# Firearms and Shooting > Firearms, Optics and Accessories >  6.5 grendel

## keenbloke

Has anyone got a 6.5 Grendel and if so what do you think? I like the idea of the calibre and feel like it could be a mint little rifle that can still reach out to 500. On a bit of a budget so looking at either the howa and tuning it up or going down the CZ route and converting the 7.62x39. Feel free to school me if you're in the know. Im kinda set on the 6.5 becasue i have a compact little bushpig in 7mm08 that I've cut down so it wont reach out to distance with enough velocity to do the job.

Cheers in advance

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## Gibo

your 7 will get to 500 even at 14" barrel  :Have A Nice Day:

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## keenbloke

Ohh and just an FYI my budget would be somewhere around 2500+

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## keenbloke

> your 7 will get to 500 even at 14" barrel


Really???? I would have thought that it wouldn't go the distance
That would be perfect cause I could invest in better optics and more time shooting the bastard haha

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## Gibo

So what's some of the 7mm specs you're running? barrel length, projectile etc. Are you reloading? 

Even my 16" 308 has over 1k at 500

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## Timmay

+1 on what Gibo is saying. If you don't already reload save the money and buy some reloading gear, you will easy be able to stretch the legs of your 7mm08. Off the top of my head I don't think the grendel would be reliable at 500m

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## keenbloke

@Timmay yeah i've got the gear but at the moment only currently reload for my 300wm. I'm liking this already cause I can tweak the 7mm08 for a lot less haha

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## sambnz

> So what's some of the 7mm specs you're running? barrel length, projectile etc. Are you reloading? 
> 
> Even my 16" 308 has over 1k at 500


Whats your 308 specs Gibo? My 308 is 17" running 125gr accubonds at 3k. Have run out of those projectiles so interested to see what others are using.

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## GWH

> +1 on what Gibo is saying. If you don't already reload save the money and buy some reloading gear, you will easy be able to stretch the legs of your 7mm08. Off the top of my head I don't think the grendel would be reliable at 500m


Yep 6.5G a waste of time if you want to kill deer at 500 yards.

I have a 15" 708 running 140gr nosler ballistic tips at 2720 fps. It holds over 1000 ft lbs and over 1800 fps to 575 yards.

Whilst I have other rifles that I'd take if I knew I'd be shooting 500 yards, I'd quite confidently take a 500 yard shot at a deer with the 15" 708 if I had too.

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## keenbloke

My 7mm08 is your basic rem 700 adl chopped to 16" and fitted with a suppressor. currently shooting the whitetail hornady factory loads but she loves them. 1/4 moa at 100

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## keenbloke

cheers @GWH, that might be where I start then

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## GWH

> My 7mm08 is your basic rem 700 adl chopped to 16" and fitted with a suppressor. currently shooting the whitetail hornady factory loads but she loves them. 1/4 moa at 100


Mines just a shitty old 2nd hand rem model 7, chopped and canned.

Hand loading let's you run different powders that gain velocity back in the short barrel.  I'm using cfe223.

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## Beetroot

If you want two rifles you would be better off to make a 7.62x39 bush pig, and get a 7mm08 with a longer barrel.

Or just take the advice above and make your current rifle work for you.

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## keenbloke

Definitely prefer to make the current rifle work for me. First rifle so shes got a sentimental attachment hahaha

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## Mathias

6.5G will ring a ding at 500 but I wouldn't try to shoot an animal with it at that distance. 120gr doing 2400fps is really just a bush / close range load.

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## Gibo

> Whats your 308 specs Gibo? My 308 is 17" running 125gr accubonds at 3k. Have run out of those projectiles so interested to see what others are using.


mod 7, 16" bbl, 165 Nosler BTs doing 2650. Went away from the light pills, hence you getting my 125s  :Grin:

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## Gibo

> Definitely prefer to make the current rifle work for me. First rifle so shes got a sentimental attachment hahaha


I think you can do that quite easily, grab some dies etc and you will be away  :Have A Nice Day:

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## keenbloke

Hahaha this is making me much more animated than my statistics lecture

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## Gibo

That's fine, we will teach you how to gather and use the statistics of your new 708 loads in due course  :Wink:

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## viper

I went down a similar route a bit before Christmas and got keen on a 6.5 Grendel as well but ended up with a 2nd hand Rem 700 adl  in 7.08 mm and like yours it shoots really well.
The Grendel is a cool little cartridge and I think would make a good 300 mtr rifle but it really starts to lose it's energy out further hence my choice on the 7.08 mm
I think you just need to get out with the 7 mil, you know it likes the white tail ammo and do some distance shooting and get a drop sheet worked out or run a ballistic app and dial up.

