6.5 Grendel Bolt Gun

[pahoghunter]

I see there are 2 bolt guns in the 6.5 Grendel the Howa and the CZ, the Howa has a heavy barrel model. Is anyone shooting one of these and what kind of accuracy are you getting at 100,200 & 300 yds. I know how good the CZ triggers are how about the Howa triggers. thanks Bob

 

[Hoot]

The 6.5 Grendel was designed with the AR 15 in mind. You don't need a bolt action for them to shoot bughole groups. Back in 2010-2011 timeframe, Midway was buying E.R Shaw 6.5 Grendel barrels and selling them under the AR Stoner brand name with matching bolts. I bought a 24" SS barrel on sale and the bore finish at the time was the best off the shelf AR barrel I had ever seen. I can't speak for current production but boy does it love 123gr Amax bullets over a host of powders. I put up many Range Reports around that time on the 65grendel forum under the same user name. I settled on AR-Comp powder as it had a wide tune range and was very stable over a wide temperature range. Using the recipe marked on the target, it got so consistently good that I gave up taking it to the gun club as we're limited to 100 yds.

I grew up in MD and hunted groundhogs a lot up by the PA line. That was back when the farmers welcomed you with open arms if you'd hog off their farms. I know it can vary from mild in the spring and fall to unbearable in the summer out in the fields. Temperature stability is important. I'd recommend not eliminating an AR for this caliber though I understand the affinity for a nice bolt action. I've lived in MN for 42 years now and can count the number of groundhogs I've seen on two hands with some fingers left over. Not having been back east, I don't know if PA is AR friendly or not.

Hoot

 

[3Ackleys]

The Ruger American is also avail. in 6.5 Gr.
I have a couple Ar's in it and I love this little cartridge- my next gun will be a bolt or single shot contender.
here are the Bolt gun threads from 6.5Grendel forum go nuts!

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?23-6-5-Grendel-Bolt-Actions-amp-Single-Shots

 

[GSPV]

That case will shine in a bolt gun with a chamber set up to let you load the bullets long so that they aren’t taking up valuable case capacity.

Works great necked down to 6 and up to 30, too!

 

[Hoot]

That case will shine in a bolt gun with a chamber set up to let you load the bullets long so that they aren’t taking up valuable case capacity.

Works great necked down to 6 and up to 30, too!

That's very true. When I was working actively with mine it always seemed starved for a few more grains of powder. Always a little out of reach. Do yourself a favor and get the Lapua or Alexander Arms (rebranded Lapua) brass. I started off with Hornady and the primer pockets got loose after a few reloading cycles. IIRC, Alexander Arms has a sale every year on their brass around Christmas. Ball powders at the time, produced the best velocities, but I'm not into ball powders. A few powders regularly enjoyed these days, were not out yet, so I'm sure the bar has lifted.

Hoot

 

[Sniper338]

Save your money and build a semi custom off a rem 700... your wasting money buying factory rifles.

 

[MRC2014]

I just started buying parts to build a Grendel bolt action rather than convert my CZ 527. I bought a Remington Model Seven .223 Predator on clearance and ordered a Brux #3 1:8.5" barrel to finish at 22". I've never shot a Grendel, but it seemed like a fun project and a nice carrying rifle for deer and coyotes.

 

[Lone Hunter]

I see there are 2 bolt guns in the 6.5 Grendel the Howa and the CZ, the Howa has a heavy barrel model. Is anyone shooting one of these and what kind of accuracy are you getting at 100,200 & 300 yds. I know how good the CZ triggers are how about the Howa triggers. thanks Bob

I have a Howa 1500 mini action. I like it but don't like the way the magazine sticks out. You can do mods on the magazine and the trigger. I bought a HB from Brownells and put it in a Boyd's AT-1 stock. After the season I will probably pillar and action bed it. The trigger is ok but can be better hence the mods. I can get around 1/2" groups with it. As Hoot says don't discount the Grendel in an AR Platform. I put together a BHW Barrel 20" with a 1-8 twist that shoots just like Hoots picture. It is very accurate with 123 ELD M and 85 gr Sierra HP. Only thing I shot last yr was a bobcat and it was DRT. I like the Grendel round quite a bit. Go to www.65grendel.com. You can get some ideals there.

 

[flatlander]

I've built a couple of rifles chambered for the 6RAT, a necked-down wildcat based on the 6.5 Grendel. First one was on a CZ 527 that was originally a carbine in 7.62x39, and which I used a Krieger #4 sporter blank on. It made a nice-looking rifle, balanced nicely, and is accurate. I wasn't happy with the OEM single-set trigger, so replaced it with a JARD. The only thing I don't care for is that ammo loaded longer than mag length can't be single-loaded due to the Mauser-style extractor. I understand someone makes a SLED for the little CZ action that is a way to work around this issue.

