FDE Grendel pr0n

[StoneHendge]

Finally got my FDE Grendel into her natural environs and remembered to take some pictures while the barrel was cooling. Aero Precision lower and COP upper. Current scope is a Vortex Viper 2.5x10. Been wanting to go to higher magnification and was contemplating the Bushnell LRTS in FDE over the winter - until Midway started selling the FDE Bushnell Elite Tactical ERS 3.5x21 with the G2DMR for $800 off this morning.... So she be even more FDE by early next week!

[Drillboss]

Very nice. How's it shooting?

[StoneHendge]

She's gotten a few 5/8" 100 yard groups, consistently rings steel at 750 yds at my local range and is in the 1000 yard club. Not bad for a carbine! Gets quite a few people walking up to me asking "what IS that?" when they see what it's capable of.

[Texas]

Very Nice!

[LRRPF52]

I like it. I've had the same experience too several times when people hear the steel being smacked by a little AR15 carbine like that at 600yds.

I frequently see confusion on their faces generated by the mouse gun. It just doesn't make sense, especially while the guys or gals with 6.5 Creedmoors to the left or right are hitting 1 time for every 3-6 of mine on the same target.

Wind drift isn't that different between the 2 at 600yds, and recoil and recovery are so fast with Grendel, that it's hard to keep up with if someone tries to fight over a steel target with you.

[BluntForceTrauma]

OK, dude, lookin' good!

[StoneHendge]

The guys with the 6.5 Creedmoor's in my parts are even slower since they have those pesky manual bolt thingies.

[LRRPF52]

The guys with the 6.5 Creedmoor's in my parts are even slower since they have those pesky manual bolt thingies.

That's what I mean.

[StoneHendge]

She just put on some weight. I said, it's okay honey, you look better than ever!

[The Profit Joseph Sith]

Looks good, I like those hogue stocks. Had the finger grooved on my old one (DPMS hvy BBL) but I think I like the smooth grip better. I'm going to the their 15° grip on my next few. Post some targets later please.

[Frank45]

Haha she's got some curves now. How do you like the scope? I'm leaning towards a FDE grendel for my next build.

[StoneHendge]

I'm liking the scope thus far. Took it to range yesterday afternoon to sight in along with my RPR which has a Gen 1 6x20 Viper PST. From a pure glass standpoint, there certainly isn't anything about the ERS that justifies the list price difference over the PST, and I think the PST may be a little brighter. But the turrets, oh the turrets on the ERS. Big, beefy, well marked, incredible click feel and firm yet simple lift to adjust / down to lock. I've always been a pure holdover guy, but that will change with this scope. One rotation of the turret is 10 mils and I was holding 3 mils yesterday at 750 yds. G2 reticle is also great. Simple but has everything you need for long distance holdovers.

The FDE is definitely different - almost a metallic bronzeness to it. Wasn't sure I was going to like it when I laid it next to the rifle, but once it was mounted up I liked it.

Be sure to look at the Aero Precision FDE Ultralight scope mounts for your FDE parts. Hard to believe something so inexpensive and light can do the job so well but they do - at least on a caliber like Grendel. A total PIA to set up and level - especially the first time you do it (the scope rotates as you torque the screws down), but now that I've done it a few times, I think any extra time spent leveling was offset by only having to torque down 4 screws instead of 12.

[hikfromstik]

I've used the scope level method that involves a weighted string hanging from a wall (plumb bob) and level the gun with a small level first , then get a flash light and shine backwards through the scope while keeping the gun level ,then line the scope reticle up with the plumb bob . I really liked this method a lot . After you tighten the scope down then keep the flashlight on while tightening the level up . I may have missed a step or two ,but I think everyone gets the point . Shooting bags work well to hold it in place while adjusting. The levels are the best mod for tweaking your group. I went from a just over 3/4" to near 1/2" @100yds . The next best mod to use with a level is the Atlas bipod ( lock it to level and watch your friends mouth drop). Oh no ,I'm ranting again ,sorry .

[StoneHendge]

Finally got some kinks worked out with her and stopped chasing velocity so I finally have some targets to share.

Went and revisited some loads that had previously had some promise but that I thought didn't have enough juice back when my old chrono had died. I was wrong. 2447 fps is certainly something anyone could live out of an 18" with a 123 Scenar and its .264 G7.

Now my only problem is that I need to fix the choke job I do on the fourth shot EVERY time I get a good 3 shot group. It's not just with this rifle - it's with almost anything. The 5th shot then goes back with the other 3. With whatever rifle I'm shooting.

With this one here, I pulled the SSA-E on my 4th shot as hard as I was pulling on my 4.5 lb single stage on my 458 Socom this morning. WTF?

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Here the wind picked up just as I was releasing #4. I think I thought about holding off as I released but everything felt okay.... Then #5 turned the clover leaf into an amorphous blob....

