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My shooting buddy just hit the order button for a 6.5 Grendel barrel for an AR, which got me thinking about a bolt action Grendel again. Wasn't really shopping, but decided to check in at Brownell's, just to refresh my memory on the cost of a barreled action. Wouldn't you know it, the one I want, Howa mini action, 20" threaded barrel, was on sale for $360, about $140 off. That was just about enough discount to cover the cost of a Boyd's stock for it, so I couldn't resist hitting the buy button :eek:. Was planning on just putting it on a shelf until next winter, but a couple of days later, I also ordered a Boyd's Classic stock for it in Pepper Laminate :rolleyes:. What can I say, I'm weak. And besides, I never could resist going down a rabbit hole :D!

For now, I'm going to just drop the action in the stock and run it with factory ammo, get a feel for it, and an idea of its capabilities. But I already know what my Winter project is, I'll need to turn pillars and bed it, or if I decide the Boyd's stock isn't cutting it, I've got my eye on an Oryx chassis. Still need to decide on reloading dies, might need to consider a brake, and if I stay with the Boyd's stock, actual metal bottom metal will be on the shopping list. Already have glass that will work, at least for the short run, I'll just need a mount. All for now, but will post more when I've got a functional rifle in hand. Later.

Dave
 
The Grendel exists to fit into an AR15 magwell. What's the upside in having one in a boltgun?

I think the joy comes from having something that is unique and fun. And in this case, it is in a "mini action" I myself will someday have a .224 Valkyrie in a bolt gun. The motivation for that will be to have a high B.C. bullet being driven at respectable velocity with a small powder charge. I'm sure that just like many .223 reloads, the rounds will never fit into a pmag but that won't be a concern to the end user.
 
The Grendel exists to fit into an AR15 magwell. What's the upside in having one in a boltgun?
The same could have easily been said about the .308 Winchester.

The 6.5 Grendel is an amazing little cartridge, regardless of platform. It also allows you to use a mini action, for both size and weight savings.

Besides, not being limited by magazine length can really open up possibilities when reloading.

Most importantly, I think it falls under the "Because we can!" and "Because it's fun!" categories... ;)
 
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The same could have been easily said about the .308 Winchester.

The 6.5 Grendel is an amazing little cartridge

It's not. I had one and tested its limits. I wasn't impressed. It does lots of things OK, but nothing well.

If you're looking to get a LITTLE more distance or punch out of an AR15, ok, you could make a case for that, but putting it in a bolt gun eliminates that.
 
The Grendel exists to fit into an AR15 magwell. What's the upside in having one in a boltgun?

Because I want one, and because I can, same reason I built a .223 bolt gun. And because I'm not a fan of the AR. I also happen to be quite sensitive to rifle recoil, I enjoy the .223, but it's not a legal big game round in my neck of the woods, the Grendel is. I'm just hoping the recoil is within my comfort zone, or can be made so with the addition of a brake.

As to the Grendel and its capabilities and limits, it may not have impressed you, but it has impressed a lot of other folks. I enjoy experimenting with things out of the ordinary, and I'm not especially concerned with what others may think of my choices. My money, my time, what I do with both is my business, no one was twisting your arm to either read or comment on my post. Later.

Dave
 
Because I want one, and because I can, same reason I built a .223 bolt gun. And because I'm not a fan of the AR. I also happen to be quite sensitive to rifle recoil, I enjoy the .223, but it's not a legal big game round in my neck of the woods, the Grendel is. I'm just hoping the recoil is within my comfort zone, or can be made so with the addition of a brake.

As to the Grendel and its capabilities and limits, it may not have impressed you, but it has impressed a lot of other folks. I enjoy experimenting with things out of the ordinary, and I'm not especially concerned with what others may think of my choices. My money, my time, what I do with both is my business, no one was twisting your arm to either read or comment on my post. Later.

Dave

Duly noted. Have fun
 
Because I want one, and because I can, same reason I built a .223 bolt gun. And because I'm not a fan of the AR. I also happen to be quite sensitive to rifle recoil, I enjoy the .223, but it's not a legal big game round in my neck of the woods, the Grendel is. I'm just hoping the recoil is within my comfort zone, or can be made so with the addition of a brake.

As to the Grendel and its capabilities and limits, it may not have impressed you, but it has impressed a lot of other folks. I enjoy experimenting with things out of the ordinary, and I'm not especially concerned with what others may think of my choices. My money, my time, what I do with both is my business, no one was twisting your arm to either read or comment on my post. Later.

Dave
I think the Grendel should suit your needs just fine, given the low recoil and the excellent hunting capabilities of the cartridge. One thing I would suggest is looking at some of the longer-range bullet designs with lower expansion thresholds, which really increase the effective hunting range of these smaller cartridges.

The one I plan to test first is the Nosler ABLR, which expands down to 1,300 fps, but I've also heard good things about the Swift Scirocco and any of the Barnes offerings.
 
I think the Grendel should suit your needs just fine, given the low recoil and the excellent hunting capabilities of the cartridge. One thing I would suggest is looking at some of the longer-range bullet designs with lower expansion thresholds, which really increase the effective hunting range of these smaller cartridges.