When LSI announced the availability of their Howa Mini action in 6.5 Grendel, I knew I had to have one. Though I'd have preferred building another 6RAT on a SAKO PPC action, paying $$$ for a complete rifle just for the action was out of the question, so the Mini was a real boon to my pursuit to build a more petite rifle than would be possible by going with a Rem model 7 & PTG custom bolt with the correct boltface. The downside at the onset was lack of availability of custom stocks to fit the Mini action, but eventually, Boyds started doing inlets for it, and I was able to get McMillan to agree to do so by sending them a spare bbl'd action to model the inlet from. I bought a Boyds ProVarmint in mountain camo with their adjustable cheekpiece and put a hvy bbl 6.5 Grendel bbl'd action into it, even purchased four boxes of Hornady Black 123gr ammo for it, but never got around to shooting it before selling it. Meanwhile, McMillan delivered a nice stock in SAKO varmint pattern, and I re-barreled a std wt 6.5G action with a Bartlein 6mm 1-8tw 5R in light Palma contour, finished at 24" & chambered for 6RAT. I found this stock uncomfortable for prone use, and so moved the bbl'd action over into another McM stock, this one a Game Scout, which I like just fine. As has happened to several other Mini owners, the rear action screw hole in the plastic bottom 'metal' split when I torqued the rear action screw to 45 in/lbs, so I replaced the plastic unit with an aluminum one from DIP, and have been very pleased with it. Also did the HACT trigger mod by shortening the actuator spring 1.3 coils, which resulted in a 1.2lb break which is crisp & safe. This rifle shoots very well, printing several 1 MOA 5-shot groups at 600yds with Berger 90 BTHP bullets/H4895/CCI 450 primers in the AA/Lapua brass while fireforming. I've yet to do any load development with 105-107gr bullets, but intend to spend some time this winter doing so.

I just finished a 20 Tactical on another Mini bbl'd action that was originally a 222 - put a Bartlein #2 contour, 1-9tw bbl finished at 24" on it, got another Boyds ProVarmint with adj cheekpiece & laser-stippled grip panels, this one in sky blue/gray laminate, also equipped with DIP DBM. I'd bought two of these 1-9tw blanks off Bartlein's online inventory list, thinking the faster twist would work well with Berger 55 LRBT bullets, and have been very pleased with the one 5-shot group I've shot with them at 600yds. The wind was from 4:00 at 10-12mph with higher gusts, and the horizontal spread was a tad over 7", but four of the five impacts had 1/4" of vertical, with one single impact being 2-1/8" low. Again, these were fire-form loads with H4895 & CCI 450 primers. Will do more shooting with this little rifle as soon as I've had time to form more cases out of new WW223 brass.

So while I liked the appearance of the CZ527 rifle (mine has a Turkish walnut stock with some nice figure), and it carries very nicely, I'm really enjoying the Howa Mini rifles, and will likely build another one before long, this time going with a #3 Krieger in 6RAT, and possibly a Boyds sporter in solid walnut for a lighter, nicer carrying rifle.

 

[DirtySteve]

I have a Howa 1500 mini action. I like it but don't like the way the magazine sticks out. You can do mods on the magazine and the trigger. I bought a HB from Brownells and put it in a Boyd's AT-1 stock. After the season I will probably pillar and action bed it. The trigger is ok but can be better hence the mods. I can get around 1/2" groups with it. As Hoot says don't discount the Grendel in an AR Platform. I put together a BHW Barrel 20" with a 1-8 twist that shoots just like Hoots picture. It is very accurate with 123 ELD M and 85 gr Sierra HP. Only thing I shot last yr was a bobcat and it was DRT. I like the Grendel round quite a bit. Go to www.65grendel.com. You can get some ideals there.

Did you have fits getting your BHW barrel to shoot like That? I got one for my wife. I tried a ton of loads. Then it happened. I shot one round nice, fired again him. Where did it go. Fires again nothing. Fired again nothing. Got miffed and pulled the target in disgust. Then took a close look and realized all five shots were in the same hole.

Oh it was a 6 Grendel .

 

[jbmarshtx]

I have a Howa HB (20") mini. I bought a Boyd's prairie hunter stock and the DIP bottom metal. I put it all together last weekend. I cut down the magazine so it is 'flush' with the bottom metal and holds 3 rounds. The grendel forum has some info on it. Talley rings and a Vortex Razor LH 2-10 on it. I also replaced the 2-stage with a 2# Timney but had to open up the trigger guard on the bottom metal. The HACT factory trigger seemed fine, I just wanted a timney since that is on my other rifle.

I sighted it in last weekend at 100m using the Federal/American Eagle 120 OTM, and I shot a few rounds of Hornady factory AMAX through it. Mine shot 1MOA or better with this ammo.

I may do some handloads, and I may try to add pillars though I've not done that before.

 

[pahoghunter]

The 6.5 Grendel was designed with the AR 15 in mind. You don't need a bolt action for them to shoot bughole groups. Back in 2010-2011 timeframe, Midway was buying E.R Shaw 6.5 Grendel barrels and selling them under the AR Stoner brand name with matching bolts. I bought a 24" SS barrel on sale and the bore finish at the time was the best off the shelf AR barrel I had ever seen. I can't speak for current production but boy does it love 123gr Amax bullets over a host of powders. I put up many Range Reports around that time on the 65grendel forum under the same user name. I settled on AR-Comp powder as it had a wide tune range and was very stable over a wide temperature range. Using the recipe marked on the target, it got so consistently good that I gave up taking it to the gun club as we're limited to 100 yds.

