Project a Good Idea?

[Dinny]

So I have this handy little Kimber 84M Hunter in a less than desirable caliber (6.5CM). I love how well it handles, love the flush fit magazine, and love the scaled down M70-like action.

I spoke to Kevin Weaver about making it a Grendel. He recommends a $350 stainless Lilja barrel and says another $250-$350 is needed to install the barrel and ensure it feeds from the DBM and extracts correctly.

I plan to have the barrel follow the same Hunter/Montana contour to 22" and 1:8" twist.

As far as COAL is concerned, I know the magazine and action should be able to manage longer loaded cartridges.

First, am I crazy for pumping this much money into this rifle to get a Grendel?

Second, what's the general consensus on chambering? Should the throat be cut to accept a longer COAL?

I intend to mainly just hunt deer, coyotes and hogs with this rifle.

Thanks, Dinny

P.S. I've waited long enough for LSI to release a Mini with either a flush fit DBM or real bottom metal with a hinged floorplate.

[A5BLASTER]

Sounds like a great project to me. Do it sir.

Me personally I would make up a dummy round with your bullet of choice and have it throated to your dummy round.

If your going to drop that amount of cash just assume get all the juice you can get by seating long.

Think eld-m seated too 2.400 and a 22 inch tube should do you some nice speeds.

But it's your money so only you can decided if it's worth it. If it was me I would already be doing it. But that's because creedmoor doesn't do anything that a grendel doesn't already do for me.

[Djgrendel]

I think it's a great idea. I would have it throated for a 129 ablr, seated as far out as possible to gain some case capacity. If that doesn't work well, you can always have the barrel set back a bit and recut a different throat

[Stinky Coyote]

Awesome idea, imo it’s a 600 yrd sheep rig so I think about rigs like it all the time. Melvin could maybe build one but you already have a good start platform so why not!

[SDguy]

Someone here has to be controversial. I love the 6.5 Grendel though if it were me I would leave that rifle alone if she shoots good. If it is a poor shooter then maybe I would re-chamber to a Grendel Max. And yes I would at least give strong consideration to a bit deeper throat. I am in the camp the grendel is best suited for a true mini action bolt action. Now this is me.

Ask yourself what bullets may you consider for deer that you have not already put to good use. Reality this is your money and only you can decide how that action may be put to best use for your needs. Do you care about the resale value of the rifle. If so Id wager you will be best off leaving her as is.

[SDguy]

Again I love the Grendel cartridge, Yet I really have to ask whats not to like about the 6.5 CM chambering in that rifle or any other?

[biodsl]

So I have this handy little Kimber 84M Hunter in a less than desirable caliber (6.5CM).

A phrase you'll only find on the Grendel Forum.

[smokinggun]

I had the same 84M Hunter. My fix was to convert it to the Montana Kevlar stock and chop the barrel down to 20" and leave the chamber as 6.5CM. I would only consider what you are thinking about doing if it also involved replacing the Hunter stock, that's a lot of money to still end up with that stock. Just my opinion.

[Msalm]

I agree with SDguy, why take a nice light rifle in a flat shooting capable cartridge perfect for that platform and put a smaller, shorter cartridge in it that you will most likely try and hot rod to match the previous cartridges capabilities?

Like SDguy, I also am very fond of the Grendel cartridge, but it is in no way better than the Creed in performance.

[Harpoon1]

I agree with SDguy, why take a nice light rifle in a flat shooting capable cartridge perfect for that platform and put a smaller, shorter cartridge in it that you will most likely try and hot rod to match the previous cartridges capabilities?

Like SDguy, I also am very fond of the Grendel cartridge, but it is in no way better than the Creed in performance.

+1

[A5BLASTER]

I agree with SDguy, why take a nice light rifle in a flat shooting capable cartridge perfect for that platform and put a smaller, shorter cartridge in it that you will most likely try and hot rod to match the previous cartridges capabilities?

Like SDguy, I also am very fond of the Grendel cartridge, but it is in no way better than the Creed in performance.

Guess it depends on what your performance needs truly are.

For me and what I do the creedmoor is just a waist of powder and felt recoil into my shoulder. It doesn't kill anything any faster or dead'er.

And it doesn't really give me anymore grins and giggles on steel plate then the grendel already does.

