Education needed: 6.5 Grendel

[Stomper]

I believe @v0lcom13sn0w has a pretty swank 6.5 Grendel rig and reloads for it as well, subs and supers. Mayhaps he can impart some info on the subject.

Or maybe that was 300 blackout he has don't remember… LOL!

 

[Koda]

You can say that first part again.

Sometimes I just need to type out my loopy gun ideas over the web with local gun folks.

My friend you are not alone...
the Grendel has been a bucket list of mine for several years now. 114 pushed me over the edge, now Ive got a lower, 7 standard mags and parts on the way.

And its always fun talking about guns, the forum here is my only outlet for that.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

@Reno

right now, its pretty tough finding reloading conponents, specifically 6.5 grendel brass. thats all i shoot in my grendel is handloads now.

not sure on ammo availability right now.
factory ammo is about 308 prices
steel ammo from wolf is cheaper but it is generally not very accurate.

i use an 18" barrel. its a BCA and i have been abnormally lucky with its accuracy.
ive shot it out to 800 and it holds MOA. 600 and in its about 1/2-1 MOA.

my best results from factory ammo have come from hornady black 123gr eldm. that is what i have tried to duplicate on my reloading bench. my 123gr eldm loads are 2500fps give or take.

ELANDER or Cproducts mags for the grendel

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

I believe @v0lcom13sn0w has a pretty swank 6.5 Grendel rig and reloads for it as well, subs and supers. Mayhaps he can impart some info on the subject.

Or maybe that was 300 blackout he has don't remember… LOL!

got both! and yes i reload for both. ive also taken deer with both lmao

i reload supers and subs for the 300blk but mostly subs.

 

[Member 34319]

My friend you are not alone...
the Grendel has been a bucket list of mine for several years now. 114 pushed me over the edge, now Ive got a lower, 7 standard mags and parts on the way.

And its always fun talking about guns, the forum here is my only outlet for that.

I've been doing a lot of intermediate distance precision shooting lately and getting my loads standardized so I can start mesmerizing holds and not have to rely on calculations as much. I'd love to try a big boy NRL or PRS match. There is s lot of practicality in these matches as far as preparedness goes. However I'm realizing I'm behind the curve as other competitors have been shooting the same load for years. I've always shot whatever, especially over the last couple of years. I also did a lot of close range shooting mostly, so switching my brain over to the longer stuff has been a fun challenge.

With that said I've been looking into inexpensive bulk purchases of good ammunition.

6.5 used to be, and is still somewhat inexpensive over other calibers. Sounds like the wolf stuff might not be the most accurate stuff unfortunately. If there id s barrel that likes the stuff I'd be all ears!

I'm open minded to other things too. Recently watched an IV8888 vid where he was shooting an AR using Lithuanian bulk 556 ammo and they were getting great results. I haven't seen it, but it's apparently out there somewhere. If it hasn't been bought up already.

Kind of like the old days of 7.62x54r being dirt cheap. I bought 2 crates of the yellow tip heavy ball. That stuff was constantly accurate to the point I knew it's ballistics by heart and could hit out to 600 using irons and holds. When I put an lpvo on the Vepr I had, it I was able to make consistent shots out to 800 because I knew exactly where to hold.

I want that confidence again, but with a SPR.

 

[Member 34319]

@Reno

right now, its pretty tough finding reloading conponents, specifically 6.5 grendel brass. thats all i shoot in my grendel is handloads now.

not sure on ammo availability right now.
factory ammo is about 308 prices
steel ammo from wolf is cheaper but it is generally not very accurate.

i use an 18" barrel. its a BCA and i have been abnormally lucky with its accuracy.
ive shot it out to 800 and it holds MOA. 600 and in its about 1/2-1 MOA.

my best results from factory ammo have come from hornady black 123gr eldm. that is what i have tried to duplicate on my reloading bench. my 123gr eldm loads are 2500fps give or take.

ELANDER or Cproducts mags for the grendel

The lack of reloading components is a big reason I'm on this venture down the rabbit hole. I'm going to run out of primers, likely this year, if I keep shooting the way I used to. It's made me look real hard at what I'm doing with this hobby of mine.

