Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 6.5 Grendel

I should have all the parts to put together a 6.5 Grendel in two weeks. It is going to have a 20" 1 in 9 twist barrel, float tube, national match 2 stage trigger. I am not finding a lot of data out there for the Grendel. Is any one shooting it? I would appreciate input from those of you with hands on experience.

I am looking to shoot the 90 gr. Speer TNT and 100 gr. B.T. I am going to use Lapua brass. That wasn't easy to get my hands on! For powders I have N530, N133, N135, Benchmark, IMR 4198, H4198 and IMR 8208 XBR.

Thanks In Advance!

PaPa260

I am anxiously awaiting the results. I am thinking on a 6.5 and love to hear about them.

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/

Lots of info here on the Grendel.


I am shooting two, a 24" heavy rifle, Alexander Arms "Overwatch" upper on a home built lower, and a 16" mid length carbine with Adams Arms gas piston system.

Reloading for this one has been the trickiest cartridge I have ever played with in my 47 years of reloading. Make sure you size enough to bump the shoulder back just a bit. I had many problems related to this, cartriges would not chamber completely, or if they did I could not manually extract by pulling back on charging handle. When I finally figuered out all the little things that were so critical, everything started working fine, even when using 7.62x39 brass sized down for fireforming. Fireforming loads will chamber, fire and cycle the action well, and accuracy is almost as good as with those cartridges using fully formed brass. I had picked up 2000 rounds of IMI 7.62 brass at $189 per thousand compared to $85 per hundred for the Laupa brass.

When I mentioned the problems I was having, it was not due to a lack of experience with loading for the AR, having loaded for a couple of Colt H-bar types for about 18 years.

It's a fun little cartridge with a lot more power and range than the 5.56.

I appreciate the links and the information. Yeah, that Lapua brass is pricey. I hope I don't lose much of it in the grass. I was trying to get some of the Hornady 6.5 Grendel brass, but in talking to Hornady, they don't have any either.

jkingrph, what powders are giving you the best results? I will be using Redding dies. When I get this thing put together, I will post results. I was looking at the 6.5 Grendel as a coyote/deer truck gun.

Again, thanks for the replies!

PaPa260

So far AA 2520 has given me the best results. My latest load was 29.5gr 2520, 120gr Nolser BT, 2500fps avg. Rifle was originally a AA 6.5 Tactical with 16 inch barrel. I got rid of the POS AA barrel and had an 18 inch LW 6.5 CSS Stainless installed.

5 rounds, 100 yards.

I tried some Varget and while accuracy was ok, action did not cycle very well.

I went with Accurates recommendations of 2230, and X Terminator and the both are ok. I also picked up a pound each of 2520 and Tac because I have seen good comments about these. I have not tried them yet. I also picked up some of the new 8208XPR but have not yet tried it.

My best results so far have been with Win 748. Using IMI 7.62 brass and fireforming or Lapua brass. I am also having good luck with the 130gr Norma match bullet.

Gentlemen, I appreciate the replies. I am really looking forward to working with the Grendel. Do any of you hunt with the Grendel?

PaPa260

Just inedible targets!!

Does the 6.5mm Grendel use an AR-15 lower receiver?

What about using a 16" match grade barrel from Noveske? Could you get by with that short of a barrel and still utilize it's supersonic 1,000yds performance?

Standard AR-15 lower is what you use. I cannot answer about 16" barrel and 1000 yard performance. I do not have access to a 1000 yard range, in fact nothing over 250 yards around here. From what I have read you would probably be better served with a 24-28" barrel to get the extra velocity.

My second Grendel uses an AA 16" mid length barrel and an Adams Arms piston system, set up as sort of a semi tactical type short rifle, free foating rail, Rock River two stage trigger, and Aimpoint Comp ML3 red dot with 2moa dot. I have only had it out once and it shoots like a charm. I had several others to test that morning, so only shot at 50 yards but groups were probably running about 3/8".

Is that a Alexander Arm barrel manufactured by Sabre? If it is how's the throat on it?
I had one on my Alexander Arms 16 inch Tactical. No throat at all, bullet stuck in the rifling, blown primers, high pressure, just a bad deal all around. Had to swap the barrel for a LW 6.5 CSS chamber if I was going to keep the Grendel and of course my face and hands.

Here is a picture of a chamber cast of my AA 16 inch barrel, or should I say a chamber case of my 16 inch Tomato Stake. Does hold up Tomato's well that's for sure.

I honestly do not know who made the barrel. It was just listed by Alexander Arms as a 16" barrel/bolt combo. I have not had any problems with it, the loads I prepared for the earlier Overwatch upper work fine in it. Accuracy seems ok, I have not developed any loads for it, andhave only had it to the range once, mainly for a function test and quick get on a target zero.

It functioned fine with rounds prepared from Lapua brass, and with some loads I was fireforming using 7.62x39 IMI brass, so I'm happy.