01-08-2022, 01:23 AM
Hi,
I am from NC now but I lived more than half my earlier life in Ohio. I think I was born loving to hunt even though no one but one uncle in my family hunted at all. I'm an Ex Marine, Semper Fi and served during part of the Vietnam era. I'm a member of a local Shooting club and the American Legion. I reload, Fish, collect rocks, minerals and coins to some extent. I also love to Elk hunt and am a life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
I'm not actually a owner yet of a 6.5 Grendel yet but that's in part why I joined this forum, to learn more about them. I did purchase one very recently (a AR upper and lower) which is also my first AR as well. I ordered if from Bear Creek Arsenal here in NC but haven't received it yet. I have several other guns most of which are heavy and are all bolt guns. But I wanted to keep this gun as light if possible. I wanted a 18" barrel but BCA only seemed to have them in a heavy barrel configuration so I ended up purchasing a 16" upper with what they call a M4 barrel which appeared to be the lightest barrel configuration they offered.
I did some research of course and know I won't be taking advantage of the full potential of the Grendel with that short barrel but I'm planning for it to be used for a varmint gun to shoot Coyotes and pigs most likely at ranges under 200 yards. A friend builds AR's and one of his AR's is a Grendel so I figure if I don't like the 16" barrel I'll swap it out later, well, my friend would swap it out.
I have a Pulsar Thermion scope I want to put on it with a QD mount for night hunting. I reload as I mentioned and I really like copper bullets. I use some hammer bullets and Barnes but I'm going to give the GS Custom bullets a go but I have never used this brand before. I want to try their 264095HV134 bullet which is a .264, 95 gn HV copper bullet in the Grendel. They (GS Custom) proposes a specific way of working up a load using their bullets. GS Custom relies on a Velocity range rather than a specific powder load to determine a max load however they do offer a starting load in grains. The starting load is 29.5 gn of AR 2219 for the 95 gn bullet. The max velocity for the 95 grain bullet I hope to use, when used with a Rifle using a 24" barrel has a MAXIUM velocity of 3125 but again that's a MAX load as well. I estimate my max velocity/load with the 16" barrel to be 2861 FPS. But that's the max hypothetical velocity using that specific powder and bullet combo. A safe, workup to that load/velocity in small increments is mandatory looking for pressure signs as you gradually work up. But since that powder is not available here that I know of, H322 is supposed to be it's equivalent. But I will communicate with the GS custom experts before reloading and get their opinion on what powder would be the best substitute for AR2219 as I'm assuming H322 would be a good substitute based on a powder equivalent table.
So anyway, the gun's ordered as well as new Forster dies, a Hornady 6.5 Grendel modified case, 100 Lapua cases, a Rock River arms 2 stage trigger (arrived already). GS custom insists on using magnum primers with these bullets which I already have a case of. I should have the gun and most everything I need to start reloading next week except maybe the bullets.
If any of you have used the GS custom bullets I would appreciate your advice? I may pick up some other bullets locally in the meantime just to break the gun in if I can find any. I plan to go to Greentop and Cabelas in Richmond VA Sunday to shop and maybe pick up some components there to get me by till the GS custom bullets come in.
I look forward to typing with you all very soon.
Roughwater
For what it's worth here is a pic of a pig I took last month in South Carolina. Had a fun 3 day hunt there.
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I am from NC now but I lived more than half my earlier life in Ohio. I think I was born loving to hunt even though no one but one uncle in my family hunted at all. I'm an Ex Marine, Semper Fi and served during part of the Vietnam era. I'm a member of a local Shooting club and the American Legion. I reload, Fish, collect rocks, minerals and coins to some extent. I also love to Elk hunt and am a life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
I'm not actually a owner yet of a 6.5 Grendel yet but that's in part why I joined this forum, to learn more about them. I did purchase one very recently (a AR upper and lower) which is also my first AR as well. I ordered if from Bear Creek Arsenal here in NC but haven't received it yet. I have several other guns most of which are heavy and are all bolt guns. But I wanted to keep this gun as light if possible. I wanted a 18" barrel but BCA only seemed to have them in a heavy barrel configuration so I ended up purchasing a 16" upper with what they call a M4 barrel which appeared to be the lightest barrel configuration they offered.
I did some research of course and know I won't be taking advantage of the full potential of the Grendel with that short barrel but I'm planning for it to be used for a varmint gun to shoot Coyotes and pigs most likely at ranges under 200 yards. A friend builds AR's and one of his AR's is a Grendel so I figure if I don't like the 16" barrel I'll swap it out later, well, my friend would swap it out.
I have a Pulsar Thermion scope I want to put on it with a QD mount for night hunting. I reload as I mentioned and I really like copper bullets. I use some hammer bullets and Barnes but I'm going to give the GS Custom bullets a go but I have never used this brand before. I want to try their 264095HV134 bullet which is a .264, 95 gn HV copper bullet in the Grendel. They (GS Custom) proposes a specific way of working up a load using their bullets. GS Custom relies on a Velocity range rather than a specific powder load to determine a max load however they do offer a starting load in grains. The starting load is 29.5 gn of AR 2219 for the 95 gn bullet. The max velocity for the 95 grain bullet I hope to use, when used with a Rifle using a 24" barrel has a MAXIUM velocity of 3125 but again that's a MAX load as well. I estimate my max velocity/load with the 16" barrel to be 2861 FPS. But that's the max hypothetical velocity using that specific powder and bullet combo. A safe, workup to that load/velocity in small increments is mandatory looking for pressure signs as you gradually work up. But since that powder is not available here that I know of, H322 is supposed to be it's equivalent. But I will communicate with the GS custom experts before reloading and get their opinion on what powder would be the best substitute for AR2219 as I'm assuming H322 would be a good substitute based on a powder equivalent table.
So anyway, the gun's ordered as well as new Forster dies, a Hornady 6.5 Grendel modified case, 100 Lapua cases, a Rock River arms 2 stage trigger (arrived already). GS custom insists on using magnum primers with these bullets which I already have a case of. I should have the gun and most everything I need to start reloading next week except maybe the bullets.
If any of you have used the GS custom bullets I would appreciate your advice? I may pick up some other bullets locally in the meantime just to break the gun in if I can find any. I plan to go to Greentop and Cabelas in Richmond VA Sunday to shop and maybe pick up some components there to get me by till the GS custom bullets come in.
I look forward to typing with you all very soon.
Roughwater
For what it's worth here is a pic of a pig I took last month in South Carolina. Had a fun 3 day hunt there.
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