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AR 15 in 6.5 grendel Vs AR 10 in 308 / 7.62x51

54K views 78 replies 38 participants last post by  WILL 
#1 ·
Looking for other opinions. Thinking about adding another AR to the collection other than 5.56 and seeking comments on these two options.... Get an AR 15 upper in 6.5 Grendel vs an AR 10 in 308. I do already have an LMT MWS 308 but wouldn't mind a second similar rifle.

The benefits of the Grendel choice is the weapon is significantly lighter than the AR 10, uses a standard AR 15 lower and the ballistics are similar to a 308.

Downside is the cost of ammo for brass 6.5 Grendel is right around .90 cents Vs significantly cheaper .308 ammo plus .308 / 7.62x51 is much more mainstream ammo.

Sooo... between the two, what would you choose? Thanks in advance!
 
#3 ·
Honestly, what do you wish to accomplish?

Out to 600 with commonly available ammo, the .308 has a bit more punch with common loads, past that the 6.5G takes over. You list most of the advantages to the 6.5G.

I happen to LOVE the 6.5G for most anything, all in a lighter, smaller package.

One other thing to consider, I don't know what steel case .308 is going for, but Wolf has now released the 100 grain 6.5G in steel and street price is running right at .25-.30 a round, quality comparable to banger .308 ammo, which is the only thing much under a buck for the .308.

Do you load at all?

Another thing you can consider, if shooting brass cases, the 6.5G will have a much higher resale value and be easier to sell than any .308 cases......:thumb:
 
#6 ·
What do you want to use it for? I have an LR308 that I use for hunting and target shooting. 16" barrel. The farthest I've had it is 800 yards and it was consistently hitting 12x12 plate once I got the wind drift figured out.

That's the big thing with .308. Wind drift is severe when compared to other cartridges in its class. I believe 6.5 is far better at bucking the wind, but don't quote me. (Edit: I got creedmoor and Grendel mixed up. Creedmoor is better, Grendel is not)

I went with .308 because barrel life is long, the round is plenty accurate, and the ammo is very cheap. I'm getting PPU brass case boxer primer ammo for under 60 cents per round. Then I reload them for even less.
 
#52 ·
My LMT is set up as a DSM. Big Trijicon scope and bipod. Pretty heavy.
An AR 15 in 6.5 Grendel is probably 3 -4lbs lighter than comparable .308's. That is a big plus for humping a rifle at distance. Decisions, decisions.
It's pretty easy to buy/put together a .308 that's 8 lbs or under, without even doing anything crazy to save weight. Unless you're planning on doing a crazy lightweight package in Grendel, the weight difference won't be 3 or 4 lbs, more like 1 or 2 at the most.

Just for the record.
 
#8 ·
i wouldnt waste time or money on a grendel, it was an ill-conceived cartridge with significant compromises made in order to shoe-horn it into the AR-15 and attempt to sell it as some kind of an improvement over 5.56 and while it does offer SOME ballistic improvement over standard 5.56 ammunition, with handloading and some 75+ grain bullets you can get significantly better long range ballistics that once you factor in the dirt-cheap cost of brass, bullets, and how you do not need to compromise on anything (like magazines, weaker bolt, etc) makes it a far better choice for that action

also no, the ballistics arent similar, or even remotely, vaguely able to come within miles of .308 ballistics, a ballistics chart may show it capable of a similar trajectory but the 308 is going to hit a hell of a lot harder, penetrate deeper, and be far less effected by the wind, its only similarity to 308 begins and ends with ballistic coefficient and muzzle velocity.. which you can also achieve with heavy 223 ammunition as well
 
#68 ·
dude ive seen folks hiting ten inch gongs consistently with 6,5 at 1300m

that's not happening with a 556 in any flavor, it also has much more ballistically efficient projectile and the 123grn lapua scenars are the ****.

other plus is you dont have to buy new mags for the 6,5 just lose about 4 rounds off a 30 rnd mag. so you can essentially have an extra upper for your rifle and not have to store a whole other gun to change capabilities
 
#10 ·
.308....ammo.....and heavier bullet more energy.
In a SHTF 308 you may hae a problem with finding 6.5G

If you are gonna hunt with a 6.5G....try to find a 5 rd or 10 round mag....20 and 30 catch on brush and stuff.
If shooting bad guys mags may be a tad pricey.
 
#29 ·
And heavier gun by FAR, but past 600 less energy than the 6.5G....... Funny, I have had zero issues purchasing 10 round mags, and the 5's are just as available, matter of fact, 25's are far harder to find.

Finding 6.5G will never be a problem unless I get stupid and don't re-order components, I suppose you are gonna break into the local armory and just steal their .308?

If you love the .308, and are young enough to hump the extra weight, great....... But it gives very little practically to the .308. :thumb:
 
#13 ·
except im 100% right, the ONLY area where 6.5 ballistics actually match 308 is muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient, it doesnt have the mass, energy, nor momentum of a 308 projectile and these things.. despite what the 6.5 grendel snowflakes wish to believe do matter when youre trying to split hairs on ballistics to try to justify a grendel in the first place

i also think readers are more than capable of reading information and judging for themselves, they do not need you to to tell then who and who not to listen to as if theyre incapable of thinking for themselves
 
#14 ·
I have seen folks buying a rifle chambered for a certain caliber only to realize it wasn't the dream they were chasing and had a very hard time selling it and if successful often under cost.

