#10MinuteTalk

The “cutest” cartridge in our holiday series, the 6.5 Grendel, is not to be overlooked because of its size. As our in-house cartridge expert Ryan Muckenhirn discusses with Jimmy and Mark, this little guy is as sweet-shooting as they come with an incredibly efficient design, super light recoil and excellent packaging in an AR platform.
As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us on any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.
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[@dougcutler4948]

I love this efficient little round. I just wish the ammo makers understood it's potential popularity and made it readily available.

[@LRRPFco52]

Over 100 factory loads and growing.

[@dougcutler4948]

@@LRRPFco52 Where can I buy it at a reasonable price?

[@LRRPFco52]

@@dougcutler4948 Have you heard of ammoseek? You can order PPU 120gr MPT and Hornady ELD-M for about $1/rd right now.

[@iamnotpaulavery]

@@dougcutler4948 SSG ammo!

[@iamnotpaulavery]

WTF...my comment on the hornady black and sst rounds disappeared!! Anyone see where it went??

[@BlueCollarRay]

I’m a Grendel fan. Glad it’s finally catching on. We tend to over do things. The Grendel is a good example of not overdoing it.

[@GenScinmore]

I totally agree, which is why it even has a high barrel life compared to other 6.5s like the Creedmoor. High efficiency is the best term used to describe the grendel.

[@davejhotch]

Just got back from a deer harvest in south Texas with my HOWA 6.5 Grendel. I was pretty impressed with how efficient it was. Low recoil, deer was dead before it hit the ground.

[@livingintheLight.]

Finally catching on? I've had one for 6 years, even had a type 1. They even make cheap Russian ammo for it

[@MrRdvs87]

Yea, for me, it’s just enough and maybe a touch more. Most of the deer I have killed could have been taken with a .357 mag carbine if I really wanted to go the minimalist route. Cool thing about the grendel is that I can still deliver good (not world beating) power out to distances I almost never shoot in the south east.

[@samthai818]

Deer harvest? You are full of shit.

[@dr.froghopper6711]

The Grendel is everything that the 5.56 wants to be.

[@borkwoof696]

No, not really

[@cugir321]

Except it's got no shock wave. Like Uncle Ted dressed in a pink toto

[@dr.froghopper6711]

@@cugir321 but Unca Ted is a singular bird!

[@Paulito941]

​@borkwoof696 yes really the 223 isnt good at anything...like the nickelback of ar rounds...popular lots of people like it but it sucks 🙂

[@midwestbd7144]

My grendel will never replace my 5.56. .223/5.56 parts and ammo are so common and cheap that it’s hard to heavily invest in any of the other AR15 calibers.

[@raywells2858]

One of my favorite cartridges hands down!!! The older and wiser I get the more I find myself appreciating the more efficient chamberings.

[@concernedaussie1330]

Same . I have a howa mini action & it’s a fantastic little rifle. A very cheap ultra light hunting rifle .

[@user-ob7mt5ht2u]

Ruger has been offering the American Predator series 6.5 Grendel bolt gun since 2018! And they added the American Ranch series Grendel the end of last year.

[@ssgslaughter4639]

Right I was like pulling my hair out when they didn’t mention the ruger Ruger ranch!! I’ve been drooling over their 6.5cm predator for the last 2 years and finally built it last month with a magpul stock and timney trigger 😁now I want a 6.5 grendal ranch for my boys and nephews to play around with on the farm.

[@calvinborer6572]

@@ssgslaughter4639 I did the same thing, definitely a whole new animal with the Magpul stock!! I have a ranch in .223 didn't know they made one in grendel might be next on my list.

[@soonerfrac4611]

6.5 Grendel: modern day 6.5 Arisaka.

[@zeedub10]

Picked up the American Ranch in 6.5 Grendel. Superb.

[@bradleys2320]

@@soonerfrac4611 interesting. I just saw a Type 44 in a local pawn shop and wondered where that 6.5x50 would fall in caliber comparisons.

[@DanielBoone337]

I love the 6.5 Grendel I built an AR15 to hunt with this year mainly because of the hog problem we have down in Louisiana... So far I've shot 2 deer and tons of hogs with it and it hasn't let me down yet!!!!

[@kyle18934]

Is the hog population going g down with hunting, or are they still growing?

[@240SSONLY]

@@kyle18934 it will never go down in numbers unless there is a government incentive for hunters. Sows can breed several times a year, they are ready at a young age and can do 4-6 piglets average... we might have dented the population in the US, but not enough to make a difference. So I expect to see wild hogs in norther states in less than 5 years

[@thesouthernlife4061]

@@kyle18934 You can't get rid of these hogs down here I hunt sherburne and it's ridiculous they are killing the deer population and have demolished the turkeys I havnt seen the first turkey since they invaded they eat the nests turkeys already have a very low poult survival rate add hogs and it runs them into extinction sherburne use to be full of turkeys and deer it's going to sht and they won't do anything about it they won't let people hunt them year round or trap them they put out a few traps and claim they use a helicopter to shoot them during summer but it's to many woods no way they can kill many from air and I've seen their trapping they suck they will never get rid of the hogs unless they take extreme measures were going to lose a very good piece of public land to hogs if they won't allow hog hunting in summer I say make everyone kill 2 hogs before they are allowed to kill deer every year which won't be hard to do and maybe it will knock them down a little

[@kyle18934]

@@thesouthernlife4061 thats crazy! those suckers should be hunted until they are nearly gone. they are not natural, or play nicely in the enviroments they inhabit.

