6.5mm Grendel Vs. 6.5mm BR

[Arianboy]

I'm looking at building up an AR Match Rifle,Space Gun) in one of the two listed calibers. 6.5mm is the cal I'm looking at because of it's BC. The Grendel was my choice until the guys on the team brought up the Bench Rest option. So now I'm in need of some good solid and preferably educated opinions.

1 - Ballistically which round is better ballistically, the 6.5 Grendel or a 6.5 Bench Rest?

1a - Which round has the best powder capacity?

1b - Which round can handle the heavier bullets, again in an AR?

2 - How heavy a bullet can the Bench Rest handle in an AR? I would like to go all the way up to the 142gr Sierras or 140gr Bergers if it's physically possible.

I know it's a lot, but thanks for anything in advance!

 

[dreever]

The Grendel is basically a 6PPC case so the 6BR case will have a little more case capacity.

Lapua 6BR brass is about as good as it gets and is readily available. The jury's still out on the Grendel brass,but it is Lapua) and I think there is only one supplier, Alexander Arms.

The Grendel may function better in an AR15 type of rifle, since that's what it was designed for initially. In a bolt gun I'd say the nod would go to the 6BR if your looking for maximum velocities.

I think the 142 grain bullets may be a little heavy for the Grendel. Those testing it are reporting good results with some custom 130 grain bullets.

Since you're planning on using it on an AR15 platform pressures have to be held down as compared to a bolt gun so I feel the velocities won't be there with the heavy bullets.

I think it will be interesting as some are planning on shooting the Grendel in Bench rest matches out to 600 yards this season.
Truthfully, the juries still out. It's just to early to tell if the Grendel will be a contender, or a pretender.

 

[daveb]

BOLT NEEDS TO BE OPENEND MORE FOR THE 6 BR THAN FOR THE GRENDEL.
I remenber reading in precision shooting that this will weaken the bolt head to much and broken boltheads were very common.
They even went so far they turned the 6 br down to,the same dimensions.
I think 123g lapua is about the max in an ar 15

 

[Arianboy]

Thanks for the info all! I think I'm going to go with a BR, but in 6mm. There seems to be a bit of a velocity advantage over the 6.5 in either chambering. Again, thanks!

 

[TX65]

6.5 Grendel brass is made concurrently with 220 Russian Lapua brass. Much of the tooling used is the same.

Case capacity difference between 6.5 Grendel and Lapua BR brass is 5% greater in favor of the BR.

Ballistically superior,,,, read the article about the Grendel in the Gun of the Week section of 6mmBR.com. There is a new JLK 130 VLD in 6.5mm which is running a .620 BC vs the .530 BC of the 107 Sierra in 6mm.

Using the 6.5 BR in an AR15 requires custom magazines as well as rebating the rim on the brass. I have AR's in 6.5 PPC, 6.5 BR-R and 6.5 Grendel... As far as BR vs Grendel, the cost / benefit analysis does not show any advantage of the BR case over the Grendel in 6.5mm.

 

[FilippoMo]

For a 6 BR I would choose an AR 10 receiver.
Filippo

 

[DHuffman]

For a 6 BR I would choose an AR 10 receiver.
Filippo

Thread is over 16 years old, I bet it's sorted by now LOL