However that being said, the 6.5cm is something I would keep my eye on but may be a few years before I pull the trigger on a purchase as cost goes down, if they go down.

For the ranges I am most exposed to there isn't much i cannot do with a .308 or even a 243 for that matter.
 
#61 ·
I have seen folks buying a rifle chambered for a certain caliber only to realize it wasn't the dream they were chasing and had a very hard time selling it and if successful often under cost.
Completely off topic but i had that issue with my 1911 and the .45 and i went back to my 9mms which shoot like a dream, i think its all a matter of opinion and as strong willed knuckle heads us gun owners get set in our ways and learn the hard way when it comes to buying new stuff...hell i just stopped listening to gun rags recently because i blew way to much money on the "latest and greatest" crap they recomend
 
#15 ·
Yup, I read the 6.5 grendel pages which is one of the reasons I was attracted to it. Again, my concerns were that the ammo wasn't as mainstream or available as well as mags but the difference in light weight of the AR 15 rifle Vs AR 10 308 is substantial.
I have ALOT of 5.56 AR's so just am looking for something different. Pretty nice to be able to just switch out an upper and start shooting.
Thing is we can also use another AR-10 aswell so maybe eventually get both? Haha!
 
#18 ·
and thats one of the problems with the round, because they TRIED to get it to work with an AR (the round is still too fat for the AR magazine well and of course the bolt face) they removed the taper to ensure the round would be a poor fit for AKs and SKSs instead.. now, if it still had the taper youd be only a mere barrel swap from chambering an AK, SKS, VZ58, mini-30, mutant, sig 556r, PTR32, or any other 7.62x39 rifle.... but they didnt do it because they wanted something they could market to AR fanboys and make more money off of, not actually make something good on its own merits
 
#21 ·
What would be the point? Is there something the 6.5G does better than the 308? Other than lighter ammo, (carry a few more rounds?).

I just don't get the point, I have one in 5.56 and one in 7.62, covers any situation I'll ever encounter from CQB to long range engagement, and I don't have to worry about oddball ammo.
 
#22 ·
Have just finished my Grendel. 18" Saturn barrel. Spikes lower and upper. RR2 stage match trigger. No scope yet. Just BUIS.. hope it shoots well. Have 4 other AR's. one Garand and multitude of others. In SHTF will grab .556 probably. Lots of available ammo out there. I doubt I could use up all the stored ammo I have in my lifetime.
Why have a Grendel? Because I can.
 
#25 ·
6.5 Grendel shoots a flatter trajectory and suffers less wind drift than .308.. Wait I meant Creedmoor. Lower recoil as well. Worth it? I probably would just get .243 if those were my goals, but 6.5G has its place if youre hunting mid sized to big game and want more diameter than .243.

When it comes to 6.5 Grendel, I don't know. Might be a more precise load than 5.56 due to the short and fat case dimensions. Definitely doesn't have many advantages over .243 or .308.
 
#38 ·
That's a nice setup. I have a Vortex Diamondmback 3-12x44 on my LR308. The BDC reticle is pretty handy for silhouettes and stuff.

I broke 2 Vortex Crossfire IIs on my LR308 while sighting them in. I was sighting the rifle in on a lead sled when the reticle started rotating inside of the scope. So my crosshairs were canted at 45 degrees. The next Vortex Crossfire II that I put on broke while sighting in as well. The Adjustable Focal Plane Indicator ring broke off and was completely loose riding up and down the scope so badly that I couldn't even hunt with it due to it making all kinds of noise.

Then I put the Diamondback on and it has been an awesome scope.
 
#42 ·
So I'm confused.

The main real benefit of the 6.5 over the .308 is at extreme distances and it appeared the OP was debating the two for a long-range option over the 556, but then the OP ordered an 18" barrel which would seem to counter any of those marginal squeezed out long range benefits which he would be paying a heavy $ premium for with the 6.5.
 
#43 ·
I've read so much on guns recently. Everyone has their own opinion of what's best. I'm wanting to add my high capacity. I've been told a AR15. How do I know what's best. I am of small stature so I don't want something that's going to plant me into what ever is behind me. Any suggestion's appreciated.
 
#47 ·
AR15 is not going to have very much recoil at all. My DPMS LR308 (basically an AR10 chambered in .308 winchester) does not recoil very harshly. My Ar15 really doesn't feel like it recoils at all to me. I can shoot hundreds and hundreds of rounds in a day and never get a sore shoulder from either my LR308 or my AR15 in 5.56. My 30-06 bolt action gun, on the other hand, gets painful to shoot if you do it too much in one day. Its a light weight gun with a narrow, steel butt on the stock. I really don't like to shoot it more than about 15 rounds consecutively if I'm only wearing a T Shirt.

The only way to find out what you can handle is to go try a few rifles. Keep in mind that the weight of the rifle affects the amount of recoil that you will feel. .308 is considered a low recoiling round, especially in semi autos. Anything smaller than that is really a non-issue for most people with regard to recoil.
 
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