[@kyle18934]

@@240SSONLY what do you think would be a good incentive to get people to hunt them?

[@wj9954]

I've had a 6.5 Grendel for the last three years and love how it shoots. I changed to a 24 inch barrel made by X caliber with 7 twist and rifle plus 2 gas. It puts 129 grain ABLR's out at 2540 fps with AR Comp powder. I've sighted it in at 200 yards and hit everything I shoot at with it out to 700 yards, I haven't shot at anything beyond that because I haven't seen anything I want to shoot at beyond that range. I am 75 and really don't think I want to try to run down any animals at that range anymore. I like this in the AR platform, nice to my shoulder that has survived two replacements also.

[@crawford323]

Impressive

[@codya5333]

6.5 Grendel great cartridge for an ar 15 platform.

[@justinlance4174]

Or ak. Or bolt guns

[@justinlance4174]

@@stewartrun vepr makes a 6.5grende akl. Csspecs makes 6.5grendel ak magazines. Definitive arms makes a 6.5grendel ak that takes ar15 mags. Lee armory also makes 1

[@skeet330]

@@stewartrun I heard the Serbs are modifying their aks to shoot 6.5 grendel

[@nospam3409]

I've been running a 24" Sanders Armory upper for 3 years now and absolutely love it. My pet load is a 105gr MKZ over a stout charge of N530. It runs around 2850 (with a .490 BC) and holds 1/2 MOA or better. Took a prairie dog with it last year at 600 yds. I've filled all of my (Indiana firearms) deer tags with it for the past 3 years including a very heavy quartering shot on a decent 8 pt last year at 297 yds. Total pass through right through the heart. Love the cartridge and the load. Its so accurate its boring... ;)

[@BlueCollarRay]

Amen

[@russdennis7026]

I love my Sanders 6.5G upper for my DD lower. Plenty of energy for deer at 350+.

[@ferret19731]

Howa mini action 6.5 grendel, shooting 123 gr Hornady SST. 240 yard shot, skimmed the facing shoulder, caught ribs upon entry, both lungs and heart, ribs upon exit, just missed the second shoulder (arm pit exit wound) about ⅝ inch. Deer took 2 jumps away for a total of maybe 30 feet before dropping.

[@davejhotch]

My HOWA mini action with the 20” heavy barrel is a freaking tack driver. Can’t wait to put it on some meat at the ranch.

[@ReconMan772]

Have been using the grendel for 6 yrs now , it's the only round I use for everything from , pigs to deer and even my kids use one too .. best all around cartridge for what we do here in FL, an Ga

[@AwkwardYet]

300blk for my area.

[@miamislice3280]

I also use this round on my kids

[@YaketyYakDontTalkBack]

Nice. A highly efficient episode on a highly efficient cartridge. 6.5 Grendel is my preferred choice in the AR15 platform. Glad to see it getting some love.

[@ghosttimm420]

I have more 6.5 Grendel rounds for my AR than any of my other guns combined. With the efficiency of a 5.56/223 round and the stopping power of a 308 round, it’s truly an incredible round! 🤘

[@harpreetsinghpannu408]

What is Max and effective Firing range of the 6.5 Grendel?and how it fares when compared to 6.8*43mm and 6..8*51mm Sig Fury?

[@anthonykaiser974]

@@harpreetsinghpannu408 it's designed for an AR-15 - where the 6.8 Fury is an AR-10 - and it outranges a 6.8 x 43 SPC because of the long higher BC bullets. It's exterior ballistics are better than typical 7.62 x 51.

[@harpreetsinghpannu408]

@@anthonykaiser974 So, typically the 5.56*45 mm round is getting replaced by the Sig Fury round..

[@anthonykaiser974]

@@harpreetsinghpannu408 so they say. But that's only supposed to be in line infantry, where our guys would expect to run into body armor issues. SIG Fury full power ammo is 80,000 PSI, which is Magnum levels.

[@harpreetsinghpannu408]

@@anthonykaiser974 5.56*45mm round is not giving good results actually even after being hit the tangos r still returning fire,same experienced by the Indian army in ci ops..

[@codywitt2718]

Love my Howa 6.5 Grendel. Ive shot bowling pins at 1200y and killed mule deer and antelope with it.

[@estebahnquantum9350]

Wow ! Sami it's 6.7 . It's going for 2 dollars or more round . I saw 20 rounds hornady for 85 dollars . this bullet is on par with much bigger bullets which I find incredible . I'm goung 2 a round I want 338 lupa match king 225 grains for 2 to 4 dollars round . Your telling me the gren : ) is on par with lupa ? : 0

[@justinlance4174]

@@estebahnquantum9350 wolf makes 6.5grendel 26cents a round. Ppu makes 6.5brass cased hunting ammo 50cents a round. Before the ammo shortage i was getting 500rds of wold miliitary classic for 125$

[@jwhmerica504]

My howa won’t shoot better than 3 Moa.

