2 AR's... different rifles, similar roles.

jmccracken1214

jmccracken1214

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I just acquired a 20" ar10, which is sweet... but its got me looking at my 18" grendel funny... Both rifles are very similar with ballistics, with the 6.5 better off, out past 500 yards and is much lighter. The entire rifles feels like it weighs as much as just the ar10 upper... but i like the 10 more. So Im running changing things up through my head... Should I make the grendel a 12.5" pistol instead? Maybe change to a 6.8?

I hate that my mind never shuts off. The fact that I have 2 rifles that will perform similarly bugs me.. I want something different, but at the same time... I dont.

What to do, what to do.
 
Shoot both until you know which is more accurate and which you like shooting better.


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@jmccracken1214
We must think alike. My 20" ar10 in .243 win is just waiting on a stock and adjustable gas block.

I love my 18" grendel it is extremely accurate. I have just had issues adjusting to the grendel velocities. I grew up on a .243 and was efficient with running game hold offs. I cannot get the hang of hold offs on the grendel. It has frustrated me for 2 years now, so back to .243 I go.

I do have a 12.5" grendel and love it as much if not more than the 18". So the 18" will either be a backup precision rig or on the chopping block.
 
chrishf12 said:
@jmccracken1214
We must think alike. My 20" ar10 in .243 win is just waiting on a stock and adjustable gas block.

I love my 18" grendel it is extremely accurate. I have just had issues adjusting to the grendel velocities. I grew up on a .243 and was efficient with running game hold offs. I cannot get the hang of hold offs on the grendel. It has frustrated me for 2 years now, so back to .243 I go.

I do have a 12.5" grendel and love it as much if not more than the 18". So the 18" will either be a backup precision rig or on the chopping block.
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I hear ya Grendel man. Sell me a BCG. Lol I need one for mine
 
I went the opposite route, I started with an AR10 in .308 and never warmed up to it.

I did everything I could to make the .308 a shooter, adjustable gas block, Fortis RED brake, Geissele 2 stage trigger etc and while it shot well and functioned perfectly, I just found found the bulk & weight to be cumbersome.

Now I’m running a 24” 6.5 Grendel that I built from scratch and I’m loving everything about the gun and caliber.

I’m not the most knowledgeable person on ballistics, but I haven’t found much the Grendel can’t do that the .308 can, but then again I’m not anything close to an expert.
 
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Tarowah said:
I went the opposite route, I started with an AR10 in .308 and never warmed up to it.

I did everything I could to make the .308 a shooter, adjustable gas block, Fortis RED brake, Geissele 2 stage trigger etc and while it shot well and functioned perfectly, I just found found the bulk & weight to be cumbersome.

Now I’m running a 24” 6.5 Grendel that I built from scratch and I’m loving everything about the gun and caliber.

I’m not the most knowledgeable person on ballistics, but I haven’t found much the Grendel can’t do that the .308 can, but then again I’m not anything close to an expert.
Click to expand...
I ran a few rounds of federal match 168gr smk through my 20” 308 psa 10 today.
Here’s the last 4 shots I had, that I grouped at 100.
A8B70CC7-676E-4EDA-B28D-123C75EB3A0D.jpeg
 
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Tarowah said:
I went the opposite route, I started with an AR10 in .308 and never warmed up to it.

I did everything I could to make the .308 a shooter, adjustable gas block, Fortis RED brake, Geissele 2 stage trigger etc and while it shot well and functioned perfectly, I just found found the bulk & weight to be cumbersome.

Now I’m running a 24” 6.5 Grendel that I built from scratch and I’m loving everything about the gun and caliber.

I’m not the most knowledgeable person on ballistics, but I haven’t found much the Grendel can’t do that the .308 can, but then again I’m not anything close to an expert.
Click to expand...

Is the grendel really much lighter or less cumbersome?
 
bigfelipe said:
Is the grendel really much lighter or less cumbersome?
Click to expand...


It really is, the Grendel is built on the standard AR platform so the rifles are no different than grabbing any other AR, to me the AR10 feels twice as bulky and weight considerably more.