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## sambnz

> mod 7, 16" bbl, 165 Nosler BTs doing 2650. Went away from the light pills, hence you getting my 125s


Shit thats a good memory. Are you running 2206H or H335? Have you tried the new 168gr ELDs??

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## Nick-D

Shoot the 7mm08. Nosler nbts, 140 Berger, or the new 150 eldx would all be good options at 7mm08 speeds

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## Gibo

> Shit thats a good memory. Are you running 2206H or H335? Have you tried the new 168gr ELDs??


2206h. Nah havnt strayed from the 165s yet

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## dogmatix

If you intend having a bolt action, I wouldn't bother with the Grendel unless it's going to be youth rifle.
I have an AR15 upper in the calibre, as it's far better than hunting with a .223 AR for knockdown.
Not so good for losing the brass though.

I'm using 123gn SSTs, CFE223 powder and Hornady brass, which I can handle losing more than Lapua.

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## Beavis

Have you dropped some deer with it @dogmatix ?

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## keenbloke

> If you intend having a bolt action, I wouldn't bother with the Grendel unless it's going to be youth rifle.
> I have an AR15 upper in the calibre, as it's far better than hunting with a .223 AR for knockdown.
> Not so good for losing the brass though.
> 
> I'm using 123gn SSTs, CFE223 powder and Hornady brass, which I can handle losing more than Lapua.


Yeah the lads have pinted that the 7mm08 should get there with some work so thats the direction i'm gonna now take

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## Bagheera

The 7mm 08 burns 50% more powder than the Grendel So will always have better knockdown.

The advantage of the Grendel it that you can use a smaller shorter lighter action . But you compromise On maximum range for a given Kinetic energy.

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## Kiwi Greg

> The 7mm 08 burns 50% more powder than the Grendel So will always have better knockdown.
> 
> The advantage of the Grendel it that you can use a smaller shorter lighter action . But you compromise On maximum range for a given Kinetic energy.


The advantage of the Grendel is it turns an AR15 into a hunting rifle, an extremely accurate one at that  :Have A Nice Day:

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## keenbloke

> The advantage of the Grendel is it turns an AR15 into a hunting rifle, an extremely accurate one at that


Hahaha I know. I've seen that beauty you put together. It's what first attracted me to the caliber

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## dogmatix

> Have you dropped some deer with it @dogmatix ?


Still waiting, last trip away was when I picked up the barrel. 
No hunting for me at the mo sadly, munted my right elbow ligaments.

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## Bagheera

I like the idea of a smaller lighter bolt action hunting rifle than the .308 class.

For all those people who say they use a .223 to shoot deer, surely they would be better off with a grendel ?  It must have a potentially good sized market in NZ.

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## keenbloke

I would be interested to see how many people in NZ actually use the caliber for hunting in either a semi-auto or bolt action format

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## dogmatix

Here's my 6.5 Grendel Aero/Alex Arms/Spikes upper build on a Schmeisser E-Cat lower.

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## mikee

> I would be interested to see how many people in NZ actually use the caliber for hunting in either a semi-auto or bolt action format


I know a chap who has both a semi auto and bolt action hunting rifle in 6.5 Grendel. he manages ok with them  :Grin:

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## keenbloke

> Here's my 6.5 Grendel Aero/Alex Arms/Spikes upper build on a Schmeisser E-Cat lower.
> 
> Attachment 84228


One day hahaha

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## GWH

> 6.5G will ring a ding at 500 but I wouldn't try to shoot an animal with it at that distance. 120gr doing 2400fps is really just a bush / close range load.


Yep I've done reduced recoil youth loads for my 260, and I wouldn't like to push them on a deer much beyond 200 yards.

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## Gibo

> Yep I've done reduced recoil youth loads for my 260, and I wouldn't like to push them on a deer much beyond 200 yards.


