Hi from Kansas City (actually Lees Summit, MO)

[GWW]

Hi All,
I am here on a fluke not knowing if I should acquire a 6.5 Grendel or a .223 Wylde. I really like the 6.5 because of its larger bullets and its accuracy potential. Although I reload the prices for brass are astronomical and not readily accessible as the .223 which everybody has. I will buy a Wilson Combat because that is what I have always bought in handguns. I do have a Springfield TRP .45 wad gun and an S&W Mod 41 for .22 Bullseye. I have never owned a Black Rifle. I just need some encouragement I think to get the 6.5 Grendel. I would use it for competition and home defense.
Thanks! Gary

[VASCAR2]

Welcome to the forum GWW! No doubting the 223/5.56 will be cheaper to shoot and have quicker recovery time in run & gun competition than 6.5 Grendel. In precision rifle matches where distances are longer the 6.5 Grendel will have an advantage. It is a lot easier to see and hear hits on steel targets with 6.5 Grendel compared to 223/5.56.

I find I shoot a lot more 6.5 Grendel than I do 223/5.56 but I’m getting older, retired and don’t train for CQB like I used to. I still shoot a lot of 22 LR out of dedicated 22 LR AR-15’s for CQB, target and plinking.

I say get both if you can afford a 6.5 Grendel and 223/5.56. I reload so I don’t have to worry as much for the availability of factory ammo. I stocked up over the last few years so I’d have reloading components during the next drought. I have made a couple of trips to Sierra factory in Sedalia, Mo and bought factory second/blem bullets. I’ve had good luck with these bullets for shorter range shooting. I watch for sales on bullets and other components. Starline Brass is next door to Sierra but it is cheaper to buy online brass from Starline’s website. Watch Starline’s website where they permit back ordering 6.5 Grendel brass. The brass usually ships within a few days after ordering.

You can also buy overruns and blem Nosler bullets from Shooters Pro Shop.

https://www.shootersproshop.com/

The 6.5 Grendel is a better hunting cartridge than the 223/5.56 and the 6.5 Grendel is good for varmints. If I had to choose one caliber for doing what I want to do it would be 6.5 Grendel. Prior to the last panic hunting ammo and quality target ammo was not that much cheaper in 223/5.56 compared to 6.5 Grendel. Bulk 223/5.56 ammo in 55 grain FMJ was always a lot cheaper to shoot than 6.5 Grendel (except when Wolf steel case 6.5 Grendel was cheap).

I am careful and don’t loose many 6.5 Grendel brass so I can reload it several times. The 6.5 Grendel only uses 27-31 grains of powder which is still cheaper than the 308, 6.5 Creedmoor, 243, 22-250 size cartridges.

[sundowner]

Welcome to the horde from Wisconsin.

[GWW]

Hi Vascar2,

Thanks for the response. I live 65 miles from Sedalia and was born there. Never. have visited the Sierra and Starline plants but figure that would be an interesting thing to do. I live in Lees Summit, MO which borders Kansas City, MO. I guess I will be getting a 6.5 Grendel as I would have had to buy all the reloading stuff for the .223, might as well pay for the 6.5 Grendel. Everyone is talking about mead and lifting a toast. Are you referring to the monster Grendel in Beowolf? Anyways, this drought on ammo, primers, and powder will end as everything else does. I might just have to buy a few boxes of ammo to see how the gun shoots. I'm going to get it from Wilson Combat in Berryville, AR which is about a 4-hour drive from my home. I'm getting a Vortex scope and mount from them too and will have it installed and sighted in at the factory. Thanks for the link to Shooters Pro Shop. What bullet, powder, and primer do you recommend? I am currently awaiting delivery of some brass from Starline for my.460 Rowland which is on backorder.
Thanks again for all the great information. Hoping you're having a Merry Christmas. GWW

[VASCAR2]

I use small rifle primers with thick cups with AR-15 rifles due to the floating firing pin design. The thicker cups resist slam fires with the AR-15. I use CCI 450, CCI 41 or BR-4 primers the most. Federal AR primers have thicker cups as do Remington small rifle magnum primers.


There are hundreds of threads in the reloading section on various primer powder combos but current popular powders I’ll list below. This is not a complete list but most powders which work with 5.56/223 will work with the 6.5 Grendel.

AR Comp
Accurate 2520
Accurate 2230
Xterminator
TAC
H-335
Benchmark
IMR8208XBR
LeveRevolution
CFE223
H4895
Winchester 748
BLc2
Viht N133, N135, N530, N540
Norma 202

[VASCAR2]

I was referring to Wolf Performance Ammunition imported from Russia. Barnaul Ammunition in Russia produces steel cased bi-metal bullet 6.5 Grendel ammunition which has been imported by Wolf. Barnaul Ammunition has also sold the 6.5 Grendel steel cased ammunition under their own name the last few years. The Wolf/Barnaul ammo uses Berdan priming in laquar steel cases and not easily reloaded but used to be reasonably priced. With the current import ban on Russian produced ammunition the price of Wolf/Barnual ammunition has skyrocketed.


http://wolfammo.com/steel-casing.aspx


https://www.barnaulammo.com/rifle-ammo/b...rendel.php

[just_john]

Welcome to the clan, GWW, from the great nation of Texas!

Get 'em both! The 223/5.56 is this generation's .22. Cheap and fun! And get the first Grendel for the more serious stuff. And then the second Grendel for the other serious stuff and then the third Grendel for more fun and then the fourth......