thinking bad thoughts... need help

[LRRPF52]

Ok... I need help...

I love my grendel, however I'm not in love with it at the moment. My gun weighs 8.16 lbs bare (no mag-14.95oz, no scope-28.1oz, no can-17.7oz). The barrel isn't terribly heavy at 26.3 oz. Once I add the can, scope, and full 17rd mag I'm at 11.96lbs. The load I have for it shoots 3/4 moa and will stay above expansion levels out to 500 yrds making it an easy shooting, high capacity (important b/c I'm on the border and want bullets for more than hunting if needed) viable gun for the javelina and small white tail I have this gun for.

Now, my issue.

A 20" 308 that starts off 1lb lighter. https://ruger.com/products/sfar/specSheets/5611.html
A 16" 308 that is 1.5lbs lighter. https://ruger.com/products/sfar/specSheets/5610.html

I can't figure out anything the grendel does better than I can do with either of those 2 rifles. Arguably they are better due to WAY more ammo availability and bullet options for loading, plus the significantly lower weight (all accessories being equal) with similar effective range.

So why not dump the grendel and switch it up? It will be even worse when they release it in 6.5 creedmoor

They’re having lots of issues with the SFARs so far. Mangles brass, reliability problems, and once you glass, suppress, and accessorize them, weight penalty is real.

Another problem with .308 is sight picture disturbance. It’s why I don’t shoot .308 anymore. I love the sound of .308 impacting the target, but I would like to be able to witness it myself as I watch my sight picture.

Once you go too light with any of the .308-based cartridges in a gas gun, you run into problems with reliability.

I’ve been chasing that monkey for many years and quit once 6.5 Grendel caught-on with me. I was primarily shooting 22” .260 Rem at the time, which is a superb rifle with Bartlein barrel and built by GAP, but I lose primer pockets after 3-4 loads. My initial brass I started with was Winchester 7mm-08 brass, very hard and durable, but at about $1/pc in the late 2000s. That’s not fun when you’re shooting all the time, especially since you have to trim necks constantly, only to lose the brass quickly.

POF did the AR-15 frame .308 as a production model years after MGI pioneered a modular magazine well lower receiver that fed from M-14 mags in an AR-15 upper, but never worked.

POF has had lots of returns with them as well.

I think once you go lighter than the Savage MSR-10 for a .308 or 6.5CM, you run into problems.

MSR-10 has a smaller receiver set than an SR-25, but with SR-25 size bolt and barrel extension.

Empty weight on the MSR-10 16” .308 is over 8lbs. I haven’t even shot mine yet and have had it for 3 years. I panic-bought it in 2020.

No reason to dump the Grendel since it’s so much easier to practice with, even if you choose to take a .308 for game day. Grendel recoil and ease of sight picture management are just better.

Guns that are easy and pleasant to shoot are easy to hit with.