Many Americans seem to have been born with a .30 caliber fixation, nothing to be ashamed of believe me. But there is a rivalry coming for America’s top spot, and its coming from the metric system believe it or not. 6.5 caliber cartridges are nothing new, even in North America. Today we are going to discuss a variety of the 6.5 cartridges and why they have such a cult following that continues to grow. Perhaps by the time we are done, you might feel a taste for the 6.5 Koolaid yourself.
the Ruger American Rifle is available in various calibers like 6.5CM and 6.5 PRC
6.5 or .264?
I remember speaking to an old gunsmith who claimed to have trained under P.O. Ackley. He told me that allegedly Ackley believed the 6.5 to be the ideal bore for accuracy. I believe both of them were simply a product of their time, and I also believe there isn’t an “ideal bore”. Instead there are simply perfect proportions, bullet lengths and angles as compared to the bore.
What you cannot deny is that 6.5mm bullets (or .264 inches for the Yanks) typically have excellent ballistic coefficients (BC). And these high BC bullet are usually easy to get up to excellent speeds due to their weights. Most 6.5 bullets fall within the range of 100 to 150 grains.
Whether .264 or 6.5, there is an incredible variety of cartridge cases designed to push them. And choosing which one of these cases is incredibly important as to the performance. A diminutive 6.5 Grendel can shoot the exact same bullet as the massively overbore 26 Nosler, but the performance will be just as distinct.
The Rise of 6.5 Cartridges
Back in the late 19th century, the 6.5 craze had already begun in Scandinavia with the 6.5×55 Swedish. It was used widely for so many purposes and in such numbers that it spilled into other firearm markets. For over a hundred years the Swede’s have been taking moose and reindeer with a 6.5. This might be downright shocking if you are one of those who uses a 300WM to pile up a 110-pound bean field whitetail from a ground blind.
both of these elk were taken with 6.5 cartridges, on the left a .260 Ackley, on the right a 6.5 Creedmoor, both taken from 520 yards. Watch the VIDEO HERE
It took some time for the 6.5’s to catch on across the American heartland. Ballistic tinkerers like the aforementioned Mr. Ackley made wildcats like the 6.5-06 popular. There were others like the 6.5 Remington magnum, but they didn’t catch on like their designers had hoped. It was like trying to sell a bullpup to Americans who love AR15’s.
One of my favorite cartridges for largely sentimental reasons is the .264 Winchester Magnum. A product from the 1950’s, it actually predates its 7mm twin, the 7mm Remington Magnum that gained far more attention.
this bull fell at 500 yards to my father’s .264 Win Mag shooting 140 gr bullets
Modern 6.5 Cartridges
Most of us are likely more familiar with modern 6.5 cartridges, but which one will best suit your needs? Many people love to hate on the 6.5 Creedmoor, but it’s impossible to deny its versatility. And it’s literally a ballistic twin to the 6.5×55 and we’ve already discussed how useful that cartridge has been and still is today.
Over a decade ago, there was an outright brawl between the three most popular 6.5 cartridges in the precision shooting space. The three protagonists were the 6.5 Creedmoor, the equally new 6.5×47 Lapua, and another American classic the .260 Remington. All three were hugely popular for short-action precision rifles, but the Creedmoor has seemed to win the popularity contest. Each of them had their strong points, but there’s nothing wrong with any of them.
The newly popular 6.5 PRC has gained an impressive following among big game hunters. While it often shoots the same bullets as the Creedmoor, it shoots them much faster. With a four to five hundred feet per second advantage, the PRC is lighting on deer and elk.
In long-action cartridges, Nosler more recently released their 26 Nosler cartridge. With a huge powder column, it is made to move fast. Of course this comes with a Nosler sized price tag as well.
Considerations
All of these cartridges have positive attributes that you should consider for your purpose. Whether you are a casual hunter, a serious competitor or even a Law Enforcement sniper there is something for you in this family of cartridges.
If you find yourself shooting deer or other comparable game within ranges of two to three-hundred yards any of them will do. One of my kids will be hunting with a 6.5 Grendel this season, shooting 120 grain bullets. Another of my kids will be hunting with the same little .260 I built for him when he turned 12.
