After looking at ballistics tables and various AR-15 receiver useable rounds it looks to me like the 6.5 Grendel may be the best really long range round. (And also looking at a myriad of threads over the last few years).
Using a thousand yards or so for long range.
It’s not easy to sort all this out with the different bullet weights and twists and such.
Am I wrong here?
I’m just looking to make up an upper for long range capability.
Best SAAMI cartridge with loaded ammo, quite possibly. The 223, 243, 25 WSSMs and 300 OSSM are SAAMI, have loaded ammo and do out perform the Grendel by quiet a bit.
If you reload there are several more that will out perform the Grendel. I have to ask myself why all of the highpower shooters shoot a 6mm in a 6.8 case. The Grendel is SAAMI but they choose to shoot a 6mm wildcat like the Hagar. Guys that shoot competition will do everything possible to get the edge over their competitors and they chose the Hagar or 6WOA. That says a lot.
6mmAR-243LBC
6mmAR turbo 40
224AR-
6mm Hagar
6DTi
5.56x42(6.8)-20" flatter at 500 than the Grendel-80 Amax BC .473
6x41
6BR
6BRX-24" flatter at 500 than the Grendel-105 Berger BC .530
6.5BR
6.5BRX-200fps faster than the Grendel- 123 Amax BC .510
257 Bobcat
270AR
7 Valkyrie
25 Reaper
6.5Reaper
30 Reaper
Thank you.
The high BCs of Grendel bullets (like the 123gr SST or Amax) mean you don’t have to chase velocity quite as much. You can definitely wildcat to squeeze the most performance out of your LR upper, but there’s something to be said for a SAAMI cartridge with factory support – like 6.5 Grendel.
It’s also very easy to handload 6.5 Grendel, and there are lots of bullet choices that make good sense for everything from LR target shooting to hunting to personal defense.
If you like to tinker, wildcat away. If you just like to shoot, 6.5 Grendel is a pretty good choice.
For years I liked to tinker. But now, as an old fogey, I find it less appealing.
Thanks.
If you want a long range gun have you considered an SPR type 556 configuration that uses 77 grain bullets? I like the ballistics of the Grendel but think of it more as a boutique cartridge in comparison to the 556.
Thanks. Actually I’ve been shooting some 75 and 77 grainers when I’ve had the chance. Just wanted to try something different.
FWIW here’s my long-range Grendel AR setup: 17 inches of steel thumping goodness. Yep, Grendel thumps where 5.56 pings. You’ll see what I mean if you end up building a Grendel… 
5.56 is a souped up .22
an AR is far from the most accurate platform for long range
now they are fun to shoot
but there are lots of other guns out there more suited to the long range task than a 5.56 or an AR
Personally unless I were planning on hunting with it I would pick one of the 6mm wildcats. If you are looking at long range shooting then you most definitely are going to be reloading. At that point wildcats are just as economical as any other round. Handloads are cheaper and more accurate than store bought ammo.
this will be my birthday present to myself
It’s far more than that. That’s like saying that a 300win mag is just a souped up 300 blk. I also don’t recall anyone saying that the AR was the best lr rifle. When it comes to semi auto’s it’s one of the best and most usable.
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Very nice!
Can you give some specifics on your build?
Also, are the Liberty barrels considered to be good barrels?
I used a Brownell’s 18" barrel and bolt set to start, and had the barrel cut to 17" and threaded 5/8x24. The barrel is quite accurate, just a bit under 1 MOA in regular use.
The handguard is a Noveske NSR KeyMod 13.5", muzzle device is a MB68AR which is a mount for my Surefire FA68AR suppressor.
The scope is a Primary Arms 4-14 ACSS in a LaRue SPR-EER mount. The trigger is a Geissele SSA-E.
Overall, the rifle is a bit overgassed, so I’m using a Tubbs flat wire recoil spring which seems to time the action fairly well. It is a very fun rifle to shoot. and reliability has been 100%.
Thank you.
I forget who said it, but some person who knows a bit about building long range rifles said that building an AR to be accurate is a lot easier and cheaper than getting a bolt gun to that same accuracy. Bolt guns can just be pushed a little further and can benefit from super light triggers.
I have a .260 Remington AR10 built by GA Precision that is a laser, especially with 130gr VLD’s. The first time I took it to 1000yds, I printed a 9.25" group with it with a wind speed change and no change on my hold, just to see what would happen.
I shoot the 6.5 Grendel AR15’s every time I take my rifles out because they are so easy to feed. Factory ammo all over the place is the main contributor to that, and factory ammo that was specifically meant to run in the AR15, unlike .260 Rem., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x47 Lapua, etc.
I live at higher altitude, so when the baro pressure is low, I can shoot much farther than I thought I could with the Grendel, even from a 16" barrel. The other thing I like about it is that I can spot my hits from a light rifle without using a muzzle brake.
I love 5.56 NATO, and have experienced a lot of impressive results with it. My Grendel arsenal is growing faster than I ever thought it would, and made .308 pointless for me anymore.
There is a huge difference with impact on steel with the Grendel and 5.56, no matter which of the 68-77gr target pills you use. I run DM courses throughout the year, and it is very difficult at times to even hear the impact of match .223 loads once we get out to 450yds and farther, but 5.56 is nice because you can spot your own hits with a balanced rifle or carbine.
.308 usually pulls you off target, but you can definitely hear the hits.
6.5 Grendel gives you handling more like 5.56, with impact more like .308 Win., with 50% of the .308’s recoil, and everything fits in the AR15. You start to see why I have no use for .308 anymore.
5.56 on top, 2 Grendel’s beneath. The middle Grendel weighs 7lbs, 12 oz with optics, and shoots sub-MOA repeatedly. Worst group was .804" so far, and I had it on steel at 1045 yds on the first trip. At 100yds, I just watch the holes appear on target right where the crosshairs are.
LRRPF52,
I hope the OP doesn’t mind me jumping in here & asking if you could give some more info on the middle Grendel rifle, or a link to more info?
Thanks in advance!
Upper Receiver Group
Lilja 17.625" Wasp barrel with SAAMI chamber cut by AA, AA barrel extension, blended and polished by me (gas port diameter is .076")
Precision Firearms/Maxim Grendel bolt, 9130, with ejector radiused and phosphated by me
Precision Firearms Black Nitrided full weight bolt carrier (very smooth, beautifully made for PF to their specs)
Aero Precision no Malfunction Assist Forward upper receiver, FDE Cerakoted
BCM Gunfighter Charge Handle
Sadlak lo-profile gas block, indexes off the barrel shoulder, Red Loc-tite’d
Custom gas system length gas tube made by AA for this barrel
Precision Firearms black nitride flash hider, with helical slots, 5/8x24
Midwest Industries Gen II SS Handguard, FDE anodized, and FDE Cerakoted
Lower Receiver Group
PSA lower FDE Cerakoted, color filled
Tuned RRA 2-Stage Trigger given to me
JP Silent Captured Spring
M4 Receiver Extension Tube, FDE Cerakote
Magpul MOE+ (elastomer covered polymer, feels like rubber)
VLTOR Clubfoot FDE stock
Sighting System
Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x32 MRAD w/zero stop, SF, Front Focal, Illuminated
NigthForce Unimount 20 MOA one-piece base, ring screws tightened to 18 inch pounds, base screws to 65 inch pounds
Bubble level Shoe Goo’d to back of scope base