[@codywitt2718]

@@jwhmerica504 1MOA guarantee send it back because mine and a buddy bought 20” HB barreled actions and put them in Boyd’s stocks and they flat shoot.

[@jwhmerica504]

@@codywitt2718 i guess I could look into that. I got mine as a barreled action and put it in a Boyd’s stock. It’s still min of deer I guess.

[@BrassJeep]

CZ 527 American in 6.5 Grendel is one of my favorite rifle cartridge combos I own, and I have a few. 😁

[@jtelevenoyd1571]

If CZ chambered either the 527 Carbine or the 527 Carbine Synthetic in it, I'd have to give it a good hard look. As it is, I may just go with a 6.5 Grendel AR.

[@BrassJeep]

@@jtelevenoyd1571 I’m still debating on what AR platform to get it in as well.

[@LRRPFco52]

@@BrassJeep I have spent a lot of time with everything from 28" down to 12" Grendels. What are you looking to do with it?

[@blujthewombat]

I have the 527 MTR in 6.5 Grendel and it's a great rifle

[@bustersmith5569]

I just bought a CZ in a 6.5 Grendel,,,, can't wait to shoot it,,,,, 527 mountain 26" barrel 😀

[@ElderGuy729]

I’m sold. Time to do a 6.5 Grendel build!

[@VortexNation]

🤜🤛

[@freedomfirst5420]

The Serbian military is in the process of adopting the 6.5 Grendel.

[@user-nw5gz7pc4y]

Is adopted as M21 modular rifle (6.5 Grendel/7.62x39). Here is link.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXSupXuOgdx-nac

[@freedomfirst5420]

@@user-nw5gz7pc4y Awesome, thanks!

[@estebahngold7713]

They did few years back so who else bought it out ? 2 dollars round of wolf ammo .it was 30 cents round back in 2018 .

[@danielswierczynski2001]

@@estebahngold7713 What? $2.00 for a round of Wolf steel? But yes, I bought 1000+ rounds in 2018/early 2019.

[@kyle18934]

@@user-nw5gz7pc4y that's a nice looking rifle. I wouldn't mind having one of those

[@cm-pr2ys]

The ultimate in ar-15 ammo. Greatest range, power, and lightest ammo an ar-15 can fire without any external modifications. A polymer cased 6.5 grendel is probably the fist major change we'll see to military small arms in the near future. In the far future, the future is going to be either 6.5 grendel CT, 6.5 creedmoor CT, or 6.8 spc CT. For now though? 6.5 is easiest, cheapest, and most impactful small arms change we could make.

[@concernedaussie1330]

Maybe the 6mm arc in that mix.

[@djl5634]

@@concernedaussie1330 6arc is good. But overhyped. Highest bc 6arc is Hornady 108 grn match ammo. Velocity 2670. Bc .536. 6.5grendel has Federal Gold Medal Match Berger 130grn. At 2550 bc 560. So higher bc hevier bullet moving almost as fast. And 6.5grendel has cheap ammo available like wolf ppu and s@b. Maybe if 6arc catches on more I would consider it. But both are supersonic to 1200yds. But cheap ammo is more of my concern as I doubt I'd ever need to shoot past 800yds. Maybe even 600yds. In any real world scenario. And if I did I wouldn't use either preferably

[@concernedaussie1330]

@@djl5634 yeah all good points. 6.5 Grendel & 6mm arc IMO are great little rounds worth investigating, especially with polymer case technology. Saving weight & efficiency, coupled with down range external ballistics , use of already existing platform systems is a great stop gap measure. From what we are seeing in Ukraine right now , I don’t believe we need the new 6.8 round. Far overkill, Russia’s body armour & or any of their systems aren’t performing the way most people thought. To be honest I was quite shocked by their poor performance “ or Ukrainian “ fantastic performance.

[@djl5634]

@@concernedaussie1330 we aren't that worried about Russia. More like china. It produces 80% of the body armor in the world it's cheap and very effective. I have a 30 06 specifically because it can pierce body armor better than 308. And factory laloaded M2 AP at 2750fps can be stopped by level 4+. Only when u upload it to 2900 can it Pierce level 4. So I see the need as common as body armor is becoming and as fast as it's advanced. Not to mention drones might be lightly armored and may be part of the army's consideration

[@concernedaussie1330]

@@djl5634 well my country will be flat out even arming It's self, in a war with China . Terrible state of affairs .

[@michaelsarkisian1047]

the 6mm ARC is a direct descendent of the 6.5 Grendel, and the 224 Valkyre is a direct descendent of the 6.8 SPC. Also pistol (12.5 inch barrel) AR Grendels are still whitetail getters at 300-400 yards

[@ravissary79]

I actually wonder if the 6 arc might be better in 12" or a pin/weld 14.5, sure the narrower bore means inferior powder burn per barrel length, but it being a faster round than d syol hyper efficient case, means it has more velocity to spare for bullet performance, albeit with less mass/diameter, so perhaps less penetration, but wider performance envelope of a given expanding bullet from an sbr.