My brother and I both will be shooting 6.5 PRC’s most likely, which are definitely good for a bit more distance. We’ve both taken .260’s and Creedmoors beyond the 1,000 yard line, but the PRC is a better tool for such a task.
My father would be shooting his .264 Win Mag, which he’s used in the past to take mule deer, antelope and mature bull elk. Sharing a ballistic profile with the 6.5 PRC it too has a more useful range envelope.
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.
22 ARC, 6 ARC, and the 6.5 Grendel
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.
Left to Right: 308 Winchester, 6.5 Grendel, 223 Remington
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.
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.
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.
We live in an interesting time, never before has there been so many options for firearms enthusiasts. And at the very same time there is a breathtaking assault against the right to obtain and bear all these arms. Todays subject might appear up front to be a step backwards in firearm design, but it for sure is a step towards countering the assault against second amendment rights for some. Today I present to you the Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15 Bolt-Action rifle. Your eyes aren’t fooling you, this is indeed a bolt-action AR-15 essentially.
That is why I said it might seem like a step backwards in firearm development, but you will soon see what makes this product a good idea.
The Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15 bolt-action rifle
Its appearance as an AR-15 rifle is by design, lets look at the rifle’s features to get started. The lower receiver is in fact a completely normal BCA complete lower, just like every other BCA lower it uses all the same parts interchangeably. (That will come in handy later) Where it differs is the upper receiver, though it also uses a great deal of the same parts there as well.
Edited to add: I enjoyed this rifle so much, that I ordered a second upper. This time an eighteen-inch heavy-barreled 6.5 Grendel. I wanted to have options, as well as another capable rifle for larger purposes. The Grendel upper shares much of the same features, but obviously runs on different magazines.
The Curious Bolt Design
The semi-auto bolt-carrier has been replaced by a different carrier, similar to the semi except missing the rear-most part. This results in the carrier having a fork-like back end. The bolt itself appears to be a standard AR bolt, with no gas rings installed. It rides in the bolt carrier secured by a regular cam-pin, but there is no cam-path cut into the carrier. The resulting motion looks like this; as the bolt handle is pushed forward, the bolt engages the barrel extension the same way it would in a semi-auto, but it rotates and goes into battery when the bolt-handle is pushed down.
Bolt Operation
The operation feels weird for several reasons, first off; the buffer in the stock applies spring tension on the bolt when pulled fully to the rear. This spring pressure is only felt about halfway forward from the extreme rear of the bolt stroke. Secondly; there is another spring behind the bolt inside the carrier. It keeps the bolt all the way forward when pushing into battery, but it also causes some back pressure when chambering a round. And a springs the bolt handle back when it is lifted out of battery.
one down side to the design is that you can’t field-strip the rifle without tools
At first it is quite awkward, and not what you are expecting. However, once you get the hang of it, it is actually quite fast. The opposing forces from the bolt-spring and the buffer spring actually seem to help you run the bolt faster. Once you get over it, its no bother at all.
The Barrel
From the barrel extension forward, as best as I can tell it is 100% the same barrel used in other comparable rifles. Which makes sense from a manufacturers perspective. Since no gas-block is needed, they simply installed a ring over the gas-block perch to prevent gas from blowing out the gas hole. The barrel is truly free-floated in that nothing touches it forward of the barrel nut.
The muzzle is threaded 1/2-28 like most 5.56 barrels, and it came with BCA’s typical muzzle device. I would be changing it out for my Yankee Hill Machine Turbo T3 suppressor almost immediately.
When shooting the 6.5 Grendel upper, I used my Banish Meateater suppressor. It was very pleasant shooting the Grendel with this suppressor.
The Rest
Everything else seemed pretty typical Bear Creek parts, the handguard used on all their AR’s, the lower parts and buttstock all look and function just like you’d expect them to. I’ll give them points on their pistol grip, I do like it much better than most typical grips. They also put one of those accuracy wedge pieces of polymer in it to keep the upper and lower from wobbling.
