Just finished my first build, 6.5 Grendel. Thoughts?

[hdrolling]

So I have been using my DD M4V11 PRO as my SPR but wanted something with a little more range. After reading what is out there I decided to try 6.5 Grendel, all I do is bench shoot for fun.

My range only goes out to 200yds but I have a 600 yds range not far away that I want to try.

Here is the list of parts:

Noveske Gen I lower with BCM LPK
Geissele SSA-E trigger
PRS stock with monopod
Elander mags
Noveske marked Vltor MUR upper
Noveske marked Geissele super charging handle
Sionics NP3 coated BC with monster bolt
16.7 Noveske NSR handguard
SLR sentry 7 adjustable gas block with black gas tube
Faxon 20" 6.5 Grendel barrel
VG6 Gamma 65 muzzle device
KAC mini BUIS (not pictured)
ADM 20 MOA QD scope mount.
Atlas Bipod BT46-LW17 PSR
And I have a Vortex Viper PST gen II 5-25X50 FFP scope with a vortex level bubble

I'm heading out Mon to adjust the gas block and to get a zero, first time with a FFP scope so I have been reading up and still need to mount and level it.

This was a bucket list build hence all the over priced Noveske parts, I know the dusk cover is a little over board. For break in and zero I have 100rds of Hornady Black 123 gr ELD match.

Just wanted to share my build and maybe report back after I gets some rounds down range to get some feedback.

IMG_9010 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9011 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9006 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9012 by hd_rolling, on Flickr

 

[bobke]

Nice build. Curious to hear how Faxon barrel shoots-post pics when you can. How much clearance between NSR and SLR? Have an NSR on a 223, but looked like a tight fit for an adj GB. You're going to like Grendel once you've run it for a while. Very capable round and quite easy to develop accurate handloads.

 

[bigjake83]

As politely stated above, everything is golden with the exception of your Barrel choice. The 6.5 Grendel is a wonderful round and it's always sad to see people cheapening it with poor Barrel choices.

Bare minimum would be a JP Grendel Barrel. Don't take my reply as being rude, Mark LaRue just tried his hand at the Grendel barrel and in my opinion failed as well, and he supposed to have some of the best equipment money can buy.

 

[hdrolling]

Interesting, this is the first I'm hearing about the barrel. The build actually started with the barrel from the group buy on the Grendel forum and I went from there.

It's specs are 20" Faxon barrel, 416R stainless with QPQ melonite 1:8, 5R-EE, button-rifled. I suppose worse case that a barrel would be cheap enough to replace, I've never heard of JP? Do they specialize in precision barrels?

Thanks by the way this is just the kind of info I was wanting in case thing at the range are not what I was expecting.

Bobke I'll post some pics of the SRL in the handguard when I get a chance. At first I was worried it might not fit and ordered a non-adjustable Noveske gas block because I knew it would fit. After I had the two side by side I figured it would fit.

IMG_8992 by hd_rolling, on Flickr

 

[hdrolling]

So I just saw the JP barrels on Brownells, over $600 was a lot more than I expected to see. And if this was at the lower end what are the higher end barrels?

Here are the gas block pics, the top I was able to get a good pic of looking down the front but my mount for the bipod was block the bottom so I took a side view.

IMG_9015 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9023 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9024 by hd_rolling, on Flickr

 

[bobke]

These are samples from testing Bartlein and Lilja barrels, for reference. Hoping your Faxon will deliver, as well.

 

[Brosome]

Brownells charges a lot for them to order you one. If you go to JP's website you can order the 22" for $530 and comes with a matches bolt. Nice build though. interested in seeing how the Faxon shoots, I wouldn't worry too much about it until you try it out, Faxon makes good stuff.

 

[bobke]

Keep in mind, the JP barrels come properly headspaced with a JP bolt. And yes, a premium Bartlein, Krieger, JP, Lilja barrel, depending on fluting or other options will set you back $550-650. That said, my 20" Bartlein is the most consistently reliable and accurate AR barrel I own, from cold bore on.

 

[Bill3508x]

Nice build. Also interested in how the Faxon will shoot.

 

[bobke]

As noted, give the Faxon a chance to do right. And it'll take 100+ rounds to just get it settled in properly. Should pick up speed along the way, as well. Handloading for your particular and specific barrel is best way to determine real potential-if after some thorough testing, it doesn't meet your expectations, then consider some of the above choices.

 

[bigjake83]

Keep in mind, the JP barrels come properly headspaced with a JP bolt. And yes, a premium Bartlein, Krieger, JP, Lilja barrel, depending on fluting or other options will set you back $550-650. That said, my 20" Bartlein is the most consistently reliable and accurate AR barrel I own, from cold bore on.

And if you're MIL or LEO they will knock that price down some more.

I'm​ glad you didn't take that criticism to heart. A lot of us who have been here for many years see new Grendel shooters start off with the budget barrel and end up hating the cartridge or chalking it up as another 1 MOA round when it can easily produce .25 MOA

And just to clarify why I mentioned JP as a starting point.

