Grendel?

[DirectDrive]

Les Baer also had a problem paying the 'Royalties" to AA so he created the .264 LBC-AR. Uses the same boltface as a 7.62x39. I have a Black Hole barrel that is chambered in .264 LBC-AR and it will shoot factory (which I just use to get brass if needed for reloading) ammo just fine.
AA just copyrighted the name "6.5 Grendel" (which is basically a 6 PPC case necked up to 6.5-.264) and charges people a fee to use the name.

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?4621-Difference-between-264-LBC-AR-and-6-5-Grendel

And there has been a .243 LBC for some time which is similar to this 6mm ARC
Here's a C&P from Ritch at Black Hole Weaponry (11/26/2013)...

Would you be interested in some input from the guy who designed both reamers?

Both cartridges have merits of their own. The 243 LBC will handle the bigger bullets because of case length. But as you mentioned it can have feeding problems. I have to throw this in, once you get the kinks worked out it will feed flawlessly. The other problem with the LBC is head thrust. The LBC is limited to 52,000 PSI and should be held to that limit. Bolt failure is a common occurrence if fed a steady diet of over pressure loads, brass life will also suffer.
Now for the good points of the 243 LBC. The chamber is as tight as possible to increase accuracy. The case is inherently an accurate design, and it will handle the heavy bullets. The chamber from Black Hole has a VLD lead. Brass from Lapua is as good as it gets.

The 6X68 was done because I was looking for a cartridge to shoot the lighter weight bullets with good accuracy. It was intended from the start to be a hunting round. It was after the reamer was done we found out just how good of a cartridge it really is. It will handle all the 6mm bullets, but is at it's best with 90 grains and below. Case capacity is the same as the LBC but because it can take the higher pressures velocities increase with the 6X68. The 6.8 case feeds like a 5.56 so failure to feed problems are rare. The accuracy and velocity from this case was better than expected. As far as a hunting cartridge it is a hit. My son killed a Pronghorn this year at 646 yards with a 6X68.

I've always thought that a 6.8SPC necked down to 6mm would be a hot little number.

 

[Skimbleshanks]

I was looking into 6ARC barrels and 1 company I expected to make barrels doesn't. Found some internet chatter about it on another website and its a bolt face size issue for the barrel maker. They don't believe in the strength of the lugs with a cartridge that size when people step on the gas. When I started with ARs the 7.62x39 and the new 6.5G were kind of notorious for bolt failures.

 

[264MHC]

The bolt issue has been blown out of proportion. There are several manufacturers making high quality bolts nowadays. You want one made of 9310 AQ steel and not nitrided, as the process makes them too brittle. I have a Young manufacturing bolt (chrome) and a JP enterprises Bolt (DLC) that are both going strong after over 1000 rounds apiece. And I'm not scared to step on the gas with my loads. One thing I will add is an adjustable gas block to tune the system to run properly helps tremendously. I've also noticed that full weight (standard carbine or heavier) buffers help brass life with stiff loads. Tried the 3 gun style light buffer with gas turned down and brass got chewed up pretty bad even though it was ejecting properly at 4 o'clock.

 

[Vortex!]

I have a 6.5 Grendel and absolutely love it! I haven't had any problems with it. It hammers the deer. I've popped a few at 200 yards using the hornady black with the 123eldm.

 

[MachV]

Was about to have a Grendel built off a CZ527 in 7.63x39 a few years ago but the CZ started chambering the Grendel so I bought the first one I could get. Its a blast in a prairie dog town and has collected 4 antelope between 400-450 yards. Like the Grendel enough to build an AR with a 20" BCA barrel. Was told to make sure to buy a barrel/ bolt set to make sure they matched? Two different chambers?

 

[Glenn Tullius]

No, to my knowledge the chambers are the same, BUT, if you buy a barrel from a barrel/bolt combo the headspacing is set by the barrel maker which ensures a proper fit. Something I didn't know when I built my AR, yet mine shoots really well. i bought Lapua brass right away to load.

 

[cajun]

There are some grendel chambers referred to as type I that use a 7.62x39 bolt. The saami grendel chamber uses a grendel bolt with .135 recess. The type I bolt us .125 recess.

 

[Glenn Tullius]

Oh my bad! You are correct sir, it's all coming back to me now...dang CRS.

 

[Swinehunt74]

The gunsmith may not have the reamer and the Grendel II chamber is the one you want. AR builds suffer from possible bolt failure as previously stated which is overcome by using a quality bolt. A bolt action will obviously not have this issue. I get about 2250 fps with 130 gr Berger OTM in 18" in. barrel on an AR.

