Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 6.5 Gendel-v-6.8 Rem SPC-v-300 Blackout

I was planning on getting an upper for my RRA AR-15 in the 6.5 Grendel for my very petite daughter to use next season for deer. I figure I'll limit her to 200 yards at this time. I mentioned to the guy (very knowledgeable) behind the gun counter at a local store. He mentioned I should consider the 300 Blackout since the range won't be overly long. Having never used any of the cartridges in the title I would think the 6.5 Grendel would be the most versatile followed by the 6.8. What are your thoughts on the three and what would you choose for deer out to 200 yards? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the cartridges? Recoil is also a factor.

Thanks

223...by lightyears.

Hint.................

Hey Stick.

I have seen a lot of back and forth on the 6.5 vs. 6.8 but you are the first one I have seen who simply suggests the 223. So two questions.

1 Can you give a bit more detail regarding why the 223 is preferred?

2 As I am sure you know there are states that do not allow deer hunting with a 22 caliber rifle. So if you were stuck with choosing between the 6.8 and the 6.5 is there a preferred round?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Logistics,noise,recoil,cost and performance.

If forced to upsize bore diameter,pass the 243 Grendel. It boasts Lapooey brass and the COAL,to really connect dots,along with the capacity to drive same with authority.








Hint.............

[quote=Big Stick]223...by lightyears.

Hint.................[/quote)

Well, the reason I am looking at these is the poor performance I have observed from the .223. I did buy some TSX's to try in it, but haven't loaded any up yet. As I have mentioned on this forum before the 64g Winchester PP was bad. I hope it was due to low velocity but they just failed in everyway I can think of. They were factory loads so I didn't chrono them.

Of the 3 mentioned I would go 6.5 Grendel.

I looked at the Grendel very briefly before deciding to go 243 LBC. Same as 6mm Grendel or 6mm AR. Same cartridge different name.

The ballistics of the 6.5 are lacking for what I was really wanting.

If the 223 we're legal where you are located I would look there hard. No recoil will make bullet placement very easy for your daughter. No recoil will equal to get range sessions as well. Cheap components if you're loading or cheap bulk ammo for plonking.

I see no reason the 223 wouldn't work every bit as good as the 300 BLK.

Pass the 75gr Hornie BTHP's,Lever' and 2800fps+...in a 223.

Hint................

My 7 year old daughter has killed 5 with a 300 blackout. It works, but we’re changing next year to the 6.5 Grendel. She broke shoulders on a couple and neck shot a couple, but I had to track a decent buck a long way and got lucky finding him. I’ve shot a few hogs with a blackout and lost a couple with body shots and no blood trails. Recoil is no issue, almost like a 223. The AR platform is great for my daughter. Her gun has a Geissele trigger and she shoots it well, but she will be using a 6.5 Grendel next season. I think the 6mm Grendel that stick recommended would be much better than the blackout. I watched my son kill 25 or 26 deer over the last few years with a 243 and it is a better killer than the blackout. I’ve seen him kill another 12 or 13 with a 6.5 cm and 7-08, and the tracking jobs got much easier than the 243. He has settled on the 6.5 cm now. I would skip the blackout.

Between a 6.5 Grendel and a 6.8 SPC would be personal preference. I would not expect to see a difference between the two at 200 yards (or probably even a lot farther). I have a couple 6.5 Grendels but have not shot game with them yet. Last year I used my 24-45 Sharps on a couple mule deer and found it to me more than adequate, I would have to think the 6.5 and 6.8 would be very good as well.

They are very easy for younger kids to shoot. My daughters love shooting my Grendels.

I chose the Grendel because of the availability of cheap wolf ammo. It shoots about 2moa in my guns and even the kids can hit steel to 400 yards with it. Some lot of Wolf ammo can be junk though so beware of that.

Best of luck in your search.

Find a gun you like in either 6.5 or 6.8. Buy it.

You probably wont be able to tel the dif between the cartridges. There really isn't a dime's worth of difference under 300 or so yards.

I'm assuming you would like off the shelf dies instead of custom, so that leaves out the 6mm variations. Factory ammo is a plus too.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the .300BO. It's theoretically compromised by the subsonic requirement. But, if you love a gun chambered in it, it does have factory ammo available.

for deer hunting I would take the grendel for 100 gr partitions .

The 6.5 Grendel is an easy pass,for all things...in a '15 platform.

Hint.................

Why?

It's perfectly engineered,to preclude the use of the best bullets in it's bore sizing.

Hint................

Best sub bullet I've found is the 194 Lehigh. Penetrates due to weight, cuts BIG holes as the bullet opens up, some angling shots have had 4-6 inch long gashes as it cut into them. Profuse blood trails for the most part. Have not seen a deer make it past 75 or so steps. And like a barnes, you can "eat up to the hole"

Thats just an IF you decide on the 300 for whatever reason. We use it for the quiet side.

The rest of the choices, just read and think, decide what fits your bill the best. What suits others doesn't suit everyone. There is no singe solution for it all. And there are no flies on the 223 for general deer use. While we run some of the match bullets, the barnes are good too. And I've seen a heck of a good deer drop to the lung shot with a 69 SMK. Not a small body deer either, nothing huge, but probably about 225 or so on the hoof. I just tend to stay away from 55ish soft points, while some are stout enough, many are a bit frangible for my tastes.

Texans TRYING to "talk" rifles,is never not fhuqking HILARIOUS...especially when they must add "we". Hint. Congratulations?!?

Bless your heart for trying.

Hint.

LAUGHING!.............

Saved for posterity.

Hint.................(grin)

I believe that is true. I don't envision a long range rig with the Grendel, but figure at most 120s at 300 yards although I need to study its ballistics more.

Which 120 and at what velocity?.................

I've got a 300 Blackout (in a bolt gun). It does have some versatility... sub- or supersonic, the only use I have for mine is subsonic/suppressed. If that is not what you are looking at there are better tools than the 300 BO.

Either of the rounds you mentioned or some of the suggestions would work.

Her range of competency will increase with practice and you will be looking at the 6.5G and the 6.8 SPC later, I would just do it now.


Jerry