I grew up in MD and hunted groundhogs a lot up by the PA line. That was back when the farmers welcomed you with open arms if you'd hog off their farms. I know it can vary from mild in the spring and fall to unbearable in the summer out in the fields. Temperature stability is important. I'd recommend not eliminating an AR for this caliber though I understand the affinity for a nice bolt action. I've lived in MN for 42 years now and can count the number of groundhogs I've seen on two hands with some fingers left over. Not having been back east, I don't know if PA is AR friendly or not.

Hoot

Not AR friendly

 

[Steve Ladino]

The Ruger American is also avail. in 6.5 Gr.
I have a couple Ar's in it and I love this little cartridge- my next gun will be a bolt or single shot contender.
here are the Bolt gun threads from 6.5Grendel forum go nuts!

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?23-6-5-Grendel-Bolt-Actions-amp-Single-Shots

I recently bought a Ruger American Grendel. It is quite a change from shooting my bench guns but with some effort and attention to routine it can be used with a front and rear rest combo at the bench. It is very lite and likely I'll heavy it up
in the butt and forearm. The stock is not rubbery but hard. Nice recoil pad , not really needed for the Grendel but nice at that. It ain't no Tikka but should make an accurate fun gun to shoot once I get a load for it. With the Sierra 85's and also with the ELDM 123's the preferred powder is H335. 2935 FPS. and 2500 FPS respectively. The wind has been so bad here in Pa. since I got it that groups just aren't as tight as I hope to make them. It is shooting about half MOA now but I think it will do better. Metal finish coating is crude, downright lousy and embarrassing. Hornady brass has lasted 10 loadings with no neck turning just FL resizing every reload. Necks are splitting, primer pockets are tight. Chamber neck is .010 over loaded NK. diameter. Chamber is rather large as first firings exhibited a visible ring just above extractor groove of the case along with great effort to resize with wheel bearing grease. Lots of the load data that is out there I exceeded beyond the Max. recommendation, 450's handled that with no problem at all. A fun little gun !

 

[flatlander]

I've heard some complaints (really just a couple) on the 6.5 Grendel chambers Howa cuts in their Mini bbls, but overall accuracy claims from owners who've posted on the 6.5 Grendel forums is uniformly good. I bought a Bartlein 6.5mm/1-8tw bbl blank off their online inventory list a few years ago which is supposed to be the same contour that Remington uses on their magnum rifles. The shank is so short that it's going to be a PITA to set up in the 4-jaw on my lathe, but I think it'd make a great 6.5 Grendel bbl for a Mini action. Of course, then I'll have to buy a reamer, go gauge, and dies, but I've read so many glowing reports about results with the little Grendel case that I feel I owe it to myself to try one instead of re-barreling all the Minis I've got to other Grendel-based wildcats.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If it doesnt have a 7.62x39 bolt face already it wouldnt be worth it to change it. Its not a magical cartridge although the case is one of my favorites. If i had a 308 bolt face id put a 6br in there long before i paid anything to change the boltface and extractor to make it a grendel

 

[flatlander]

Dusty - The bbl'd action I'm thinking of using is a 7.62x39. Brownells had them on sale at dealer's price of $219, which was just too good a deal to pass up. I really have no interest in the 7.62x39, only bought this bbl'd action because it has the correct boltface for what I want at a price I couldn't pass up.

 

[reubenski]

I bought a Howa Mini barreled action from Brownells and bedded it into an LSS chassis. It shot 108s at 2700+ into about .7". I hinted with it last year and killed a few whitetail. 6.5G is the perfect whitetail cartridge IMO. I sold it and bought a Mcgowen savage prefit in 6.5G for my TL-3. Now I just screw on a 20" varmint contour prefit when I want to shoot Grendel. I loctited and had a gunsmiths fix the nut with a set screw into the tenon so I don't have to set headspace every time. It shoots 123SCRs at 2650 using 30.3gr of TAC into 3/8's". I have 5-600 pcs of Hornady brass and load it on a Dillon.

 

[steve123]

I bought a Howa Mini barreled action from Brownells and bedded it into an LSS chassis. It shot 108s at 2700+ into about .7". I hinted with it last year and killed a few whitetail. 6.5G is the perfect whitetail cartridge IMO. I sold it and bought a Mcgowen savage prefit in 6.5G for my TL-3. Now I just screw on a 20" varmint contour prefit when I want to shoot Grendel. I loctited and had a gunsmiths fix the nut with a set screw into the tenon so I don't have to set headspace every time. It shoots 123SCRs at 2650 using 30.3gr of TAC into 3/8's". I have 5-600 pcs of Hornady brass and load it on a Dillon.

What did you do for a mag/s in your TL3?

 

[reubenski]

BR mag kits in Aics mags

 

[steve123]

BR mag kits in Aics mags

Did you have to bend the mag lips in or just left them as is?

Thanks