Short 6.5 hunting gun.....260 vs Grendel?

[patrol120]

I know the comparison is a but silly, so I will explain how I got here.

I want a 16.5" barrel, semi lightweight .264 bolt rifle to use primarily for whitetail deer and the occasional pig. The gun will always wear a can. The vast majority of my shooting will be 250yd in, but 400yd wouldn't be unheard of. I want it to be short enough that, with a can, it will ride in my Eberlestock, and swing easily in a tree stand or a box blind. I don't want, or need, a custom rifle for this task, but I despise cheap junk.

As such, I have narrowed my choices down to a Tikka T3(not X) CTR in .260, and having the barrel chopped, or the CZ527 Suppressor Ready in 6.5 Grendel. I realize they are quite a bit different rifles, but they both blow my skirt up, and they both meet my requirements. Pricing is roughly the same, with the Tikka being a bit more after I have the barrel cut. I load for .243/308 already, and have powder and components for either. I have never owned either cartridge, nor have I owned a Tikka. I do have a CZ527 Varmint in 223AI that I adore...

Whats the consensus?

 

[Antares]

I vote for the CZ grendel combo for no reason other than I want one too.

 

[drwood96]

I said go with the 6.5 Grendal based in the information given. The extra powder the 260 gives you will just be wasted in a 16.5 barrel. Plus you are already familiar with the cz527 platform.

 

[patrol120]

I vote for the CZ grendel combo for no reason other than I want one too.

Lol...

I was dead set on the Tikka...then I stumbled across the CZ, and its just neat.

 

[Ledzep]

The newer CZs are slick. They changed over from the old way of making them to what looks like total CNC and it's a lot cleaner. I built up an 18" 6 ARC this spring and it's a handy little thing.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I shoot both and consider the 260 a great long range chambering, and the 6.5 Grendel as a good mid-range chambering. But restricting it to 16.5" simply hampers bullet performance at the target in a round which isn't especially fast to begin with.

I think the optimal length (purely an opinion...) for a deer hunting 6.5 Grendel would be 20", and seriously doubt any great benefit from removing 3.5" from that length. My Grendels are AR's and have 20" and 24" barrels. The 20 is plenty, and I've reserved the 24" for Varminting with the 90gr TNT..

If you handload, I suggest the Speer 120gr Gold Dot with the 6.5 Grendel and the 140gr Gold Dot with 260 (my 260 is for LR and has a 28" barrel). The Gold Dot Rifle bullets are relatively new, but are already gaining a good reputation for both accuracy and terminal performance.

If you don't handload, the Federal Fusion 6.5 Grendel Fusion MSR employs a nearly identical bullet (Speer and Federal are both under the same parent corporation). Federal also offers the 90gr TNT in a 50rd package under the American Eagle brand.

I have used the Fusion MSR 223 62gr for deer at about 150yd and was especially impressed with its remarkable expansion and weight retention.

Greg

 

[patrol120]

The only non negotiable aspect of this whole endeavor is the 16.5" barrel, but I do understand the concern.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Mind if I ask why?

 

[patrol120]

I want a little gun, that will still be compact with my can on it. My other bolt guns are 20" and 22", and I want something shorter and handier. I want something that will fit deep in my Eberlestock, that will be easy to swing in a tree stand, box blind, or pickup cab. I am after a gun that's good to go from 500 yd in, not a 1000 yd steel ringer...I have those.

 

[hlee]

My 18” 6.5 Grendel shoots 123 eld-m loads at 2450 FPS. My 22” 6.5 Grendel shoots the same load 100 fps faster. Figure 2400(ish) for a 16” barrel. You can push a bolt action harder than an AR, so hand loading can get you some of that velocity back. But, 2400 with a 123 would be a safe estimate to play with a ballistic calculator and decide if the shorty Grendel will do what you want...

 

[patrol120]

My 18” 6.5 Grendel shoots 123 eld-m loads at 2450 FPS. My 22” 6.5 Grendel shoots the same load 100 fps faster. Figure 2400(ish) for a 16” barrel. You can push a bolt action harder than an AR, so hand loading can get you some of that velocity back. But, 2400 with a 123 would be a safe estimate to play with a ballistic calculator and decide if the shorty Grendel will do what you want...

Thank you very much.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Thanks, that makes sense about the suppressor.

 

[hesp]

If I might suggest , a stainless barrel at least. I have seen blued rifles rust over night in hunting camp. As another note my very inexpensive Savage model 16 260 Rem ( 22" bbl, 1/8 twist ) using 48grs Rel 26 will drive the Barnes 120grTTSX 3100 fps from it's 22" bbl & into half inch or slightly less. You of course may want a different style bullet. Gave this info just for comparison.

 

[White Mamba]

I have a 6.5 Grendel barrel for one of my TL3's. Its just a toy to mess with but it became my favorite whitetail and pig setup. 20" barrel getting 2630fps with Hornady brass and 2550 with Lapua brass. Very accurate. I hunt with 100gr Nosler BT's. I have them going about 2730 in Hornady brass and I love that they expand like a magazine ad, don't damage meat, light recoil, and very accurate as well. I really like hunting with it. But, if I was going to chop a barrel to 16" and lose 150 - 200fps I probably wouldn't use the Grendel. If I was going to shoot a 16" barrel I would up-gun a little to compensate for the lack of velocity. I agree that the 260 would be very wasteful of capacity and powder but you'd still get a higher muzzle velocity. A friend has a 16" Tikka .260 barrel that he uses for the same purpose. But I would try to keep the extra 4" of barrel in a 20" and go with a folding stock or chassis. Best of both worlds. Higher velocity and shorter length than a 16" barreled, fixed stock rifle. 4" barrel vs. 10" of LOP.


For comparison sake:

20" 6.5 Grendel

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View attachment 7486170

16" 300BO

View attachment 7486173
View attachment 7486174

Thats a slick setup! , any feeding or ejection issues with the Grendel ?

 

[lou400a]

I have taken whitetail and coyotes with 11.5", 17.5" 6.5 Grendel AR's, 16.5" CTR 260 and 17" 7mm-08 Tikka. All shots suppressed. Inside 250 yards I wouldn't hesitate to use the Grendel and I prefer my shorty with 120gr Nosler BT. I have also tried the old 123 Amax with good results and will try 100gr Nosler BT which should do well in the lower speed Grendel without the fear of blowing up on impact.
The 90gr TNT shoot well, but was not able to try them out on coyotes and don't think I would use them on game animals except for a sure head shot.
In the shorty 260 I had good luck with 130gr Nosler AB. The 7mm-08 works well for me with 150gr and 162gr ELDX and I would use them out to 400-500 yards on whitetail or hog.
Most of the shots were head or high neck (DRT inside of 120 yards) and few of the Grendel behind the shoulder with complete pass through (inside 150 yards with deer expiring in less than 30 yards). No bullets were recovered and there wasn't lot of meat damage.

 

[Potsy]

I can’t see where the .260 WON’T still be
300fps faster than a Grendel, regardless of actual length, as long as they’re the SAME length. Even if it’s only 16.5”.

Whether or not or how much that matters is another question entirely.

The .260 might out range the grendel (if you’re shooting far enough for it to matter). The .260 will handle heavies better. The Grendel will have less recoil and, I would think, be quieter.

I need another “deer rifle” like I need a swift kick in the head, but the concept of a 17” 6.5 Creed makes a lot of sense to me. Prolly won’t do it, but a folder wouldn’t suck either.