Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles WTB either a 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC barrel

Itching to try out a new caliber and these 2 seem interesting too me. So if any of you fine Gentlemen have one for sale please send me a PM with info and price.

Thanks!

I read a lot about these two a while back. The 6.5 is as good or better than the 308 for long range accuracy. The 6.8 is more popular because it was SAMMI approved a few years ago. Both are about the same at 200-250 yards. The 6.5 is better beyond that out to say 800 yards. I was going to build a 6.5, but decided instead to go with a 300 Blackout since I already reload for 308 and 3006. More bullets are available. Now the 300 isn't a long range rifle but uses all the same parts as the 223, only the barrel is different and it is the equivelant of a 30-30 or a 7.62x39 in power which is all I need for deer around here or hogs.

Yep, already have a 300 Blackout, 5.56 and 5.45x39 uppers. Just looking to add to the collection.

Sounds like you have your small caliber and short range covered. I would go with the Grendel and buy a lot of brass for reloading.

Depending on your taste you might want to find someone to make one for you. Typically the quality is better and accuracy will be 1/2 MOA on average. I've built a lot of them on Rock Creek, Mullerworks, and a few shot out high-power Kriegers and they all have performed extremely well. I really like the Grendel as there is still a much better selection of bullets than you'll find in the 6.8/.270 range.

Considering the ammount of ammo available for the two calibers, I'd get the 270short instead of the 6.5.

Choices in factory ammo means LOTS of brass and reloading info out there. It also means lots of Barrels and other items for the 6.8spc that the grendal will never see in the near future, or at all.

With the on going ammo situation nationwide, be careful of painting yourself into a cartridge corner that may bite you. Think 30AR, 30TC, etc.

LOL, the 6.5 ppc ammo would be easy to come by even if they quit making the grendel... parent case of ppc rounds? x39...

The 6.8, formed off a not quite so popular case IIRC?

I don't know what the parent case of the 6.8spc is, but with all the people making ammo for it, cases should never be an issue.

weren't the PPC cartridges made from an altered .220 russian? I never heard of the AK cartridge being the parent.

I believe you are correct on the 220 russian, but IIRC, and I may be wrong you can parent that off the x 39. More I think about that I may well be way off on the x 39.

The 6.8 could go by the wayside any day, you never know. I'd THINK the PPC clan would be here longer by far.

But its all just good fun in the thought process of the argument part of it.

oops.. 220 russian, an X 39 necked down to hold a 5.6 mm bullet at a glance...

Sorry but the 6.8 SPC is not going away. It already has a large following and more and more ammo is being made for it. It continues to grow in popularity.

Thats what they said about many cartridges.

What is it based off of again? I don't recall.

I'd bet my bank account that if either were to go away, the PPC would certainly be the last. Its got a lot longer life span so far.

The 6.8 spc is 10 year old. Hornady, Nosler, Federal created specific bullets for it in the last few years. Hornady, Nolser (SSA) and now Federal all produce ammo for it. This is all happened in the last few years. I doubt so many major bullet/ammo makers would invest in the round if they thought it "would disappear any day".

I have pondered the 6.8 from time to time, based on my research in discussions with people who have shot and killed game with both a 5.56 and a 6.8SPC there is a slight difference, however not enough to worry about and certainly not enough in regards to the difficulty in finding brass or loaded cartridges as compared to the 5.56. In other words there is no animal I would hunt with a 6.8 that I would not hunt with a 5.56, but there are some animals you would not hunt with either.

Thats a good start for sure. But if one is going to outlast the other.... the x39 has been in production since 70 ish years give or take now IIRC.

Its no matter any way, you can almost always form brass from something.

Thanks for all the help guys but it will be one of these 2. Factory ammo debate is void with me as I reload and already have dies and brass for both.

I have both and I would go 6.8 any day over the Grendel, while the Grendel has the edge at long range it takes a longer tube to get it done. the 6.8 does well from a 16" barrel and is much easier on bolts. the 6.8 has far surpassed the Grendel in popularity and manufacturers have a lot of different loads for it.
parts are much easier to come by for the 6.8. it continues to grow in popularity for good reasons,
1. accurate
2. low recoil
3. plenty of barrels and bolts to choose from
4. it can do most of what an AR-10 can do to 400 yds in a lighter shorter platform
5. no bolt breakage

the Grendel is a good round and is very accurate but I believe its suffering a slow death.
both are great killers as many can attest to but the 6.8 is what I drag out of the safe when its time to hit the woods or the fields. my .223s get used very little any more because of the 6.8.
just my 2 cts

its all good, everyone has their own ideas and needs to make their own mistakes.

What about the 6x45. A 223 necked up to 6mm or 243. Doesn't have the full power of a 243, but uses the same bolt, magazines, etc, that the 223 uses. This can fill a nich also.

I have a 6.5 Grendel and my shooting buddy has a 6.8. We can see very little difference in them as hunting cartridges. Both are very accurate. Around the mid west where we live, ammunition is very hard to come by for either one, though the 6.8 has a slight edge, as you see it occasionally on the shelf. We are both reloaders so that is no issue for us. The Grendel has a marked advantage when the range stretches out. My Grendel has repeatable accuracy to 1,000 yards. I am lucky, I live where I can shoot to extended ranges from my back yard. That is not easy to come by in Indiana.

260AIShooter