Question: I have been wanting to do a 6.5 Grendel build, and in my online searches, I found a page on your website with some good info on it. Do you guys have and 20-24″ barrels/bolts for the 6.5 Grendel available?
I did some research but I am not real clear on whether or not you can shoot 6.5 grendel ammo out of a .264 LBC barrel? Can you educate me on what barrel it is and what ammo I can run?
Answer: Yes, those barrels are the Les Baer chamber (which is a better chamber, in our opinion) for the Grendel bullet. Assuming you want the 20”, the barrels are 1:9 twist, polygonal cut rifle-length gas barrels. This is going to offer a MUCH smoother recoil than the 18”. The 18s had a lot more kick than they should have. So we prefer rifle-length to mid on the gas system.
For ammo, you can run any of the 6.5 Grendel rounds. Hornady is our preferred manufacturer, but Alexander Arms is great too. Not sure who loads for them, but we’ve never heard a bad thing about them. And they kind of invented the chamber/round…so they *may* know what they’re talking about. Lol.
However, just know that most of the factory “rifle-ready” ammo is going to be loaded for hunting. It’s not really for long-distance target shooting. You won’t get into target loads until you reload your own ammo (which, for a Grendel round, you’ll definitely want to consider).
If you’re reloading, consider Norma for the bullets. That’s who most of the Olympic shooters use. Of course, you’re also going to pay out the nose for it, but it’s worth it if you’re competing. Norma also makes brass, but you’d do better to go with Hornady or Starline. Alexander Arms also sells brass, I believe.