[@BigfootUnibrowMan]

I feel like a 6.8 SPC would be better for hunting in a smaller size barrel like that🤔

[@ericj6636]

The 224 Valkyrie should've been a 6mm SPC IMO

[@michaelsarkisian1047]

@@ericj6636 there is a 6.5 version of the Valkyrie

[@arhunters1936]

This caliber has good field data from us in real life & live tissue examples. 8+ Elk have been killed with it from 150yds to a max of 480yds using 18" barrel as the shortest and mostly out of 24" barreled uppers. My 15yr old son took a Cow Elk at 480yds with a one shot kill to the neck. Furthermore its taken - 3x Antelope, 2x Nanny Ibex, Barbary Sheep, a Whitetail, and Javelina. It is a fantastic youth hunting caliber or a first timer and even female hunters to mid-range distances and in. For us the sweet spot ballisticly is the factory Hornady 123gr SST. It is Big Game capable with correct shot placement and appropriate distances respected. Like I said we are good as a Max of 480yds on a Elk and shot placement has to be precise... most probably should not go over 400yds. There has been a Cow Moose taken with it in AK as well. We have plans to get it on a Bear soon and potentially a Moose of our own with it in the future as well. The appeal for youth hunters is ballisticly it carries a great payload but is low recoiling so it doesn't hurt, scare, or create bad habits in youth or small framed shooters. Its affordable so they can get lots of range time to create repeatable and confident good hits. Glad it continues to get spoken about. I just got a 12" barrel and so we will see what a short barreled version of this can do. Join our Group on MeWe to follow those who hunt with AR platforms! mewe.com/join/arhunters

[@dalemyers9045]

I have Grendels in 12, 16 and 20" barrels. Love them all!

[@keithjanke4321]

Ruger does make the American Ranch and Predator in 6.5 Grendel. And you must do a #10minutetalk on the 6.8 SPC next!!!

[@taylorcleblanc]

They would get like 5 views for that. For some reason this thing has dropped off the face of the earth.

[@crowbranch]

@@taylorcleblanc A lot of hype surrounding the 6.5 caliber lately probably has a lot to do with it. A myth has been propagated that the 6.5 caliber has better BC bullets than larger calibers. The opposite is true. Though the bullets that the Gendel is capable of firing do have higher BCs than the SPC is capable of firing. I own both. Have a 6.8 SPC in a 16" barrel and a 6.5 Grendel in a 24" barrel. When it comes to hunting Whitetails, I'll grab the SPC everytime. Neither of these are powerful cartridges, so I would never fire over 300 yards with either of these. Probably much less. At that range neither cartridge has a significant advantage. For long range target shooting or maybe varmint hunting, I would grab the Grendel. In this video the guy does a good job explaining some of that SPC advantages VS Grendel advantages. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqiqnoVsZa-lnpI

[@andrewslagle1974]

@@crowbranch i hunt white tail on my farm in newyork state easily out to 500 no problem clean kill !

[@crowbranch]

@@andrewslagle1974 Good shooting. The longest shot I can get on my land is the field which is just under 300 yards. This is another reason I will grab the much lighter 6.8 SPC build I have. Don't hunt fields much anyway. My 6.5 Grendel is a 24" Alexander Arms Overwatch upper. Very heavy. No advantage for where I hunt. Don't get me wrong. I like the 6.5 caliber but since buying the Grendel I purchased a 6.5 Creedmoor AR10 upper and a 6.5-284 bolt action. These are the guns I would prefer to use at long range due to their flatter trajectory and increased energy over the Grendel and SPC. The 6.8 SPC is my woods gun. Haven't used the Grendel upper in a few year and have considered selling it.

[@jx83xparten6]

I have a Cz 527 in 6.5 Grendel. The mini Mauser action paired with the single set trigger is one of my favorite rifles in my collection!

[@t3hm4zn]

The 527 in 6.5 Grendel is the most underrated rifle ever. Absolutely gorgeous rifle, and the Grendel is a truly special caliber. There's a reason it's rare to find them for under about $1400 now.

[@PaulVerhoeven2]

7.62x39 did not "spawn" from .220 Russian, it was the other way around.

[@MrBarramundi]

Yep. Loving the grendel in Australia gents. Thanks for the talk. The grendel rules at night.

[@Swampytheroot]

For an AR, 6.5 Grendel is the most perfect choice between Evils. And it does them all stunningly well

[@buckaroobonsi555]

6.5 Grendel is a gem or diamond in the rough. It is the red headed step child that almost no one seems to know about!

[@stephenhair5501]

Love the 6.5 Grendel cartridge!! Highly efficient, you nailed it.

[@Bshwag]

I own 3 rifles in 6.5 grendel and one is a very nice cz 527 bolt gun my hand loads are averaging 2820 fps. I really like the performance, I have hunted caribou in alaska for 4 years with it and it does a great job.

[@christianfontaine2946]

I'm absolutely loving these cartridge reviews

[@Raccoonactual]

I'm honestly surprised that more people aren't using the 6.5G. Light recoil, wide ammo weight selection (85-130 gr), better ballistics than almost every other SAAMI approved AR15 compatible cartridge (6mm ARC might barely nudge past it), and a truely good general purpose cartridge.

[@michaelgarvin3506]

6.8 spc discussion would be interesting after this

[@tim1105]

Love the Grendel! Have several from single shots, bolt and AR15's.

