Grendel AR project questions

[JayDee]

@rifleshooter…more good info: http://www.65grendel.com/forum/

I learned a ton from this site about the platform before purchasing an AA Overwatch upper. I frequently switch uppers around on my AR and have a lightweight carbine upper, a varmint 223 and a 6.5 grendel. For me, this was an easy way to get into longer range shooting without having to get a separate rifle. From what I've heard, excess pressure and resulting bolt failures have mainly been an issue with hotter hand loads. Since I've been shooting factory ammo to accumulate brass, I haven't witnessed this personally, although I will probably purchase a JP bolt and then use my AA bolt as a backup.

Re: barrel length, most of the folks I know with grendels have had barrels from 18"-20". Mine has a 24" barrel and is purportedly better at maintaining velocity past 800-1000 yds (the furthest I've shot is around 600 yds). Since most of the time, I am shooting prone or off a bench with bipod, this length is just fine. It is a bit muzzle heavy for shooting offhand, though.

Mine has a UBR stock, heavy buffer, Timney 4# single stage trigger and wears a Bushnell Elite HDMR 3.5-21 w/ Horus reticle. It is scary accurate with Hornady SST 123gn and I get more consistent hits with the grendel than with my 223 & 308 semi autos.

[RifleShooter]

JayDee, thanks! I have seen the Grendel site you mentioned, and there is a lot of good info there. Back when I found it the first time, the cartridge was new, and no one seemed to have much experience with it. I am looking for information from people like yourself who have used it for some time, as I do not have time to chase down lots of details and experiment the way I would like before deciding which way I want to go. I would love to tinker endlessly, but I have reached the point in my life that if I am going to do something complex, I want something that just works. I pay a mechanic to fix my car, and it costs more than doing it myself, but I know it is done right, and I cannot take a class in different automotive systems every time I want something fixed or upgraded. I am a geek, and I build computers myself. Still, when I have some work to get done, I don't want a project computer, I want one that just works. I think I am ready to settle, as we all must, for the compromise that suits my situation. While there are no doubt 'better' cartridges for a given purpose, the Grendel seems to be the best balance of capability, availability, and price for me.

In 2010 I was diagnosed with Parkinson's. In 2011, much to the consternation of my doctors, I began training in Tae Kwon Do. I say consternation because I was told by most doctors that a martial art in general, and Tae Kwon Do in particular, were not the best choice for people with Parkinson's due to the risk of injury. Parkinson's patients experience balance issues so frequently that my visits to the doctor begin with '"Have you experienced any falls since your last visit?". Over the past weekend, I passed my test for first degree black belt.

What does this have to do with rifles? Quite simply, I have always wanted to see how far away I could hit a target, not because I am ever going to be in combat, or even to compete, and certainly not to attempt irresponsibly long shots on game animals, but to see what I as a shooter was capable of doing. I would love to hand craft a rifle, and lovingly polish each piece of brass as I hand constructed each and every round of ammo. I no longer have time for that, just as I no longer have time for the endless debates over the 'best' cartridge or load for this or that.

I told my wife when I discovered that my tremor was caused by Parkinson's that if I were ever going to get a black belt, I had to start right away, because no one could tell how much longer I would have the physical abilities to do such things. Having completed that goal, I am now shifting priorities. Tae Kwon Do will be a part of my life for the rest of my time on Earth, but other things can now have their place as well. I love shooting, and my Glock has been my constant companion for many years, but my first love was and always will be rifles. I cannot explain why, but shooting targets with a rifle that others say I cannot just charges me up. But this quest is about the limitations of ME as a shooter, not the rifle or cartridge. If I miss, I want to know it was MY fault. When I reloaded, I could never spend the time to make the 'perfect' ammo. Now more than ever I am running out of time, so I need factory ammo. Would that I had unlimited money, but as I do not, and this is just a hobby for me, I want to shoot a lot without spending a fortune.

I want a .308 at some point, but the Grendel seems to have more range with a smaller rifle. Shooting prone and not worrying about hiding from bad guys, and not having to adhere to the rules of any particular game, I can use anything I can afford. I think the Grendel is what I want. It has factory ammo that should be good enough, and inexpensive enough to shoot as much as I want without hassles.

So, anyone know a local gunsmith in the Austin, TX area they can recommend to build a Grendel? Or, anyone have a Grendel for sale?

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

Edited March 3, 2015 by RifleShooter