grendel build Barrells?

[Hattrick]

Here we go so my thoughts is this I believe I'm going to just build a AR 15 grendel from the ground up at least is my thinking at the monement. I was originally going to build just a upper. Main usage is hunting deer out to 300 an less and shooting steel out to 750 an occasionally to a 1000. I'm looking for a one in all build if there is one. My question is about barrel lengths. I'm leaning to a medium bull instead of standard bull Barrel in hopes of gaining barrel length without sacraficing rifle balance. What's your thoughts and are any of you guys running something similar with a balanced rig?

[WildBill3/75]

If you want a light weight hunting rig that can reach out there I'd go for around 16-18" and profiled for a .750 gas block....My 20" fluted HBAR(.875 gas block) rifle is around 12-14lb but I also got a PRS stock and purposely made my buffer heavier.

[LRRPF52]

Hattrick,

You're on the right track with the approach to contour. A medium heavy quality steel pipe from a reputable higher-end barrel maker will work well for you.

For the hunting application, using a lightweight carbon fiber handguard can go a long way to balancing the gun out, and maintaining rigidity for shooting at distance.

One option is to go with a lightweight profile under the handguard like the Lilja Wasp or JP profile, then slap on JP thermal dissipators.

Another is to do what you are thinking with the medium heavy. If it were me, I would look at these barrels for your build:

* AA 18"
* Precision Firearms 18" Arion I type barrel
* Lilja 18" Wasp
* JP Enterprises 18" barrel/bolt combo with thermal dissipator
* Templar Bartlien 18" custom contour

I am currently using a 16" Grendel to do exactly what you are, and I have an AA barrel/bolt combo that gives me better performance than I ever expected. 123gr are easily just under 2500fps for me with factory loads, and up to 2550fps with hand loads nowhere near bad pressures. (I found where my pressure limits are at 2650fps, so I stay at least 100fps away from that, and there were a few loads in between 2550 and 2650).

I also have a 16.5" Lilja that is going to be built up as soon as I get my bench built (just moved), an 18.5" Lilja, and an 18" fluted, cut-rifled 5R MLGS from Satern that had the chamber cut with an AA reamer.

[lilharcher]

I am building my Lilja 18.88" WASP profile to be a hunting/target gun on a Seekins billet upper & lower, Noveske NSR handguard (10 ounces), and Geissele 3G Trigger. Light weight build but am expecting her to be a solid paper puncher out to 750 - 1000 yrds.

[Hattrick]

And I was thinking I had to go to 22"-24" barrel guess not. That's my varmit back around coming to the surfice I guess . Thanks for info I really want to get this right first time out. I no this it will be fitted with a magpul PAS stock.

[tackdriver]

I have a 20" .750 barrel and am very pleased with it

[mccuistion]

Hey LRRPF52, Do you know if those JP thermal dissipators will fit a govt contour barrel? they're made in .650" and .750" but they also say it doesn't fit most barrels. I think that would be a perfect addition to my SDM type rifle.

[LRRPF52]

The thermal dissipators fit a straight profile (no taper) .650" or .750" barrel under the handguard. True government profiles have taper to them.

An SDM AR15 will have a bull fluted under the handguards if it's the SDM I'm thinking of, otherwise it's a medium-heavy SPR profile. Neither are compatible with the JP thermal dissipators.

The Lilja Wasp profiles are compatible, to the best of my knowledge, but I will have to check them against these specs:

http://www.jprifles.com/instructions/JP%20THERMAL%20DISSIPATORS.pdf