Took my zero stop out last night for a laugh, 4th round hit at 1060 on 10" gong with an almighty 560ft-lbs of energy  :Grin:  I would limit my 260 with full power loads to 5-600. First shot last night cold bore 565 smoked it  :Thumbsup:

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## GWH

> Took my zero stop out last night for a laugh, 4th round hit at 1060 on 10" gong with an almighty 560ft-lbs of energy  I would limit my 260 with full power loads to 5-600. First shot last night cold bore 565 smoked it


Nice bro 

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## rambo-6mmrem

I’ve got a howa mini 6.5 grendel its bloody good 
Ive set mine up as a varmint goat and fallow deer gun
Have a 260rem for bigger stuff 
So im currently running 
32.3gn cfe223 100gn sierra hollow point varmint 
In lapua brass with a cci br4 to set things in motion 
That’s a pretty light load I have had upto 34gn of cfe223 in it with the same bullet with no troubles and still a 0.5 inch group at 100
But she’s bloody accurate at that lighter load shoots arround 0.3 inch at 100 if in on song which sadly isn’t all the time

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## keenbloke

That sounds awesome

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## rambo-6mmrem

that was out the box with the 32.3gn load before having an upgrade to optics and a trigger job 
20 inch barrel with dpt can
0.334 Center to Center

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## Friwi

Is it the varmint barrel or the normal barrel on your rifle? Stainless ?

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## rambo-6mmrem

Bog standard blued one of the 1st landed in nz
I pre ordered it
 now has a Nikon monarch 3 4-16x50 on top

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## keenbloke

glad to see the howa mini actions can shoot. i'd be well happy with that grouping @rambo-6mmrem

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## Bagheera

How do you find the feed in that mini action ?  
Have you tried out what's maximum OAL for the magazine ?

What did you get done to the trigger ? 
How good was it from factory ?

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## rambo-6mmrem

Feeding is good mate 
I haven’t tried full mag length as the Sierra hp as quite a stubby nose and contacts the lans well before mag length 
I have some 100gn amax but haven’t tried them yet 

The trigger is crisp and nice out of the box at arround 3lb lightest setting 
Just a little heavy for me I like 1.5-2lb

Me and @northdude done the trigger job I found on YouTube just cut the trigger waight spring down a little 
Doesn’t affect the crisp trigger just a bit lighter got it pulling between 1.5 and 2 lb like I like

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## Hueyville

I built a pair of 6.5 Grendel's in AR 15 chassis a good time back and discovered it didn't have the gas to do what I wanted. For long shots a 5.56 Wylde chamber was much more efficient and accurate and shorter ranges the 6.8 spc II hits like a freight train. Have two friends that have taken Rocky Mountain elk with 14.7" 6.8 carbines and both were one shot "Dead Right There" kills with massive wounds. I have a fleet of 7mm bolt rifles including 7mm-08. I would think if someone already owns a 7mm-08 were to build a 6.5 Grendel with objective to extend effective hunting range might be working backwards. If went with 6.5 Credmore then you would likely extend range but it's not going to fit in a compact action. 

Reloading does open up options with 7mm-08 but if new to reloading there will be a good bit of equipment and learning curve to overcome. Here on my side of the planet we have some fine factory loaded 7mm-08 options. Currently there is a new 6.5 cartridge picking up a following in the U.S. for compact chassis bolt rifles and AR 15's. It's basically a 6.8 spc II case just necked down to 6.5 with neck trimmed to allow bullet to be seated out to full length in AR 15 magazines or short action bolt rifles. Also another cartridge based on the 6.8 requires some work and custom die set but necking the 6.8 down to 6mm and it has some reach with 100 to 115 grain bullets.

You mentioned putting your money into better glass for your 7mm-08, combine that with some trigger tuning along with having a smith make sure rifle is bedded properly a 7mm-08 should hold its on at 1,000 meters for paper punching and would be a relatively easy reach for deer out to 600 meters. Have quite a few custom turn bolts from 22 Hornet to 338 Lapua magnum but my 7mm's are most used due to versatility due to bullets with high ballistic coefficient and the mass to deliver significant tissue damage if properly chosen for velocity expected at a given range. Have 7mm-08, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm RUM and 7mm Practical. Till broke my neck was a big fan of 7mm Practical, 300 Win Mag and 338 Lapua. Since broke the C2 and C3 vertebrae have had to adapt in order to sit at the bench all day testing loads and practicing my marksmanship. Cartridges like 6.8 spc II in short actions have 80% of the energy of a 308 out to 250 meters and very manageable recoil. Have become a huge fan of the 6XC for 1,000 meter paper punching as can send 115 grain 6mm bullets out to extreme distances with almost no recoil compared to most long range cartridges though would only use for smaller game in hunting situation.

