StoneTower Wrote:I think some people choose a Grendel for the increased performance but then cripple the rifle be choosing too short of a barrel. The Grendel is not a handgun cartridge. The Grendel needs inches of barrel to burn all the powder. If powder is burned outside the barrel, you end up with a large amount of muzzle flash and lower velocity. If you want a rifle with a short barrel, one of the larger bore uppers (with are essentially a large pistol caliber) might be a better choice if you are going to cripple the rifle and only shoot inside 150-200 yards.
YMMV
I actually don't think this at all. A Grendel with a 14.5" or 16" barrel has multiple practical applications and is very handy to boot. If you're chasing velocity or regularly shoot past 1,000 yards, then yes, you want a 24" barrel. But the vast majority of what a civilian uses a rifle for can be covered by a shorter barreled Grendel.
I see this same phenomenon in the .308 world. There are lots of .308 shooters out there that ridicule the use of anything with a barrel shorter than 22", yet the 18" and 16" guns are clearly proven performers at seemingly outlandish ranges. Powder and bullet technology march on, and these days the maneuverability and weight advantages of shorter barrels often outweigh the incremental performance penalties.