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+--- Forum: 6.5 Grendel ARs and Other Semi-Autos (https://65grendel.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=8)
+--- Thread: AR Help (/showthread.php?tid=2413)
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AR Help - wojo14 - 03-16-2012
Guys, I am getting ready to build an AR. All I need is my upper.
I need to know that the Grendel is the round I want.
Here is what I want from my AR.
~Hard hitting caliber. Will drop medium sized game. Mainly up to a 225 pound buck?
~A good SHTF rifle for self defence for me and my family.
~Light weight and quick handling.
~Good ballistics from 25 - 1000 yards. Able to drop a deer.
~Fun and easy to shoot. I shoot t least once a week. So I want the gun to be user friendly and be able to hold up from alot of shooting.
~magazine capacity of at least 20.
~Available ammo selection.( want to make sure can be bought in bulk for just in case!)
~Good to reload(I will be starting to reload here soon. Need to get stuff and learn how)
~I dont run with the crowd. I want an exotic cartridge.
I know the 223 is way cheaper in ammo, and is reliable, I just dont think it has enough punch beyond 150 yards.
I know the 308 is mean and hard hitting, but I do not want a 12 pound gun and bulky ammo.
AR Help - infidel470 - 03-16-2012
You may look into 6 x 45 caliber: 223 brass, requires only a barrel change, about 30% more energy than 223, same powder charge as 223, heavier bullets, super accurate, amazing barrel life, cheap to reload, same magazines, increased velocity. In case you want to hunt beyond 300 yd then 6.5 Grendel. Just my opinion.
AR Help - Kikn - 03-16-2012
~Hard hitting caliber. Will drop medium sized game. Mainly up to a 225 pound buck?
I have taken ferrel hogs up to 350lb (hog is a very tough animal)
~A good SHTF rifle for self defence for me and my family.
I'm sure its as good as any assault rifle, just like any AR keep it lubricated to prevent jamming
~Light weight and quick handling.
16" Barrel weighs in at around 7lb for more info check the technical specs from AA
http://alexanderarms.com/index.php/products/65-grendel/65-grendel-general-technical-specifications.html
~Good ballistics from 25 - 1000 yards. Able to drop a deer.
The ballistics are good enough that you can hit a target at 1000 yards; but as far as taking a deer from a 16" barrel I think 400-600 is about the max you would want to attempt ethically. Longer barrel and you can probably reach out a bit further. Here is a ballistics chart that shows FT/LB at distance I believe for a deer 500+ is the magic acceptable HIT number
http://alexanderarms.com/images/pdfs/grendel_ballistics.pdf
~Fun and easy to shoot. I shoot t least once a week. So I want the gun to be user friendly and be able to hold up from alot of shooting.
I personally haven't shot mine that much; but I do recall reading that some users on this board have shot in excess of 8000 rounds per barrel
~magazine capacity of at least 20.
Currently the large magazine can hold 26 rounds of ammunition
~Available ammo selection.( want to make sure can be bought in bulk for just in case!)
There is a pretty fair selection offered by Alexander Arms
http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/showall-6.5_Grendel-Ammunition.html
~Good to reload(I will be starting to reload here soon. Need to get stuff and learn how)
It seems like reloading for this cartridge is turning the corner. There is more and more information available. And currently Quick Load has information on reloading the 6.5 Grendel round now that it is SAMMI certified
~I don't run with the crowd. I want an exotic cartridge.
It is somewhat of a wildcat/odd ball round; but you can't deny its capabilities
AR Help - wojo14 - 03-16-2012
U take the hog with one shot?
Where I hunt, no shot at a deer would be over 300yards.
Alot are within 100.
AR Help - leopard6.5 - 03-16-2012
wojo14: +1 on what Kikn posted with one caveat.
He mentioned a 16" weighing in at around 7 pounds which the normal 16" barrel will but if you use the 16" Spartan barrel( actually a 14" inch barrel, weighs 1.1 pound, with an integral flash hider to bring it to the 16"), a lightweight handguard( I used the Hogue overmolded to keep the cold steel off my hands) and a lightweight buttstock( I used an ACE full size buttstock),you can have a rifle that weighs in the approx. 5 pound area.
Mine actually weighed in at just a touch under 5 pounds.
Hopefully this helps.
Welcome to the Horde and good luck.
Lee
AR Help - LRRPF52 - 03-16-2012
1000yds and lightweight rifle/optic combo don't go hand-in-hand. Maybe a 6mm AR would fit that bill, but a lightweight gun would be very difficult to keep on-target at that distance, without being weighted down well.
AR Help - Bwild97 - 03-16-2012
If you plan on using this rifle for SHTF Purposes, make sure to load up on steel cased wolf ammo when it becomes available, or get a brass catcher. I can't imagine wanting to hunt down brass after a shoot out!!
AR Help - Kikn - 03-16-2012
wojo14 Wrote:U take the hog with one shot?
Yes, I have taken down 250lb+ hogs one shot up to 220 yards
AR Help - Whelenon - 03-16-2012
leopard6.5 Wrote:wojo14: +1 on what Kikn posted with one caveat.
