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Hello all, I have been lurking around the forum for a while gathering info as I caught the Grendel bug earlier this year. I have a Savage in 6.5 Creedmoor that fires factory Hornady Amax ammo to the tun of 1/2 MOA and better and it gave me the idea that I wanted to have a semi auto platform that could deliver similar results.
My first attempt was an AR stoner barrel from Midway. It shot around 1MOA with the occasional sub group with factory 123 Amax ammo. This was okay, but I wanted more. The premise of me buiding this rifle was that I did not want to have to hadload. I handload for all of my rifles but some times I dont have the time and I run out of supplies like powder which is a little harder to come by now.
So I tried a black hole weaponry barrel and boy am I happy with the results. I did the break in procedure listed on their website and then I made a second trip to the range for groups. My first groups with the 123 Amax were around 3/4 to 1 MOA and then I pulled out a box of 123 grain SSTs. The SSTs shot phenomenal. I shot 6 shots into a .670" group with my first group. Then my second group was 5 shots .310" !!!! Yes you are reading that correctly. That is the best 5 shot group I have ever shot and I have quite a few small groups with various precision rifles that I own. I proceed to finish out the 20 round box with a .710" 5 shot group and I took the last 4 shots and shot 4 separate bulls eyes on 4 circle targets. I am starting to wonder if I got a magical box of SSTs, so I ordered 5 more boxes.
The barrel is an 18" 264 LBC with a 1x9 twist that I bought from Surplus Ammo. Is anyone else getting these kind of results with these barrels? The attached pictures are my two best groups.
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I picked up one of those barrels when they were on sale w/free stripped upper last year and can say I had very similar results. There barrels shoot very good for the money. I have had only good experiences with the BHW barrels (3) so I decided to pick up one of the PF barrels made on a BHW blank and expect more of the same
Good product!
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05-12-2015, 02:43 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-12-2015, 03:30 PM by lead chucker.)
Very promising indeed! My BHW 12" barrel should be here today. I hope it can reach that accuracy! Great shooting and thanks for sharing.
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Tackdriver, mine came with the free upper receiver as well and that is what I have it mounted to. The BCG I am using is actually out of a 7.62x39 upper I have. I just pulled that BCG out and stuck it in this upper and it functioned flawlessly. I cant wait until my ammo comes in so I can do it again. I have two bolt guns that shoot 1/2 MOA conistantly, and I dont just mean cherry picking groups. Every time I pull the trigger on them I know it is going to land 1/2 MOA or closer to what I am shooting at. I would have never imagined I could build a semi auto that shot this well, and the total cost of the upper is just under $600.
Hopefully I will be confirming the same results later this week with another box of ammo.
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Very cool!
:: 6.5 GRENDEL Deer and Targets :: 6mmARC Targets and Varmints and Deer :: 22 ARC Varmints and Targets
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Very nice. Any idea what lot # that magic box was :p
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Does this come with a bolt? the send an upper but makes no mention of a bolt.
1911man Wrote:Hello all, I have been lurking around the forum for a while gathering info as I caught the Grendel bug earlier this year. I have a Savage in 6.5 Creedmoor that fires factory Hornady Amax ammo to the tun of 1/2 MOA and better and it gave me the idea that I wanted to have a semi auto platform that could deliver similar results.
My first attempt was an AR stoner barrel from Midway. It shot around 1MOA with the occasional sub group with factory 123 Amax ammo. This was okay, but I wanted more. The premise of me buiding this rifle was that I did not want to have to hadload. I handload for all of my rifles but some times I dont have the time and I run out of supplies like powder which is a little harder to come by now.
