6.5 Grendel

[lrgrendel]

Hi Guys

Bought a Alexander Arms 6.5 Grendel overwatch upper 24" 1/9 twist.
Just wondering if anyone else shoots one and what accuracy I can expect. Assuming I do my part. Will be reloading with 123g SMK or Hornady AMAX.
Bought it because nothing else available. Really wanted a match barrel but that is not going to happen anytime soon!!

Thanks

 

[bjay]

i got grendel in satern 264 1:8.75 26" shoots good but ive been trying to tighten group a little by using 8208 powder 450 primer 123 amax .6 to 1.5 moa..i guess its good but not great..im still fishing the load

 

[Unknown]

I am a big Grendel fan. Although I went from a 24 inch tube to a 19.5 inch. Accuracy you can expect should be well under 1 MOA. The other fellows who shoot Grendels with me usually expect the rifles to turn in groups around .75 MOA. I very often get groups of .5 moa, but the regular, reliably produced and predictable groups are much more likely to be around .75 MOA.

I'm currently going through some ammo "issues" and my rifle shoots 1-1.25 MOA, with frequently putting 5-8 shots into .6MOA, but then if I try to shoot a ten round group, there is always something blowing 2 out of 10 shots out to 1-1.25 moa.

If you have really good ammo, do your part, and don't fight wind, getting groups of .75 moa wouldn't surprise me at all. If you shoot five groups of 5 shots each, you will likely have 2 groups around .5 moa, 2 groups around .75 moa, and one group at 1 moa and you will wonder what the hell happened.

I found that if I am really honest with myself about the capability of my rifles, and accept that they are now shooting 1-1.25 moa, I do pretty well in matches where many bolt guns are Accuracy International, Surgeon, and other high end bolt guns. The steel we shoot is big enough that realistic marksmanship expectations, and practice help more than pin point precision.

 

[BlueDodgeRam]

I'm shooting a 24" Satern Grendel 1:8 out to 1040yds. Occasionally out to 1200yds. Havent been able to get a reloading setup yet, so Ive been shooting factory 123gr AMAX, which seems to do very well until the winds pick up.

Like Unknown said, in perfect conditions with me doing my part, .5 MOA is certainly doable (I had one 5 shot group end up around .375" @100yds somehow), but I am more able to reproduce reliably .75 MOA groups. Hoping that will tighten up when I start reloading and can try to larger projos to buck the wind better.

 

[lrgrendel]

I appreciate the input.

 

[cotntop]

Some of the best groups i shot came from AA factory 123 Lapua ammo.

 

[bullseye13]

I am a big Grendel fan. Although I went from a 24 inch tube to a 19.5 inch. Accuracy you can expect should be well under 1 MOA. The other fellows who shoot Grendels with me usually expect the rifles to turn in groups around .75 MOA. I very often get groups of .5 moa, but the regular, reliably produced and predictable groups are much more likely to be around .75 MOA.

I'm currently going through some ammo "issues" and my rifle shoots 1-1.25 MOA, with frequently putting 5-8 shots into .6MOA, but then if I try to shoot a ten round group, there is always something blowing 2 out of 10 shots out to 1-1.25 moa.

If you have really good ammo, do your part, and don't fight wind, getting groups of .75 moa wouldn't surprise me at all. If you shoot five groups of 5 shots each, you will likely have 2 groups around .5 moa, 2 groups around .75 moa, and one group at 1 moa and you will wonder what the hell happened.

I found that if I am really honest with myself about the capability of my rifles, and accept that they are now shooting 1-1.25 moa, I do pretty well in matches where many bolt guns are Accuracy International, Surgeon, and other high end bolt guns. The steel we shoot is big enough that realistic marksmanship expectations, and practice help more than pin point precision.

What is the ideal barrel length for the Grendal Cartridge for out to 1000yds? is 20" acceptable,or do you really need to be at 24" to shine with this cartridge? What are you getting for velocity with your 19.5" compared to the 24", and are you happy with the change?

