Return of the Grendel

[SteveB]

I have long been a fan of the 6.5mm rifle bullet. The combination of BC and SD produce bullets that fly flat and kill out of all proportion for caliber/bullet weight. My favorite light rifle is a Kimber Montana in .260 Remington. So years ago, when Alexander introduced the 6.5 Grendel, I was thrilled at the prospect of being able to fit a 6.5mm cartridge into an AR. (Not interested in an AR10 in .260 due to all the additional weight.) I was sold, and bought an upper. Sadly, I had FTF issues and broke a bolt; decided the Grendel was not ready for prime time and moved on. A couple of months ago, SLG and I had a long discussion about rifles, and his enthusiasm for the Grendel inspired me to give it another chance. Spoke to Mark Hostetter at Precision Firearms, and had him rebarrel an AR upper I wasn’t using in 6.5G. Got the upper back yesterday; seems well built, BCG is nickel/boron coated, very slick. Dropped it on my 3-gun lower and shot 40 rounds of 123 grain AMAX; first 3-shot group was .75” @ 100; 2nd group was 1.25” @ 200. No function issues. Looking forward to trying this out on whitetail or hogs this fall.

3815

3816

[HCM]

Nice. 20" barrel ? Would you lose a lot doing a Grendel with an 18 inch barrel?

[taadski]

Knowing you as an intellectual, I clicked on this thinking it was gonna be a Beowulf discussion. :p

Nice build. I look forward to reports.



t

[ranger]

I recently traded an extra 556 AR upper for a 6.5 Grendel upper - it is a 20inch SABRE upper with 20 inch fluted barrel and a WCI(Spelling?) comp. I have been very pleased with its performance. I recently went to a private range with a group of hunters who were sighting in their hunting rifles - they were all very impressed with the performance of the 6.5 Grendel at 300 and 400 yards with Hornady 123 Amax.

I bought another 20 inch 6.5 Grendel barrel on closeout from ARP and got 500 rds of the "cheap" Wolf steel case 6.5 Grendel ammo. Interested to try out that combination next.

[GJM]

I have the small CZ bolt in 6.5 Grendel. SteveB got me on them. Neat cartridge.

[SteveB]

Nice. 20" barrel ? Would you lose a lot doing a Grendel with an 18 inch barrel?

This is a 16" barrel. For me, the whole point of the AR is light and short. The 123 AMAX is still moving at 1600 fps at 500 yards; I'm not going to take a shot on game at that distance with this rifle. Bill Alexander has said he thinks 19.5" is the sweet spot for velocity vs. "carryability". Here's a link to Grendel ballistics for various loads and various barrel lengths:

http://www.alexanderarms.com/images/pdfs/grendel_ballistics.pdf

[HCM]

Nice. I agree with the lightweight AR concept. I noted the fluting on the barrel. What barrel ? What are you using for magazines? 6.5 specific or 7.62x39 mags?

[SteveB]

Nice. I agree with the lightweight AR concept. I noted the fluting on the barrel. What barrel ? What are you using for magazines? 6.5 specific or 7.62x39 mags?

Bartlein medium weight fluted, black nitride, 1-8 twist. These are 6.5G mags from Precision Firearms (blue followers).

[HCM]

I have the small CZ bolt in 6.5 Grendel. SteveB got me on them. Neat cartridge.

I have one in 7.62 x39 - is the 6.5 a factory chamberng or a conversion ?

[GJM]

I have one in 7.62 x39 - is the 6.5 a factory chamberng or a conversion ?

Brockman conversion to the 7.62x39 CZ.

[JHC]

I have one in 7.62 x39 - is the 6.5 a factory chamberng or a conversion ?

One of few bolt actions that appeal to me.

[SLG]

Steve,

Will you use the Amax for hunting? Please report back with results.

Chrono'd the 123 SST's today. 16" Lilja with a 30 cal TBAC can on the end. 2450 at the muzzle. I really love this set up, and seeing Steve's makes me want to get another. No good reason, just because.