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Thing is, if I can't see the group, shot #4 is just fine. This is with a no magnification 2 MOA red dot at 50 yards. A 2 MOA red dot just covers this inch wide 1/2" group at 50 yards. The backstop was in the shade, the shots were in the gray, I could have been happy with the charge that preceded it and I had no idea how well they were grouping...

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All load development should be so easy. This was part of the first ladder I did with it and I was really hoping to get H110 to work since it's what I use for 44 mag and 300 BLK. Load is also comfortably off max - is another 50fps really going to matter with 325 grains traveling over 1700 fps......? (Sorry to go off Grendel track but it was a good morning )

[Kilco]

Great field report!! Love the fde.

I think we are all guilty of pulling the fourth shot after a cloverleaf group more often. Than not.. regardless it looks like it's grouping awesome!

[StoneHendge]

GiGi got her makeover. Comp is just on there to see what the black looks like while I wait for a decent shipped price for a VG6 Epsilon 6.5. No rush since the Eagle County Libtards won't let anyone shoot their guns.

18" BHW 243 LBC 1:8 twist cerakoted Patriot Brown. Can't really see in the picture, but the Patriot Brown really matches up well with the brown swirls in the Hogue Ghillied Earth grip and stock.

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We're looking forward to slinging 95 gr SMKs together when the libtards permit or we relocate (whichever comes sooner).

The four 15 round ASC mags I got that don't work with 6.5 look like they'll work unadultered with 6mm. Ordering a spray can of Duracoat Magpul FDE today so I can keep them segregated from my C Products 6.5 Grendel mags that actually work with 6.5 Grendel.

[StoneHendge]

Well, I'm now one of THOSE people. Spent several hours driving around the NFS roads yesterday afternoon and finally found an area to shoot. Not easy to do - off the road parking, backstop, no streams / trails / dirt roads, and the hardest part - a relatively flat shooting area without 2' tall grass or wildflowers. Luckily, the people who decided to pitch a tent 25 yards from the shooting spot weren't there. Or they were too scared to come out of their tent.

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So I got some quality time with my girl to break her barrel in. And she likes it. Random light load - 105 gr RDF seated pretty deep and 26.5 gr of N140. Functioned flawlessly from round 1 through the 50 I made with the setting the JP AGB had been on with the old 6.5 barrel. I think I'm going to be as happy with this barrel as with my other BHWs. This was the final 16 shots done semi rapid fire prone with my Atlas. Slightly uphill, uneven ground, a little bit of grass between the scope and target.

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I stopped loading the bipod somewhere along the way and then realised it near the end - definitely responsible for some of the vertical dispersion. Measures under 1.5 MOA for all 16 and 0.8" on the horizontal.

The four 15 round ASC mags I have that simply didn't work at all with 6.5 G functioned flawlessly with the 6mm. What a difference a 1/2 mm makes. You'd think someone at ASC would figure that out! Got a can of air cure Duracoat FDE showing up in the next few days so the four 15s and four ASC 10s will get a coat so I don't mix them up with my CPD mags that do actually work with 6.5

Recoil was more than manageable with just a thread protector - target never left sight picture at 12x. She should be nice and soft when I get an Epsilon 6.5 on and tune the gas - and I might even treat her to an SCS.

Load development with 95 gr SMKs and it's 0.232 G7 is next up. BHW estimates low to mid 2800s out of an 18 but I'll be more than happy in the low to mid 2700s. Would give her 20% less drop and 10% less drift at 1k than when I was feeding her a warm load of 120 gr Scenar L's at 2520.

[AeroFDE6.5]

Very nice build.

[StoneHendge]

GiGi post makeover after slimming 0.5mm off her bore and becoming a 243 LBC

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Pushing 95gr SMKs at 2720 with a 10 shot SD of 9 off a Chargemaster drop (no double weighing). I would put her recoil right between where she was pushing 6.5 Grendel 120s at 2500 out of her old 18" and a well tuned .223 pushing 77s around 2700 out of an 18".

After working up ladders with Benchmark, I made a bunch with 27.4 gr for further testing. Put 1 shot downrange that had been seated too short to warm up the barrel and then stopped my first 100 yd 5 shot group at 3 so as to not destroy the pretty picture.

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Adjusted scope elevation 0.6 mils to find the zero. I think I found it with the next shot.

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Still can't shoot 5 without choking the 4th

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Made up some more and went back to the range last week. Was very blustery and none of these frankly felt very good. Was too focussed on grip management (which is where I'm convinced my choke shots arise from) and wasn't consistent on bipod loading. That is a 5 shot group on the left.

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I'd say she's a do it all carbine! I'm probably near max with Benchmark. I could probably find a little more speed with other powders, but I'll take the accuracy and keep the heat off her throat since barrel life will be on the shorter side. I just seated at a 2.250 COAL and haven't played with length.