So I tried a black hole weaponry barrel and boy am I happy with the results. I did the break in procedure listed on their website and then I made a second trip to the range for groups. My first groups with the 123 Amax were around 3/4 to 1 MOA and then I pulled out a box of 123 grain SSTs. The SSTs shot phenomenal. I shot 6 shots into a .670" group with my first group. Then my second group was 5 shots .310" !!!! Yes you are reading that correctly. That is the best 5 shot group I have ever shot and I have quite a few small groups with various precision rifles that I own. I proceed to finish out the 20 round box with a .710" 5 shot group and I took the last 4 shots and shot 4 separate bulls eyes on 4 circle targets. I am starting to wonder if I got a magical box of SSTs, so I ordered 5 more boxes.
The barrel is an 18" 264 LBC with a 1x9 twist that I bought from Surplus Ammo. Is anyone else getting these kind of results with these barrels? The attached pictures are my two best groups.
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Nope, no bolt they're standard 7.62x39 bolts, I'm using an NiB from hamlund tactical... And I've got the same barrel/upper which shoots .375-.5" all day long...
![[Image: 10995691_1070553889627751_11572334248956...e=56065F6F]](https://scontent-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10995691_1070553889627751_1157233424895641899_n.jpg?oh=afd056f4da0b343d150f88063d86bbf4&oe=56065F6F)
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Yeah, Like DanM says no Bolt with it. Good looking rig BTW DanM. I pulled the NIB BCG out of my SOTA arms 7.62x39 upper and it shoots great. Good to know others are getting the same results. Makes me feel like I am going to be able to repeat and that it was just a fluke. The lot # for the box of SSTs I used was 8152.
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danm Wrote:Nope, no bolt they're standard 7.62x39 bolts, I'm using an NiB from hamlund tactical... And I've got the same barrel/upper which shoots .375-.5" all day long...
Dan are you getting good groups with the factory Amax ammo as well? It did not group near as well as the SSTs did for me.
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Yeah, Amax and SST group nearly identical out of my rifle... How many rounds through your barrel?
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I had a 7.62*39 bolt that was a spare from another .264 lbc I got from a member and it worked great
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danm Wrote:Yeah, Amax and SST group nearly identical out of my rifle... How many rounds through your barrel?
I have exactly 60 rounds through it at this point.
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Great shooting! Mine arrives this week and I hope to see similar results.
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DrifterAT Wrote:Great shooting! Mine arrives this week and I hope to see similar results.
Thanks, did you go with an 18" as well? Be sure to post up your results. I am tempted to buy another just to have a spare for when I inevitably shoot this one out.
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Yes I have the 18" light contour barrel but ..... after seeing their products and talking to them for 2 hours, they told me they could build me a rifle in a week....so I decided to test them and purchased one
. I should have it this week and will post pics.
I order a Neptune II Upper today with a 16" barrel from Mark. He had the 10% birthday discount which ends today. 10% and no taxes is a very good savings for me. Bartlein, fluted, and cerakote barrel. Of course PF takes a bit longer than a week
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So a Grendel hard use bolt from Alexander Arms won't work?
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terrywick4 Wrote:So a Grendel hard use bolt from Alexander Arms won't work?
If you send it to them and ask them to head space your barrel for it from the start then it will. But if they head spaced it for a type 1 bolt then No.
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05-14-2015, 01:15 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-14-2015, 01:18 AM by NugginFutz.)
terrywick4 Wrote:So a Grendel hard use bolt from Alexander Arms won't work?
To be clear:
BHW is producing 264LBC chambered barrels which are, by default, headspaced to use a "Type I" bolt with a .124" bolt face depth. Upon request, they will headspace the barrel for a standard (AKA Type II) Grendel Bolt (including the AA hard use) if you ask for it while ordering.
Mark from PF is chambering BHW barrels with a standard Grendel reamer and as far as I know, are all headspaced for the standard Grendel Bolt (.135"), which also includes the AA hard use bolt.
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I just got my 12.5" barrel from them yesterday. I cant be happier, I shot a few groups today with it. I didn't have time to measure them but looks under an inch with my hand loads for my 18" barrel. I ordered it with a type 2 chamber. They are clearing their inventory now, they have most of their AR barrel for 20% off if anyone is interested in a great barrel.
