03-23-2016, 06:35 PM
Welcome aboard. All the 16"-18" Grendel's I have built over the past few months have weighed in at 6lbs or under, especially using that fluted lightweight AA barrel, or a wasp contoured Lilja barrel.
With optics and mount, I am still under 8lbs with an 18".
It's hard to go wrong with any of the barrel makers mentioned. The 16" AA fluted is a great deal because you know exactly what you are getting, and at a price that can't be beat.
For $400, that rules out Krieger, Lilja, Bartlein, or Shilen. Krieger, Bartlein, and Satern are your 3 main cut-rifled options. With the quality of button-rifled barrels from Criterion, Lilja, Shilen, etc. nowadays, you don't need cut-rifled for what you're looking for. Your harder stainless steels will run more money typically. Krieger, Bartlein, and Criterion have very hard stainless, but in Grendel, we aren't pushing higher pressures, so you won't see the difference unless you shoot 6k-10k rounds per year. The barrels on Brownell's and Midway are button-rifled, not cut.
I've been seeing .5" (4rd) to 1" (5rd) groups at 100yds with the little 16" AA fluted barrels shooting Hornady and PPU ammo.
Shilen upgrade will shrink that down into the .3-.75" region.
Lilja's will shoot 3rds into .3", 5rds into .5"-.75", and 10rds into 1" at 100yds.
The .25 MOA additional accuracy will usually cost you $200 more, so you have to ask how important that is to you.
I'll have a Criterion soon to be able to tell, but in other calibers, they have shot like any other high-end barrel.
With optics and mount, I am still under 8lbs with an 18".
It's hard to go wrong with any of the barrel makers mentioned. The 16" AA fluted is a great deal because you know exactly what you are getting, and at a price that can't be beat.
For $400, that rules out Krieger, Lilja, Bartlein, or Shilen. Krieger, Bartlein, and Satern are your 3 main cut-rifled options. With the quality of button-rifled barrels from Criterion, Lilja, Shilen, etc. nowadays, you don't need cut-rifled for what you're looking for. Your harder stainless steels will run more money typically. Krieger, Bartlein, and Criterion have very hard stainless, but in Grendel, we aren't pushing higher pressures, so you won't see the difference unless you shoot 6k-10k rounds per year. The barrels on Brownell's and Midway are button-rifled, not cut.
I've been seeing .5" (4rd) to 1" (5rd) groups at 100yds with the little 16" AA fluted barrels shooting Hornady and PPU ammo.
Shilen upgrade will shrink that down into the .3-.75" region.
Lilja's will shoot 3rds into .3", 5rds into .5"-.75", and 10rds into 1" at 100yds.
The .25 MOA additional accuracy will usually cost you $200 more, so you have to ask how important that is to you.
I'll have a Criterion soon to be able to tell, but in other calibers, they have shot like any other high-end barrel.
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
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.com