06-15-2020, 06:52 PM
6.5 Grendel AR15s make more sense than the larger 7.62 NATO Semi Auto Sniper Systems for a number of reasons, as long as we account for unique ammunition sourcing.
Several units within the SOF and Sniping communities have experimented with 6.5 Grendel since it was introduced on a more informal basis, and this is where I actually first heard about the cartridge in 2004.
A buddy of mine who was a senior instructor at SOTIC and SFARTAETC had one of the early AA 24" 6.5 Grendel rifles, and was very fond of the cartridge/rifle combo.
USMC Scout Sniper Instructors I've spoken with at certain training events basically mirrored all the points I've made over the years, so it was like listening to myself without having to add anything from people I had never met prior. The big things that stood out from a school house perspective were round count and ease of students being able to spot their own hits due to low recoil, and sufficient terminal energy at distance.
There are anecdotal reports of NAVSOF elements using 14.5" 6.5 Grendels in Afghanistan I have not discussed openly for the past decade or so. They had no problems making hits out to 900m, which isn't surprising since Eastern Afghanistan doesn't have many elevations lower than 6200ft ASL.
That's a nice capability to have with something no larger than an M4 that you can fight and clear rooms with, then reach out into 7.62 NATO M118LR territory without any of the weight, recoil, bulk, and limited ammunition carrying penalties of the 7.62 NATO cartridge and rifle profiles.
So not only can the 6.5 Grendel perform in that role, I have accounts of it already having done so in at least 2 Sniper Training schools, as well as downrange.
This is one of the main roles that I saw as making a lot of sense dating back sometime, with multiple threads on it in this sub section of the forum.
As soon as I saw what 6.5 Grendel would do from a 16" barrel, I saw no instance in any of the Scout Sniper units I was in where we would have been better served with the 7.62 NATO, other than having an existing cartridge that shared commonality with the rest of the Army. We always shot M118 or M852 through our Sniper Systems before M118LR came into being, so we already had our own unique DODIC sourcing for sniping ammunition.
Especially within the SOF community, there has been a steady flow of unique sniping cartridges not only for the 7.62 NATO, but 5.56 NATO, .300 Win Mag, and .50 BMG as well, often with multiple samples in each chambering.
In every training setting, deployments I have been on, and missions or campaigns I have analyzed where Sniper Systems were critical towards the outcome, I'm not seeing any benefit to the 7.62 NATO systems over 6.5 Grendel. There have been multiple incidents where Snipers in Ranger Regiment, USASOC, and USMC have either run black or came really close to running black on ammo.
Several guys I trained or know personally ended up carrying 2 rifles on deployment in some cases, where they were assigned National Match M14s in Ramadi. Hit probability with a shorter 6.5 Grendel is as good or better than 18-20" SR25s, while still being able to fight with the Grendel carbine the same way you would with an M4 in CQB, with a higher round count on the soldier's load and in the weapon, at a lighter overall weight.
The 6mm AR/6mm ARC makes a lot of sense in this regard as well because you get even better hit probability, less recoil, and ballistics that demonstrably exceed the 7.62 NATO even shooting more modern target bullets. This is what drove the decision-making into whatever DoD entity asked Hornady and certain rifle manufacturers to build them the 18" suppressed 6mm ARC DM rifles.
Several units within the SOF and Sniping communities have experimented with 6.5 Grendel since it was introduced on a more informal basis, and this is where I actually first heard about the cartridge in 2004.
A buddy of mine who was a senior instructor at SOTIC and SFARTAETC had one of the early AA 24" 6.5 Grendel rifles, and was very fond of the cartridge/rifle combo.
USMC Scout Sniper Instructors I've spoken with at certain training events basically mirrored all the points I've made over the years, so it was like listening to myself without having to add anything from people I had never met prior. The big things that stood out from a school house perspective were round count and ease of students being able to spot their own hits due to low recoil, and sufficient terminal energy at distance.
There are anecdotal reports of NAVSOF elements using 14.5" 6.5 Grendels in Afghanistan I have not discussed openly for the past decade or so. They had no problems making hits out to 900m, which isn't surprising since Eastern Afghanistan doesn't have many elevations lower than 6200ft ASL.
That's a nice capability to have with something no larger than an M4 that you can fight and clear rooms with, then reach out into 7.62 NATO M118LR territory without any of the weight, recoil, bulk, and limited ammunition carrying penalties of the 7.62 NATO cartridge and rifle profiles.
So not only can the 6.5 Grendel perform in that role, I have accounts of it already having done so in at least 2 Sniper Training schools, as well as downrange.
This is one of the main roles that I saw as making a lot of sense dating back sometime, with multiple threads on it in this sub section of the forum.
As soon as I saw what 6.5 Grendel would do from a 16" barrel, I saw no instance in any of the Scout Sniper units I was in where we would have been better served with the 7.62 NATO, other than having an existing cartridge that shared commonality with the rest of the Army. We always shot M118 or M852 through our Sniper Systems before M118LR came into being, so we already had our own unique DODIC sourcing for sniping ammunition.
Especially within the SOF community, there has been a steady flow of unique sniping cartridges not only for the 7.62 NATO, but 5.56 NATO, .300 Win Mag, and .50 BMG as well, often with multiple samples in each chambering.
In every training setting, deployments I have been on, and missions or campaigns I have analyzed where Sniper Systems were critical towards the outcome, I'm not seeing any benefit to the 7.62 NATO systems over 6.5 Grendel. There have been multiple incidents where Snipers in Ranger Regiment, USASOC, and USMC have either run black or came really close to running black on ammo.
Several guys I trained or know personally ended up carrying 2 rifles on deployment in some cases, where they were assigned National Match M14s in Ramadi. Hit probability with a shorter 6.5 Grendel is as good or better than 18-20" SR25s, while still being able to fight with the Grendel carbine the same way you would with an M4 in CQB, with a higher round count on the soldier's load and in the weapon, at a lighter overall weight.
The 6mm AR/6mm ARC makes a lot of sense in this regard as well because you get even better hit probability, less recoil, and ballistics that demonstrably exceed the 7.62 NATO even shooting more modern target bullets. This is what drove the decision-making into whatever DoD entity asked Hornady and certain rifle manufacturers to build them the 18" suppressed 6mm ARC DM rifles.
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