6.5 grendal

OP,

I have not had any luck with CFE223 or Power Pro Varmint.

What I have had very good results with is H4895 under the 129/130 class of 6.5 bullets.

I have read that 8208 is a very good powder to use and H4895 mirrors 8202s performance almost exactly.

I have been informed by people who know more than I that H4895 won't perform well under lighter weight bullets. It may be correct but I haven't loaded any slugs lighter than 129gns.

Good luck!

What kind of velocities are you getting with the 130 grain pills?
 
You are aware that there are two versions of the Grendel chamber, right? Just to start with you need the right set of dies. Lee are II and Hornady are I. I bought a Lee set totally by accident absolute crap in my I gun, then got a Hornady set, magic.

The inventor of the Grendel hangs out at the Grendel forum. He is a SMK kind of guy. Loves the 107. Sierra will deny it but the SMK will hunt. I use the 120 SMK myself. My full function sub load is with 160gr Italian .267s using 12:5. AA 2015 OAL 1.845

Win 7:62x39 is the strongest brass and an adjustable gas block for super and sub loads is best.

Try H335, BLc2 but +/-.5 gr is Ok or blown primer with a 120 at 2500.

Been shooting the Grendel for almost 10 years.
Ed
 
You are aware that there are two versions of the Grendel chamber, right? Just to start with you need the right set of dies. Lee are II and Hornady are I. I bought a Lee set totally by accident absolute crap in my I gun, then got a Hornady set, magic.

The inventor of the Grendel hangs out at the Grendel forum. He is a SMK kind of guy. Loves the 107. Sierra will deny it but the SMK will hunt. I use the 120 SMK myself. My full function sub load is with 160gr Italian .267s using 12:5. AA 2015 OAL 1.845

Win 7:62x39 is the strongest brass and an adjustable gas block for super and sub loads is best.

Try H335, BLc2 but +/-.5 gr is Ok or blown primer with a 120 at 2500.

Been shooting the Grendel for almost 10 years.
Ed
Thats what i have are the hornady dies thanks for info. Tryin to get the 123 gr going good cause im wanting to deer hunr with it. I should check out those 120s.
 
Grendel =/= Grendal. Good spelling helps future generations have good results with iffy search engines.

Sharpen your pencil and give some details that might help. Otherwise you're about to get flooded with every rando dude's favorite personal recipe stack.

My suggestions would be:
  • Snug up your scope and then maybe find someone else to do your accuracy shooting so you can see if it's the shooter. If it could do well once, it can do it again.
  • PSA should not be expected to be Anschutz.
  • Your rifle may not like SST's. It happens. Try another bullet or another powder or a different primer.
  • Check your rifle for loose bits, especially the barrel. Wouldn't be the first AR that went to wobbling.
Start with 1 powder and 1 bullet. Find a weight of charge that gives good results with the bullet between .040" and .80 off the lands, work up in half grain increments. Take the winner and play with seating depth if needed. If you have to do more than that then something in the system; which includes the shooter, is busted.

Very good point re spelling but there is a further corollary which stipulates that good spelling implies good grammar and syntax and hence proper English. Language is culture and the deterioration of such language logically implies the deterioration of ones culture. For example, I can be 'quick' (adjective after a copula verb) but I cannot run 'quick' rather I can run 'quickly' (adverb after a transitive verb). Americans constantly confuse adverbs with adjectives and the past tense of verbs with past participles... :) .... I think the tradition goes all the way back to Yorktown and Cornwallis... :) ...

Beowulf is the oldest Anglo-saxon literary epic. Grendel and its mother were his nemeses... :)....!!!!
 
1st. Get rid of that led sled.
2nd. Are you using a chronograph and if you are what are your SD/ES's?
3rd. If your SD/ES's are in the relatively low side (this is an AR after all)?
4th. Your upper/barrel may need some attention ie; truing the reciever and bedding the barrel extension to the upper with Loctite 620 (high heat, high fill)?

I had issues with mine for a some time also and the fix was truing the upper & bedding with Loctite 620, now it's an accurate rifle, not an accurate shotgun!
 
You are aware that there are two versions of the Grendel chamber, right? Just to start with you need the right set of dies. Lee are II and Hornady are I. I bought a Lee set totally by accident absolute crap in my I gun, then got a Hornady set, magic.

The inventor of the Grendel hangs out at the Grendel forum. He is a SMK kind of guy. Loves the 107. Sierra will deny it but the SMK will hunt. I use the 120 SMK myself. My full function sub load is with 160gr Italian .267s using 12:5. AA 2015 OAL 1.845

Win 7:62x39 is the strongest brass and an adjustable gas block for super and sub loads is best.

Try H335, BLc2 but +/-.5 gr is Ok or blown primer with a 120 at 2500.

Been shooting the Grendel for almost 10 years.
Ed
I hope you're referring to Bill Alexander of Alexander Arms...
 
You are aware that there are two versions of the Grendel chamber, right? Just to start with you need the right set of dies. Lee are II and Hornady are I. I bought a Lee set totally by accident absolute crap in my I gun, then got a Hornady set, magic.

The inventor of the Grendel hangs out at the Grendel forum. He is a SMK kind of guy. Loves the 107. Sierra will deny it but the SMK will hunt. I use the 120 SMK myself. My full function sub load is with 160gr Italian .267s using 12:5. AA 2015 OAL 1.845

Win 7:62x39 is the strongest brass and an adjustable gas block for super and sub loads is best.