JP has their barrels down to an exact science in how they will perform, they take extra steps two refine every aspect for the consumer. Putting aside harmonics testing, cryogenic treatments, it's just one of those barrels that will produce right out of the gate .75 - .5 MOA with store-bought Hornady ammo, thus making it extremely user-friendly for the new Grendel shooter.

I've built probably close to a dozen 6.5 Grendel uppers for friends, family and co-workers using JP barrels and I do the same process every time. I buy 3 boxes of Ammo.... Hornady SST, Match and Black, I perform barrel break in as per JP's instructions and by the end of barrel break in I guarantee you, one out of those three boxes of ammo will shoot .5 MOA.

Now the new Grendel shooter knows the true accuracy potential for the cartridge, they know what store-bought ammo performs best and they have 60 rounds of quality Fireformed Brass to start them on their way to Handloading.

 

[hdrolling]

And if you're MIL or LEO they will knock that price down some more.

I'm​ glad you didn't take that criticism to heart. A lot of us who have been here for many years see new Grendel shooters start off with the budget barrel and end up hating the cartridge or chalking it up as another 1 MOA round when it can easily produce .25 MOA

And just to clarify why I mentioned JP as a starting point.

JP has their barrels down to an exact science in how they will perform, they take extra steps two refine every aspect for the consumer. Putting aside harmonics testing, cryogenic treatments, it's just one of those barrels that will produce right out of the gate .75 - .5 MOA with store-bought Hornady ammo, thus making it extremely user-friendly for the new Grendel shooter.

I've built probably close to a dozen 6.5 Grendel uppers for friends, family and co-workers using JP barrels and I do the same process every time. I buy 3 boxes of Ammo.... Hornady SST, Match and Black, I perform barrel break in as per JP's instructions and by the end of barrel break in I guarantee you, one out of those three boxes of ammo will shoot .5 MOA.

Now the new Grendel shooter knows the true accuracy potential for the cartridge, they know what store-bought ammo performs best and they have 60 rounds of quality Fireformed Brass to start them on their way to Handloading.

I'm looking into these barrels, still learning. At least their all in the $500-$600 before options. I plan to at least shoot this setup for the winter and spring, I already have over $3800 invested so for now it's going to stay as is.

 

[WVC1119]

Slick looking rifle, man. Handloading is another way to get more out of the barrel you've got but AA also makes some solid factory loads if the Hornady Black you've got won't shoot. 6.5G is a great round to load.

 

[koshkin]

I have been shooting 6.5 Grendel for a lot of years and it is easily my favourite overall round for a semi-auto. I have built a bunch of these for other people, mostly with ARP barrel and for the money, they are excellent. Not as good as JP though. The one I mostly shoot with has an old-ish polygonal rifled Black Hole barrel that shoots surprisingly well. However, it is a 264LBC chamber and it seems to clearly prefer the 123gr SMK bullet to all others I have tried (120gr Scenar-L is a close second). With a proper Grendel chamber, you should do well with one of the Hornady loads if you do not want to reload your own.

As my time is getting more scarce, I am considering trying a higher end barrel, hoping that it will work better with factory stuff. After some searching, I figured out that Proof makes a Grendel barrel. Anyone have experience with it?

Also, post some results of how your Faxon barrel does.

ILya

 

[hdrolling]

Well I missed the range Mon because the wife wanted my to smoke a brisket, and now it's not open until tomorrow but I have to go see a bud for the day. I'm shooting for Sun to hit the range.
I already made a couple changes to the setup.
Added some KAC from and rear BUIS, a KAC trigger guard because it didn't fit on my KAC lower. I also put a KAC ambi safety on.

The safety and Vortex scope level bubble are not in these new pics because they came this afternoon, but here a some pics from today.

IMG_9032 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9035 by hd_rolling, on Flickr
IMG_9033 by hd_rolling, on Flickr

 

[hdrolling]

Well to update my thread.....

The faxon barrel did well after breaking it in, I was only able to zero it at 100 yds for one range trip and confirm the zero during my next trip. I was planning on getting to the 800 yd range in a couple weeks but my barrel started rusting really bad on the outside.

I sent an email with pics and was told I could replace or refund, so I'm sending it back for a refund.

Today I ordered a 20" Bartlein Barrel with the 6 flutes front and rear and having the Nitride done from Precision Firearms, so now for the long wait! [h=1][/h]

 

[Birddog6424]

5 years ago I would have agreed with the sentiment that the JP was the best route to get the most accuracy out of your rifle. Fast forward today and I no longer agree. There are lots of great barrels on the market these days, and you don't have to pay JP prices. I'm not a hater, I have a personal account with JP for dealer cost and own tons of their stuff, and it's all very good. But having dabbled around for the last few years I have also found a ton of great stuff for less.

