Best 6.5 Grendel upper
- Thread starter army_eod
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Try Wilson Combat. I have a 20” Recon, rifle gas and fluted barrel that has proven quite accurate and reasonably priced. JP Rifles another top choice, but a bit pricey. Palmetto State Arms is a lower entry point that has possibilities and Elfster has a thread here on same. Uppers aren’t that difficult to assemble with a few tools and some patient application of good practice. A BCM or Vltor upper receiver and a good cut rifled barrel will yield an excellent end result. Satern cut rifled barrels with a matched/headspaced bolt have been excellent in my experience, as have Bartleins in cut barrels. Lilja, JP, Wilson Combat have been exceptional button barrels. All said, buy best barrel you can afford, for most positive net results.
I’ve heard good things about Grendel Hunter uppers. They use Satern barrels from what I’m told.
Wilson or JP. You could also do a larue UU kit for $800 includes everything but stripped lower.
When you say "off the shelf" do you mean in stock ready to ship today, or something that can be built to order, but is turn key when delivered? Most of the higher end-accuracy focused makers are more along the lines of a built to order model if that's of more importance to you than current availability.
I absolutely would not do business with Satern or Liberty (same company) at this point. I'm personally dealing with them right now with a barrel I just received back from a rework yesterday. The original "SAAMI spec" barrel had a chamber that was machined with excessive taper. The case at the shoulder was undersized, and the breach oversized. Despite several emails and phone calls over a full month explaining that the chamber was oversize at the breach their solution was to rechamber it to 6.5 Grendel II and send it back. A chamber casting verifies that it now has a second angle in the walls where the second reamer met the original oversized section.
Additionally they previously screwed over a group buy from the 65grendel forum. Shipping SAAMI spec barrels with short throats. And then refusing to admit that they had sent out bad barrels, requiring owners to ship back on their own dime to have them rethroated to "6.5 Grendel II" (no charge for the machine work). I assumed they had learned from their mistake and would be using true to spec reamers when I ordered mine. Obviously they have not.
For the price there is no reason to risk buying from them. I was hesitant to write this because I'm still hoping they will replace this barrel with one that's in spec, but from what I've seen from them so far I doubt it's going to happen, and I can at least hopefully save someone else the headache of dealing with them.
I absolutely would not do business with Satern or Liberty (same company) at this point. I'm personally dealing with them right now with a barrel I just received back from a rework yesterday. The original "SAAMI spec" barrel had a chamber that was machined with excessive taper. The case at the shoulder was undersized, and the breach oversized. Despite several emails and phone calls over a full month explaining that the chamber was oversize at the breach their solution was to rechamber it to 6.5 Grendel II and send it back. A chamber casting verifies that it now has a second angle in the walls where the second reamer met the original oversized section.
Additionally they previously screwed over a group buy from the 65grendel forum. Shipping SAAMI spec barrels with short throats. And then refusing to admit that they had sent out bad barrels, requiring owners to ship back on their own dime to have them rethroated to "6.5 Grendel II" (no charge for the machine work). I assumed they had learned from their mistake and would be using true to spec reamers when I ordered mine. Obviously they have not.
For the price there is no reason to risk buying from them. I was hesitant to write this because I'm still hoping they will replace this barrel with one that's in spec, but from what I've seen from them so far I doubt it's going to happen, and I can at least hopefully save someone else the headache of dealing with them.
Vodak
Was yours a Liberty button barrel or a Satern cut rifled barrel? Sorry to hear about their response to your issue, but wouldn’t judge their entire operation by what I hope is a more isolated issue. I have 20/24” cut rifled Satern barrels and they are both exceptionally accurate, and fast, barrels. There are others to choose from, certainly, from off the shelf assembled uppers to components that could be put together by a skilled hand. I recommended Satern because of my experience with about 1500+ rounds down range. Could easily say the same for Bartlein round count, and a few less through JP, Lilja and Wilson barrels. Hope they resolve your issue.
Was yours a Liberty button barrel or a Satern cut rifled barrel? Sorry to hear about their response to your issue, but wouldn’t judge their entire operation by what I hope is a more isolated issue. I have 20/24” cut rifled Satern barrels and they are both exceptionally accurate, and fast, barrels. There are others to choose from, certainly, from off the shelf assembled uppers to components that could be put together by a skilled hand. I recommended Satern because of my experience with about 1500+ rounds down range. Could easily say the same for Bartlein round count, and a few less through JP, Lilja and Wilson barrels. Hope they resolve your issue.