He mentioned a 16" weighing in at around 7 pounds which the normal 16" barrel will but if you use the 16" Spartan barrel( actually a 14" inch barrel, weighs 1.1 pound, with an integral flash hider to bring it to the 16"), a lightweight handguard( I used the Hogue overmolded to keep the cold steel off my hands) and a lightweight buttstock( I used an ACE full size buttstock),you can have a rifle that weighs in the approx. 5 pound area.
Mine actually weighed in at just a touch under 5 pounds.
Hopefully this helps.
Welcome to the Horde and good luck.
Lee
Lee,
I like the way you have this rifle set-up, what kind of sights/mounts did you go with?
AR Help - leopard6.5 - 03-17-2012
Whelenon: Since I was trying to keep the weight down as much as possible, I went with Badger Ordnance Max Alloy rings which only weigh 5.1 ounces for the pair.
These were the strongest yet lightest rings I could find.
As far as optics go, I switch between a Vortex Viper PST 1-4 and a Leupold Mark 4 4.5-15x50mm depending on what range I'm shooting.
Neither of these are particularly the lightest optics but I figured I had saved enough weight on the rest of the rifle to not worry too much about it.
Plus I already had these so I didn't have to buy another optic.
If I was going to go as light as I could and I didn't need to shoot past 500-600 yards, I'd just use the Burris Fastfire I have piggy-backed on the Leupold by itself since it's so light.
Hopefully this helps you and good luck if you're going to go like this with a lightweight build.
Lee
AR Help - Schwag173 - 03-18-2012
Wojo, I think you already know that you described the Grendel. The 6mm/.243" bullet is a bit lighter than what I like to throw at a deer, in the same weight class as the 6.8 SPC bullets. Your concerns are the same as mine and for me, the 6.5mm Grendel fills the bill. It won't do everything, but keep it within a reasonable envelope and it'll do it well.
AR Help - wojo14 - 03-18-2012
I think the Grendel will be my new round!
I am in the process of gatering parts on a budget.
Anyone know anything about spike tactical lowers? They are not that expensive.??
AR Help - usmc1371 - 03-18-2012
a lot of the members here us spikes and i have heard good things about them. all my lowers are mil-spec. try to stick to mil-spec parts. makes things easier to build and find parts..
AR Help - wojo14 - 03-18-2012
Are the spikes USA made?
I will keep it mill spec!
AR Help - leopard6.5 - 03-18-2012
wojo14: Here's a post that LRRPF52 made about lowers that may help you in your decision:
Quote:Right now, I think the best deal on lowers is from Templar, and I would have ordered two from them for $55 or $65 before ordering the two from PSA for $49.95, although the anodizing on the two PSA lowers I received is better than most I have seen in the industry in a long time. The Templar lowers have a generously and well-executed funneled mag well, and a captivated take-down pin detent channel. They are basically a $175 lower for $65, in my opinion.
I've dealt with or owned lowers from PWA, Bushmaster, RRA, DPMS, Olympic Arms, DSA, Armalite, Colt, CMMG, American Spirit Arms, Fulton, POF, Essential Arms, Eagele Arms, JP, LMT, Spike's Tactical, High Standard, Noveske, Century, S&W, MGI, Wilson, Double Star, Mega, Sun Devil, Superior Arms, Aero Precision, NoDak, McKay, and a bunch of custom-made versions to boot. All those lowers I just mentioned are made by only 9 different machine shops around the country, and LAR makes the highest volume of them for the big names like Bushmaster, DPMS, CMMG, Double Star, Spike's, and others.
I personally don't care what name is on my lower, but price first, fit with uppers second (this is a trial-and-error game, unless you buy a custom-matched set), and anodizing third. Then I look at differentiation in features, which is usually only funneled mag wells in your basic forged lowers. Whatever you do, don't pay for a standard forged lower based on what name is engraved on it, as that is pretty meaningless nowadays. There are minor tolerance differences in mass-produced parts, but I just don't see many functional problems like I occasionally used to in the early 90's.
Good Luck with your build and welcome to the Horde.
Lee
AR Help - Schwag173 - 03-18-2012
I just bought 3 lowers with sequential serial numbers off Gunbroker.com for $235 delivered. They are made by aero precision, same supplier to Spike. Check Gunbroker.com for another auction like mine, the lowers are stamped 'Surplus Arms and Ammo.'
AR Help - wojo14 - 03-18-2012
leopard,
Thanks for the post.
I am going to look into the Templar.
AR Help - neenjuh - 03-19-2012
New here as well and a lot of good information in here. I am trying to find the Templar lowers. Found their website but they don't seem to have a lot of information in regard to ordering...perhaps I should just call?
AR Help - leopard6.5 - 03-19-2012
neenjuh: Yeah, Templar isn't the most tech savvy people and they are very busy with production so their website takes a backseat.
I would recommend just calling them to make it easier on yourself.
Good Luck.
Lee
AR Help - neenjuh - 03-19-2012
leopard, so I did some more research and have found two companies named Templar. One is in Montana and the other is in North Carolina. Can you let us know which one you are referring to?