The one I plan to test first is the Nosler ABLR, which expands down to 1,300 fps, but I've also heard good things about the Swift Scirocco and any of the Barnes offerings.

Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind, and I look forward to hearing your results. My primary focus will be target shooting, at least for now. I already have a dedicated target rifle in my .223 Savage, but I'm hoping to find something that will reach out farther without beating me up, it sucks being a recoil wimp :oops:. IF the Grendel proves to be a viable option for me in that regard, I'll probably build a second, dedicated target gun, and focus on this one as a hunter. Trying to make one rifle do both jobs is a recipe for mediocre performance all around. Later.

Dave
 
I'm hoping to find something that will reach out farther without beating me up, it sucks being a recoil wimp :oops:.

Dave

Being aware that you are more accurate and can shoot for an extended duration is nothing to be ashamed about. I don't shoot my magnum rifle anymore than required to be proficient. On the other hand I will shoot my heavy, light recoiling target rifles until the sunsets. If you love shooting purchase equipment that fits that task. You can silently chuckle at the people next to you developing a horrible flinch.
 
I've always been a fan of the Grendel. More so than the creedmore. I never liked that AR bolts for the caliber were the weak points. So a bolt gun in it makes more sense to me.

I'll be following this thread for updates.
 
Being aware that you are more accurate and can shoot for an extended duration is nothing to be ashamed about. I don't shoot my magnum rifle anymore than required to be proficient. On the other hand I will shoot my heavy, light recoiling target rifles until the sunsets. If you love shooting purchase equipment that fits that task. You can silently chuckle at the people next to you developing a horrible flinch.
Shooting until you are fatigued does nobody any good. Know your personal limits, and don't be ashamed of them, otherwise you're just wasting ammo.

For me personally, the best investment I've made so far was purchasing suppressors. The concussion has always bothered me more than recoil, and when combined with too much sun would make me feel punch drunk and downright loopy. Now I can shoot more with less fatigue.
 
Shooting until you are fatigued does nobody any good. Know your personal limits, and don't be ashamed of them, otherwise you're just wasting ammo.

For me personally, the best investment I've made so far was purchasing suppressors. The concussion has always bothered me more than recoil, and when combined with too much sun would make me feel punch drunk and downright loopy. Now I can shoot more with less fatigue.

Very true, if you can't focus anymore you best call it a day. The old saying is "Perfect practice, makes perfect" or something like that right? I usually leave my can at home screwed onto my SBR, I got sick of looking at the mirage. Now I just screw in earplugs and throw on muffs.
 
I honestly don't mind the mirage so much, as it gives me a good reason to slow down and take my time. Same reason I've started to prefer a bolt action .22 rifle over my semi autos lately. I need every reason I can get to keep me from getting into a rush. :oops:
 
I honestly don't mind the mirage so much, as it gives me a good reason to slow down and take my time. Same reason I've started to prefer a bolt action .22 rifle over my semi autos lately. I need every reason I can get to keep me from getting into a rush. :oops:

The biggest down side to semi-autos IMO, it's just too easy to keep pulling the trigger. On rare occasions, you can fall into a rhythm that can produce some surprisingly good results, but most of the time, technique starts falling apart. I set my Savage up as a single shot just for that reason, no excuse not to take my time and stick to fundamentals.

No familiarity shooting with suppressors, and unless the Hearing Protection Act passes, that's not likely to change anytime soon. Most of the time I don't care, but it would be nice to be able to get in some handgun practice out behind my shop, I have the room, and I live somewhere that there are no legal issues. But there's the wife issue, a few shots now and again for function testing is one thing, but a couple hundred rounds would have her jumpier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs :rolleyes:. Oh well, the range isn't that far away. Later.

Dave
 
very happy with my AR grendel build
Me too. Can't wait to see what kinda grouping I can pull off with a mono pod and a proper 6.5 brake on it. Already got it to sub-MOA @100yds. Goal is to get it sub 1/2MOA on factory ammo that costs less than $1/rd. And i'm pretty sure the gun I built and the cartridge is more than capable.
 
The biggest down side to semi-autos IMO, it's just too easy to keep pulling the trigger. On rare occasions, you can fall into a rhythm that can produce some surprisingly good results, but most of the time, technique starts falling apart. I set my Savage up as a single shot just for that reason, no excuse not to take my time and stick to fundamentals.

No familiarity shooting with suppressors, and unless the Hearing Protection Act passes, that's not likely to change anytime soon. Most of the time I don't care, but it would be nice to be able to get in some handgun practice out behind my shop, I have the room, and I live somewhere that there are no legal issues. But there's the wife issue, a few shots now and again for function testing is one thing, but a couple hundred rounds would have her jumpier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs :rolleyes:. Oh well, the range isn't that far away. Later.

Dave
Buying a suppressor is like planting a tree. The best time to do so was a year ago... :p

For anyone on the fence about suppressors, they are now easier than ever thanks to SilencerShop. A .22 suppressor is a thing of beauty that must be experienced to truly understand, and is the one thing I recommend everyone try at least once.

It's the only suppressor that is truly "Hollywood quiet", and is guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone's face!

The 6.5 Grendel sounds great suppressed too, but if it's grins and giggles you are looking for, rimfire suppressors are where you will find them! ;)
 

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