about to start a 6.5 grendel or .264 LBC build. what barrel/bolt do you guys use? I am looking at Satern and Les Baer now. What others should I consider?
thx
thx
help with 6.5 barrel choice?
- Thread starter bobo
- Start date
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
Satern's lead time is out months, but worth the wait. Have a 24" Grendel chambered Satern and it's a shooter. Alexander Arms is just about as far behind, and if i went that way, go the upgraded Shilen route. Not certain about Les Baer leadtime, but if my 45 is any indication, about 14 weeks. I've had a Bartlein on order with Templar for going on two months and Bob was able to snag a barrel from Bartlein at the time, so lead is theoretically about 10 weeks-I hope. Bolts seem to be an issue right now, and are affecting most suppliers to the point they are challenged to provide an accurate leadtime. I sent him my spare AA HD bolt, so may have improved my wait a bit.
Be patient and go for a cut rifled barrel and you won't regret it, you just won't get to shoot it any time soon.
Satern's lead time is out months, but worth the wait. Have a 24" Grendel chambered Satern and it's a shooter. Alexander Arms is just about as far behind, and if i went that way, go the upgraded Shilen route. Not certain about Les Baer leadtime, but if my 45 is any indication, about 14 weeks. I've had a Bartlein on order with Templar for going on two months and Bob was able to snag a barrel from Bartlein at the time, so lead is theoretically about 10 weeks-I hope. Bolts seem to be an issue right now, and are affecting most suppliers to the point they are challenged to provide an accurate leadtime. I sent him my spare AA HD bolt, so may have improved my wait a bit.
Be patient and go for a cut rifled barrel and you won't regret it, you just won't get to shoot it any time soon.
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
I have a Satern, so does a buddy, They are shooters. Well worth the wait. Dont settle for the fastest, get a good barrel and have no regrets. Les Baer are good also, so I have heard, not sure on wait time for those as mentioned above. You will love the Grendel, the shoot hard. They are great with a can also. Good luck and enjoy it
I have a Satern, so does a buddy, They are shooters. Well worth the wait. Dont settle for the fastest, get a good barrel and have no regrets. Les Baer are good also, so I have heard, not sure on wait time for those as mentioned above. You will love the Grendel, the shoot hard. They are great with a can also. Good luck and enjoy it
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
Krieger, Bartlein, Lilja, Pac-Nor...any of those will be shooters if built by a competent smith who selects quality components.
There have been reliability issues with certain high-end barrel makers, because the barrel extensions sourced were not of the QC needed for the Grendel. As the user, this shows up as a FTFeed/Failure to go into battery fully:
Guys will look down at the chamber, the cartidge is totally in-line with the bore, but for some reason, isn't fully-chambered.
What has happened is that the cheap barrel extension, while totally fine on a 5.56 gun, has a slightly eliptical inner Diameter to the BE teeth, and there isn't enough clearance for the extractor to snap over the larger rim cartidge.
The extractor binds against the ID of the teeth in that clock position, but most shooters and smiths don't realize what is going on, and look at common problem points like the magazine, feed ramps, extractor lip/spring. After a few teaks in those areas, no solution still, and frustration builds.
The customer sends it back to the barrel smith, they shoot a few loads that work, say nothing is wrong, and send it back, as they are buried in orders for months upon months of lead times.
Customer gets the gun back, goes to the range, bang...same problem. Fumes eminate from ears, eyes turn red, feelings of anger and depression commence...all because a $4 Barrel Extension was sourced, rather than a $14 Extension with tighter tolerance demands for ID of the teeth.
Whoever does the work, make sure they use a quality barrel extension. A cut-rifled barrel will give you impressive accuracy.
Krieger, Bartlein, Lilja, Pac-Nor...any of those will be shooters if built by a competent smith who selects quality components.
There have been reliability issues with certain high-end barrel makers, because the barrel extensions sourced were not of the QC needed for the Grendel. As the user, this shows up as a FTFeed/Failure to go into battery fully:
Guys will look down at the chamber, the cartidge is totally in-line with the bore, but for some reason, isn't fully-chambered.
