6.5 Grendel barrel Length?????

[Jerry M.]

I'm looking at putting a 6.5 Grendel together for deer/pig hunting here in Missouri and a few southern states and was wondering what is the optimal barrel length. No shots past 300yards. I do shoot suppressed at times. 1-6X28 is my scope of choice due to close shooting done here in Missouri. I welcome all the hunters suggestions. Thank you, Jerry....

[LRRPF52]

Sounds like anything from 12-18" will work for you.

12" is more handy with a suppressor.

If you go 16" suppressed, get at least a MLGS.

If you go 18" suppressed, get RLGS.

I'm really enjoying the 12" this past year, and plenty of people have been killing deer and hogs with them.

[Jerry M.]

MLGS?
RLGS?
New to this. Always used bolt guns..

[smacha538]

Mid length and rifle length gas system

[Jetpig]

I really like my 20” rifle length!!

[GunsAreFun]

[MarkS]

I'm very happy with my 12" SBR that is purpose-built for suppressed hunting. The short barrel/suppressor combo has a good balance to it, and is definitely accurate enough for me to confidently make a 300yd shot.

[rebby]

My 8 year-old rings an 8” steel plate all day long using a 12.5” Grendel with a 1.5-8x32 Vortex Razor HD LH. With a suppressor, I’d go with one of these.

I have an 11” as well that has become of my favorite hunting guns. That one has a 2-12x42 Leupold VX-6 on it.

Does Missouri have any specific OAL requirements when it comes to hunting? I know a few states do (MN is somewhat ambiguous in this respect). If so, you may want to consider a 10.5” for a pistol build or go with a straight up rifle on a 16” (or greater) length barrel.

[CaptnC]

Here we go again!

Seems mentioned 300yds...I have a 18" and 20" and both will delivered more foot pound of energy on target at any range compared to a 12.5 barrel.

My latest build is also going to have a can on it as soon as it gets out of jail. My shots will be limited to nothing over 15yds yards. Also because I am running a shorter barrel I elected to go with 7.62X39. I will also be hand loading it above AK pressures, but I will stay inside AR platform pressures.

That means my 0.310, 123gr SST will be running closer to 2500fps, not the usual 2100fps like most factory ammo is loaded to.

What seems like a normal thing to do on this site is not shared on other boards.

I'm getting a link for you....

[CaptnC]

This thread has picked as a "Featured" thread because it contain valuable information!



Go read post #14 a couple times....

And yes I go by the same handle there...hell everywhere...LOL

[Bigs28]

Yes captnc a 20" will deliver more energy then a 12.5". Yay.

OP out to 300 yards for hunting i don't see any reason to go with anything over 16" just based on weight alone. I hunt with a 12" and out to 300 it's good to go but mine is a registered sbr. If you don't want a sbr or ar pistol then a 16" is plenty of rifle for your needs.

[CaptnC]

Well if you guys don't want to hear this cover your ears because it for the OP!

I bet you have a pair and could easily carry all the extra weight 4 more inches of barrel weighs! There just isn't a good reason to handy cap such a fine cartridge!

A buddy of mine has a 24" Grendel and he is getting nearly 6.5 Creedmoor velocity with a grain less powder than I'm using.

That has me seriously considering building one. I know I have a pair, so I can easily handle all that extra weight some people have issue with!

All that drama said, with a can (slight gain in velocity) a 16" would be a bare minum.

Oh...one last thing...my other 2, 7.62X39 AR's both sport 20" pipes...got to squeeze every last FPS out of what ever makes you happy!

[Matt.Cross]

I prefer brains to balls, and having shot a 12.5" Grendel pistol out to ~850 yards with ease, it seems that a 16" rifle is a perfectly reasonable recommendation. Handicapping the cartridge is a minor offense in comparison to building a hunting gun that you can't stand to hunt with...

[kmon]

12 to 24 inch barrels will work out to 300 yards or beyond, pick one you like and go with it. When I said on another forum I was going to build a 6.5 Grendel bolt action many tried to talk me out of it but that was no use, it is my $ and that is how I wanted to spend it. I now have a 24 inch AR and a 22 inch bolt action in Grendel. Planning to swap barrels on the 24 inch to a 16 or 18 inch barrel this year to make it lighter and more handy in the field. where i hunt these days most shots are inside 150 yards and max would be 300 so I want a lighter easier to handle rifle for the girlfriend to hunt with this fall.

If not for the SBR regulations and paying that $200 tax to own one I would go 12.5 inch barrel with a suppressor for t but that would get me the $400 in tax to own

[lazyengineer]

[shortened this]

To me, the concept of a 12.5" do-everything gun is kind of neat, as the bullet is still supersonic at 800 yards, and still above the 800 ft-lb lethal threshold at 400 yards (~ 1000 ft-lb at 300 yards, if you like that number better). All in an incredibly handy do-everything sized package good for in-house home-defense, handy all-day carry, and nice-size with a suppressor still. The 6.5 Grendel round makes it work, such that you can shoot long distance for fun realistically still as well.

Pretty amazing. And, thanks to the likes of PSA, you can "do both!" and get multiple uppers now, of multiple lengths quite cost-effectively.