Thread: 6.5 Grendel Bolt action

Hi all. Anyone built or using a 6.5 Grendel bolt action? I've got a suitable action to have a crack and want to know of any experiences out there.
Planning on 16-18" barrel, suppressed, CF stock etc. Short bush gun for fun

They look quite a cool round. I'd be keen on the Howa mini action version for my lads as a step up from .223 in recoil. Might be worth asking @Norway as he has a bit of experience with it.

Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel

They look quite a cool round. I'd be keen on the Howa mini action version for my lads as a step up from .223 in recoil. Might be worth asking @Norway as he has a bit of experience with it.

Yep, I've already PM'd him about chamber spec's and had a reply, plus he's got his on the 6.5Grendel.com forum. Basically going to be the same rifle.

I have built a 30 Grendel repeater on the SA Rem, getting it to feed from the Mag was an interesting endeavour.....

Also built a 6.5 Grendel on an ex 7.62 x 39, that was no problem, except it wasn't as accurate as I'd like......

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

I have built a 30 Grendel repeater on the SA Rem, getting it to feed from the Mag was an interesting endeavour.....

Also built a 6.5 Grendel on an ex 7.62 x 39, that was no problem, except it wasn't as accurate as I'd like......

Hi Greg, yep I saw Alonzo's 30 ARX ..... nice. Did consider that option. Already running a 260 Improved so I'm keen to stay with 6.5 in a smaller case for now. Cheers

I think the mini action howas would be a great little bush weapon. Shame they aren't bringing any in.

I've sold a few of the .223 ones, pretty popular but I don't like the position of the mag release; in front of the mag where your hand is likely to bump it.

Yeah how do firearms manufacturers expect us to take them seriously about anything they produce if they do things like that?

@kiwgreg what do you think the accuracy problem was ? Limitation of the donor action (ba or sa) ? Or do you think the 6.5 Grendel might be a fussy chambering ?

I was really keen on building a little 6.5 Grendel a couple of years back in prep for kids rifle etc.

In the end I decided it made more sense to just download my little mod 7 in 260 Rem with lighter pills and reduced loads, that way when they are ready to step it up, I just load it up again.

A mate of mine has a Grendel built on a cz 7.62x39. Scott Traill rebarrelled it. It was shooting some really tight groups. I'll ask what he had in it if you're interested. Very nice little rifle.

Originally Posted by WillB

A mate of mine has a Grendel built on a cz 7.62x39. Scott Traill rebarrelled it. It was shooting some really tight groups. I'll ask what he had in it if you're interested. Very nice little rifle.

Yep that would be great. Seems Scott did a small number of these conversions. He did one on a Sako Vixen for a guy in the Wellington region that sold on TM about May last year, went to Nelson, be keen to hear if anyone knows the owner.

I like the idea of loading down the 260. Were you thinking 123gr?

Yeah my mate had the 123 Hornady SST. he's going to check his load when he gets home

A bit of an update on the Grendel scene. I have been mucking around over winter with this project when time allowed.
The whole thing started life as a spare Sako A1 bolt I bought off a forum member, thought it might come in handy one day. Well that one day came when I spied on Tardme a Sako Vixen less a bolt, which I secured for a stupidly small figure of money. Barrel was rooted by rust but the rest was retrievable to make something. I'd also obtained from another forum member a used Stug CF stock, so I had some good ingredients.
The 6.5 Grendel thing popped into my head one day and after a few enquiries I worked out it was capable of being adapted to the Vixen action with an enlargement of the bolt face and a few other mods with the mag to make it feed ok (Sako actually made these in PPC, which is essentially the parent case of the Grendel). I bought a new later model mag box out of the States for the factory PPC Sako made, so at least I had the correct parts to work with. A local friend who's a bit of a genius with the CNC gear milled the action to suit the wider box. Next bit was the barrel, another TM buy and then off to the smith.

This is the assortment before going to the smith.


Action after milling


And the bits assembled in the modified stock ready to go for a test fire


Barrel is an MAB 1:8 cut to 17" and threaded. My chambering is actually known as a .264 LBC, which is really a Grendel with a 0.295 neck and parallel throat, not stepped throat as per later Grendel. I bought the reamer out of the states when I got the mag box, along with dies.
Test rounds proved to shoot ok with CFE223 & 123gr Amax, though I didn't get too tech on it as I just wanted to make sure it worked before sending it out to get Ceracoted, where it is now. So hopefully I'll have it back in a couple of weeks for final assembly and load development.

that looks awesome we will need a full range report