Poll: 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 AR

[MasterChief]

Question for NWFA......

I'm looking at the 7.62x39 and the 6.5 Grendel in an AR platform.

I can get ammo, mags, and an AR upper for ALL roughly the same price (all things considered).

I am fine for 5.56, .300BO, 7.62x51, and 9mm for AR setups (for now)....Have the ammo, mags, parts, optics, etc for them...

So, now I have an AR lower, I would prefer to only build out one or the other... I have some 7.62x39 but not in an AR platform (AK). Ammo is steel cased and that is the only compatibility.

So either would be a new system to build out with mags, parts, and/or better ammo.

I train for "harder situations" with my AR 5.56/.308 and AK 7.62x39, so this build would be a specific use firearm, not WROL/SHTF situation but if it serves a purpose or a DM then so be it. I know currently 7.62x39 is easier to get (at least for me in the various states I travel)

-I won't be shooting over 1000 yds but I would like it accurate under that
-I dont plan on running either suppressed
-I dont plan on building anything else around what I already have for hard situations (ie carriers/pouches/bags, load-outs, magazines, specific optics, etc)
-I dont plan on reloading
-I would like to know why one over the other - if a wash I'm fine with that

Questions:

1. Build which one
2. Buy more ammo for what I have which has taken me a while but I feel very comfortable with ATM (already have a budget for training and plan for more of that in the future)
3. Personal preferences from people that have both...am I not looking at something you think I should?

Thanks for all your time and know how...there are many that learn from the younger hype and the older wisdom.

MC

Read More

 

[slimmer13]

Not sure where you can get ammo for either for the same price, but if that's true, the Grendel does everything the ×39 does, but also has a ballistic advantage that gives you a lot more range. The disadvantage is availability though, so it kind of sounds like a personal problem.

Personally though, I hate compromise calibers and hybrids, so if it were me, I'd build another 5.56/2.23.

 

[Heywood]

Don't build a Grendel. You'll hate your other rifles.
I take out a 5.56 AR occasionally, but only when I take friends or my sons out shooting, other than that, they all stay home.
I enjoy blasting in a mout style training regime from time to time but can do it with a Grendel probably as well as my other ARs but can shoot long range way better than my other AR15s and my AR10.
Too bad you are in IDAHO else ide let you try it out in a few different scenarios to see how adaptable it is.
Cant speak to the AR in 7.62x39. Don't have one, don't see it worth the investment if you already have an AK or two around..

 

[MasterChief]

Yup...thats what I'm thinking.....thats why I thought about mixing it up esp with Wolf 6.5.....but then ammo interchangability with the 7.63x39

 

[Boboclown]

6.5 grendel has more quality ammo, but overall lacks the availability of 7.62x39.

With 7.62x39, I'd just stick to rifles meant for it.

 

[Unka-Boo]

I can see 6.5 if you want something different and flexible. 7.62x39 will be a pain for mags and be "meh" in accuracy ( assuming cheap steel cased ammo)....you arent saving anything in "plinking"costs with it anymore either, the expense of the build is greater than the money saved.

 

[DirectDrive]

You are asking "Should I build a blaster (7.62x39) or a precision (Grendel) rig ?"
Since you mentioned "under 1000 yards" you have to go Grendel.

 

[CastleRocker]

6.5 Grendel...and that's all I have to say about that.

 

[LuckySG]

I have both, spent twice as much building the Grendel though. I use the 7.62x39 (a Bushmaster) for fun and the Grendel to reach out as far as I can see. You have a tough choice as it is not apples to apples.

My Bushmaster just needed an adjustable gas block and then it feed reliably. Accuracy was sub-moa out of the box. I just put the red dot on and magnifier and never had to make an adjustment, the bullet always found the 1/4" cables to slice when it was time to end a round of clang the steel targets at 100 yards. That never gets old!

I usually run only 5 to 10 round through the Grendel at a time to work up a good dope chart.

 

[LuckySG]

I can see 6.5 if you want something different and flexible. 7.62x39 will be a pain for mags and be "meh" in accuracy ( assuming cheap steel cased ammo)....you arent saving anything in "plinking"costs with it anymore either, the expense of the build is greater than the money saved.

I blamed the mags on my 7.62x39 AR until I discovered it was a breathing problem and after that was fixed the factory mags and C mags all worked great!

 

[Unka-Boo]

I blamed the mags on my 7.62x39 AR until I discovered it was a breathing problem and after that was fixed the factory mags and C mags all worked great!

Interesting....
I had been toying with the idea of a short x39 upper for my AR pistol since I have plenty of it for the AK, but I keep thinking how bad they sucked 20years ago with no mags that worked and bolt breakage problems....