What has happened is that the cheap barrel extension, while totally fine on a 5.56 gun, has a slightly eliptical inner Diameter to the BE teeth, and there isn't enough clearance for the extractor to snap over the larger rim cartidge.
The extractor binds against the ID of the teeth in that clock position, but most shooters and smiths don't realize what is going on, and look at common problem points like the magazine, feed ramps, extractor lip/spring. After a few teaks in those areas, no solution still, and frustration builds.
The customer sends it back to the barrel smith, they shoot a few loads that work, say nothing is wrong, and send it back, as they are buried in orders for months upon months of lead times.
Customer gets the gun back, goes to the range, bang...same problem. Fumes eminate from ears, eyes turn red, feelings of anger and depression commence...all because a $4 Barrel Extension was sourced, rather than a $14 Extension with tighter tolerance demands for ID of the teeth.
Whoever does the work, make sure they use a quality barrel extension. A cut-rifled barrel will give you impressive accuracy.
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
I have a Precision Firearms billet upper with Les Baer 24" bull barrel, bolt, and carrier. By far the most accurate AR in my safe and easily capable of .5 MOA or better. My best 5 shot to date was .358 MOA at 100 using 123 SMK, 29.1 gr AA2520, in Lapua brass. I shoot this with a TBAC 30P-1 suppressor and the gun barely moves.
I have a Precision Firearms billet upper with Les Baer 24" bull barrel, bolt, and carrier. By far the most accurate AR in my safe and easily capable of .5 MOA or better. My best 5 shot to date was .358 MOA at 100 using 123 SMK, 29.1 gr AA2520, in Lapua brass. I shoot this with a TBAC 30P-1 suppressor and the gun barely moves.
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
Guess i shuldv included in orig post but wat length r u guys usin. Rite now im leanin twrd 20 inch satern heavy fluted. Shuld i consider 22 r higher. Anyone know the addition of velocity i wuld get? Will be using for all around gun but hav about 1200 yds to play on.
Guess i shuldv included in orig post but wat length r u guys usin. Rite now im leanin twrd 20 inch satern heavy fluted. Shuld i consider 22 r higher. Anyone know the addition of velocity i wuld get? Will be using for all around gun but hav about 1200 yds to play on.
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bobo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guess i shuldv included in orig post but wat length r u guys usin. Rite now im leanin twrd 20 inch satern heavy fluted. Shuld i consider 22 r higher. Anyone know the addition of velocity i wuld get? Will be using for all around gun but hav about 1200 yds to play on. </div></div>
That hurts to read.
1911fan
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bobo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guess i shuldv included in orig post but wat length r u guys usin. Rite now im leanin twrd 20 inch satern heavy fluted. Shuld i consider 22 r higher. Anyone know the addition of velocity i wuld get? Will be using for all around gun but hav about 1200 yds to play on. </div></div>
That hurts to read.
1911fan
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
Go with the satern 20" or 24". They're heavy as shit but will shoot lights out with minimal load work up and clean with ease. They can be had through midwayusa. I rec to back order it and wait, It's well worth it IMHO
Go with the satern 20" or 24". They're heavy as shit but will shoot lights out with minimal load work up and clean with ease. They can be had through midwayusa. I rec to back order it and wait, It's well worth it IMHO
Re: help with 6.5 barrel choice?
Satern makes some of the most accurate AR barrels I've shot. They also are the ones who have used el cheepo barrel extensions that induce the failure to go into battery malf.
I have at least one friend with a Satern that has this problem, and he's very frustrated, to say the least.
Another Satern barreled Grendel I have shot is literally a .25 MOA gun for 5-rounds, and can ring the flapper at 700yds, feeds great.
Whoever you choose, make SURE they use a quality barrel extension that has concentric ID of the teeth.
Satern makes some of the most accurate AR barrels I've shot. They also are the ones who have used el cheepo barrel extensions that induce the failure to go into battery malf.
I have at least one friend with a Satern that has this problem, and he's very frustrated, to say the least.
Another Satern barreled Grendel I have shot is literally a .25 MOA gun for 5-rounds, and can ring the flapper at 700yds, feeds great.
Whoever you choose, make SURE they use a quality barrel extension that has concentric ID of the teeth.
