6.5 Grendel as a DM/Sniper Cartridge

[LRRPF52]

I had an interesting little talk with some gentlemen at this year's Sniper Adventure Challenge up in Wyoming. It commonly sees 2-man teams from all over the Nation, and many are current or former Recon and Scout Sniper Marines, Rangers, SF, LE SRT's, or professional endurance racers.

Anyway, quite a few teams had 6.5 Grendel's for both their carbines and long guns, as the competition requires that one team member carry a long gun for distance targets, and the other carries a carbine for closer ranges, while both carry sidearms, in addition to many other essential items on a mandatory packing list.

The competitors then embark on a long distance land navigation course using only map and compass, while encountering different challenges at some of the points along the way. Some of the challenges involve shooting, water crossing, obstacles, log carries, problem-solving, escape and evasion, lock picking, mountaineering, decryption of cyphers, foreign weapons familiarity and employment, scenario-based events (this year was an ambush at a vehicle check point, with a mission to protect their driver in a force on force encounter using high end airsoft guns, masks, etc.), and a tractor tire flip challenge (with steel rim).

If you finished the mandatory check points and challenges of this competition, you ended up walking over 32 miles in the mountains, with kit.





Anyway, one of the teams was composed of 2 formally trained USMC Scout Snipers, one of whom won the sprint division with another Recon Marine last year, and another who was an instructor at one of the Scout Sniper Schools. They both were carrying 6.5 Grendel's, one a 16", the other a 24". Comments were that it would make a lot of sense to adopt the cartridge for the sniping community, since it is so small, and leave the .308 guns to the side.

Here's one of the shooting challenges, where the teams had to locate and engage small steel targets from uncomfortable positions, starting with the carbine, then long gun, then run down the hill and shoot pistol at steel at close range.



I'm thinking about the logistics again, but many units have grown accustomed to getting M118LR and only running that in their M110's, without having to ever use M80. We all agreed that we felt cheated humping around big, fat, heavy bolt guns that spit out lesser BC pills, when we could have had a room-clearing capable carbine that also reaches out past the supersonic range of M118LR, or at least matches it from a much shorter barrel, in an M4 platform no less.

[BjornF16]

Here is another perspective on the event (by the way, I love Hill People Gear gear)...

http://hillpeoplegear.com/Forum/tabid/67...fault.aspx

http://www.trektechblog.com/2014/09/how-...BOFNUux_VI

The HPG AAR includes comments about wind reading and bullet drift. I would think the Grendel would have helped in this regard.

[txgunner00]

That looks like an ass kicker and a lot of fun.

[LRRPF52]

+ 1 on the Hill People Gear. The SAC Staff find the Recon very useful since it can carry your pistol radio, Surefire, multi-tool, chem lights, map, GPS, and pens while riding a dirt bike or ATV in this type of terrain. I noticed practically everyone on staff was wearing them last year.



Here are some more pics from previous events:






SAC is an excellent event to further test already proven gear, but more importantly, test the intestinal fortitude of a well-trained team. If you haven't really prepared for this type of event the year prior as a team, you're going to have a rough time. It's basically a massive suckfest designed to test mental strength and adaptation to unforeseen challenges.

[Slappy]

I know what my 24 inch rifle feels like and I sure as heck would not want to tote that 32? miles??? those guys have more metal than I!! Looks like a fine day in the field and a nice exercise for those who entered. I also think the 6.5 Grendel would make a good all around shooter. Went to a long range shoot a while back and held my own with the big guns until I gave out and also ran out of scope, but if I would have had an MOA rail I would have been right there till the end. Thanks for posting, sometimes I forget the extra and the training that goes on all the time. Probably because there is no way I could do that anymore, out of sight out of mind deals. BANG BANG!! Go Grendel!!

[stanc]

So, how did the Grendel-armed teams fare in the event?

[cst]

awesome! I never shoot my M40A3 anymore!

[LRRPF52]

The shooting isn't a huge contributor to points at SAC, but can still certainly help you place higher than others. It's definitely more of a suckfest than anything else, but one where you have to be thinking on your feet at all times. I know at least one of the teams with a Grendel placed in the top 5.

Last year, the Ares Armor guys won the Sprint Class race, and they had a Grendel for their carbine, but anyone will tell you that caliber selection for SAC isn't a huge factor, other than weight. Bring a magnum, and you're just killing yourself with weapon and ammo weight.

The Marine Scout Snipers that both had Grendel's were hitting their rifle targets very well compared to a lot of others, but skill is a much bigger factor in that than anything else. Weight is where the 6.5 Grendel really beats .308 for a system that actually needs to be carried day after day, since hit probability is higher, but recoil is so much less, while ammo weight and space are significantly lesser.

It's a good DM/Semi-Auto Sniper System in the AR15 for sure. If I were configuring my rifles for SAC, there would be a lot of carbon fiber involved, low profile receivers with no further malf assist, JP Lo-Mass system, silent captured spring, lightweight stock, and compact optics.

For the rifle, I would go no longer than 20".

[stanc]

It's a good DM/Semi-Auto Sniper System in the AR15 for sure. If I were configuring my rifles for SAC, there would be a lot of carbon fiber involved, low profile receivers with no further malf assist, JP Lo-Mass system, silent captured spring, lightweight stock, and compact optics.

For the rifle, I would go no longer than 20".

To demo the caliber as a DM/SASS, I'm thinking a 6.5 Grendel version of this (except in the AR15 platform, of course):