Sighting in a 6.5 Grendel AR15 (again)

[Melensdad]

I'm planning to bring one of my AR15s chambered in 6.5 Grendel to a 'group shoot' in July. But, idiot me realized that I had taken the mount off last year and swapped it around with another gun, then put it back on this gun. Last thing I wanted to do was show up at the shoot with a Grendel that wouldn't hit a piece of paper at 7 yards. The group shoots we have here are where you take a bunch of your guns, and a bunch of other people take a bunch of their guns, and you each get to try out everyone else's guns. Its nice if you don't own a particular model or caliber and want to try, it only costs you some ammo and an afternoon at the range.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/P1000047.jpg

So despite the high winds we were having earlier this afternoon I went out into my muddy farm field and put up some targets to see where the shots would land. I was only about 70 yards from the target so these groups would probably open up about a 1/4" at 100 yards. I was shooting without any support under the buttstock, but had the front bi-pod sitting on a lightweight bench that is in my field. After every 4 or 5 rounds the bi-pod would rattle itself pretty loose from recoil . . . got to get some Loc-Tight on that screw!

I didn't want to use waste my expensive $1 to $1.50 a round Grendel ammo so I broke out two different types of "Wolf Gold" ammo for sighting in the scope. First up was the 123 Grain Soft Point Wolf, this stuff is typically known to shoot about 1 MOA if you are lucky on a good day, and 2 MOA groups are not uncommon. This stuff runs about 50-cents a shot delivered if you buy it in bulk. If it were legal here in Indiana, this would probably be a heck of a deer round, its plenty accurate for deer and the soft point expands.

So with a scope that was taken off the gun and put back on, I went out to see if the scope mount held its zero. Needless to say I'm pretty pleased with this mount. Its an American Defense with a cam lock that lets you take it off and remount it pretty easily. Not the most expensive mount out there, but this is a fun gun that I built. Probably going to take it down south for a feral hog hunt.

The two flyers were just me being an idiot. 10 shots, 8 are within an inch.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/P1000045.jpg


Wind picked up a bit and I switched to Wolf Gold 120 grain rounds, these are roughly 70-to-75 cents a shot and is generally considered pretty accurate. 10 shot group size is about 1.25" across. I fired 5, reloaded the magazine, fired 5 more.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/P1000044.jpg

[loboloco]

Maybe one klick, and you should be dead on. Would like to try a 6.5Grendel. I use 6.5x55Swede. Good firing round.

[Melensdad]

Maybe one klick, and you should be dead on. Would like to try a 6.5Grendel. I use 6.5x55Swede. Good firing round.

Maybe 2 clicks since I was shooting at less than 100 yards?

I'm really a newbie when it comes to rifle shooting so these groups are really good for me and I shot a few others today that were very similar in size. My initial shots were farther to the right and a couple clicks later got these groups. Probably should have shot 2 more groups with another click or two to move the shots to the left, one group with each type of ammo, but I didn't have any more of the 123gr SP with me at the range.

I think the 6.5 Swede has a longer case and a bit more capacity than the short fat Grendel.

[loboloco]

Maybe 2. Definitely not 3. Like I said, would like to try a Grendel, but nobody here has one.

[Melensdad]

To put things into perspective for those not familiar with the round I made up this little graphic. The AR15 has a very short action and consequently to maximize the gun's potential you are constrained by its pressure limits and its chamber length limits. The four rounds on the left size of the graphic are all capable of firing through the AR15. Both the 6.5 Grendel and the 458 Socom were designed to feed, function through AR15 magazines and actions. The 7.62x39 Russian round is pretty close to the same length and will also feed reasonably well through the AR15.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/guns/P1000054.jpg

I put the 308 Win round on the far right just give folks some form of reference.

Ballistically the 6.5 Grendel exceeds the velocity and energy numbers of the 308 when distances hit/exceed 800 to 1000 yards., but at short ranges the 308 is superior.

[Dargo]

The .308 shoots great out of an AR with little felt recoil. My DPMS will shoot sub MOA groups at 100 yards. Generally, I can't. :whistling:

[PBinWA]

I would think that for sighting in a scope for a competition you would want to use the same ammo as you will be using in the competition. Consistency is pretty important in shooting.