 

[LuckySG]

Interesting....
I had been toying with the idea of a short x39 upper for my AR pistol since I have plenty of it for the AK, but I keep thinking how bad they sucked 20years ago with no mags that worked and bolt breakage problems....

Nothing that can't be solved sourcing the right buffer/spring and gas block/tube.

 

[P7M13]

I went down the same questioning and wound up building a 6.8 SPC (actually two of them). Found I really liked the round and it satisfied my desire to have a round with greater energy out to 500 yards. Beyond that, I'll go with my 7mm-08.
I also use 77gr 223 bullets for that distance.

If you shoot the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC, be prepared to grab your cheeks when you buy commercial ammo. Ouch! I have been steadily collecting 6.8 brass, and am up to ~500 now. Loading them with 130gr Sierras.

Seems to me you are looking for a longer range AR that can be used as a DMR if need be. Ideally, you would build one of those ARx platforms - a 308 Win based cartridge fired out of an AR15. Then I'd look at the 260 Rem or the 7-08 Rem.
7.62 x 39 is fun, especially when I'm shooting someone else's. Haven't wanted one enough to buy or build one.

 

[Will_White]

7.62 x39 is ballisticly similar to 300BO and it doesn't function as well in a standard AR platform. It's only about a 3-400 yard cartridge, so it's only advantage is it's fairly cheap to shoot.

6.5 grendel is an interesting cartridge if you're limited to an ar15 platform, oppppr are recoil sensitive it makes sense for target shooting because it pretty much replicates the trajectory of a .308 and has more energy then a .223 (I think it's on par with 7.62x39 but don't quote me on that) , but if you have an AR10, a 6.5 Creedmoor or .260 Remington does everything a Grendel can do with a flatter trajectory, and more energy without a serious bump up in felt recoil.

Of the two options for 1000 yards and under, I'd go with the grendel.

 

[osprey]

Easy to decide. If you want to shoot long go with the Grendel. If you want cheap trigger time with good accuracy out to 300 or so build a 7.62x39. You can't get Grendel ammo as cheap as the 7.62x39. I have built three 7.62x39 uppers, two 16" and one 11" and the all run great. The 16" builds both are moa accurate with 19 cent a round ammo and the 11" is not far behind. That being said they can't touch the Grendel out past 300. Pm me if you want a recommend on cheap accurate barrels for the 7.62x39 and a bolt that dispel the myth that the cartridge is not reliable in the AR platform.

 

[Boboclown]

7.62 x39 is ballisticly the same as 300BO and it doesn't function that well in a standard AR platform. It's only about a 3-400 yard cartridge, so it's only advantage is it's fairly cheap to shoot.

6.5 grendel is an interesting cartridge if you're limited to an ar15 platform, or are recoil sensitive it makes sense for target shooting because it pretty much replicates the trajectory of a .308 and has more energy then a .223 (I think it's on par with 7.62x39 inside 300 yards but don't quote me on that) , but if you have an AR10, a 6.5 Creedmoor or .260 Remington does everything a Grendel can do with a flatter trajectory, and more energy without a serious bump up in felt recoil.

Of the two options for 1000 yards and under, I'd go with the grendel.

7.62x39 vs supersonic .300 blk, the 7.62x39 will be a little better. .300 BLK costs more, and is really only better if you shoot suppressed (and reload). It can be stretched to 500 meters (maybe 600 meters, furthest I can go at the ranges here is 550 meters anyways) with a good shooter and an optic (tabuk sniper rifle anyone?). In this case, its just a toss up that depends on whether you're shooting suppressed vs. just shooting. Also reloading, not many brass cased 7.62x39 available.

However, 6.5 Grendel is better than both for shooting at distance. If I'm going to have a bolt that is a bit weaker than standard bolts (or rather just have less material) I'd want it to be worth it, so 6.5 Grendel is the way to go IMHO.

 

[B5Ben]

Like others have said, I think it's an apples and oranges comparison and depends what you want out of it. I just sold my x39 upper and mags. It ran fine and the mags worked, but wasn't a fan of reloading them. They were the 28 round CPD mags and they were a bastard to get loaded past 16 or 17. They worked and fed well, but I didn't care for the effort required to load them. I like the curved AK mags and recently picked up the PSA KS47 (think CMMG mutant) so the x39 upper was expendable. I've seen 6.5 parts going pretty reasonably lately. Barrels for $80 and BCG's for under $100. Of the two, I'd go 6.5.

May want to look at the 6.8spc as well. It's in the same realm as the 6.5.