Hello from Baltimore

[SaintEraKilmer]

Hey all, I'm joining up in the 6.5 Grendel community with a lightly used AR upper that I'm thinking about using for long range shooting and general plinking. Maybe it'll go hunting once or twice - but that'd be out of state since Maryland is weird (and bad with firearms laws - I know...). I've done my fair share of reloading, but I'm having a hard time finding good brass at a reasonable price. I'm hoping some stock begins to show up. Just a 100 cases! To start...

[just_john]

Welcome to the clan, SEK, from the great nation of Texas! We've heard a lot of stories about life with firearms in most all the states in your neck of the woods. Cases are starting to become available again. Watch the on-line suppliers.

[lazyengineer]

Neat - and welcome. Didn't know one could so easily do an AR in Baltimor.

Brass can be had, but cheap isn't in the cards this year. Easy button is buying ammo:

https://www.sgammo.com/product/prvi-partizan-ammo-sale/20-round-box-65-grendel-prvi-partizan-120-grain-hp-bt-hollow-point-a

Other ready option is to just convert 7.62x39 once fired - which are relatively cheap and common. Note you will get a loss rate during the conversion, and thr necks will split faster if not annealed, and you will need to develop milder loads. But it's a sustainable way to get into the game cost effectively.

[DeNinny]

Welcome aboard the Horde!

Also if you are patient and persistent, you could keep checking the Starline website at least weekly. Grendel brass will become available for backorder eventually. Again you have to keep checking on it. And when you see the status indicator go from red to yellow, don't hesitate and buy some!

And if money is no object you can always buy from the scalpers on GunBroker.

[VASCAR2]

Welcome to the forum SaintEraKilmer!

[LRRPF52]

[sundowner]

Welcome to the horde from Wisconsin .

[SaintEraKilmer]

Interesting note about the comparator. I have one, but I have used it sparingly during primarily load development.

From what you are saying, it sounds like I would use a 0.35" bushing to measure at a particular point in the shoulder of the cartridge. I suppose the thought process is that as I use the brass more, the shoulder will move and I can measure that change. But I am not sure what to do with that knowledge in particular. Can you help refine that thought process for me?

[Old Bob]

Comparing case lengths from the base to the datum line between unfired cases & fired cases will tell you how far you need to set back the shoulder when resizing your cases. The SAAMI spec for that length is 1.220"-.007". Can't affirm the Hornady comparator is exactly .350" in diameter but it will be real close. They're mass produced so there could be some differences in individual comparators. They're close enough to give you a good idea what your case lengths are at the datum line.

From an Odin 6.5 Grendel barrel, my my fired cases came out 1.223" - base to datum line. At first I set those cases back to 1.221". That was enough set back to allow for proper feeding into that barrel's chamber. But then I decided to change the barrel to a Wilson Combat barrel, so, I went back & resized them again to a 1.220" headspace dimension before I'd shoot them in the WC barrel. I haven't shot those cases yet. Before I do I still have a boat-load of factory ammo I wanna shoot first.

[mdram]

welcome from a fellow marylander, isnt it fun trying to do this in this state?

[LRRPF52]

Interesting note about the comparator. I have one, but I have used it sparingly during primarily load development.

From what you are saying, it sounds like I would use a 0.35" bushing to measure at a particular point in the shoulder of the cartridge. I suppose the thought process is that as I use the brass more, the shoulder will move and I can measure that change. But I am not sure what to do with that knowledge in particular. Can you help refine that thought process for me?

[SaintEraKilmer]

This is good information. The back of the Comparator explains the same procedure for adjusting the sizing die. It seems that people tie this same work to an annealer. It looks like I'm on the look-out for a spare 6.5 Grendel bolt now!

[LRRPF52]

This is good information. The back of the Comparator explains the same procedure for adjusting the sizing die. It seems that people tie this same work to an annealer. It looks like I'm on the look-out for a spare 6.5 Grendel bolt now!

[SaintEraKilmer]

Given I already have all the tools to do it - I'm going to at least attempt it. I have mostly used a collets to do my brass "re-sizing" for my other calibers. I like this approach in terms of the overall thought process - and the dies I have are definitely full length sizing dies. So no collets here!

Thanks again for the information!