GJM/Steve,

What kind of accuracy are you seeing with the CZ convert? Overall weight? barrel profile and length?

[Malamute]

I recently traded an extra 556 AR upper for a 6.5 Grendel upper - it is a 20inch SABRE upper with 20 inch fluted barrel and a WCI(Spelling?) comp. I have been very pleased with its performance. I recently went to a private range with a group of hunters who were sighting in their hunting rifles - they were all very impressed with the performance of the 6.5 Grendel at 300 and 400 yards with Hornady 123 Amax.

I bought another 20 inch 6.5 Grendel barrel on closeout from ARP and got 500 rds of the "cheap" Wolf steel case 6.5 Grendel ammo. Interested to try out that combination next.

How has the Wolf ammo been shooting? That being available makes the Grendel more attractive.

[SteveB]

Steve,

Will you use the Amax for hunting? Please report back with results.

Chrono'd the 123 SST's today. 16" Lilja with a 30 cal TBAC can on the end. 2450 at the muzzle. I really love this set up, and seeing Steve's makes me want to get another. No good reason, just because.

GJM/Steve,

What kind of accuracy are you seeing with the CZ convert? Overall weight? barrel profile and length?

The gold standard for hunting medium game is the 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. I think Brockman bagged a mulie at 400 yards with this load out of my (or GJM's) CZ 527. The 527 is certainly a light and handy package; mine was real accurate. The attached target shows 3.5" @ 400, I think with the 123 Lapua Scenar. At the end of the day, though, my Kimber Montana .260 is just as light and handy, and the .260 is, IMO, a better bolt rifle round. It's worth the ballistic compromise you have to make with the Grendel because it fits in an AR.

3840

[SteveB]

GJM/Steve,

What kind of accuracy are you seeing with the CZ convert? Overall weight? barrel profile and length?

These 527's got 20" light profile barrels and laminated wood stocks, maybe 6 lbs without optics.

[ranger]

How has the Wolf ammo been shooting? That being available makes the Grendel more attractive.

Hope to get to range this weekend - too much work and not enough shooting. I also have 500 rounds of the Prvi brass case 6.5 Grendel 120 BTHP coming from PSA - they are on sale for $10 per 20. I cannot buy the Grendel brass for that price.

[HCM]

Does anyone have experience with the Alexander Arms Grendel uppers?

[HCM]

Along the same lines, does anyone have experience with the Brownell's 6.5 Grendel barrels and bolts?

Also is a 6.5 Grendel specific bolt necessary or are they interchangeable with the 7.62X39 bolts?

[SLG]

6.5G bolts are caliber specific.

I've shot a few AA rifles, and they seem ok. I hear ok things about them from other people, but I do not consider them to be in the same class as the Precision Firearms stuff.

[LittleLebowski]

Great thread,I read it avidly.

[UNK]

weight.) Sadly, I had FTF issues and broke a bolt; decided the Grendel was not ready for prime time and moved on.

Feed issues plagued the Grendel from the start but I never heard they had been resolved. Are FTF issues still common with the platform?

[SLG]

Feed issues plagued the Grendel from the start but I never heard they had been resolved. Are FTF issues still common with the platform?

Not in mine, but sample of one and all that. I don't consider the G to be a fighting gun, just an excellent weapon for the enthusiast. Not for issue.

[SteveB]

Not in mine, but sample of one and all that. I don't consider the G to be a fighting gun, just an excellent weapon for the enthusiast. Not for issue.

So far so good with my new PF upper; 320 rounds, 4 different bullets, no function issues. Everything is easily sub-MOA. Agreed that this is not a defense gun, but I am sure looking forward to hunting with it this fall.

[SLG]

So far so good with my new PF upper; 320 rounds, 4 different bullets, no function issues. Everything is easily sub-MOA. Agreed that this is not a defense gun, but I am sure looking forward to hunting with it this fall.

Glad to hear it. Given your history with the Grendel, it's pretty cool that it is working well for you. I really think it is the "ultimate" do all, individual rifleman's rifle.