Since the 6.5 and 6.8 rounds fall in between the 5.56 and 7.62 rounds in terms of energy, is there any practical reason to choose one of the sixes for use in a bolt action precision rifle:?
6.5mms in general (not just Grendels) have very good ballistic coefficients and very good inherent accuracy. If you’re not reloading then .308 in a bolt gun makes much more since for your wallet.
I have a Ruger M77VLE in .308 which I bought to learn precision shooting, before I heard about the Rem700. It shoots real well, sub-MOA at 100 yards…except for the first round, which it is liable to toss an inch or more out from the rest of the group. So basically I wanted to know if I should stick to the .308 for my next serious gun (I want to use it for a 1000 yard Tactical match), or get one of the sixes instead.
I’d stick with what you have. The 6.5mms really shine at long distances but if you already have a rifle capable of 1000yds you’re good to go with some 175gr BH red box loads you’ll do well.
With good Glass (S&B, Leupold, etc) and Good ammo (Black hills, Federal Match, etc) you should be OK. One thing I would recommend is to have the gun re-bedded. May improve your groups.
That’s the thing, gunfighter. The glass I have on it now is a Shepherd Scope. On a Ruger M77. So, you see what I mean by my thinking about “starting over”.
Your problem has nothing to do with the caliber of your rifle. It has a lot to do with the quality (or lack thereof) of your rifle.
Which 6.5 are you talking about?
6.5 Grendel is a weakling.
260 Remington leaves the 308 for dead all the way to 1000.
6.5-284 leaves the 260 Remington for dead.
You might want to also master shooting at intermediate distances (300 to 600 yards) before dreaming about 1000.
A boy can dream, can’t he? 
I hear ya. Here is a basic gun.
Remington 700P .308 or 300 WIN MAG (old school)
Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10x40mm LR/T M1 Illum. Reticle
AI 1.5 stock w/bi-pod
Badger rings and base
About $3200.00
EDIT: you could always look at this.
http://demigodllc.com/photo/CGMG-2006.11-misc/small/D100_3199_img.jpg
Accuracy International 338 Lapua Magnum w/can
So you have to get a Master classification card in XTC HP before you “dream” about 1000? When I was only a Marksman in HP, I took home a wooden dollar for the first X at 900–which was the very first shot I ever tried at 900. Too bad my 75 AMAXes start keyholing at 1000 so no amount of dreaming or mastery will help me there.
W.W. Wes, you may have more enthusiasm than knowledge or wisdom yet, but you get those last two by going and doing. Sight in at as long a distance as you have, then find a long-range or F-class match. Standard come-ups should get you on paper. Keep good notes and keep shooting and learning. Yeah, it HELPS to start small, but never pass up a chance to SHOOT at long range.
There are better places to ask about “long range dreams.” This is, after all, M4Carbine.net, and carbines are by definition not optimum for long range. Try www.nationalmatch.us, www.long-range.com, www.snipercentral.com, and that last one will also show you how you can rig up a precision rifle, optics and all, for less than 1k.
I shot expert in the Marines using an M-16A1 out to 500 yards; with a good rifle and scope I hope to double that!
There is a range nearby that shoots a 1000 yard tactical match; I’ve observed at one, but don’t have that much confidence in my rifle/scope combo.
No. That’s one way to “master” the discipline, but not the only one. You basically said what I was leading to.
I to have a low grade gun that groups well (5 to 6 inch) at 1000 yards. But my more expensive gun systems do it better. I really think that you should try and get the best system you can afford. You will see better results and spend less money in the long run. If you are a LEO team member you may never have to shoot at 1000 yards but knowing how will decrease the error at the shorter ranges.
The one question that needs an answer is NO 6.5 forget it. The only viable calibers to look at are .308, 300 WIN MAG, 338 Lapua Magnum and 50 BMG.
Here is a few better links to ask questions at.
Deleted. Not worth it here.
No.
My assumption is that you are inquiring about the 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC specifically. Both cartridges are confined to the magwell limitations of the AR-15 platform. I can’t predict any need to “transfer” that limitation to your bolt rifle.
In most general terms, I generally support the cartridge variants for the AR-15 (6.5, 6.8, .50B, SOCOM, et al).
This response is late, and I understand that you have received sound advice from Gunfighter13 and Alpha Sierra.
Right, I was specifically inquiring about the 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC.
The great benefit of one of these cartidges, I had speculated, was that they both have very mild recoil, compared to the .308…though I was not sure if that made any difference in this application, except possibly faster follow-on shots.
They do have milder recoil. The problem is that it is too mild. They simply have no power compared to cartridges based on the 308 Winchester parent case.
The 260 Remington (a 308 necked down to take a 6.5 mm bullet) has much less recoil than a 308 loaded with 175s, and simply blows it away ballistically when shooting a Lapua Scenar 139 (ballistic coefficient of .610) or Sierra Match King 142 (ballistic coefficient of .58) at 2800 fps. The 6.5 Grendel simply cannot match those ballistics. Ever.
I have shot both the 260 Rem and the 308 Winchester extensively in competition to 1000 yards. Those who say the large capacity 6.5s (260 Remington, 6.5X55, 6.5-284) do not belong in long range shooting simply do not know what they are talking about.
There is a range nearby that shoots a 1000 yard tactical match; I’ve observed at one, but don’t have that much confidence in my rifle/scope combo.
Wes just get out there and try it one time. I think you’ll be hooked, not to mention having a ball.
Keith.
He should do some homework before “just trying it”.
At a MINIMUM, he must know his trajectory to the expected target distance.
That means working up a load that will remain supersonic to the expected distance, which requires knowing the muzzle velocity of the chosen load. Then applying that info to a ballistics calculator to determine trajectory every 100 yards (every 50 if the targets are at unknown distances). Finally, the rifle must be zeroed at an appropriate distance using the longest range available.
Not doing that is a recipe for disaster. At my club shooters have three shots to find paper at 600 yards (our max distance). Three clean misses and you get pulled off the line. We can’t afford bullets going somewhere unknown, and I don’t know anyone in the eastern US that can.