Thanks

 

[Unknown]

Having owned a 24, 19.5, and 18 inch Grendel, I will stay with the 20 inch barrels (19.5-21 inch). The minor velocity loss isn't too much of an issue when using the right bullet, and powder. If I can keep a 123 scenar above the transonic range out to around 1200-1300 yards (give or take 200 depending on atmospheric/environmental conditions) I am happy with that. I rarely shoot much past 800 yards anyhow, and when I do, I usually use a bolt gun. The 24 inch barrel was simply too cumbersome, clumsy, and awkward to be reasonably handy. I primarily use the Grendel for practical rifle matches shooting steel out to about 550 yards. The 24 inch barrel takes too long to insert into, and withdraw from ports, it doesn't swing as quickly, and once started, it is harder to stop it from swinging.

If memory serves me right, there is a loss of 10-25 fps per inch of barrel removed. If my handload already generates 2480-2550 fps (depending on temperature) with a 123 scenar, that gives me plenty of reach for what I need. If I were primarily going to be shooting prarie dogs from a bench rest, then the 24 inch barrel would be the way to go..but that isn't what I use the rifle for.

I would recommend considering what you intend to use the rifle for, and select your barrel length with that in mind. Bill Alexander (owner of the original name 6.5 Grendel) felt that the 20 inch barrels provided the best all around performance and handling. He has probably already forgotten more than I will ever learn about the Grendel, and similar cartridges, so his opinion carries a great deal of weight.

If I were building a rifle, I would go with a fluted, light weight 20 inch barrel, tube forend with ventilation in it. I just don't like tubes that retain heat. I would install an adjustable gas block, compensator, and consider whether a heavy buffer, captive buffer spring, or lightweight bolt carrier would work in combination with your components. The Grendel cartridge isn't like the 5.56, and some of the buffer/spring combinations for the adjustable stocks that work with the 5.56 cartridge, aren't a good idea with the Grendel.

I played around with various bullets before settling on bullets in the 120/123 grain weight for the same reason I am staying with the 20 inch barrel. If sure wouldn't go much shorter than 18 inches unless you intend to add a suppressor onto the end of it for other purposes.

 

[bullseye13]

Having owned a 24, 19.5, and 18 inch Grendel, I will stay with the 20 inch barrels (19.5-21 inch). The minor velocity loss isn't too much of an issue when using the right bullet, and powder. If I can keep a 123 scenar above the transonic range out to around 1200-1300 yards (give or take 200 depending on atmospheric/environmental conditions) I am happy with that. I rarely shoot much past 800 yards anyhow, and when I do, I usually use a bolt gun. The 24 inch barrel was simply too cumbersome, clumsy, and awkward to be reasonably handy. I primarily use the Grendel for practical rifle matches shooting steel out to about 550 yards. The 24 inch barrel takes too long to insert into, and withdraw from ports, it doesn't swing as quickly, and once started, it is harder to stop it from swinging.

If memory serves me right, there is a loss of 10-25 fps per inch of barrel removed. If my handload already generates 2480-2550 fps (depending on temperature) with a 123 scenar, that gives me plenty of reach for what I need. If I were primarily going to be shooting prarie dogs from a bench rest, then the 24 inch barrel would be the way to go..but that isn't what I use the rifle for.

I would recommend considering what you intend to use the rifle for, and select your barrel length with that in mind. Bill Alexander (owner of the original name 6.5 Grendel) felt that the 20 inch barrels provided the best all around performance and handling. He has probably already forgotten more than I will ever learn about the Grendel, and similar cartridges, so his opinion carries a great deal of weight.

If I were building a rifle, I would go with a fluted, light weight 20 inch barrel, tube forend with ventilation in it. I just don't like tubes that retain heat. I would install an adjustable gas block, compensator, and consider whether a heavy buffer, captive buffer spring, or lightweight bolt carrier would work in combination with your components. The Grendel cartridge isn't like the 5.56, and some of the buffer/spring combinations for the adjustable stocks that work with the 5.56 cartridge, aren't a good idea with the Grendel.

I played around with various bullets before settling on bullets in the 120/123 grain weight for the same reason I am staying with the 20 inch barrel. If sure wouldn't go much shorter than 18 inches unless you intend to add a suppressor onto the end of it for other purposes.

Thanks for the info. I plan on building one to use inside 600yds 90% of the time, but dont want to be limited to that. I also agreed on the handiness of the rifle being a major factor in the build length, but I didnt want to handicap the cartridge by going too short. Thanks again.