I'm starting to realize that the tinkering is going to have to come to an end or be drastically reduced. By tinkering, I mean messing around with all sorts of different powders and bullets. I enjoy finding a box of bullets at the store, or a powder that might work with my calibers, and working through the reloading processes to get it to work nicely with my rifle or pistol of choice. That tinkering relies on my stash of primers lasting! The closer I get to the end of the primers line, the more I'm starting to buy more expensive precise bullets and taking more interest in finding a really good combo, then loading a ton of that combo vs messing around more.

Then rimfire precision competition started to teach me consistency is huge. One younger shooter shoots so much CCI standard velocity through his gun that he usually clears every stage. Folks shooting much more expensive Lapua ammo struggle to keep up with this kid.

I'd like to get there with the precision rifles. Where I shoot the same ammo out of the gun till I know it by heart. Then that rifle only sees that ammo. 6.5 Grendel steel cased stuff was on high hopes!

 

[Koda]

@Reno i think you could do what your wanting with the Grendel but probably have to give up the surplus ammo part.
Develop a pet load and just shoot that sparingly (what i plan to do)

I do think it would be fun to see what bulk surplus ammo could do, but it would be learning to shoot that brick of ammo for what it is... Who knows what its capable of buy ive never guessed bulk ammo to be precise.
On my 223 build my scope is set for my handload, but my buis is zeroed for bulk surplus ammo. Im not certain if I want to put buis on my Grendel build tho...

 

[monkeybutler]

No way I'm putting bimetal-jacketed crap in my >$500 cut-rifled 6.5G barrel. Surprised folks are even considering it.


https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/#erosion

 

[Member 34319]

No way I'm putting bimetal-jacketed crap in my >$500 cut-rifled 6.5G barrel. Surprised folks are even considering it.

View attachment 1337224
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/#erosion

For that much $$$ I agree.

My thoughts on 6.5 Grendel are price to precision. If the bimetal stuff shoots well, which I'm learning it really doesn't, it would have been an inexpensive way to get a lot of it and practice with it until I know it by heart.

It would be interesting (throat erosion aside as well as the obvious fact that you're against this idea) if the ammo does well in your >$500 barrel. If it does, I'm curious if other less expensive barrels shoot it well. I've seen bolt guns shoot it well. Especially the CZ 527.

I'm not sold on it yet, but pricing out this over other options still has it running out front with the inexpensive steel cased stuff.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

For that much $$$ I agree.

My thoughts on 6.5 Grendel are price to precision. If the bimetal stuff shoots well, which I'm learning it really doesn't, it would have been an inexpensive way to get a lot of it and practice with it until I know it by heart.

It would be interesting (throat erosion aside as well as the obvious fact that you're against this idea) if the ammo does well in your >$500 barrel. If it does, I'm curious if other less expensive barrels shoot it well. I've seen bolt guns shoot it well. Especially the CZ 527.

I'm not sold on it yet, but pricing out this over other options still has it running out front with the inexpensive steel cased stuff.

My CZ 527 does not do great with it. It shoots brass cased stuff much better

 

[Member 34319]

My CZ 527 does not do great with it. It shoots brass cased stuff much better

Darn, thanks for the report. Watched a video where a gentleman was shooting it with his CZ and it did 1" at 100.

I think the nail has been put into the coffin, as far as my interest in the cartridge goes.

I missed the boat it seems on getting any of the bulk wolf stuff for a good price. Not that it sounds like it was really all that good. With the wolf at it's current price and the cost of good ammunition being on par with 6arc , I'm not much better off just getting an ARC barrel.

Was at Bimart and got two boxes of 6arc @ $33 a box. The 6.5 Hornady stuff was more at $36.

Thanks for everyones feedback and knowledge on the subject.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

The lack of reloading components is a big reason I'm on this venture down the rabbit hole. I'm going to run out of primers, likely this year, if I keep shooting the way I used to. It's made me look real hard at what I'm doing with this hobby of mine.

I'm starting to realize that the tinkering is going to have to come to an end or be drastically reduced. By tinkering, I mean messing around with all sorts of different powders and bullets. I enjoy finding a box of bullets at the store, or a powder that might work with my calibers, and working through the reloading processes to get it to work nicely with my rifle or pistol of choice. That tinkering relies on my stash of primers lasting! The closer I get to the end of the primers line, the more I'm starting to buy more expensive precise bullets and taking more interest in finding a really good combo, then loading a ton of that combo vs messing around more.