Other Models and Calibers
Bear Creek also makes these options in other calibers, and you guessed it they also make it in a large frame configuration as well. The options are actually pretty impressive, you can get either Parkerized barrels or 416 Stainless. There are also a great variety of barrel lengths you can choose from, as short as 7-inches and up to 22-inches. And perhaps too many chamberings to mention but I’ll try:
BC-15 Bolt-Action Calibers
BC-10 Bolt-Action Calibers
5.56 Nato
.243 Winchester
.223 Wylde
6.5 Creedmoor
.224 Valkyrie
.308 Winchester
.300 Blackout
8.6 Blackout
6mm ARC
6.5 Grendel
7.62×39 Soviet
350 legend
450 Bushmaster
458 SOCOM
12.7×42 (50 Beowulf)
Shooting the BCA BC-15 Bolt Action
To properly give this rifle a test, I took it across the state to ensure it got to see some country. Initial testing was done in the desert south west, coyote and jack rabbit country. Unfortunately neither of them showed up for the test, but the rifle worked great.
Ergonomics
I will say for sure that it took a little bit to get used to the bolt-throw on this rifle. It is unlike any other bolt-action I’ve ever operated, the lift is very short and the stroke has various degrees of resistance. It took me a minute to figure out what I was doing wrong, but once I got a feel for the operation it became second nature and particularly fast. The buffer spring pressure almost helps you transition from rearward motion to forward by adding spring pressure.
I did notice with the second upper in 6.5 Grendel the bolt was a little more finicky. I am not sure that this had anything to do with the cartridge difference or bolt-face change. Or if it was simply a side effect of mass-produced parts and tolerances.
The rest of this rifle is 100% pure AR, so you already know what that feels like. The trigger that came in the rifle was nothing to write home about but it did not keep the rifle from shooting well. I like the rubberized BCA pistol grip, it gives great purchase and is quite comfortable. The butt stock on the other hand could have come from a CAR-15 airsoft clone, or perhaps even a Nerf gun, but it worked just fine.
the BC-15 Bolt-Action would serve well as a hunting rifle
Reliability
As is typical with bolt-action rifles this one was 100% reliable. The only issues I had were part of the learning process with operation the bolt properly, as well as some ammunition that was a touch long for the chamber.
The rifle cycled cartridges flawlessly, and tossed them out in a neat pile. Feeding from P-Mags is one of the appealing features of this rifle, and it worked great. I was a bit irritated with the AR bolt catch that would lock the bolt up when the last round was fired, but I should have anticipated it.
None of the previous aspects really surprised me, but I was a bit impressed when I put the rifle on paper at 100 yards. With cheap ball ammo the rifle would shoot groups averaging slightly over 1 MOA, and when using PMC Match 77 grain it would print five-shot groups around .6 MOA quite reliably. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that modern manufacturing processes can produce 1/2 MOA guns that shoot that well for less than $450. I look forward to trying some additional handload options to see if I can get it to shoot even better.
The Grendel, while still shooting sub-MOA deserves a little more attention. I intend to keep tuning handloads to find one that shoots even better. I expect I should be able to shoot 1/2 MOA groups with it as well.
some of the .223/5.56 accuracy resultsAnother example, this time of the Grendel grouping
Value
I did a quick and simple glance over the 223 bolt-action rifles for sale at Sportsmans Warehouse. And of the fifty plus options available there, only half a dozen of them were in the same price range as this rifle. I’ve shot some of those rifles and they didn’t print groups like this as easily.
The great shooting performance of the BC-15 Bolt-Action rifle means it could serve well as a varmint rifle, target shooting or any other similar activity. And because it is essentially an AR-15 there is no shortage of ways to improve it, which takes me to the next subject.
the push of a couple pins allows you to swap from one upper to another
My working theory is two-fold; this rifle being a bolt-action type, there are far less likely to be laws infringing on the right to keep and bear it. So for folks who live behind enemy lines in shit-hole states like California or Maryland, they can finally join the ranks of AR-15 owners, even if they have to cycle the action by hand. And I suppose they can pick fights with the pump-action Ak guys.