Running Sierra 130 game changer (deer and pigs really dont like) out of 20" AR with 2400 velocity using CFE 223 powder. Also shot and Hit 36" steel @ 1K yds with that load in 12" barreled action using Berger 130VLD's.....

 

[RODSTRADLEY]

Running Sierra 130 game changer (deer and pigs really dont like) out of 20" AR with 2400 velocity using CFE 223 powder. Also shot and Hit 36" steel @ 1K yds with that load in 12" barreled action using Berger 130VLD's.....

My rifle didn't like the Bergers but the Nosler 120 gr Ballistic Tip shot very well and getting 2300-2400 with RL-15. I have been shooting Hornady 95gr V-max for groundhogs using 10X traveling at around 2550

 

[John Klingenberg]

I'll start out saying I didnt read every prior post. I've been messing with a Grendel for years. My neighbor was part of a tier 1 unit. He was using it operationally and had only good things to say about it...the benefit was that he had mounds of free brass he brought home so I jumped in. The initial Alexander was proprietary. The throat had compound angles. In order to commercialize it companies had to change a few things so the compound throat went. The AR makers used a standard 7.62x39 bolt (type 2) which is deeper than the Alexander (type 1). Its a great cartridge and can be really unbelievable in an AR platform. Velocity is sorta lackluster in average length barrels, around 2500fps with 123gr bullets. The AR generally sticks to 55,000 psi cartridges. I know there is way higher stuff running fine but it reduces service life greatly. Some of the 5.56 stuff we used in the desert was only allowed for use in theatre. It was really hot stuff. Stick it in a bolt gun and you wont believe the performance you can get out of such a small case. It is after all a cousin to the magnificent PPC cases. In a rifle I'm pushing into 2800s with a 123 and nearly 3000 with 100gr. All with about 28 to 30 grains of powder. It's a deer/hog gun extraordinaire. Varmints get special treatment and you can shoot it all day. My 9 year old loves it. It's one of my favorite cartridges.

 

[John Klingenberg]

My nephew guides hunters at a U S Military Base here in SC... His deer getter is Palmetto Arms in 6.5 Grendel. He also lends his 6.5 Grendel to select hunters. l don't know his handload. My prairie dog buddy from Canton Tx shoots an AR in 6.5 Grendel. He uses it on hogs, deer, coyotes, and whatever else comes in his sights. He sent me a picture last month of a really nice Texas Whitetail, scored 144 4/8 B&C points. l guess he's killed a dozen hogs over the last couple seasons. Biggest was app 500pounds. He shoots Nosler factory ammo loaded with AccuBonds. Longest shot was 150yds plus. The big hog got an EXTRA AccuBond. My friend Kenny Jarrett builds quite a few ARs in 6.5 Grendel. l saw a couple 6.5 ''house guns'' he made for some Govt Agency with 11.5'' barrels. Using his Subsonic Suppressed ammo they are sweet shooting guns. He's @(803)471-3616 in Jackson SC..
6.5 seems to be one of those Perfect Calibers... DBWM Bell used a 6.5 Swede on elephants to the tune of around 3000! My Nephew's POP brought a 6.5Jap Arisaka home from the Pacific... l don't see how the Emperor's soldiers handled those 6.5s in the jungle with a 30'' barrel and a long bayonet. They must have loved those 6.5s tho. Some would even stick the barrel in their MOUTHS

ps. President John Kennedy met his demise from 6.5Carcano carbine and a 4x Weaver.
ltalian 6.5s have an unusual Gain Twist Barrel. l dont know much about a gain twist. BAM BAM has a 10.5'' gain twist barrel. My S&W 460 Magnum PC revolver rifling is Crazy looking in that barrel

Bell used a 6.5 M-S

 

[sw282]

John F. Kennedy assassination rifle - Wikipedia

Here you go John . Oswald was the assassin.
Your are correct. BELL used a 6.5 Mannlicher-Schonauer 6.5x54

 

[FlyGuy11]

Running Sierra 130 game changer (deer and pigs really dont like) out of 20" AR with 2400 velocity using CFE 223 powder. Also shot and Hit 36" steel @ 1K yds with that load in 12" barreled action using Berger 130VLD's.....

I shot the 6.5 Grendel in as F-Class shooters clinic at the Arizona SWN; so hitting a target at 1K with a 12" barrel with consistency is hard to believe. I believe the Grendel is an effective cartridge to a maximum of 300 yards on game animals and 600 yards for F-Class based on an AR platform 18" barrel.