[@justinlance4174]

I baught my first ar15 in 6.5grendel. Cheap wolf ammo is really what sold me. But u need a chrome chamber and bore

[@iBleedStarsAndBars]

Grendel, best AR platform round period

[@genghisghost]

sorry, you made a typo. you meant to say AK

[@justinlance4174]

@@genghisghost no typo. Best ak and ar platform. Best of both.

[@genghisghost]

@@justinlance4174 its a terrible ar cartridge. bolt life is 20,000 rounds on these. just as awkward as 7.62x39 ar’s. this is at home in the AK as it shares the same boltface as 7.62x39

[@justinlance4174]

@@genghisghost not true. Maybe cheap ar15s bolts only last about 20000 rds. Plus my failzero 6.5grendel bolt has a lifetime warranty. And aks are less accurate 2 to 3 in guns at best. My ar15 shoots 1/4 in witch is impossible in a ak. In 6.5grendel u can only get 10 and 20rd mags in the vepr ak rifles and they cost 40dollars a piece. Compared to 15bucks for acs mags for the ar15. Aks are Less ergonomic. aks are heavier. And less modular. Plus if i shhot out my barrel i can replace it myself something u cant do on ak platforms. And ur barrel will shoot out before ur bolt ever thinks about failing

[@justinlance4174]

@@genghisghost and the cmmg anvil AR hybrid uses a modified 308 bolt head on a 223 carrier packed into essentially a ar15 reciever. if bolt failure is what u are worried about. Even though it doesnt really happen anyway especially with a 9310bolt or s7tool steel ar15 bolt head. As opposed to 158carpenter steel. And it still cost less than a modified vepr. And its bolt head is bullet proof mayby even more durable than any ak bolt

[@larrywilson6555]

My last built was the 6.5 Grendel I sold my AR 6.5 Creedmoor and my AR 308 because they were on the AR 10 platform both bigger than I wanted to use for hunting The 6.5 Grendel is great for the hunting I do.

[@gsh341]

A lot of people are hung up on max velocity and are willing to shoot small bullets with a bad BC as long as it starts out over 3,000 fps. What they miss out on is the higher BC allows the velocity to continue longer. Many people scoff at the 6.5 Grendel and praise the 243 Win. What they don't realize is they are ballistically very similar and past 400 yard the 243 velocity falls below the 6.5 Grendel even though the 243 started out 500 fps faster or more. That's because the 243 Win is typically about 95 grain bullet with a G-1 BC of .335. The lower limit for the Grendel is 95 grain but can go to 130 grain with a nominal bullet weight of 123 grain with a G-1 BC of .510. That means better performance downrange.

[@chadobright2168]

Just built an AR15 Grendel this fall. Love the lighter package than my AR10 308!

[@fr8cture]

it's alot nicer to walk around in the woods with looking for deer.

[@iamnotpaulavery]

I believe the Serbian military is now using the Grendel as their standard military round. They're the ones that make the PPU (Prvi Partizan) line of ammo. In fact, they recalled a ton of 6.5 Grendel ammo here in the US a few years back that was overpressured or something to that effect. It's a great round, I love it!

[@dukisa8791]

Yes we are, plus the rifle for it is designed to easy barrel change to 7.62x39 in case of lack of ammo or just using the storage ammo we have already.

[@iamnotpaulavery]

@@dukisa8791 Yes, there is much similarity between the 7.62x39 and 6.5 Grendel. Although the Grendel is a very good round for long range, up to 800 metres and beyond. There are many shooters here in America that can shoot up to 1,000 metres with the Grendel with excellent accuracy with match grade ammunition. It's not a high velocity round, but you can reach 3,000 ft per second with light, 90 grain bullets. That is pretty fast. If they offered 90 grain ammunition with a full metal jacket, it would make an excellent battle round.

[@dukisa8791]

@@iamnotpaulavery honestly, 7.62 was the only thing holding down the AK, with 6.5 grendel it outmatches AR15 in my opinion

[@iamnotpaulavery]

@@dukisa8791 Yes it does. A lot of AR 15 manufacturers here have been starting to make them in 6.5 Grendel. I have 3 of them in different barrel lengths. Very accurate round. Unfortunately, the military doesn't want to use it. They considered it a few years back, but decided to stay with the very old 5.56mm that has been in use since the 1960s.

[@nathanbennion6678]

My 2nd AR build was an 18” Grendel. Love this round.

[@bwoodward0012]

6.5 Grendel was the first chambering I assembled an AR15 in. Built it with a 16” barrel for hunting out of a climber, and I’ve since acquired a Howa mini in 6.5 grendel as well. Great cartridge for whitetail, especially in southeastern Va where my shots are almost always inside 200 yards. I also have a 6.5 PRC, but the size and weight of my grendel rigs usually win out when I’m headed out to the woods, plus they’ll be great starter options when my kids get old enough to hunt

[@HoofingIT09]

Would love to see a 6-arc VS 6.5 Grendel discussion.

[@donspears6557]

Had 2 Grendel's, 24" AR and 20"Bolt. I'm very interested in the 6 ARC.

[@barrelmaker3930]

Love these 10 minute talks.

[@The340king]

I am finishing up my Grendel build with ammo testing. Hornady Black 123 shoots very well, along with the Nosler 123. Both hold about the same at the 100 yard sight in range.