The second part of my theory is that buying this “bolt-action” rifle in restricted states, is a perfectly legitimate reason to have a completely functional and uninhibited AR-15 lower receiver. And with the push of a couple pins you can enjoy the same liberties as free men everywhere.
shooting groups for accuracy analysis at 100 yards
Pros and Cons
The popularity of the AR-15 family of rifles has brought the prices down, and since this rifle borrows so much from the AR family, it too has benefitted. Having a great many parts and accessories interchangeable is a great asset, and allows you to set this rifle up however you see fit.
testing my 6.5 Grendel handloads
While it may take a minute to get used to, the rifle works quite well. And its performance on the range was refreshingly positive. Reliable function paired with the incredible compatibility makes it both fun and versatile. Because the rifle shoots better than I had anticipated, I’m actually considering putting a better trigger in the rifle. The mil-spec trigger it came with isn’t terrible but could be better, and I’d like to see how much accuracy I can squeeze out of it.
the Kahles 318i was an excellent scope to test this rifle’s potential
Based on price alone, I think this rifle is pretty damn reasonable. But there are few things I’d change if I could; First off is the super cheap butt stock. I understand why they use cheap ones, as lots of folks change them out anyways. I for sure will be changing it something different. There is also a little pet peeve of mine about putting company logos all over the place, like, you could just put it on the receiver and call it a day. But that is of course just a subjective complaint. Honestly I don’t know what else I’d change on this rifle after what I’ve mentioned.
Final Thoughts
Some folks might chuckle at the idea of a bolt-action AR, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I did the same. But the more I thought about it, and especially after shooting this little rifle quite a bit, I can say my mind has been swayed. Not saying I would give up my traditional bolt-guns in favor of this one, just that I can absolutely see the reasoning behind this design, and a value in having it.
The Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15 Bolt-Action rifle gives a pretty impressive performance considering the sum of its parts. Aside from that, it offers gun owners in tyrannical states an option to play in the AR-15 world. And it does all this for a pretty reasonable price attainable by average Americans. I look forward to putting this rifle to good use on some varmints this spring.
-CBM
2026 Update:
Last season my son used the BCA bolt-action upper in 6.5 Grendel to shoot this handsome little buck from almost 300 yards. And I continue to use the .223 bolt-action upper for fun plinking and varmint hunting. Still love these things.
You may have seen the popular meme about some of the more popular 6.5 cartridges, in this meme there are some satirical characterizations about the owners of these most popular 6.5mm cartridges. The 6.5 Grendel character is represented by a kooky and eccentric looking fellow you may not want to approach in the truck stop parking lot. I always laughed a bit a this meme, but today I find myself with that same wide eyed stare…
The 6.5 Grendel
Today we are looking at a 6.5 Grendel rifle made from an Aero Precision M4A1 lower and a 22″ Grendel Hunter upper receiver. Its Upper features a 22-inch 8 twist barrel with a threaded muzzle pitched 5/8-24 and of course chambered in 6.5 Grendel.
The Grendel is a bit of an oddity in that it uses a cartridge case that uses a bolt face between the very common 223 Remington, and the 308 Winchester. There are only a few common cartridges that use this sized case, such as the 224 Valkyrie and the 6mm ARC. The Grendel allows you to shoot 6.5 (.264) caliber bullets from a small frame AR-15 type rifle, which can vastly change the utility of your AR-15. I have heard of people using the Grendel for hunting animals as big as Rocky Mountain elk, and having used bullets of the same size and velocity I can see why.
The only difference I’ve noticed (apart from the 6.5 Grendel barrel) between this and other AR-15 rifles is the use of a different magazine. The Grendel magazines use a different follower, and I had a few laying around from my 6mm ARC project so they got put to good use.
The barrel is a fluted stainless one with a low profile gas block installed, and since it was threaded I fully intended on installing a suppressor to see how the rifle performed as a host.