Try H335, BLc2 but +/-.5 gr is Ok or blown primer with a 120 at 2500.

Been shooting the Grendel for almost 10 years.
Ed
There is only 1 SAAMI 6.5 Grendel chamber. There are NOT 2 different loading dies for the 6.5 Grendel.
 
1st. Get rid of that led sled.
2nd. Are you using a chronograph and if you are what are your SD/ES's?
3rd. If your SD/ES's are in the relatively low side (this is an AR after all)?
4th. Your upper/barrel may need some attention ie; truing the reciever and bedding the barrel extension to the upper with Loctite 620 (high heat, high fill)?

I had issues with mine for a some time also and the fix was truing the upper & bedding with Loctite 620, now it's an accurate rifle, not an accurate shotgun!

I know i said led sled at beginning of post but its actually just a caldwell shooting rest similar to led sled and i will continue to use it, i feel very comfortable on it when im testing loads so im not thinking was that shot me. Some guys have said when the shooter says its not him its usually him i disagree a good marksman is confident in his shooting not that every shot is perfect tho. As far as SD/ ESs LOL had to look that up and i dont get that technical . I do chronograph loads once i find a good load. I simply started this post to see what was working for other people and yes i also was wondering about the truing up of the barrel. PSA isnt the very top of the line but they say 1 moa at 100 yds and most guys were confirming that. Obviously with the right load . You obviously know deeper stuff with reloading but i will disagree on not using rest. Thank you for taking the time for your input.
 
I know i said led sled at beginning of post but its actually just a caldwell shooting rest similar to led sled and i will continue to use it, i feel very comfortable on it when im testing loads so im not thinking was that shot me. Some guys have said when the shooter says its not him its usually him i disagree a good marksman is confident in his shooting not that every shot is perfect tho. As far as SD/ ESs LOL had to look that up and i dont get that technical . I do chronograph loads once i find a good load. I simply started this post to see what was working for other people and yes i also was wondering about the truing up of the barrel. PSA isnt the very top of the line but they say 1 moa at 100 yds and most guys were confirming that. Obviously with the right load . You obviously know deeper stuff with reloading but i will disagree on not using rest. Thank you for taking the time for your input.
When you do a lot of shooting with a lot of rifle types, your Marksmanship" will be at a level to where you know when it was you or the rifle. But using anything other than a bipod, sandbag, rear rest, front rest or combination of these, you won't know where your issues might lie, when using a full rifle "cradle". With AR platforms, that's a lot of moving parts, that need to work with each other not against each other.

As far as PSA stuff goes, it ain't the worst kit you can get and it's made in house. I have a first run PSA 6.5 Creedmoor stainless upper, that puts Hornady American Gunner 140 BTHP in a half inch, every time and the same with my reloads and all I had to do was put an Odin Works tuneable gas block on it, because it was over pressure AF and was destroying brass, til it got changed. You get the good along with the bad.

Edit: Their customer service sucks balz, I just gave up sending emails.
 
Last edited:
There is only 1 SAAMI 6.5 Grendel chamber. There are NOT 2 different loading dies for the 6.5 Grendel.
There are technically 3 different chambers... There is the 6.5 Grendel, the 6.5 Grendel II, and .264 LBC. But they're all essentially the same thing. The chamber is not different, the headspacing dimensions are what is different. The original 6.5 Grendel was designed to use a 7.62x39 bolt. The Grendel II headspace is slightly different and uses it's own proprietary bolt & headspace dimensions, that's why you have to make sure the barrel's chamber and bolt are both specified as Grendel, or Grendel II. The .264 LBC is the 6.5 Grendel II, but with different throat dimensions, sort of like the .223 Rem vs. the .223 Wylde.
 
Last edited:
I recently purchased a 12" 6.5 grendel upper from PSA, chrome moly. Attached to a carbon(plastic) bushmaster lower. Even with the crappy lower with a gap in it, It shoots Hornady black ammo 1.5 moa. When I get a better lower and bed it Im sure it will easily shoot under moa. I got more than I expected for a $330 upper that comes with an adjustable gas block which is nice since I use a suppressor. After 150 rds through it I'm happy so far for plinking and varmints out 300 yards. When shopping at PSA pay attention as some of their BCG's are black nitrided so you can run em dry and some are phosphate coated.
 
When you do a lot of shooting with a lot of rifle types, your Marksmanship" will be at a level to where you know when it was you or the rifle. But using anything other than a bipod, sandbag, rear rest, front rest or combination of these, you won't know where your issues might lie, when using a full rifle "cradle". With AR platforms, that's a lot of moving parts, that need to work with each other not against each other.

As far as PSA stuff goes, it ain't the worst kit you can get and it's made in house. I have a first run PSA 6.5 Creedmoor stainless upper, that puts Hornady American Gunner 140 BTHP in a half inch, every time and the same with my reloads and all I had to do was put an Odin Works tuneable gas block on it, because it was over pressure AF and was destroying brass, til it got changed. You get the good along with the bad.

Edit: Their customer service sucks balz, I just gave up sending emails.

Will adjustable gas block improve accuracy im not an ar expert.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 6 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top