Youth Bolt Grendel

[MaineAR]

I think Ruger has done a great job. It took cz until 2018 to chamber the Grendel launched in 2004. Guys were quickly rebarrelling 7.62x39’s from like 2005 onward. I buy factory so I had to wait all that time to get my cz Grendel. Sad eh? Ruger got with program pretty quick imo. I applaud the ar magazine and American ranch. Great little rifle. I’d like to see more options too but Ruger is ahead of the rest in terms of quicker to market than most. Good team with hornady.

X100 to more youth models

Ruger didn’t chamber the 6.5G until last year which puts them behind CZ a year. Ruger does this a lot, dipping their toes in the market water to gauge the response. They did it with the 6.8 for a couple years with the Mini 6.8 & M77 compact then pulled out when customers wanted it chambered in SPCII. Ruger refused since it wasn’t a SAAMI cartridge, (not that I blame them since 95% of commercial loads are not SPCII). But the hand loaders wanted it. So the response from Ruger was to abandon the 6.8 entirely, and because it probably wasn’t selling too well back then. They don’t listen well to customers historically; it took years to get standard capacity mags commercially for the Mini 14 & 30. It took years to address the Mini accuracy issues and thicken the barrels (only in front of the gas block) and they still haven’t addressed the awful iron sights or the fragility of their firing pins so folks can fire steel cases ammo and not void their warranty in the Mini 14 & 30. But they at least provide a picatinny rail from the factory, a mere 10+ years after they became a thing and customers wanted it.

I don’t think Ruger is going to invest in making more Grendel platforms unless the market explodes for them overnight. They are just on the 350 Legend bandwagon right now and offer over 10 different options between the scout and American rifles in just that caliber. And I don’t blame them, it a popular round for the straight-wall states and young/small shooters everywhere. It’s been out only a couple years and is dominating. If the Grendel were this popular, you’d see more bolt action options from more than just three manufacturers. I’m willing to bet that the 6mm ARC will have more bolt options by June of 2021 than the Grendel does. It’s all about marketing and Hornady and Winchester nailed it with the 6mm ARC & 350 Legend. Rounds like the Grendel, 6.8, 30 RAR are victims of either poor marketing and investment or not enough of it because the people who created it didn’t have the bankroll that the big guys do. I’d love to see more Grendel (and x39) bolt action options. I just don’t think it’ll happen unless their is more market demand. But in the meantime, if Ruger doesn’t listen to customers about the issues with the American rifles in 6.5G, or possibly offer a compact option for young shooters, then sales will dry up and they’ll abandon the round. Which is stupid, because the fix is with Ruger, not the customers.