6.5 Grendel: Flat-Shooting Deer And Hog Hammer

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Built on an AR15 upper and fed a mix of Nosler, Hornady, Federal, and ACC, this 6.5 Grendel setup shoots laser-flat, hits like it should on pigs and deer, and keeps recoil tame so you can watch impacts.

Why 6.5 Grendel Keeps Winning For Hunters

The 6.5 Grendel is an excellent caliber choice for deer, pig, and varmint hunting. Without sounding like too much of a ballistic nerd, the BC is slick, it retains velocity over distance, shoots flat, and its high sectional density puts the terminal in terminal ballistics. Added to caliber’s performance is that the 6.5 Grendel has less recoil than comparable calibers, and it is compatible in an AR15 size platform. It makes a nice deer and pig medium to long range hunting cartridge for the AR15 platform. There are bolt-action rifles chambered in 6.5 Grendel, too, if you like to crank bolts.

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6.5 Grendel Origin Story And What It Means Downrange

Bill Alexander chose an appropriate name, “Grendel,” for his short 6.5 round when he introduced the 6.5 Grendel in 2003 as a low-recoil, high-precision cartridge for the AR15 platform out to medium-long range or 200 to 800 yards. Alexander based the Grendel design on PPC bench rest competition calibers, so accuracy was baked into the Grendel from the start. If you are wondering about the name, Grendel is a monster in the Old English epic poem titled Beowulf. Like the monster in the poem, the 6.5 Grendel offers wicked results on tough pigs. Originally, the 6.5 Grendel cartridge was a proprietary round only produced by Alexander Arms. The 6.5 Grendel was made a caliber in 2011 when Alexander Arms and Hornady collaborated and released the round for SAAMI standardization. Now, many other companies manufacture the 6.5 Grendel cartridge.

Real-World 6.5 Grendel Ballistics Versus .243 Win

The 6.5 Grendel is in the same class as the .243 Winchester, having similar muzzle velocity and energy. With a 123 grain bullet and out of a 20 inch barrel, the 6.5 Grendel has muzzle velocity of 2,580 fps and 1,818 ft-lb of energy. The longer .243 Winchester with a 100 grain bullet has a muzzle velocity of 2850 fps and 1803 ft-lb of energy. At 100 yards, the .243 Win. has 1515 ft-lb of energy, and the 6.5 Grendel has 1587 ft-lb of energy at the same distance with a heavier bullet. What all this means is the 6.5 Grendel provides similar ballistics as the .243 Win. with less felt recoil. Are there better 6.5 calibers available? Sure, but you need to define “better.” The thing is with the 6.5 Grendel, you can concentrate on placing your shot rather than anticipating recoil.

Versatility is another trait of the 6.5 Grendel. Use light 95 grain bullets for coyotes, then switch to heavier 100, 120, or 123 grain bullets for deer season.

Building The AR15: Bear Creek 18 Inch 6.5 Grendel Upper

Last year, I planned on going on a pig hunt and wanted to try something new. I’ve never been an early adopter of calibers ever since I need up with a .30 T/C caliber rifle. That’s a story for another time. Anyway, I opted to use a Bear Creek Arsenal 18 inch barrel upper. This upper has a stainless steel heavy profile barrel and mid-length gas system. It is set up with BCA’s right side charging handle and BCG. At the muzzle is a BCA flash hider. The 15 inch M-LOK rail rounds out the upper.

A GPO CENTURI 4-16x44i Super-Compact riflescope was the optic I chose. This scope is compact, so it didn’t add excess weight, but it does offer 3-12x magnification range. It’s like LPVO on steroids. The MIL illuminated reticle is simple to use. I dropped the upper onto an AR15 lower set up for 5.56 NATO. All I needed was a magazine. A 5.56 mag won’t work with the 6.5 Grendel since the Grendel round has a larger diameter case, and a different follower is needed. I opted for an ASC 5 round steel body magazine. I was good to go.

Range Work And Drops: Zero, Groups, And Real Results

I zeroed the upper at 100 yards since most of my hunting distances are around 100 yards, so I could hold dead on out to 100 yards. At farther distances like 200 yards, and depending on the bullet weight, the drop in trajectory was about 5.7 inches with a 129 grain bullet. Still relatively flat shooting. Hunting ammo tested included Hornady Custom with a 123 grain SST bullet, Nosler Trophy Grade with a 129 grain AccuBond Long Range bullet, ACC Sabre Blade Black Tip with a 123 grain and Federal Fusion MSR with a 120 grain Fusion soft point. These brands and price point show a wide range from the pricey Nosler and mid-range Hornady and Federal to the least expensive ACC. Other ammo brands are making hunting rounds for the 6.5 Grendel, but I have intimate experience with the four brands below.

6.5 Grendel Hunting Ammo Test: Nosler Trophy Grade

The 129 grain AccuBond Long Range bullet from Nosler produced an average velocity of 2222 fps with a muzzle energy of 1414 ft-lb. Best 3 shot group was .71 inches, and average was 0.89 inches. Nosler is on the pricey side, but it offers one of the heavier bullets. This is the round I used to kill a 250 pound hog at a little over 80 yards. The Grendel passed through the pig, which ran about 20 yards, then plowed his nose in the dirt.

6.5 Grendel Hunting Ammo Test: Hornady Custom

The Hornady bullet is a 123 grain SST bullet, one of Hornady’s go to hunting bullets. I clocked the muzzle velocity at 2463 fps, and muzzle energy was calculated at 1657 ft-lb. Best 3 shot group was 0.48 inches, and average was .68 inches. The Hornady was darn accurate.

6.5 Grendel Hunting Ammo Test: Federal Fusion

Fusion ammo has also given me good results. This bullet is not a high tech, voodoo bullet, just a 120 grain soft point that does the job right. Muzzle velocity averaged 2515 fps, and muzzle energy averaged 1685 ft-lb. The average for a 3 shot group was 0.97, and the best group measured 0.59 inches.

6.5 Grendel Hunting Ammo Test: ACC Sabre Blade Black Tip

At the bargain end of the cost spectrum is Palmetto State Armory’s in house ammo brand ACC, with a 123 grain Sabre Blade Black Tip bullet. At half the cost of the other ammo, it was worth giving this ammo a try. My Garmin Zero C1 Pro chronograph showed a muzzle velocity of 2409 fps and 1585 ft-lb of muzzle energy. The best group measured 0.54 inches, and on average, the groups were 0.96 inches. Results have been good.

Field Takeaway: Deer And Pig Performance With 6.5 Grendel

The 6.5 Grendel makes an excellent caliber for deer and pig hunting. The round maintains velocity better at longer ranges with good penetration and expansion, and generates less recoil. Plus, the 6.5 Grendel is versatile; hunt varmint to medium sized game.

Test Rifle Setup Specs — 6.5 Grendel AR15 Upper

Model	Bear Creek Arsenal 18 inch 6.5 Grendel Upper
Caliber	6.5 Grendel
Barrel Length	18 in
Overall Length	N/A
Weight	N/A
Capacity	N/A
MSRP	N/A

Pros And Cons After The Hunt

• Pros: Flat trajectory, mild recoil in an AR15, proven accuracy with multiple loads, real world hog performance, easy magazine and optic setup.
• Cons: Premium loads like Nosler cost more, mags are caliber specific, velocity is barrel length sensitive.

Related Reads From GunsAmerica Digest

• Hunting Handgun Bullet Alternative
• More Ammo Tests And Tips
• AR15 Builds And Reviews

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