14.5" Grendel

[LRRPF52]

I know I'm new here and I hate to be "that guy" but please, don't do that. Don't use a barrel that's going to ballistically handicap a great round. The shortest I would (will) go on a Grendel is 18 inches. I feel the same about my 556s too. Even 16 seems too short. Then again, I'm 6'2 and 205lbs. Longer barrels fit me fine.

Optimum barrel length for 5.56 for a work gun is probably 12.5". BCs are so low that you bleed energy really fast, to the point that longer barrels just don't give you the performance you think they would.

Within 200yds, 5.56 is a great system, still has respectable retained energy, high hit probability.

For 6.5 Grendel, a 10.5" has more energy at the muzzle than a 20" hot-loaded 5.56 NATO, and it only separates from there in the Grendel's favor as the distance increases.

There isn't a lot of practical difference between a 14.5" Grendel and a 16" Grendel. You're in the 2350-2440fps range with 123gr factory ammo.

If I cherry-pick the velocities with 14.5" mv vs. 16" mv, using 2350fps vs. 2440fps, the numbers still are very close, .1 mils drift difference across supersonic reach.

Using staged G7 BC of .247 for the 123gr ELD-M at 2350fps, we're looking at 475yds of expansion for the 14.5" at sea level, 59˚, supersonic to 850yds. Spin stability with 1/7.5" twist will keep it on-target past that.

For the 16" at 2440fps, expansion is out to 525yds, supersonic to 925yds with 123gr ELD-M.

Your 200yd hunting zero keeps both within a 10" vital zone out to 225yds.

Impact energy for both at 225yds:

14.5" 1076ft-lbs
16.0" 1167ft-bs

Where I'm at, the numbers change drastically because of altitude/air density, so that both are supersonic to 1100 and 1150yds with the 123gr ELD-M at 2350 and 2440fps.

For a hunter looking for a compact package that also does more than you would think as a fun target-shooting carbine, they will surprise you.

Load them with the 129gr ABLR, and the expansion numbers will exceed most people's hunting distances by 2-3x easily.