[@Fallout777]

Great video guys thanks.

[@VortexNation]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@dkn2128]

My Grendel is a sanders armory upper. Easily shoots sub moa at 1000 yds. Very fun to shoot too. More power than you would think. My kids can shoot it all day.

[@maguslascivious4980]

6.5 Grendel is just amazing. It's easily my favorite all round cartridge in a mini action and AR. Pretty sure Serbia did adopt it or got on the train to adopting it which is one of the reasons IMO that wolf makes ammo for it. Ruger has been chambering it in the american for a long while now. It had feed issues when it first came out. Chamber specs were.. here and there.. you also saw .264 lbc.. which was the same thing but different. Some early bolt face differences.. That's all worked out now and IMO it'd make a great military cartridge. Even in ~12 inch barrels it's a beast.

[@andy347495]

Fun watching a video on the 6.5 grendel, thanks. glad you guys did it. Speaking of Alexander arms, if you guys could, it would be interesting if you did a video on his (knights armament) pdw rifle.

[@christianfontaine2946]

Do a 6mm ARC review!

[@davidgreenapple9397]

I love my 6.5 Grendel CZ bolt rifle. CZ discontinued, so I recommend: Howa 1500 or Ruger American (22" barrel). For both, get them with no stock and buy a Bell & Carlson stock. Bed the recoil lug and get a Timney trigger and you'll have a 1/2 MOA rifle with little recoil (for your daughter put a muzzle brake for even less recoil). Comfortably hunt out to 300 yards.

[@awbernardy]

I love the Ruger American Predator with the chopped 18.5" barrle and the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8×... 31.0gr of CFE-223 and 123gr SST makes for a very nice set up... 1/2 MOA for me out to 300 yards... and hit Milk Jugs out to 600yards... love the 6.5 Grendel

[@wilrohan2985]

I'm a Grendel fan! I shoot a Howa Mini-action in the caliber. I try to keep shots under 400 yards (using 123 to 130-grain bullets) because I have heard that at the lower velocities (1200 fps and below) bullets are still supersonic, but they don't expand in tissue. Still, the 6.5 Grendel gives my old 243 a run for its money, even with Federal Premium (100-grain Nosler Partition bullet) ammunition. I have one fun load using a Nosler 140-grain RDF and 27.8 grains of PowerPoint Varmint for 2386 fps. I have also had good luck with my varmint load: 90-grain Varmageddon 30.7 grains Benchmark for 2895 fps. My best load uses the Lapua Scenar 123-grain bullet with 28.9 grains of Varmint for 2552 fps. I'm now working with CFE223 as a possible substitute for Alliant Power Pro Varmint since they seem to have stopped making it.

[@slasher302]

My first/only AR-15 build was in 6.5 Grendel. I added some other uppers since, but that flies flat and true, and hits a ton harder down range, while kicking less than 300 blackout.

[@basilmiller931]

Got a 6.5 grendel AR-15 18" barrel love it.

[@rmbettac]

Such a cool little cartridge!

[@forestwolf60]

I got into the Grendel (semiauto platform) & absolutely love it. Unfortunately, I haven't harvested any game yet but my paper trail is excellent. I have a hard time using any of my other hunting rifles now. To me, it's just that good.

[@kaybonwell698]

I have 2 Grendels one gas and bolt, if i take 2 guns to the range one is a 6.5gr if i onle take one its a grendel the same goes for hunting and i always use the 6.5gr. they are just TOO SWEET to shoot, they do it all.

[@eastcoaster3943]

I really like to see a 10 minute talk on the 9.3x62

[@Fulcrum205]

The 35 Whelen is basically a direct copy. Townsend Whelen wanted 9.3x62 performance but based on a common US cartridge (30-06). Like the Whelen it will flatten anything in North America but, like most of the 358 bores, will knock the shit out of you with a heavy load in a light rifle. It's also super uncommon in the US.

[@michaelsarkisian1047]

The Grendel in the AR platform is limited power wise by the bolt! Opening up the bolt face for the Grendel, doesn't leave a lot of meat supporting the bolt lugs. That is why you can hotrod it in a bolt gun.

[@georgewhitworth9742]

@Mike Byrne He isn't saying that, but that you can REALLY crank it up in secure bolt actions.

[@chipsterb4946]

@Mike it’s the case head diameter, not bullet diameter.

[@TheTastefulThickness]

@@chipsterb4946 I HAVE A BELLYBUTTON

[@mrhemmer]

Nice durability test, Mark. Keep it up guys!

[@dwwest8168]

Love my 6.5 Grendel in a Howa 1500 mini-action. Taken 4 deer with it. You do your job; it'll do its job. I also have an AR upper in 6.5 Grendel.

[@ditzydoo4378]

The CZ 527 American in 6.5 Grendel and 7.62x39 are wonderful bolt actions with both hammer forged barrels and actions that are stand alone true caliber length actions called Mini-Mauser. Shooting Times did a write up on the CZ rifle in 6.5 Grendel and it was nothing less than Stunning to say the least for all the different handloads as well as factory loads they fire through the rifle. As I remember out of about 20 different mixed loads, only one load grouped larger than 1-MOA (1.078") at one hundred yards consistently.