The Aero Precision M4E1
After getting the rifle home, I set it on my bench and started looking for suitable accessories for the rifle. First and foremost it was going to need a good scope, for that I decided on installing my US Optics FDN17X, it seemed like a good match to the anticipated shooting for the Grendel. I also installed an MLok Harris bipod mount to the handguard so that I could install a bipod to shoot supported. I also grabbed my Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20 suppressor to see how the rifle shot suppressed.
Ammunition
6.5 Grendel ammunition isn’t as common as most, so I knew going in I was going to have to improvise. I had a bunch of 6.5 Grendel brass already, yes I am unashamedly one of those range creeps that is always digging through brass piles. But I haven’t bought brass in years so I’ll happily take the troll title.
I have a broad selection of .264 bullets, but it seems that Grendel loads are frequently in the 100-120 grain category. So I decided I would load up some PRVI 120 grain BTHP bullets with some Hodgdon Benchmarkin Hornady brass. While I claim no expertise in the dark art of handloading, I managed to get them together without any explosions or injury. So together with the outfitted rifle and my fresh loaded ammo, I headed into the hills to see how the rifle shot. The upper features a 22-inch barrel with an 1:8 twist and a 5/8×24 TPI threaded muzzle, of course chambered in 6.5 Grendel
On the Range with the Aero Precision 6.5 Grendel
With a fresh target hung at one hundred yards, I laid behind the rifle to get it zeroed. I had already bore-sighted it before I left the house, so it was ready to put on paper. After the first few shots I made some adjustments to the scope, and fired a group to see how it patterned. My grouping wasn’t terrible, a five shot average of one MOA is at least somewhere to start from. It’s certainly possible the rifle didn’t care for my handloads, and had I been shooting some Hornady Match it might have shot under a half inch. I shot several boxes worth of ammunition through the rifle, and to be honest I can see why so many people like this little cartridge. The recoil is very mild for starters, and I can’t imagine it would be much worse even shooting 140 grain bullets.
It was even better when I added my suppressor to the rifle. I was able to stretch the rifle out to about five hundred yards where I found it still quite easy to hit targets the size of a deer’s vitals.
Pros and Cons
Everybody has their preferences, and I surely have mine so I’ll tell you what I would do with this rifle if I had a magic wand. First I think I’d cut the barrel down a bit, it seems cumbersomely long to me. The long length of the barrel also makes it very front heavy, which if your shooting from a bipod isn’t a big deal but it can be for an offhand shooter.
The Grendel is one of those cartridges where I wouldn’t expect to be blasting one shot rapidly after another, so the ten-round magazine is more than enough for my purposes but you may want more if you are a high volume kind of shooter.
I do like the construction of the rifle, but the lightweight handguard doesn’t have anything more than what you want. The quality coatings look good, and everything fits together great. The bolt carrier appears to be nitrided for durability and smooth operation, while the raw steel surface of the barrel gives you that 2006 vibe. Continue Reading Here…
I prefer to shoot my deer one at a time, but it’s still reassuring to know the Grendel Hunter has a magazine full of backup shots waiting
CONCLUSION
The Grendel Hunter part of this rifle makes a whole lot of sense to me. You get a handy little lightweight rifle, but at the same time you get a whole magazine full of 6.5mm bullets to pummel whatever it is you’re after. I prefer to shoot my deer one at a time, but it’s always reassuring to know you have a stack of backup shots waiting for you.
Furthermore, I think this would be an excellent hog gun, where you may need a whole bunch of hard-hitting shots close together. Loaded with 140-grain bullets, I could easily see using this rifle for big Western game like elk and bighorns. We’ve killed elk using the same bullets and velocities tested in this rifle.
There is obviously no shortage of good choices in today’s firearms markets, but this rifle is a great option for someone who needs this kind of firepower and weight. The kooky eyes and hairdo are entirely optional (I wouldn’t recommend the look).
The upper features a 22-inch barrel with an 1:8 twist and a 5/8×24 TPI threaded muzzle, of course chambered in 6.5 Grendel
My grouping wasn’t terrible, a five shot average of one MOA is at least somewhere to start from. It’s certainly possible the rifle didn’t care for my handloads, and had I been shooting some 