There are more good barrels out there than you can beat with a stick. Nearly every quality manufacturer will offer an moa guarantee and stand behind it. I have barrels from Odin Works and a big Hanson profile Ballistic Advantage barrel that offer guarantees so I figured they were a safe bet. They are hammers. I bought my 6.5 Creedmoor BA barrel because it was a great buy and I wanted to give it a shot. I figured if it didn't work, I would get my money back and buy another JP as originally intended. It will run with my JP all week, who knew that would happen?. And I now own 3 Odin barrels in 223 and 6.5 Grendel. I also have a McGowan and a Black Hole Weaponry that easily shoot .5 groups. And there are plenty of others.

Don't be afraid to try something new. With modern machining practices there are a lot of great options from quality manufacturers.

 

[hdrolling]

5 years ago I would have agreed with the sentiment that the JP was the best route to get the most accuracy out of your rifle. Fast forward today and I no longer agree. There are lots of great barrels on the market these days, and you don't have to pay JP prices. I'm not a hater, I have a personal account with JP for dealer cost and own tons of their stuff, and it's all very good. But having dabbled around for the last few years I have also found a ton of great stuff for less.

There are more good barrels out there than you can beat with a stick. Nearly every quality manufacturer will offer an moa guarantee and stand behind it. I have barrels from Odin Works and a big Hanson profile Ballistic Advantage barrel that offer guarantees so I figured they were a safe bet. They are hammers. I bought my 6.5 Creedmoor BA barrel because it was a great buy and I wanted to give it a shot. I figured if it didn't work, I would get my money back and buy another JP as originally intended. It will run with my JP all week, who knew that would happen?. And I now own 3 Odin barrels in 223 and 6.5 Grendel. I also have a McGowan and a Black Hole Weaponry that easily shoot .5 groups. And there are plenty of others.

Don't be afraid to try something new. With modern machining practices there are a lot of great options from quality manufacturers.

My issue was that I tried something new and the barrel ended up being a lemon, so second time around I went with tried and tested from a known name. Maybe the next one I'll try new again, I keep seeing TBOX barrels being brought up here and there. I wouldn't mind trying another NC company.

 

[Birddog6424]

I'm with you there. There are some name brands that are tried and true and definitely narrow down the risk. I can think of a dozen AR barrel manufacturers off the top of my head I wouldn't hesitate to buy a barrel from. Not many years back I would have been hard put to come up with 5.

 

[AZgeek]

I have been shooting 6.5 Grendel for a lot of years and it is easily my favourite overall round for a semi-auto. I have built a bunch of these for other people, mostly with ARP barrel and for the money, they are excellent. Not as good as JP though. The one I mostly shoot with has an old-ish polygonal rifled Black Hole barrel that shoots surprisingly well. However, it is a 264LBC chamber and it seems to clearly prefer the 123gr SMK bullet to all others I have tried (120gr Scenar-L is a close second). With a proper Grendel chamber, you should do well with one of the Hornady loads if you do not want to reload your own.

As my time is getting more scarce, I am considering trying a higher end barrel, hoping that it will work better with factory stuff. After some searching, I figured out that Proof makes a Grendel barrel. Anyone have experience with it?

Also, post some results of how your Faxon barrel does.

ILya

Regarding the Grendel Proof barrel, be able to provide you some feedback in a few weeks. Went with the carbon fiber version that should be here end of next week. Still waiting on other upper parts as well.

 

[JeffLebowski]

So, there are a lot of bad LaRue 6.5G barrels?

 

[Birddog6424]

I have been shooting 6.5 Grendel for a lot of years and it is easily my favourite overall round for a semi-auto. I have built a bunch of these for other people, mostly with ARP barrel and for the money, they are excellent. Not as good as JP though. The one I mostly shoot with has an old-ish polygonal rifled Black Hole barrel that shoots surprisingly well. However, it is a 264LBC chamber and it seems to clearly prefer the 123gr SMK bullet to all others I have tried (120gr Scenar-L is a close second). With a proper Grendel chamber, you should do well with one of the Hornady loads if you do not want to reload your own.

As my time is getting more scarce, I am considering trying a higher end barrel, hoping that it will work better with factory stuff. After some searching, I figured out that Proof makes a Grendel barrel. Anyone have experience with it?

Also, post some results of how your Faxon barrel does.

ILya

I can't speak to the 6.5 Grendel barrel specifically. But looking at the big picture I have experience with Proof barrels. Their AR barrels have definitely been solid. We have a few of their sponsored shooters here locally, as well as Greg Hamilton next door in Montana shooting for them, and really doing well. I think he was competing with a Carbon 6mm Creedmoor on the PRS Gas Gun Series. He won the Ironman with that here locally and took 3rd overall I believe for the series.

I just ordered my 4th bolt gun barrel from them in 6mm Creedmoor. They have been excellent. It may have just been a fluke, but I have a Bartlein on there now, and I wore it out quicker than my Proof barrels. It was very finicky and I chased the lands a lot more with it than I had with my Proof barrels. I only went with the Bartlein because I needed the 1/7" and Proof was too far out. But I'm planning ahead a little better from here out and sticking with them.

Hopefully the Grendel will do as well as my experience with their other barrels.