Granted I am running a 24” barrel so I wouldn’t exactly call this rifle “handy”, but realistically you can build an 18” AR with the Grendel, Valkyrie or 6.8 SPC II and the rifle will weigh considerably less and still have the ability to run ARs in these 3 calibers exactly like a 5.56 “carbine” but have vastly superior ballistics out to 500 yards and beyond (things get more complicated at this point imo), the larger AR10 platform in my opinion starts getting too large to be used like a standard “carbine”, some people can do it sure, most shooters can’t, myself included.
 
Tarowah said:
It really is, the Grendel is built on the standard AR platform so the rifles are no different than grabbing any other AR, to me the AR10 feels twice as bulky and weight considerably more.

Granted I am running a 24” barrel so I wouldn’t exactly call this rifle “handy”, but realistically you can build an 18” AR with the Grendel, Valkyrie or 6.8 SPC II and the rifle will weigh considerably less and still have the ability to run ARs in these 3 calibers exactly like a 5.56 “carbine” but have vastly superior ballistics out to 500 yards and beyond (things get more complicated at this point imo), the larger AR10 platform in my opinion starts getting too large to be used like a standard “carbine”, some people can do it sure, most shooters can’t, myself included.
Click to expand...

I thought it was the same platform. Must have confused it with the creedmoor or something. May have to look into that as an upper option...
 
If I built a Grendel it would be a 224.

3000fps with a 90gr SMK....supersonic to 1500-1600yds...
 
I know which one penetrates light cover better :D

My 18YO son knows what toting an 11.5lb AR10 without a sling all day feels like after hunting with it one day last week. He grabbed the trusty ol .35 Rem levergun which is 5lbs lighter the next day and shot a deer. He said "I'll just get closer" lol

Grendel is a great overall round, and from a 12.5" pistol barrel it excels. It doesn't loose much speed at that length vs the 16 or 18" length. I think less than 200fps.

The .224 is a great varmint round at 1200yards. The 90gr 224V might kill a deer at 300yds, but the Grendel will definitely do it with 120gr bullets. The .308 will do it every time.

I am gonna put my PA10 on a diet next spring with a Faxon 16" gunner barrel. It will still be a 10lb pig of a cover-penetrating DMR though. But in comparison to a SR25 Mk11 mod 0, it's still 2/3rds of heavy pig with similar capability.
 
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Ikarus1 said:
Grendel is a great overall round, and from a 12.5" pistol barrel it excels. It doesn't loose much speed at that length vs the 16 or 18" length. I think less than 200fps.
Click to expand...

Reading ballistic testing on the Grendel in short barrels shocked me. Made me want a 12.5.
 
NKD said:
Reading ballistic testing on the Grendel in short barrels shocked me. Made me want a 12.5.
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Yep the weight savings alone not to mention quick handling makes that particular AR setup ideal for tree stand hunting, or CQB, or truck passenger seat duty.
 
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If you go 6.8, yer gonna kick yerself for getting rid of your .224V stuff. I'd vote for goin' to a 12.5" 6.5G. Pistol lower & 12.5" barrel & yer good to go.
 
bigfelipe said:
Is the grendel ammo difficult to reload?
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not as difficult as .223/5.56. Bullets are bigger, case neck is larger for better visibility. They have their own forum. Bill Alexander is a genius IMO.

Brass is .... not as prevalent as it could be. I shoot alot of steel-cased wolf.
 
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Ikarus1 said:
not as difficult as .223/5.56. Bullets are bigger, case neck is larger for better visibility. They have their own forum. Bill Alexander is a genius IMO.

Brass is .... not as prevalent as it could be. I shoot alot of steel-cased wolf.
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A lot of brass pops up on their forum. You can find grendel ammo anywhere online and Lapua, starline, hornady etc etc sell empty brass for it
 
jmccracken1214 said:
A lot of brass pops up on their forum. You can find grendel ammo anywhere online and Lapua, starline, hornady etc etc sell empty brass for it
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ok I should have mentioned it's not nearly as cheap as it could be. It's basically the same price as 7.62x39, which is rediculously high. That's why it's not any cheaper to make your own from 7.62 brass.
 
The Wolf stuff is what makes this so attractive, imo. Just nice to have affordable blaster ammo for practice and whatnot.
 
NKD said:
The Wolf stuff is what makes this so attractive, imo. Just nice to have affordable blaster ammo for practice and whatnot.
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exactly. it's like an Ergonomic 5.45x39 AK, that is accurate, cheap to shoot, and still weighs less than 7lbs loaded.
 
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