Best long range ar15 caliber

[Yondering]

Again, OP wanted a flat shooting long range gun, but also wanted it to cover hunting at 400 yards and was concerned with availability. No one said grendel was the flattest shooting, but for everything else OP also wanted the gun to cover and that should be considered for a new build--like hunting, an ability to go grab ammo or components off the shelf at academy, not to mention barrel options--grendel is going to beat your list of wildcats all day, so is the 224 valk. Maybe that's why OP ultimately chose a ranier ultramatch 224 valk over all the 6mm wildcats that everyone in this thread pushed because they want their cartridge to take off.

The only part of this argument that holds true is ammo availability, maybe. But then, I've seen a few times in shops around here where there is no 6.5 Grendel ammo, but there is 6mm ARC. Even then, the ability to scrounge factory ammo only really applies to the guys who're willing to shoot just any old random ammo the shop might have in some situation where you've forgotten ammo, I guess?

The component thing makes no sense though. 6mm bullets have always been plentiful, in most places more so than 6.5mm bullets. The rest of the components are the same - brass, powder, primers - all exactly the same stuff. So I don't buy that argument.

 

[Peterpan]

Again, OP wanted a flat shooting long range gun, but also wanted it to cover hunting at 400 yards and was concerned with availability. No one said grendel was the flattest shooting, but for everything else OP also wanted the gun to cover and that should be considered for a new build--like hunting, an ability to go grab ammo or components off the shelf at academy, not to mention barrel options--grendel is going to beat your list of wildcats all day, so is the 224 valk. Maybe that's why OP ultimately chose a ranier ultramatch 224 valk over all the 6mm wildcats that everyone in this thread pushed because they want their cartridge to take off.

But I guess you think CNN or MSNBC are smarter than Fox, so you are the genius in the room. I'll just go get on the waitlist for a custom 6mm fatrat barrel that I'll still shoot out long before the 6.5g ultramatch barrel I can get in two days. That nominal performance increase at 400 yards must be worth it.

i’ve shot a lot of gas gun matches and the 224v and 6.5 grendel are just outclasses compared to the grinch fat rat and turbo 40s. very few competitive gas gun shooters shoot ur 6.5 grendel or 224v. they just dont. that’s really not debatable.
if you want to be a tool and shoot with lesser barrels like rainer be my guest. maybe that’s all you can afford. but i don’t mind waiting to get a krieger or bartlien spun up by a quality smith. maybe make a call to compass lake or paul at craddock before you blow it out you ass. i don’t know of anyone that thinks a lapped cut rifled barrel will outlast a button rifled barrel except you. if u want a good shooter on the cheap that’s different. buy a 223rem wilson barrel and be happy.

and your foolish to think anyone actually watches cnn or msnbc. i’m not even sure we get those shit news channels here in the midwest. and yes fox news is trash too. just not as bad….yet.

 

[76251FMJ]

I would try the 6mm MAX! Pretty darn impressive performance from an AR-15 magazine-capable round...

 

[TrevK]

I would try the 6mm MAX! Pretty darn impressive performance from an AR-15 magazine-capable round...

I’d pick 22arc over 6max. Same bullets weights but one has a bigger BC advantage.

 

[LRRPF52]

I’ve shot a bit of 6mm AR since 2012, spotted for enough of them and Dashers in courses or matches, .243 tight twist, 6mm Creed, 6x47 Lapua, etc.

One thing I noticed is that 6.5mm 107gr SMK and 110gr PPU fly about like a 6mm trajectory-wise, with a little bit more wind drift. They are noticeably more flat than 123gr 6.5mm. You’re looking at .462 G1 Litz vs .527 for the 6mm, so there definitely is some drift advantage to 6mm.

It’s easier to hit at distance with any of the 107-110gr class of bullets, whether 6.5mm or 6mm in normal-to-mid wind conditions, say 5-7mph.

From shooter’s perspective behind the gun, you can’t tell if you’re shooting a 107gr Grendel or 107gr 6mm. It’s just that most people are shooting 123gr in the Grendel, which flies more like a 175gr SMK without the recoil and loss of sight picture, from an AR-15.

If you’re competing and want the BC wind deflection advantage, then a light-recoiling 6mm is easier to hit with, but harder for an RO to tell if you hit, which isn’t fun on the clock when you’re trying to move to your next target.

123gr 6.5mm just hits harder with the splash of projectile mass on the steel, and the flat signature at the base of the target that kicks up in the dirt/mud/water that you just don’t see a lot of the time with the smaller bullets (anything .224 or 6mm). This has been a problem in precision rifle shooting competitions for a long time, and why the targeted and stages are generally adjusted to accommodate 6mm.

For those that don’t have much long range shooting experience, you can watch a video where they have a target cam right near the target at 600yds and farther, but you will never hear those kinds of effects from the shooter/spotter/RO perspective.