I can only speak for me but if it was my rifle and I had the cash flow and want too do it I would already be doing it.

[Harpoon1]

Guess it depends on what your performance needs truly are.

For me and what I do the creedmoor is just a waist of powder and felt recoil into my shoulder. It doesn't kill anything any faster or dead'er.

And it doesn't really give me anymore grins and giggles on steel plate then the grendel already does.

I can only speak for me but if it was my rifle and I had the cash flow and want too do it I would already be doing it.

Right, but the whole point of this is to build/modify a Grendel so you can “hotrod” it, make it “better”, give it more Creedmoor like performance.

Or, I can just shoot the Creedmoor, with reduced loads, and same performance or better, than what your trying to achieve with your “hotrodded” Grendel.

IMO.

[A5BLASTER]

Right, but the whole point of this is to build/modify a Grendel so you can “hotrod” it, make it “better”, give it more Creedmoor like performance.

Or, I can just shoot the Creedmoor, with reduced loads, and same performance or better, than what your trying to achieve with your “hotrodded” Grendel.

IMO.

Who says you have to hotrod it because it's a bolt action?

I have a bolt action grendel howa. I don't hot rod it. If I was going too do the project op is talking about sure I would have the barrel throated to give me max powder capacity.

But I would still run it a sain pressures like I do my howa grendel. And yet have a bit more speed.

I think some folks need to face facts not everybody wants every rifle they own to throw 130 or heavier bullets 3000 fps and have 10 plus pounds or more felt recoil energy.

If a nice custom setup like op is discussing isn't for you then it isn't for you. But at the end of the day only the op can make the choice of how and where to spend his money.

Me I would be doing the conversion if it was my wants and I had the cash flow to do it.

[Dinny]

I would throat it for the 129gr ABLR just for the sake of accuracy. I'm perfectly happy with standard Grendel velocity and performance. Like A5, I see no need to burn more powder than needed.

Thanks, Dinny

[s3silver]

If you already have the budget for it then do it. You won’t regret it. Accurate and soft on your shoulder all day at the range.

[Feral]

Hey Dinny, load up some 130gr. NAB over around 45grs. of H4831sc using Fed 210 in your Creed.
I loaded 45.5grs in my SS 20" M7 .260, stocked in a "Wildcat" stock from Alberta topped with a Leupold 2.5-8X36.
It weighs 6.25#'s.
First 4 shot group was 1.08"
Second group, 5 shot was .804"
Velocity was 2456 fps about the same as a Grendel, yeah I know I had to use more powder, but then I can also kick it up to 2800+ fps with the same bullet and more of the same powder.
VERSATILITY.......

Up until then I had the hots for a 6.5 Grendel but didn't pull the trigger because living in Canada we are getting bend over the hitching rail price wise.
That and Matt at LSI saying they would not import SS mini's into north America.
Then there was all that talk last year from Matt on new and improved bottom metal.
I am not going to say that Matt can go phuck himself on an open forum, but that's what I am thinking.:p
>grin<

[bj139]

This is America, where individual freedom still exists, so if you want to do it, just do it.

I agree with others that have said the Creedmoor is better so that would be my choice.

[Klem]

Dinny,

Why destroy a perfectly shooting 6.5Cr? Unsure whether you can switch barrels and bolts with a Kimber but you can with a Rem700.

Use the same stock, action and scope but unscrew the Creedmore barrel and screw in a Grendel. Swap out bolts and use a different mag. For the cost of an action wrench and barrel vise you've got one gun, two calibres.

[Dinny]

Klem,
Thanks for the idea, but I don't think it is all that easy to swap CRF bolts.

Thanks, Dinny

[Stinky Coyote]

A creedmoor 140gr at 2700 fps in an all up 6.5 lb rifle will recoil at 16.8 ft/lbs and the Grendel 123gr at 2580 fps at 10.2 ft/lbs.

Not a chance that creedmoor option gets shot all day for fun and everything else. Beauty of the Grendel is it will still go all day in any weight rifle for any shooter and barrel life whoops them all to make it all possible and one of the most efficient attractive options around. For big game duty it goes within 225 yards the distance a creedmoor can go. Which is still further than 98% all game is taken at real world.