Why Bother with Short Barrels?

[Headshot11]

Nice, Range report please

[treed]

I built my 18" for hunting whitetails in cover with shots of 100 yds or less. In my experience tree stands and ground blinds require compactness and light weight. My next build will be even shorter. Your needs may vary.

Tim

[Rangerofthenorth]

Around here we've got lots of trees, lots and lots of trees. I feel well armed with a 16 inch Grendel. That's a good looking setup for long range though. That thing is so long it makes any engagement under 200 meters CQB.

[rabiddawg]

How many pages before we realize the troll tucked tail and ran?

[curtmini14]

Technical forum comments only - LRRP

[LRRPF52]

I've literally taken that 12" Grendel out of the soft case, inserted a 25rd magazine with 120gr Federal Match or 123gr Hornady American Gunner, took up a magazine monopod supported position, and began engaging a 2'x3' buffalo silhouette at 800yds with 9/10 hits, the miss being a wind register after center hold on the first shot.

I haven't even explored what it will do with 123gr SMK, 123gr Scenar, 123gr ELD-M, 130gr ELD-M, 130gr VLD, or 130gr RDF from a bipod with more magnification.

[munchie3409]

Agreed.

Well, that?s just, like, your opinion man.

OP reminds me of that other guy on this forum that thinks anything shorter than 24" is a waste of time for 6.5Grendel. If you don't want a shorter barrel...that's your choice, but why ask why others choose to build a pistol 6.5G. I've had a 16" BCA barrel for a couple of years...I never shot it until earlier this year, well since that time, I added a Lilja 16", Satern 22", and now a 10.5" Bartlein in like four months. It would be really boring if I only had one length barrel for four barrels.

[Bronz]

3 posts, joined this month and come in swinging. Lol

I wouldn?t want a 6.5 Grendel with a barrel longer than 20 inches.

[dammitman]

I have grown to love some of the short barrel AR calibers and like the original post It doesn't seem to make much sense to make a 6.5 Grendel short barrel. I have short barrel 300 BLKOUT and short barrel 458 SOCOM and they just seem to be right for sure. I don't think a 8 inch barrel 6.5 Grendel is in the works but I can see a 12 inch one making its way into a really useful tool in my arsenal,,,,

[VASCAR2]

I built a 12” 6.5 Grendel because I am only reloading for two centerfire rifle cartridges, 5.56/223 and 6.5 Grendel. I chose the 6.5 Grendel over the 5.56/233 for greater performance and less noise/blast from a short barrel. I mainly just wanted to play with the AR-15 pistol to see if I liked it. I don’t see myself getting rid of the AR pistol as it is quite capable at 300 meters or less in a compact light package.


The 6.5 Grendel starts out with more punch than a 300 Blackout or 5.56/223 (with the same length barrels) so at greater distance it’ll still have more punch. I can see more velocity from longer 6.5 Grendel barrels but if the range is short the extra velocity might not matter in terminal performance.

[LRRPF52]

10.5" 6.5 Grendel

120gr Federal Match 2250fps (I'm getting 2400fps from the 12" with factory 120gr Federal Match, 2384fps 15ft from the muzzle.)

0 2250fps 1349ft-lbs
100 2060fps 1130ft-lbs
200 1880fps 941ft-lbs

20" 5.56 AR15
62gr M855
0 3150fps 1366ft-lbs
100 2827 1100ft-lbs
200 2527 879ft-lbs

[Wanderson]

When I was looking for a budget complete 6.5G upper I was surprised not to find any 16” options. Seemed it was 12” or 18”.
So I think you have to start by asking if you want to do a pistol or a carbine. For me I’ll take a pistol every time. Or do both.

[burnsy13]

Because short Grendel's are awesome.

12" SBR with a suppressor is my primary deer and coyote rifle. It's extremely handy.

[Plainsman]

Because they can? Seriously, though, there are lots of reasons to have a <short barrel> which is of course a relative term. My Howa's 20-inch barrel is about perfect for me. There does not seem to be any accuracy loss, so far, and I like the compact form of the rifle which will sometimes be used a <truck gun> as well as a walking-around rifle. In its walk-about role I carry it slung on my shoulder, muzzle down. A longer barrel would be in the way. Blanket statements of disapproval are seldom validated.

[Bronz]

Probably a 6.8 guy

[FLshooter]

35 replies to OPs post and no response.

[tdbru]

well i will post one more on the reason i prefer longer tubes. first off i will say the shorter tubes are indeed handier. however spending most of my life so far participating in our fascinating sport of shooting has done quite some damage to my hearing. and i prefer not to lose any more of it if possible. at the range i can do plugs and muffs. out hunting, i can't wear them and hear things. so for me, and this is just me, the longer tubes have lower muzzle pressure, all else being equal, which translates to less noise. also the noise source is further from my ears. i really am not too interested in all the red tape surrounding suppressors. if there wasn't so much red tape, i'd have them already. as a side effect of the longer tubes, the velocity typically increases just a bit over a shorter tube too, which i like. but i understand the argument that to many folks, the difference isn't enough to worry about.
regards,
-tdbru

[LRRPF52]

When I shot the 12" unsuppressed, I didn't notice any real difference between it and a 16" from a practical perspective.

Nothing like a 10.5" 5.56.

I now have a 10.5" Grendel Criterion barrel from Precision Firearms for an even shorter build.

[Texas]

I have grendels in 12 to 24 inch. Use the 12 inch the most because of ease of handling and weight.

[jaybee1669]

Looks nice. I have 3 grendels covering all ranges with 25.5 inch bolt action, 16 inch canine and 12.5 pistol/soon to be sbr.

Hitting the 12 inch plates at 600 yards with the pistol sure made some old 30 cal guys give me funny looks last sunday lol.

I like to hear this. I'm about to drop a PA 4-14 into a LaRue LT204 mount so I can switch back and forth between it and an Athlon 1-6, depending on the situation.