[Melensdad]

The .308 shoots great out of an AR with little felt recoil. My DPMS will shoot sub MOA groups at 100 yards. Generally, I can't. :whistling:Just to clarify for those who don't know. The 6.5 Grendel fits in the smaller AR15 platform guns and the 308 Win requires the larger AR10 platform guns.

I would think that for sighting in a scope for a competition you would want to use the same ammo as you will be using in the competition. Consistency is pretty important in shooting.
This is not a competition. Its just a fun day at the range that I am going to. Basically 10 or 15 people show up at the range and each brings a bunch of guns. Everyone can try any one of the guns, but each shooter is providing his own ammo. 10 different people can fire one of my Detonics Combat Masters but it won't cost me a penny in 45acp ammo because each shooter will bring his own 45 to run through the gun.

In the case of the Grendel, because the ammo is pretty hard to find I will take 2 boxes of cheap ammo, limit each shooter to 4 or 5 rounds each, when the ammo is gone then the shooting of that gun is done. . . unless someone else has some 6.5 Grendel ammo and shows up with it.

There will probably 15 shooters and 75 different guns at the event that is coming up. I simply wanted to make sure that, because this scope had been unmounted and remounted, that it was close to ZEROED in on the target. It was shooting farther to the right and a few clicks got it to where it is on the photos I attached.

[Melensdad]

Got back a little while ago from the range at the Winamac Fish & Wildlife area in northern IN where there were about 30 of us who gathered for the group shoot.

Lots of different guns there, 2 were standouts if I do say so myself. One was my daughter's bright pink AR15, which was proclaimed as AWESOME by the daughter of one guys who I met up with after she got done firing it. It also proved to be the most reliable AR on the line as the only other guy who brought one had a spring break (fortunately I had an extra in my range bag).

The other was the 6.5 Grendel that is featured in the first post of this thread. Oh sure, the guy who brought the Mosin-Nagant had a slightly louder gun that blew a flame out the front end, but the gill brake on the front of the my Grendel directed the concussion blast at the adjacent shooters and pretty much cleared the shooting positions on either side of the Grendel.


Here are a couple photos. . .
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/guns/P1000070.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/guns/P1000069.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/guns/P1000068.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/guns/P1000067.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/melensdad/guns/P1000066.jpg

[PBinWA]

Why did you post photos of a bunch of fat white guys? Where's the hardware? :pat:

[Melensdad]

There was at least 1 skinny one, but he's hiding behind the fat guys.

As for the guns, I forgot to take photos but there were roughly 30 people (including several shooting wives/girlfriends & children) at the peak of the event, and probably 125 different guns to shoot from little a .25 Raven auto to all sorts of tactical 12 gauges and everything in between. Handguns ranged up to 460 Rowlands and 500 S&W revolvers. All sorts of 22lr pistols and rifles. Even a black powder revolver was out bellowing smoke all over the range.

[PBinWA]

-1 on the man card. I hate it when people post pictures of people when talking about guns. Unless yer talking about a matched set of guns - if you know what I mean. :brows:

[Fret Fodder]

And deduct another "0.5" from the Man Card for wasting 6.5 Grendel ammo on a 25 yard range... or was that just where they set up the buffet?:w00t2: :poke: :mrgreen:

[Dargo]

Why did you post photos of a bunch of fat white guys? Where's the hardware? :pat:

LOL, I noticed he at least got several pictures of the fella with a serious set of man-boobs. :yum:

[Melensdad]

There was a skinny guy at the event but he saw all the fat white guys and ran away, he figured they'd grill him for lunch.

[rnf]

Maybe one klick, and you should be dead on. Would like to try a 6.5Grendel. I use 6.5x55Swede. Good firing round.

Hi Lobo,

I got a Swede recently so I could reload the same bullets as the Grendel. Nice rifle! I've always loved Mauser actions but never bought one until now.

If you like the Swede, you'll love the Grendel!

Rick