[@Hiller84]

The 6.5 Grendel does great in a short barrel AR pistol to a long barreled bolt rifle. I crunched the numbers and went with Grendel. Plus, you can buy steel case for plinking.

[@240SSONLY]

no more steel thanks to the sanction on Russian ammo =(

[@tomasdunn4847]

100, 200, 400, 600 yards it doesn't care it carries itself well. I love it

[@chrisrinker8813]

A dedicated video to 257 weatherby would be cool

[@stevencarnes7790]

I love the Grendel but the amount of 90-110gr hunting bullets for the 6.5 are not there. Some of the problems that I've found is lack of velocity with heavier bullets 120-135gr to be able to have the bullet performance needed to take whitetails. I would really like to see more bonded bullets in the 95-110gr range for the 6.5 Grendel. Then we can get the velocity needed for those bullets to perform perfect. Like 2650-2750 fps that would be the perfect combination for the 6.5 Grendel.

[@LRRPFco52]

Everyone that has shot white tail with 129gr ABLR says it DRTs them, most fired from short barrels.

[@rudolphferdinand3634]

I LOVE the 6.5 Grendel, the period over the 6.5 CM; the 6.5 Grendel light recoil. shooting hand loads w/120/123 grains projectiles from a 24" barrel 2650 fps.

[@jimlerum]

Love the round!!

[@Getoutside308]

I’ve shot two Michigan whitetail and a coyote (Howa Mini), love the cartridge and love the gun!

[@andycronin6170]

Love this stuff. Now, .17 Remington. You guys do a great job reviewing cartridges everyone already has. Let's go with one everyone SHOULD have. The very underrated. 17 Remington.

[@shanescatsandcannabisfarm2965]

My favorite is the 120 grain 6.5 Grendel... Its actually 6.7×39mm meaning the projectile is 6.7mm diameter.. It puts out more J's than the AR and AK with any size bullet..

[@lesjones6033]

i built a bolt gun years ago before the howa and ruger i started with a CZ 527 action and went from there and it is a very accurate gun

[@inyourdefense0]

Have a 6.5 Grendel upper. Works great when I need to switch from 5.56.

[@George-ue3er]

Howa, CZ, and RUGER! Ruger has the American Predator and the american ranch both running 6.5 Grendel. Ruger also made a 6.5 General Mini 14 when the cartridge first really became commercial.

[@Fishcop669]

Just built a 6.5 Grendel with the Ruger American Ranch action and 16" barrel, timney trigger in a MDT LSS-XL chassis with ARCA rail topped with a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 FFP EBR-8. So excited to get it tuned up for my kids!

[@paulmurphy1707]

257 Roberts! A great cartridge!

[@adamwiech4874]

I love my.257 always read about them growing up and bought one in a Ruger mark beautiful gun and a pleasure to shoot great little deer gun

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

Starts out faster than the Grendel, but with lighter projectiles that are less ballistically efficient, loses to the Grendel at extended range. That being said, the .257 Roberts is an excellent cartridge, especially in the Ackley improved variant.

[@merlinnorris817]

257 roberts is one of my favorites great little round

[@darcy1234100]

Ruger American Ranch. Sweet setup for 6.5 Grendel

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

Really nice cartridge. It's the only 6.5 that I find interesting, because it's the only mainstream .264 or 6-7mm cartridge that is more efficient then the original 250 Savage. Less powerful but more efficient.

[@kennethbisbee6631]

I've had my Grendel for about five years now. I was going to hunt pigs in Texas so I had this Grendel built for that. I never got to Texas but I have killed several antelope, deer and prairie dogs with this rifle. I ordered a Grendel upper from Alexander Arms for this build - this is a heavy duty upper (not made by Alexander Arms any more) and it added significant weight to my ar - I married this upper to a 20" match barrel which also came with a 6.5 Grendel bolt - the bolt carrier was also included with the upper - the lower is a Spike's Tactical with the old WWII P-40 shark's teeth on the front of the magazine well - the butt stock is a Luther - the rifle is topped off with an Aadmount cantilever scope mount and a 4x12 Vortex Viper scope - cosmetics include a spiral fluted barrel and Kryptek camo coating - this rifle shoots sub moa and is extremely acurate - Alexander and Hornady brainstormed a bullet specifically for the Grendel, a 123 gr SST and it shoots just fine in my Grendel - This is my go to gun for small and light to medium game. It is a real accurate killer.

[@zachklopfleisch8501]

6PPC would be a good one. I feel like it's kind of the grandfather of our precision cartridges today: It brought us the 6/6.5mm bullet (at least to the US), the short, "fat", efficient cartridge designs, and the moderate velocities. Bench resters were using the 6PPC to print 0.001" groups with a 6mm bullet at 3000-3300fps for decades while everybody else seemed to either be pushing 30+caliber 160+ grain bullets 3000+fps for long range or trying for 4000fps with 22s.

[@crunch9876]

Lol trying for 4000 FPS with a .22? What cartridge is this? Super hornet?

[@michaelwhitfield5731]

My first AR build was in 6.5 Grendel. I got hooked after taking my first pig with a buddies Grendel. Was sold on it after that. Mine was built with an 18"" Atheris Barrel. Took almost a year to get the barrel but well worth it. Talk about a tack driver this set up is it.