A 20" fluted med/heavy profile Satern. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt as well following the problems that went on with the group buy. But after it taking over a month to get them to acknowledge that something was wrong with the barrel (pictures of a chamber casting sent at the very beginning with measurements) and then sending it back to me with the breach still out of spec is to much. The time frame I can totally forgive right now. With so many places being shut down or limited due to 'rona I'm understanding that things take a little longer. I'm hopeful that they will exchange this for a barrel with a correct chamber as well, but if they didn't the first time around I'm not expecting much.
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I like my LaRue upper. I've never had a malfunction and it shoots the factory Hornady American Gunner good enough for shooting steel, less than an inch, but not half inch by any means.
Its a good value and if you don't need the lower parts, you can sell them pretty easily.
Its a good value and if you don't need the lower parts, you can sell them pretty easily.
Does AA offer an upper with a Satern barrel? They used to.
Satern makes great barrels, some of the best and I have one that's my most accurate rifle period, .33MOA consistently. It's uncanny. HOWEVER, I custom ordered that barrel and it took 'em over two years to ship it out. Another one I ordered never materialized. IF they have one in stock that suits your needs, get it. If not, well, they claim they do custom orders but they really don't. Some 6.5 bullets have a more aggressive ogive and that can impact the rifling with certain loads. I have an older chambering. But I knew Bill A. some back in the day and turned me on to 120gr. Nosler BT's and I tweaked the handloads and that was the magic recipe. 95 or 100gr. V or AMAX bullets (I forget but I think the VMAX) actually impacted rifling pretty bad at recommended length. Not the 120's, smoother, less aggressive ogive I guess, so bullets can matter in these sometimes.
Lilja makes a good one, best button rife you can get. Does Krieger make one? If so I'd be cut rifled and I'd be inclined to think theirs would also be top grade.
For complete uppers I wish I could give you more advice but I assemble my own here. I'd look for a cut rifle barrel if possible and accuracy is a thing, and a JP Ent. FMOS BCG will be impossible to beat if you need a BCG for this, nothing is more reliable. AA makes an improved bolt too. If you're a vet or disabled vet or active duty, mention that, most of these places will offer discounts to certain persons with bona fides.
Satern makes great barrels, some of the best and I have one that's my most accurate rifle period, .33MOA consistently. It's uncanny. HOWEVER, I custom ordered that barrel and it took 'em over two years to ship it out. Another one I ordered never materialized. IF they have one in stock that suits your needs, get it. If not, well, they claim they do custom orders but they really don't. Some 6.5 bullets have a more aggressive ogive and that can impact the rifling with certain loads. I have an older chambering. But I knew Bill A. some back in the day and turned me on to 120gr. Nosler BT's and I tweaked the handloads and that was the magic recipe. 95 or 100gr. V or AMAX bullets (I forget but I think the VMAX) actually impacted rifling pretty bad at recommended length. Not the 120's, smoother, less aggressive ogive I guess, so bullets can matter in these sometimes.
Lilja makes a good one, best button rife you can get. Does Krieger make one? If so I'd be cut rifled and I'd be inclined to think theirs would also be top grade.
For complete uppers I wish I could give you more advice but I assemble my own here. I'd look for a cut rifle barrel if possible and accuracy is a thing, and a JP Ent. FMOS BCG will be impossible to beat if you need a BCG for this, nothing is more reliable. AA makes an improved bolt too. If you're a vet or disabled vet or active duty, mention that, most of these places will offer discounts to certain persons with bona fides.
JP. My 18” complete upper in 6.5Grendel is still my favorite after 8 years. Unmatched reliability and accuracy.
I think I will go with the 20 inch stainless bbl Grendel Hunter. I will slap that new Weaver 3-15x50 EMDR scope on it.
Waiting to see what the military discount is.
Waiting to see what the military discount is.
Received my Grendel Hunter 20 inch upper yesterday. It is a beauty.
Slapped on a Midwest Industries Picatinny rail section on the bottom for a bipod and a MI sling adapter on the left.
Ordered a bolt carrier group from Aero Precision because Grendel Hunter was backordered on the BCG. Then I ordered two E-lander mags from Midway USA.
Now to find my ammo.
Slapped on a Midwest Industries Picatinny rail section on the bottom for a bipod and a MI sling adapter on the left.
Ordered a bolt carrier group from Aero Precision because Grendel Hunter was backordered on the BCG. Then I ordered two E-lander mags from Midway USA.
Now to find my ammo.
Good looking upper, I’m interested in a range report, my kids need a hunting rifle and it seems most grendels and early 6mm arc’s are on the heavier side, and I don’t want to buy a proof carbon fiber barrel for a 150yd and under deer rifle
That’s why the GH uppers caught my eye, I did a bunch of math and I could get a 18” 6.5 grendel to weigh around 7.5-8lbs with a 3-9 scope and the AR platform for kids with very short LOP
Well I broke down and ordered a custom Alexander Arms complete lower receiver for the Grendel Hunter upper.
