02-07-2020, 05:41 PM
Just get a Criterion barrel for $325 if you want more speed. You don't need to spend $500.
600yds is pretty boring with any Grendel barrel length for me, but I'm at a much higher altitude than sea level so that's something to consider.
Looking at the cheapest 69gr target loads for .223 Rem I could find on ammoseek, Federal GMM is at $380.
In all the DM courses and LR shooting events I've done where people brought 5.56 and 69gr or 77gr, if there is any kind of wind, we have a really hard time hearing the hits on steel from about 400yds on-out. 350yds (not very challenging at all) is no problem, but we don't spent a ton of time messing with 350 once we've got everyone dialed-in on fundamentals, postional shooting, wind reading, etc.
The .223 rifles start to struggle in that 400-450yd range even though they're getting hits, because there just isn't much energy left. Some of the new Hornady and Berger bullets do much better, like the Hornady 73gr ELD-M, the 75gr ELD-M, the 80gr ELD-M, the Berger 75gr/80gr VLDs, Berger 80.5gr Fullbore (but some of these need to be single-loaded or shot from a bolt gun).
In 5mph or less conditions, we've had audible impacts with the 80gr ELD-M at 1000yds on a 20" gong fired from a custom bolt gun pushing the pressure. I think the threshold for audible impacts was around 7mph though. It was doing very well at long distance for hit probability, tight groupings, flat trajectory, and wind deflection.
But even with my 12" Grendel shooting some of the lowest 120gr BC TGT bullets at 800yds, my family (kids/wife) with no experience in LR shooting could easily hear the impacts at 800yds in pretty rough wind. I was just making hit-after-hit until the magazine went dry like it was easy or something, and that was using a 1-4x24 GRSC LPVO and the magazine as a monopod.
I really need to take the 12" out on the bipod and see what it will do with higher magnification and TGT bullets in the .523 and higher G1 BC range, as well as the 107gr SMK.
For a 22" AR15 Grendel pushing the right bullets for your conditions, you can get repeatable and predictable hits, basically like a .308 shooting some of the more modern bullets, with nowhere near the recoil and sight disturbance.
600yds is pretty boring with any Grendel barrel length for me, but I'm at a much higher altitude than sea level so that's something to consider.
Looking at the cheapest 69gr target loads for .223 Rem I could find on ammoseek, Federal GMM is at $380.
In all the DM courses and LR shooting events I've done where people brought 5.56 and 69gr or 77gr, if there is any kind of wind, we have a really hard time hearing the hits on steel from about 400yds on-out. 350yds (not very challenging at all) is no problem, but we don't spent a ton of time messing with 350 once we've got everyone dialed-in on fundamentals, postional shooting, wind reading, etc.
The .223 rifles start to struggle in that 400-450yd range even though they're getting hits, because there just isn't much energy left. Some of the new Hornady and Berger bullets do much better, like the Hornady 73gr ELD-M, the 75gr ELD-M, the 80gr ELD-M, the Berger 75gr/80gr VLDs, Berger 80.5gr Fullbore (but some of these need to be single-loaded or shot from a bolt gun).
In 5mph or less conditions, we've had audible impacts with the 80gr ELD-M at 1000yds on a 20" gong fired from a custom bolt gun pushing the pressure. I think the threshold for audible impacts was around 7mph though. It was doing very well at long distance for hit probability, tight groupings, flat trajectory, and wind deflection.
But even with my 12" Grendel shooting some of the lowest 120gr BC TGT bullets at 800yds, my family (kids/wife) with no experience in LR shooting could easily hear the impacts at 800yds in pretty rough wind. I was just making hit-after-hit until the magazine went dry like it was easy or something, and that was using a 1-4x24 GRSC LPVO and the magazine as a monopod.
I really need to take the 12" out on the bipod and see what it will do with higher magnification and TGT bullets in the .523 and higher G1 BC range, as well as the 107gr SMK.
For a 22" AR15 Grendel pushing the right bullets for your conditions, you can get repeatable and predictable hits, basically like a .308 shooting some of the more modern bullets, with nowhere near the recoil and sight disturbance.
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