The recommendation of many to work with your existing rifle is very sound. You mentioned a 2,500 budget and not sure how your currency stacks against U.S. dollar but recently set up a Tikka in 6.5 Creedmore with a Vortex 5-25x 50mm objective first focal plane scope (Viper PST) and a SIG suppressor for $2,500 U.S.D. and out of the box with only work was lapping the scope rings and adjusting trigger have been taking varmints to deer out to 600 meters with relative ease. Would not have attempted such shots with 6.5 Grendel on anything bigger than a coyote. The Creedmore's longer action allows higher B.C. bullets at higher velocities with less time in flight to target thus much less wind drift and drop. Both of my 6.5 Grendel builds pulled barrels and sold after shooting less than 100 rounds through each as didn't give me a real advantage over other short action cartridges already owned. Jury is still out on the new 6.5 based on the 6.8 called 6.5 SOCOM but seem to be shooting well out to 800 meters with 100 grain bullets. Not seen any animals so with it at extended ranges but varmint season is coming up fast in the southeastern U.S.

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## Bagheera

Case dimensions:



We can see that the Grendel and 6PPC have less taper than the parent cartridge 7.62x39.  They could be harder to feed, yet the Grendel works reliably in semiautos, apparently.  The PPCs were designed for use in single shot bench rest rifles so feed wasn't required.

Due to differences in the case base diameters and the length to shoulder, the 7.62 won't fit into a 6.5 and the 6.5 won't fit into the 6mm.  The bullet diameters will also help !  But it looks s if you could mistakenly load and fire a 6.5Grendel cartridge in a 7.62x39 rifle.

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## 300CALMAN

> Case dimensions:
> 
> Attachment 84882
> 
> We can see that the Grendel and 6PPC have less taper than the parent cartridge 7.62x39.  They could be harder to feed, yet the Grendel works reliably in semiautos, apparently.  The PPCs were designed for use in single shot bench rest rifles so feed wasn't required.
> 
> Due to differences in the case base diameters and the length to shoulder, the 7.62 won't fit into a 6.5 and the 6.5 won't fit into the 6mm.  The bullet diameters will also help !  But it looks s if you could mistakenly load and fire a 6.5Grendel cartridge in a 7.62x39 rifle.


Nah the 6.5G would not fit in a 7.62 rifle, it will jam without the tapper. Not a single jam so far in the 6.5G AR. 
Interesting what you were saying Hueyville, are you sure it wasn't the bullets? 6.8SPC projectiles have a lower BC and I have never managed to get much velocity out of heavy bullets in 5.56/223. We are somewhat limited in New Zealand by projectile and powder availability so 6.8SPC is not much of a go.

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## Bagheera

You re right 300 cal. The diameter at shoulder 27.3 mm is 0.74mm more in the Grendel than in the 7.62x

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## rambo-6mmrem

When you put the 2 side by side the grendel in now way the same it’s got far less taper and the shoulder is different 
The taper apparently on a 7.62x39 is to help function in dirty semi and full auto guns 
It has no real need in an ar15 as most keep there guns clean 
Which is why the grendel has got no taper or very little just what i was told

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## rambo-6mmrem

6.5G left 7.62x39 right

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## Bagheera

Here is the comparison of size of ammo between the 6.5 Grendel and the 7mm08 which the original poster asked about.  The bolts are from a Sako 85 7mm08 and a Sako Vixen 6mmPPC.  You can see the Grendel could go into a much more compact action. The 85 S action bolt is pretty small for a 308 sized case too.



Other 6.5 like the XC do have a ballistic edge over the Grendel but they use a 308 size action.  If you step up, there why not use a 260REM or 6.5 Creed ?

Here are the weights.  Interesting that the bolt of the old vixen isn't that much lighter.  Presumably its got more metal and the long guide rail counts against the traditional mauser like design, whereas the sako 85 is designed to be lean and mean and cost be damned.S




Vixen bolt 223g
85 S bolt   279g


The ammo is surprisingly also not as much lighter as you'd expect either.  Grendel ammo is a lot weightier than 6mmPPC.  I expect it's due to the 123 gr bullet which is "heavy for case displacement".





5 x 6.5Grendel Rounds Hornady 123gr SST           89g
5 x 7mm08 Rounds Norma/AR2208/140gr NBT    115g

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