Looking to build my first 6.5 grendel ar

[LRRPF52]

Hello everyone i decided to join the forum to get some more guidance on building a 6.5 grendel ar. I have a psa lower already which i plan to use. I mainly want to set this build up for the range but like the hunting capabilities of the 6.5 grendel at longer distances then the 5.56 cartridge. Now money is not super tight but im not looking to go crazy, i would like to keep the build somewhat budget friendly. Really im just needing a upper. Im not wanting to spend much more than $550 on a complete upper which i know isnt the most to work with but for a entry level getting into long range shooting i figured its a decent budget. There are some options out there but not sure which way to go. I just have a couple questions in general. Also does anyone have experience with radical arms and psa uppers?

1. Is a adjustable gas block a necessity?

2. What magazines are the most reliable?

3. 18” vs 20” vs 24” barrel?

Thanks everyone for the guidance! Ever since i took my .308 ruger gunsite scout 16” barrel with fixed 2.5x leupold scout scope out on the 1000 yard range ive really enjoyed shooting it at 100-200 yards and really enjoy the more relaxing pace of precision shooting. I love my .308 but i am really interested in the 6.5 grendel which is supposed to be better on recoil and a little easier on the wallet all while being in a semi auto platform

If most of your time will be spent at the range, with some seasonal hunting, and you have access to a 1000yd range, I would look at 20”-24” barrels for your elevation/air density (Tennessee).

I don’t have adjustable gas on any of my Grendels except for the 12” suppressed and 18” MLGS. I use the Bootleg Adjustable Gas Carrier instead of an adjustable gas block. They are so much easier to work with as you dial the gas regulator through the ejection port with a small flat head, not a tiny Allen wrench up at the gas block.

Magazines have all mostly worked for me. I saw some defective ASC mags back in 2013 on a few rifles I worked on, but all mine have been reliable.

I have CProducts Defense, Elander, and Polymer Amend 2A 10rd mags.

Since I reload, I like the CPD mags the best because they allow much longer COL, whereas the Elanders only allow 2.260” COL.

You will want as tight of a twist as possible for shooting at the range in denser air, as this will maximize BC and maintain better gyroscopic stability if shooting to 1000yds.

Here’s a photo with numeric data alongside each barrel length showing some numbers for 123gr ELD-M (Target) and 123gr SST (Hunting) loads: