps) at 960yds.

[Stinky Coyote]

[jason miller]

How'd they do grouping at 1K?

Your bullets go transonic (1,340fps) at 960yds.

[Oso Polaris]

The mini actions are fantastic... compact, portable, and easy in the field. I am broad shouldered, which means that mini actions feel a bit like a 22lr. For me this just isn't the right-size for serious bench rest or long distance. The larger footprint and mass of a Rem700 action or similar size (pick your make or model) and corresponding stock size make for a better foundation for long range rifle.

The 6Arc (ie 6mmAR...6mm Grendel) will stay supersonic further (higher BC) compared to 6.5 Grendel for similar weight bullets. If you don't want to step into a mid-size cartridge such as Creedmoor then you may consider the 6mmBR, which has more power than a Grendel-based cartridge. The 6BR case will have enough powder to keep you supersonic past 1000 yards and utilizes a more efficient case design then Creedmoor so less powder = less recoil.

Either way, if I was serious about distance then a bigger rifle (full size with longer heavier barrel and full size action) will be better. Downside... no one likes carrying a 13-15lbs rifle very far in the field for very long.

[Bfglowkee]

Klem is just saying that when a bullet slips below sound speed the chance and consistency of it performing admirably diminishes and is a crap shoot. Obviously if you live at high altitudes you will fair better then those at sea lvl etc. Can it do it....yes. Are you going to get consistent results of 1MOA or below....unlikely. I have tried shooting the Grendel out to 1k. After 700 yards its a challenge. If you are doing it for that challenge then have a blast and enjoy the the ups and downs it will bring you. If you want to ring steel with regularity with it you will need to curb your expectations. Its just not the tool for the job. That is what Klem was getting at.

I use a Howa Short Action 20" Heavy barrel action from Brownells in a Boyds At-One stock bedded. Its topped with a Nikkon BLACK F1000 6x24 when i am trying to stretch it out, and a Vortex Strike Eagle 1x6 for simple hunting. 129 ABLRs are the pill i tried to shoot 1k.

[jason miller]

[Klem]

Jason,

Settle down mate.

Correct assumption, I have no experience shooting Grendel at 1K. I do however have a decade shooting F-Class 223 at 1K. Those of us doing this noticed that after 800 the group sizes blew out like cross sections of a trumpet. Your ability to drive rounds around the target also became elastic, like the bullets were drunk. Even though still supersonic at 1K 223 would rarely win against the 308 guys. Less than 800 and it was a level playing field. Regardless, no-one keeps a 100yd 1MOA group all the way to 1K; there is always wind at long range.

960 yds is still enough distance for the group to expand so I am genuinely interested by how much.

[Stinky Coyote]