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Just finished my second Grendel build. I took an Anderson 5.56 24" bull barrel and swapped it out for an Odin 18" Grendel. Used the M16 bolt carrier and put in an Underground Tactical bolt. This is all done on an 80% lower machined on a Bridgeport Mill. The trigger is mil-spec that has been polished and an adjustable trigger screw replaced the grip screw. Vortex Viper 6X18 scope. [ATTACH=CONFIG]8316[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8317[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8318[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8319[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8320[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8321[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8322[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]8323[/ATTACH]
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Very nice! When's range time?
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11-20-2016, 07:08 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-20-2016, 07:16 AM by Retro.)
As soon as the rain here in Western Washington subsides for a day. I'm going to sight it in at the 100yd range as soon as possible. I like making my own stuff as much as possible. That's why I like the 80% lowers and hand reworked mil-spec single stage triggers. Through a little trial and error I've been able to take a mil-spec trigger and get it down to 3.5 to 4 pound very smooth and crisp pull. I've gone a little to far with one and had to toss it as it was to easy to double tap it got so light. I screwed up a disconnector in a mini 14 by grinding a little to much off trying to change the timing a little but thank God I'm a good TIG welder. I just added a little back and was back in business. I'm self taught and am having a good time in retirement with my fairly new hobby. Thank God for Youtube. I have another Odin 20" barrel but I'm going to segregate the brass from it and this one as the 20" barrel was advertised as a 6.5 LBC by Odin. I'm going to load some new brass to see how it fire-forms and compare each chamber to see if there is how much difference there is in the brass.
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Wow beautiful build!!! Really looking forward to the range report, the odin works barrels really seem to be shooting well
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Retro Wrote:As soon as the rain here in Western Washington subsides for a day. I'm going to sight it in at the 100yd range as soon as possible. I like making my own stuff as much as possible. That's why I like the 80% lowers and hand reworked mil-spec single stage triggers. Through a little trial and error I've been able to take a mil-spec trigger and get it down to 3.5 to 4 pound very smooth and crisp pull. I've gone a little to far with one and had to toss it as it was to easy to double tap it got so light. I screwed up a disconnector in a mini 14 by grinding a little to much off trying to change the timing a little but thank God I'm a good TIG welder. I just added a little back and was back in business. I'm self taught and am having a good time in retirement with my fairly new hobby. Thank God for Youtube. I have another Odin 20" barrel but I'm going to segregate the brass from it and this one as the 20" barrel was advertised as a 6.5 LBC by Odin. I'm going to load some new brass to see how it fire-forms and compare each chamber to see if there is how much difference there is in the brass.
I hear ya... drenching over here too...
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This is my second Odin and so far I'm pleased with their products and communication. If I didn't have so much into my 5.56's I'd change them all to Grendel. Damn Grendel's are way more fun to shoot than the 5.56. I'm actually thinking about one of the Anderson $99 barrels just to see how it would work out as a beater. All of my lowers and uppers are Anderson and I haven't had any problem such as sloppy fit between the uppers and lowers.
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I would love to give you a range report but I found that when I got to the range today I inadvertently put the 5.56 bolt back in the gun rather than the new 6.5. I'll try again tomorrow, weather allowing.
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I am glad to say that I finally made it to the range today and everything functioned flawlessly. I needed a little help from a friend spotting for me as the scope was way off. Sighted in on the 100 yard range and once sighted grouped very well. I ran about 50 rounds thru it and not one failure. This is an Anderson 80% lower, Anderson upper, Anderson bolt carrier, Tactical machining bolt and Odinworks Barrel. Next time out will be for accuracy but this time was just to make sure my homemade gun functioned the way it was supposed to.
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Glad to hear your build did so well! Congratulations! Now for some group pics.
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Pics coming next time I'm out. Grendel even makes me a good shot
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Retro Wrote:I am glad to say that I finally made it to the range today and everything functioned flawlessly. I needed a little help from a friend spotting for me as the scope was way off. Sighted in on the 100 yard range and once sighted grouped very well. I ran about 50 rounds thru it and not one failure. This is an Anderson 80% lower, Anderson upper, Anderson bolt carrier, Tactical machining bolt and Odinworks Barrel. Next time out will be for accuracy but this time was just to make sure my homemade gun functioned the way it was supposed to.
To paraphrase the late, great Peppard, "Doncha love it when a plan comes together?"
If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
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01-06-2017, 03:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-06-2017, 05:23 AM by Retro.)
Range report picture. Before you look at the target with info on it I was not, repeat,NOT SHOOTING 120gr Amax with 33 gr CFE. I was actually shooting 100gr Amax with 33gr CFE. I will publicly state that I am not a good marksman compared to many. That being said, the sun, moon and stars occasionally line up and I get lucky. My 18" Odinworks barrel once again shows that even a blind pig gets lucky sometimes. I also came home to something new and nice for my 20" Odin barrel.
[ATTACH][attachment=5759][/ATTACH]
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Retro Wrote:Range report picture. I will publicly state that I am not a good marksman compared to many. That being said, the sun, moon and stars occasionally line up and I get lucky. My 18" Odinworks barrel once again shows that even a blind pig gets lucky sometimes. I also came home to something new and nice for my 20" Odin barrel.
[ATTACH]P1020508.jpg[/ATTACH]
Nice! 33 grains sounds like a large amount of CFE 223 to run with a 120 grain bullet. Are you getting any pressure signs with that load? Did you chrono it by any chance?
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01-06-2017, 03:55 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-06-2017, 04:47 AM by Retro.)
I don't own a chrono. There were not any overpressure signs. I actually got the recipe off of ammoguide and the 120gr Amax was definitely a misprint on my part. That was actually 33gr with a Hornady Amax 100gr.
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That's a really beautiful rifle, Retro.
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Well done! Grendels are really addictive, now have 12 in pistol, 16,18,20,24 in rifles.
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Retro Wrote:I don't own a chrono. There were not any overpressure signs. I actually got the recipe off of ammoguide and the 120gr Amax was definitely a misprint on my part. That was actually 33gr with a Hornady Amax 100gr.
33gr of CFE223 under a 100gr cup and core sounds about right to me. There is data for it in Volume II with 34.1gr under a 100gr AMAX.
34.8gr under a 95gr Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos.
Sneaky shared his load work up with me and found that 34.0gr works under 94gr solid GMXs, which is what I used in 2015 for cow elk hunt. Didn't get any shots, but I wasn't worried about the load after we tested it in heavy timber.
NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.com
