History
Its not every day that I get to write about a cartridge that I remember coming out, but today is one of those. It was twenty something years ago, I was a much younger fella recently married and a son on the way when I first learned about the 6.5 Grendel. Even back then 6.5’s were hot, so when I heard about the 6.5 Grendel I paid attention.
The little Grendel came from Alexander Arms, and the whole idea was to put higher Ballistic Coefficient (BC) bullets into an AR-15. Bumping up the case size was also necessary in order to get these 6.5 Bullets up to a respectable speed. All this to create a cartridge that would make the AR-15 more lethal at distances beyond 500 yards or more.
The popularity of the Grendel has led to similar cartridges gaining fame as well. The 6 ARC has become extremely popular for similar reasons, and now the 22 ARC is following its footsteps.
6.5 Grendel Dimensions
The 6.5 Grendel inherited a similar volume from it PPC/220 Russian parent case, the case volume is approximately 35 grains of water. Typical Grendel powder charges run between 20-ish and 30-ish grains of powder, depending of course on the powder and bullet choice. These mild charges are not too different from charges used in the .223 or other comparable cartridges. This allows the 6.5 Grendel to propel 100-140 grain bullets up to velocities like 2300 to 2600. These are some pretty general numbers, that obviously are subject to change.
The odd size of the Grendel case has some other consequences as well. With its .449 bolt-face it falls between the .223 bolts used in most AR-15 rifles and the very common 308 sized bolt-face in larger rifle platforms. Luckily due to popularity of the Grendel and similar cartridges, this has become less of a problem. 7.62×39, .224 Valkyrie and others have made the midsized bolt-face more mainstream.
Additionally, due to its shape and proportions, the Grendel requires a different magazine to feed from AR rifles. There are a few different options out there including followers and complete mag-housings that have been altered to fit the Grendel and its offspring.
My Test Rifle
The rifle featured in this article for testing purposes is a Bear Creek Arsenal bolt-action upper. A handy and cost effective way to convert from one firearms type to another. It features one of their eighteen-inch heavy barrels and threaded 5/8-24 which fits perfect for my suppressor. The 1:8 twist works great with bullets commonly loaded for the Grendel. I used a Maven RS.3 5-30X50 scope which was probably a little more than necessary, but welcome.
Ballistics
Part of the idea behind the Grendel was improved ballistic performance from the AR-15 rifle. With 5.56/.223 chambered rifles, most were shooting bullets from 55grains up to 75-80 grains. Which can be very useful for a great many things, but at 800 yards they have significantly deteriorated performance. That is where the Grendel comes in, even with a light for caliber bullet like a 123 grain 6.5, the Grendel far exceeds even the heavy .224 bullets. For comparison, a couple loads shown below; an average and heavy 5.56 load compared to an average and heavy Grendel load.
| Load Data | Velocity/Energy @400yds | Velocity/Energy @800yds |
| 5.56 55gr FMJ 3250 FPS | 1800fps/395lbs | 1000fps/120lbs |
| 5.56 75gr BTHP 2910 FPS | 2025fps/680lbs | 1340fps/300lbs |
| 6.5 Grendel 123gr 2450 FPS | 1875fps/965lbs | 1380fps/520lbs |
| 6.5 Grendel 140gr 2330 FPS | 1880fps/1100lbs | 1475fps/680lbs |
The Grendel loads can have thirty percent or more energy at further distances, which could be vital when incapacitating a target. While velocities are comparable, the energy of the heavier bullets carries further, and better.
Check out a variety of 6.5 Grendel rifles Here
Popular Components
Making brass for the little Grendel has come a long way from forming your own from something else. Whether it be Hornady or Starline, you can get some great brass for the Grendel. You can even get Lapua 6.5 Grendel cases now, so you know its serious.
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