So this is a 6-year update to the 12” Grendel, which has been shot fairly-regularly since I started the thread in 2018.
This compact blaster has just been a joy to shoot. My main use for it is going out and ringing steel from 150-900yds, as well as a lightweight go-to, all-round performer.
It packs into a small weapon case that is easy to throw in the vehicle and go, vs the bulky, heavy, longer cases that still find a way to make life harder in the back of a larger SUV. When you’re loading tripods, spotting scopes, multiple range bags, medic bag, shooting mats, water, coolers, and other cases, it’s so much easier tossing a short bag in along with the rest of them.
I’ve had my youngest boy training on it now, learning fundamentals, and now shooting with it out to 780yds. It’s a great platform to train on since you can more easily see your sight picture and impacts on-target.
Yesterday, I made multiple consecutive hits on steel at 780yds without misses, then tried my hand on a 900yd 12” plate and connected 1st-round with witnesses. Even after shooting long range regularly since 1995, I was a bit tickled with that.
Here’s a pic through my Leupold binos with mil reticle where you can see the 400yd plate and 780yd buffalo sil.
The TBAC Ultra 5 (1st Gen) has never come loose on me, so that conical angle and threads seem to really work well with their brake-attach. At my last DM course a fews weeks ago, we saw some crazy fireballs coming out of it at night when shooting Wolf steel case, so I’m guessing Barnaul doesn’t use powder with flash suppressant.
The Faxon group buy Monster logo barrel has been great, holding accuracy well enough for me to make hits that are normally considered bolt gun territory at stupid distances. I normally don’t buy lower price point barrels, but wanted to see how these turned out. So far, so good.
The Bootleg Adjustable Gas carrier has been performing as-advertised, set at fully-suppressed position. Ever since the stupid GATF stamp cleared, I’ve shot it exclusively suppressed. Runs very well-behaved even for small-framed shooters. Remember that the action spring is an extra power carbine spring, combined with a standard 2.9oz carbine buffer.
Ammunition has included:
Federal 90gr TNT Wolf 100gr FMJ
PPU 110gr FMJBT Federal 120gr OTM AE Hornady American Gunner 123gr BTHP Hornady Black 123gr ELD-M The 120-123gr hit the steel targets much harder, at least from what you can hear. The 110gr PPU is surprisingly-flat shooting and I think their BC is either on or maybe even under-stated. I had to keep changing my data to get it to match yesterday as it was better than what the program kicked out. I had written the 110gr PPU off as good 300-400yd plinker ammo for steel, but after being so consistent with it at 780-900yds, I changed my mind about it. It still sounds like you’re hitting with a 6mm though, so impacts aren’t as audible.
I really need to load up the 130gr RDFs.
I’ve been using the LaRue MBT-2S trigger throughout, which is a great 2-stage trigger.
I originally had a discontinued GRSC 1-4x24 on it which I broke last fall shooting it at this same range. I replaced that with a 1-6x24 GRSC made in Japan at LOW, which is a tough scope that has held up on full-auto AR-10 testing. The 1-6x reticle has stadia down to 1200yds calibrated for 175gr 16” .308, which tracks well with 123gr 6.5 Grendel trajectory. Using the reticle BDC, you are easily able to hit plates from 100-400yds 1st-round.
I’ve been using the LaRue SPR 1.5 mount the whole time. Have not had any issues with looseness of the base or rings, followed the distractions for install.
There are new ASC mags I’ve been using, along with Amend2, Elanders, and CPD, that have all been flawless. They seemed to have refined the design on the later ASC mags and it shows in the fit/feel/finish/function. I bought several 25rd ASCs to try out within the past few years. I de-edge, blend and polish my barrel extension feed ramps on AR builds, and make sure the ejector is radiused to prevent right side feed presentation hang-ups.
I’ve had one notable malfunction after the Wolf steel case was run through it at night, then the next day, had FTEx with brass case PPU. The Wolf really built-up a lot of soot in the chamber, especially running suppressed. Cleaned the chamber when I got home with a 6.5 Grendel-specific chamber brush and not a hiccup since. I prefer shooting brass-cased ammo, but a guy needed a loaner blaster since his POI was way high at 100yds and didn’t have any bottom left with the way his zero stop was set up, so he borrowed the 12” and ran steel through it.
Things I would have done differently, knowing what I know now:
* LaRue Stealth 2.0 Upper and Handguard combo in FDE (no problems with what I have, just that the Stealth 2.0 looks great and is truly free-floated with no contact between barrel nut and the handguard)
* I go back and forth on whether I should have gone with the TBAC Ultra 7 for being really quiet, vs the Ultra 5 for compactness. Had it been available then, I might have gone with the TBAC Dominus K-SR or the Gen II Ultra 5, which is even quieter and lighter than the Gen I that I have. I never complain about the Ultra 5’s compactness and lightweight, which delivers 100% of the time. From shooter’s perspective, it takes enough of the edge off of muzzle blast. The Ultra 7 used on the other 12” is noticeably quieter like what you would normally hear from a suppressor on a much longer barrel centerfire. The Ultra 5 I have is only 7.4oz, which doesn’t even feel like a suppressor on the end of the barrel, and more like a blank firing adaptor.
I have a Vortex Gen III 1-10x I haven’t even installed, which will likely make it easier to TGT-detect and shoot due to the generous FOV and clarity. I’m also looking at the March 1-10 Shorty Dual Plane FFP with DR-TR1 stadia tree reticle. A clip-on would be sick in conjunction with the tiny March.