Then rimfire precision competition started to teach me consistency is huge. One younger shooter shoots so much CCI standard velocity through his gun that he usually clears every stage. Folks shooting much more expensive Lapua ammo struggle to keep up with this kid.

I'd like to get there with the precision rifles. Where I shoot the same ammo out of the gun till I know it by heart. Then that rifle only sees that ammo. 6.5 Grendel steel cased stuff was on high hopes!

i have 5 or more calibers now that i use BLC2 powder for. 5.56, 308, 30-30, some 30-06, 6.5 grendel are the ones i can think of right away. i spent a long time working up good recipies for each so that i wouldnt need a myriad of powders…even tho i do have a good variety on my shelf. lol

 

[Wombat of Doom]

Darn, thanks for the report. Watched a video where a gentleman was shooting it with his CZ and it did 1" at 100.

I think the nail has been put into the coffin, as far as my interest in the cartridge goes.

I missed the boat it seems on getting any of the bulk wolf stuff for a good price. Not that it sounds like it was really all that good. With the wolf at it's current price and the cost of good ammunition being on par with 6arc , I'm not much better off just getting an ARC barrel.

Was at Bimart and got two boxes of 6arc @ $33 a box. The 6.5 Hornady stuff was more at $36.

Thanks for everyones feedback and knowledge on the subject.

I was getting 2 or so with the wolf, sub 1 with the hornady. Basically I am saving the wolf for blasting with an AR, and using handloads and nicer stuff for the CZ.

 

[Koda]

i have 5 or more calibers now that i use BLC2 powder for. 5.56, 308, 30-30, some 30-06, 6.5 grendel are the ones i can think of right away. i spent a long time working up good recipies for each so that i wouldnt need a myriad of powders…even tho i do have a good variety on my shelf. lol

I wish I could consolidate powders like that, ...I wanted to but being somewhat still kinda new to reloading it seems every time I looked up a powder for the next cartridge to load someones recommending a different better powder.
It didnt help that I got into reloading right in the middle of supply chain shortages. In fact it took me almost a year to even find a marginal powder to use on my 223 handload.

Now Ive slowly bought several powders and in quantities to get thru continuing shortages $$$, the whole idea of saving money reloading went out the window.

I think finally, what I have on hand should work well in the Grendel once I finish the build.

 

[Member 34319]

I wish I could consolidate powders like that, ...I wanted to but being somewhat still kinda new to reloading it seems every time I looked up a powder for the next cartridge to load someones recommending a different better powder.
It didnt help that I got into reloading right in the middle of supply chain shortages. In fact it took me almost a year to even find a marginal powder to use on my 223 handload.

Now Ive slowly bought several powders and in quantities to get thru continuing shortages $$$, the whole idea of saving money reloading went out the window.

I think finally, what I have on hand should work well in the Grendel once I finish the build.

There was a batch of CFE223 that hit the market a few months back. I bought as much as I could whenever I saw it. Wish I got more!

 

[Rkangel]

I really liked 6.5g when wolf was cheap and available for practice. Have a 12" upper that is a tack driver with this stuff. Now that the wolf ship has sailed I can't afford to shoot it as much.

 

[Koda]

There was a batch of CFE223 that hit the market a few months back. I bought as much as I could whenever I saw it. Wish I got more!

I picked up 5lbs of it when I saw that. Wish I had bought more but Ive been spending a lot of money on projects lately.

 

[BobSc]

You could always go with a 7-8 twist 223 Wylde barrel on your present set up and shoot the heavies with decent BC and still shoot long range. Lots of advantages- cheaper components and availability, more loads to a pound of powder by far, accuracy can be excellent even at very long ranges, etc....

 

[Koda]

I have a 7 twist Wylde chamber and the AR magazine limits the longer high BC bullets you can seat in the case.

I was looking at the .25WSSM in an AR platform and wowza the ballistics for that are impressive, but it seems not well known and so not a lot of companies making uppers. Would love to play around with that load in an AR though.

 

[BobSc]

I have a 7 twist Wylde chamber and the AR magazine limits the longer high BC bullets you can seat in the case.

I was looking at the .25WSSM in an AR platform and wowza the ballistics for that are impressive, but it seems not well known and so not a lot of companies making uppers. Would love to play around with that load in an AR though.

I'm surprised. I know several people who shoot the heavy .223 bullets and get excellent results. They do need to be seated pretty deep, but they seem to fit in their ARs....