novice asking barrel length question

[mechanicuss]

Pardon ignorance of 6.5 Grendel performance - newbie. I have not purchased a barrel yet, but am itching to. If I choose 16" carbine 1st, what is the anticipated velocity loss vs what most ammo advertises, which I assume is for 24" barrels? (I know there are lots of variables - just need a rough rule of thumb, maybe?) Any info greatly appreciated.

[Drifter]

I think you can expect a loss of ~20 to 25 fps per inch.

[leopard6.5]

mechanicuss: First, welcome to the horde.

What is your thinking for what you will be using the rifle for? target, hunting, zombies,etc.

If it will be used for hunting, you may want to read through the hunting section to get a feel for what other people have harvested with the 16" barrel to see if it will meet your needs.

I read a post on the older forum that crashed, that someone chrono'd his 20" and 16" barrels using the same loads and his mv's came out within a few fps of each other.
So it seems there is no fixed, straightline calculation but just a rough estimate.
The poster said he quit using his 20" rifle because the 16" was so much handier and lighter and it killed everything he shot at.

Hopefully this helps and good luck.

Lee

[mechanicuss]

Thanks - I'd like to build a light whitetail deer stalker carbine first...

And, just as I posted that I stumbled on AA's ballistic .pdf for the 6.5 which shows the data for the 2 barrel lengths. So, I'll answer my own question - here's a table showing the Velocity and K.E. for each for the 123gr Lapua bullet:




Looks like for that load, it stays above 1000 ft-lb out to 350 yds with the shorter barrel - that'll work for a deer-killer carbine I would think .

[skyfish]

Everyone has their preferred length and balance feel. I went with 18", a good compromise IMO. I do prefer the old 20" standard the most for shooting, but 16" is handier to carry. I tend to hold a 20" AR much more stable, buts that me. My 18" has a fairly long PWS comp, makes it feel more like a 20".

I'm sure you'll like whatever you get. Just get a good trigger if you want precision.

[mechanicuss]

How is the muzzle blast and report on these 16"/18" Grendels? I've got 2 16" 308's - and the report is FIERCE - shooting w/o ear protection is like jamming 10p nails into your eardrums... A lower dB sound level would be a benefit to me for this cartridge - I don't like to deer hunt with earplugs...

[Kikn]

I shoot with a 16" barrell and the report is very tollerable without ear plugs.

[Drifter]

How is the muzzle blast and report on these 16"/18" Grendels? I've got 2 16" 308's - and the report is FIERCE - shooting w/o ear protection is like jamming 10p nails into your eardrums... A lower dB sound level would be a benefit to me for this cartridge - I don't like to deer hunt with earplugs...

It will depend greatly upon the muzzle device. A plain barrel or flash hider will be much more tolerable versus comps / brakes.

[hm2 clark]

I went with 18" barrels for hunting. My preception of muzzle blast is the Grendel has less of it then a 257 Roberts 21 inch tube, less then a 6.5 sweede with a 24 in tube or a 308 21 inch barrel. Still... I wear hearing protection@ the range..When hunting my buddies frequently tell me they never heard me shoot, and I always hear their their 06s shooting. I never here any claiber when I am shooting at a game animal.

[LRRPF52]

You can load the 16" to push 123gr bullets at 2500fps. I've pushed the 120's to 2520fps, but it doesn't need a lot of muzzle velocity to do the job as you can see, since it matches a lot of other calibers once they all have hit 100yds or 150yds for velocity and energy.

The 16" has more oomph to it than a 5.56, but is very mild compared with a .308, as mentioned already. It's a great all-round, lightweight hunting carbine. The heavier guns do help you shoot better though, but I've gotten just under MOA with my 16" using 123gr Scenars.

100gr NBT's run 2700fps out of mine as well, with very little felt recoil.

[Tailgate]

I never here any claiber when I am shooting at a game animal.

You may not *perceive* it...but rest assured, your ear drums are hearing it even though the adrenaline seems to "mute" your ears, and you are incurring damage as well. A friendly piece of advice is to buy a set of electronic ear muffs for hunting. The Caldwells can be had for as little as $25, or $18 on sale. You'll hear everything, if not more, with the electronic ear muffs as you would without them. Your long-term hearing is worth the investment.

[Whelenon]

I have to agree about wearing hearing protection, I don't care how bad ass an hombre you think you are, shooting guns causes hearing loss! I'm almost deaf in one ear and the other ain't much better because I was too stupid or stubborn or both to wear protection. And I've said it too" "when your shooting game you don't hear the shot" but it still causes damage. Wear hearing protection.
Thank you for listening and I hope you all vote from me in the next election.

[jwilson1985]

I have to agree about wearing hearing protection, I don't care how bad ass an hombre you think you are, shooting guns causes hearing loss! I'm almost deaf in one ear and the other ain't much better because I was too stupid or stubborn or both to wear protection. And I've said it too" "when your shooting game you don't hear the shot" but it still causes damage. Wear hearing protection.
Thank you for listening and I hope you all vote from me in the next election.

lol ill vote for you ...but im the same almost deaf from mechanic work and lots of guns.so i agree with the electronic ear buds.i like the buds vs the earmuffs, just due to the fact some stocks the earmuffs wont let you get down on to see the scope.

[mechanicuss]

i agree w/everyone here - ear prot = good.

i also have experienced what hm2 clark is talking about, it is a true thing. shoot a particular gun one time without ear plugs and my ears ring all day; shoot a deer the next week with it and my ears don't ring at all - wierd - must be a buck fever adrenaline thing that shuts down your ears lol...

[Variable]

Tinnitus club member here too. Left ear is deaf to 65db in the mid ranges. My right is a little better. If you get tired of ear pro while hunting then a suppressor is the berries (if legal in your area). Having a good can on your rifle is awesome!

[stanc]

How is the muzzle blast and report on these 16"/18" Grendels?

The video in the post below may give you some idea.

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...#post16511

[texasgrunt]

One more vote for always wearing hearing protection of some sort. Back when I was 10' tall and bullet proof I was a marksmanship instructor in the Marines and in the interest in being able to hear all my students on the range I avoided hearing protection even though it was required. That, coupled with demolitions and SMAW shots, contributed significantly to my current situation where I have extreme difficulty hearing what my 5 and 2 year old sons. Hindsight is 20/20 so I strongly suggest learning from my mistakes.

Grunt