[@volkoff6357]

That Lotus Elise comparison is a HUGE compliment!

[@keener713]

Elise comparison is spot on even when you start asking why they don’t just Grendel everything. Both are oddly designed, finiky, quirky, and more difficult to live with.

[@f3nixfire]

I love my 6.5 Grendel AR15! I'm not at all worried about the bolt ever breaking. I have a Toolcraft Nickel Boron BCG with a lifetime warranty. Its incredibly strong. I also have 25 round steel Elander magazines that have zero feed issues. It shoots like a dream and with far better performance and accuracy at double the range (1000 plus yards) than .223/5.56 can give you.

[@nataliedeyton6829]

6.5 Grendel is my favorite hunting/shooting cartridge!!!! All my Grendels are AR’s .... killed whitetail deer, yotes, and love shooting at the range with them. And it was a fairly cheap round to shoot but that’s really changed now 😢

[@hansblitz7770]

I still found the steel case for $6 a box of 20. Okay accuracy.

[@cav0409]

Love my 6.5 Grendel

[@jamesepler7156]

The Grendel is DOPE. We should all have a Grendel upper. Let's all start reloading the 6.5 Grendel.

[@quadracer9707]

shhhhh.

[@GallopingWalrus]

Saw a pretty sick 6mm AR for sale at my local gunshop. That Grendel is a cool cartridge too though.

[@stephenh4806]

6mm arc next!

[@lewallen501]

Ruger also does a grendel bolt action

[@tracycampbell1055]

So does CZ

[@danietkissenle]

@@tracycampbell1055 I've got my eye on one oh f those

[@kanaanherron8738]

First modern rifle was a 6.5 Grendel. Asking for .303 British to be covered.

[@Angels-Playground]

.303 British is one helluva round and I was shooting it out of a surplus Lee Enfield MK4 NO.2 I was able to fire that rifle without ear pro and never get a ring or feel my ears pop from the sonic boom. It was always audible, but positionally, it was approximately 20 ft in front of the bore, that it originated. At Usary Shooting Range here in Phoenix metro area, I shot the 300 with the adjustable flip up sight in a single shot. Didnt need to range it even after 80 years. Let's not even get into the bren... let's just not go there. Its overkill for one of the best rounds ever made.

[@bradleyscofarm6151]

My first AR i got this year was an 18 inch 6.5 Grendel and i immediately out the gate put a vortex 1-6 strike eagle on it. Love the setup, i was looking for a hybrid defense/hunt gun. It fit that better than i expected

[@budget-offroad1338]

Ryan keeps talking about bolt face. Some options for him are the Howa mini bolt The CZ, the mauser was available in a mini action when it was imported. The m77 was available in the 7.62x39 which can be converted to either 6mm ARC or 6.5 Grendel. The Ruger American is available in the 6.5 and 7.62x39 and the Savage 110 and Axis are available in the 6mm ARC. If you are building a rifle these actions are available. If i was building his ultralight I'd get the 6.5 Grendel lightweight from Howa. If you prefer the ARC you can rebarrel. It's about 4.5 lbs and with a lightweight scope is just over 5lbs. Granted the Howa magazine isnt great but Oregon Gunsmith offers an all metal lower with a hinged baseplate.

[@thestrawberrypatch5644]

I got my son a Howa 1500 mini light in a 6.5 Grendel and got a youth stock. I topped with a Diamondback HP 3-12x42 and added a Jefferson drop floor plate. It is so sweet! Recoil is same as a 243.

[@charliedee9276]

Just picked up a 6.5 Grendel 20" barrel for when I move out west.

[@LivingJosh]

With the coming resurgence of .277 bullets with the .277 Fury, 27 Nosler, and others...I third the 6.8 SPC. Great AR hunting round out to 200-300 yards.

[@justinlance4174]

Yes but grendel does just as good out to 300 u cant tell the difference. And beyond that 6.5 takes lead

[@MrRdvs87]

I don’t regret picking it up as a hunting round. Where I hunt, most shots are under 100 and a few might go out to 200. That leaves me not caring to run something like a .308 since the extra power doesn’t make anything anymore dead at those ranges.

[@pablosuarez4592]

OUTSTANDING ❤

[@22sniper70]

I built a Savage model 10 bolt gun with a Pacific tool bolt face, a 20" Criterion 1:7.5 prefit barrel, aftermarket aics bottom metal and modified magazine, in a hogue stock. It loves 120gr Speer gold dots, ar comp, and cci 450 primers in starline brass. It's a pretty sweet setup!!

[@williamsoutherland9087]

Killed 4 hogs and a nice old 9 point in Texas one year with my 20” AR platform 6.5 Grendel. Loaded 129 grain Hornady SST over some IMR 8208XBR. Longest shot was 135 yards. Between the five animals, they ran less than 3 yards combined. I’m a believer.

[@VortexNation]

That's awesome! Nice work, William!👊

[@bryanmcdermott4204]

Howa HB 20" is a total tack driver with Hornady 123 SST and 120 Federal Fusion. Great for deer. Also love running 100 grain Wolf in an AR. And yep, I don't shoot anything else.

[@poormansshootingandreloadi8531]

I love my 6.5 grendel upper from uintah precision. It transforms your ar lower in to a bolt gun.