But to get more mass on-target for solid whacks instead of little “tinks”, I really think the solution is larger than 6mm.

For a recreational shooter who just wants a kind of do-all rifle, you can still shoot 107gr and 110gr in Grendel, and hunt medium/large game with 123-156gr in Grendel. Yotes and little critters can be dealt with using 80-105gr just the same as a 6mm, with a bit faster velocity.

 

[LRRPF52]

For factory ammunition availability:

2023 6.5 Grendel Factory Ammo List

Alexander Arms
120gr Barnes TSX HPBT
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
123gr Lapua Scenar HPBT
129gr Hornady SST
130gr Swift Scirocco

Barnaul
100gr FMJ
110gr FMJ

Barnes
115gr VOR-TX TTSX Boat Tail

Cavity Back Bullets
105gr MKZ
118gr MKZ


Copper Creek
95gr Hornady V-Max
100gr Barnes TTSX
120gr Barnes TSX
120gr Barnes TAC-TX
120gr Hornady CX
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip

123gr ELD-M
125gr Nosler Partition
127gr Barnes LRX
129gr Hornady Interlock
129gr Hornady SST

130gr Hornady CX
130gr Nosler Accubond
130gr Berger VLD Hunting
130gr Berger Hybrid
130gr Hornady ELD-M
6.5 Grendel load development pack Stage I
6.5 Grendel load development pack Stage II
Starline load development pack
Lapua load development pack brass
Hornady Load development pack brass
Norma load development pack brass

Custom Reloads of Dallas (This is new manufactured ammo with new brass loaded on single stage press using a Sartorius to within .02gr.)
90gr Nosler Varmageddon
95gr V-Max
120gr ELD-M
123gr SST
123gr Scenar
123gr Hornady BTHP
130gr Nosler Accubond
130gr ELD-M
140gr BTHP


Defender Ammunition
105gr Blitzking
107gr Tipped SMK
123gr SMK

Druid Hill Armory
95gr V-Max
95gr Maker Tipped Rex
123gr SST
123gr ELD-M
140gr ELD-M

Federal
90gr TNT American Eagle
120gr Match American Eagle
120gr Fusion
130gr Berger OTM Gold Medal Match

Fort Scott Munitions
123gr TUI

Hendershot's
95gr Hornady V-MAX
100gr ELD-M
100gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
100gr Nosler Partition
100gr Sierra HP
100gr Barnes TAC-TX
100gr Barnes TTSX

107gr Sierra Matck King
107gr Sierra Tipped Match King

120gr TTSX
120gr TAC-TX
120gr Berger Match TGT
120gr Hornady ELD-M
120gr Hornady GMX
120gr Lapua Scenar-L
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip

123gr Hornady ELD-M
123gr Nosler Custom Competition
123gr Hornady SST
125gr Nosler Partition

130gr Berger VLD Match Hunting
130gr Berger AR Hybrid Tactical
130gr Nosler Accubond

Hornady
100gr ELD-VT (New for 2024)
123gr SST Custom
123gr ELD-M Black
123gr FMJ Frontier

HSM
107gr SMK
120gr Sierra Pro Hunter
123gr SMK
130gr Berger Match Hunting VLD Trophy Gold

Maker Bullets Ammunition
85gr Overwatch Field TREX
95gr Overwatch Field TREX
110gr Overwatch Field TREX

Nemo
120gr PPU FMJ-BT

Nosler
90gr Varmageddon
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
123gr Custom Competition
129gr Accubond Long Range Trophy Grade

Precision Firearms
95gr V-Max
100gr A-MAX
100gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
100gr Barnes TTSX
100gr Lapua Scenar HPBT
107gr Sierra Match King HPBT
108gr Lapua Scenar
110gr Lehigh Controlled Chaos

120gr A-MAX
120gr PPU HPBT
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
120gr Barnes TSX
120gr Barnes TTSX
120gr Nosler E-Tip
120gr Lapua Scenar-L

123gr Hornady ELD-M
123gr Sierra Match King HPBT
123gr Lapua Scenar HPBT

123gr Hornady AMAX
123gr Hornady SST
123gr Nosler Custom Competition
123gr Lapua Silver Scenar

127gr Barnes LRX
129gr Nosler Accubond Long Range

130gr Berger VLD Hunting
130gr Berger VLD TGT
130gr Sierra Tipped Match King

PPU/Prvi Partizan
110gr FMJBT
120gr HPBT

Sellier & Bellot
124gr FMJ

Underwood Ammo
105gr Match Solid Flash Tip
110gr Controlled Chaos

Remington
120gr HPBT
130gr Premier Match OTM Berger (replaced 120gr Premier Match)

Wolf
100gr FMJ (steel case)
120gr Performance