6.5G vs 6ARC 14.5"

[aslrookie]

I am looking to finish a rifle I have. It's on a SBR lower, so pinning a device is not a concern. My intent is to keep the weight down, use it for deer hunting, and local club matches. Ideally, I'd want the performance to 800 yards on 2moa sized targets and 1moa at 600 yards.

 

[FCS]

120 Nosler BT / SMK / Scenar / Berger Match BT is 2400 fps from 14.5" bbl'ed 6.5 Grendel.

I don't have a 14.5" bbl'ed 6 ARC so unable to give you any hard data on that cartridge.

Generally speaking, larger bore for same case size / volume will lose less when shortening barrel as burn rate powder is usually a bit faster in larger bore. I know, working on promotion to Captain.

 

[Clayman]

I am looking to finish a rifle I have. It's on a SBR lower, so pinning a device is not a concern. My intent is to keep the weight down, use it for deer hunting, and local club matches. Ideally, I'd want the performance to 800 yards on 2moa sized targets and 1moa at 600 yards.

 

[ormandj]

My 10.5” 6mm ARC averages 2320fps with factory 108gr eldm. You’d need to run the numbers to see velocities and energy at distances to determine what will work for you hunting. I’ve shot the SBR (with a much shorter barrel than you intend) out to the distance you’ve mentioned and that’s the limit of where I like it (700-800m is really the edge of what it can reliably do with any kind of wind). The 18” fares much better out there. You’d probably be fine with the 14.5” to those distances.

You mentioned hunting deer. What distances? Go run ballistics based on your projected velocity and see what’ll work for you. I’d keep deer with my SBR to 200m or less with 6ARC. That said, there is no doubt in my mind as a hunting cartridge Grendel will be a little better. Target, 6ARC. Not a huge difference, but worth noting.

Edit: Just saw the post above mine come in with numbers on a 14.5”. There you go.

 

[aslrookie]

Nice feedback. I can see why DOD was looking for something smaller/lighter than a M110 to fill that role. In the midwest, most deer hunting shots are sub 200, so it should have plenty of energy for a clean kill.

 

[ormandj]

Nice feedback. I can see why DOD was looking for something smaller/lighter than a M110 to fill that role. In the midwest, most deer hunting shots are sub 200, so it should have plenty of energy for a clean kill.

Based on the chart posted above you’d be fine out to 300 with the 14.5” if you go by minimum expansion velocity on the common hunting rounds and 1000fpe for medium game.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I am looking to finish a rifle I have. It's on a SBR lower, so pinning a device is not a concern. My intent is to keep the weight down, use it for deer hunting, and local club matches. Ideally, I'd want the performance to 800 yards on 2moa sized targets and 1moa at 600 yards.

Flip a coin. Both cartridges will do what you outlined, with the target edge going to 6mm and the hunting edge going to 6.5mm, but enough overlap that you'd probably be happy either way.

 

[alamo5000]

Flip a coin. Both cartridges will do what you outlined, with the target edge going to 6mm and the hunting edge going to 6.5mm, but enough overlap that you'd probably be happy either way.

Until you ask someone that is soooo emotionally invested in the 6.5 that they get butt hurt that something else even exists.

In general I find your post very much balanced and quite accurate. That said for where I live we simply don't have animals (at all) that a 6mm anything won't put down at 200 yards.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Until you ask someone that is soooo emotionally invested in the 6.5 that they get butt hurt that something else even exists.

Yeah I don't get the emotional attachment people get to any one cartridge or gun. Just because you did your research and spent money on something that you believe to be the best tool for your particular task, doesn't mean its the only right answer to every question.
Hell, if I had my way I'd own a gun in every cartridge known to man, preferably in 4 different barrel lengths per. And I'd be happy to admit they all had their pros and cons.

 

[ormandj]

Also keep in mind the lighter recoil of 6mm vs 6.5mm in the common bullet weights used for each cartridge, which is one of the advantages. They both are light recoiling but the ARC is definitely lighter.

 

[drewthebrave]

Agree with the above posts: 6.5G or 6ARC will serve you well. I'm very happy with my 18" Grendel that I built a few years back, but if I was building today, I'd have to give the 6ARC some serious consideration. Either way, a 14.5" would be the ideal "do everything" gun for me.