.204 or 6.5 Grendel?

D

Dust

New member
I know that they are different, but I am looking at them from a longer range standpoint.

6.5
Pros
Shorter barrel is ok
Wolf will be releasing ammo soon
less wind deflection

204
Cheaper to buy factory loads?
Can use .223 magazines
flatter shooting

Uses
Mostly looking for longer range varminting. Crow, praire dog, up to canine. I know that the grendel could do more, but...

Seems that a .204 barrel would be all that would be needed for the .204, and an upper would be needed for the grendel. Thoughts on these two?
 
I'm running one of each from SD and I would have to say 6.5 for anything longer then 500-600. But you could get a 9 twist .204 and shoot 50 grain .204 VLDs at pretty good range on a calm day.
 
My thoughts?

what is a better round .17rem or 300 win mag? It is an unanswerable question.

Unless you only own one rifle, the 2 calibers do not overlap in practical use roles.

If I only owned, a 6.5, I could shoot PDs with it but since I don't, why?

If I only owned a .204 and was hungry I could kill a deer with it, but since I don't, why?

Each Caliber is fantastic within it's roll, but the cartridges are designed to do different things and therefore it is difficult to make a real comparison when their practical uses do not really overlap.


If your primary use will be coyotes down to PD's etc then the .204 Hands down...If it is Deer with an occasional coyote the. 6.5. but one will never really be the other.

The only possible real answer therefore is that you absolutely, positively must have one of both!
smile.gif


Ricky
 
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The new Berger Varmint bullets for fast twist rifles are slicker then goose snot in a brass horn. Go here: http://www.biggameinfo.com/index.aspx?page=%2fbalcalc.ascx
And plug in the following: .204, .381 BC, 55 g. Bullet, 3300-3450 fps. See those figures...
 
Originally Posted By: ricky_arthurMy thoughts?

what is a better round .17rem or 300 win mag? It is an unanswerable question.

Unless you only own one rifle, the 2 calibers do not overlap in practical use roles.

If I only owned, a 6.5, I could shoot PDs with it but since I don't, why?

If I only owned a .204 and was hungry I could kill a deer with it, but since I don't, why?

Each Caliber is fantastic within it's roll, but the cartridges are designed to do different things and therefore it is difficult to make a real comparison when their practical uses do not really overlap.


If your primary use will be coyotes down to PD's etc then the .204 Hands down...If it is Deer with an occasional coyote the. 6.5. but one will never really be the other.

The only possible real answer therefore is that you absolutely, positively must have one of both!
smile.gif


Ricky

I have to agree with Ricky. I have one of each and I really like the versatility! My wife is going to use the Grendel on antelope this season. We will bring the .204 in case we can call in a coyote.

I must add though...I'm currently building a 20 Practical, as brass is really cheap! (Just run a surplus 223 through the sizing die and that's it! No other steps like that "Tactical" one). So the .204's days are probably numbered.
 
I would say if it is going to be mostly a PD gun, then the .204 would fit better for the higher volume shooting with the heat factor. If it is going to be for longer range like you stated, I would pick the 6.5. I love the small cals, but about 400 yards with the .204 is all "I" am good for. I know guys make further shots, but reliably, I can hit most shots at 300 yards on a groundhog and a fair amount at 400 given little wind. If you are going for consistent long shots, the 6.5 would probably be a better choice.
 
Im with Ricky arthur said just get one of each. Specialized Dynamics can get them both done for you. I just got a 6.5 from Scott and it came out awsome. I had a .204 and didnt like the light bullets on windy days, the 6.5 will buck the wind a lot better. Just my 2cents
 
Here are my thoughts on the question, and why I posed it. I have a .223 or two that if we get the chance to colony hunt will do it with. I also have a 5.45x39 in 16" and a 7.62x39 in 20". As of now I don't reload, so the numbers that I am looking at are for factory ammo. I can't say that my shooting or accuracy requirements will ever be enough to financially justify reloading equipment.

I got the 7.62 for pig hunting, but now that I have looked into the Grendel, it seems that the only thing that it gives up to the 7.62 is price and diameter. So I can buy the Grendel, and see if it can do what I want (birds, varmints, dogs, and Texas deer would be great, pigs would be a little much, but from running the numbers it seems to hit harder than a 7.62), and having it as "the hunting rifle". The numbers seem to say that it will do what I want it to. With the amount of centerfire ammo that I will probably be shooting, I don't know if price per round would effect me much. I have 2 .17hm2s and the 5.45 for plinking and little stuff.

Or, this IS Texas, there are no long distances that I have been to really. Keep the 7.62 for deer and pig, keep the 5.45 for close carbine stuff, and have the .204 for the occasion crow or varmint that hangs up while shooting. It would also be great for colony shooting, but I don't know if my father and I will ever get to that.
 
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The .204 would be lots of fun for what you are going to use it for. Crows look like you are blowing on a black dandelion when hit with one and varmints are quite entertaining too. Sounds like you have the longer range stuff covered. Both would be a neat round, but I would get the .204 in that situation.
 
Originally Posted By: DustHere are my thoughts on the question, and why I posed it. I have a .223 or two that if we get the chance to colony hunt will do it with. I also have a 5.45x39 in 16" and a 7.62x39 in 20". As of now I don't reload, so the numbers that I am looking at are for factory ammo. I can't say that my shooting or accuracy requirements will ever be enough to financially justify reloading equipment.

I got the 7.62 for pig hunting, but now that I have looked into the Grendel, it seems that the only thing that it gives up to the 7.62 is price and diameter. So I can buy the Grendel, and see if it can do what I want (birds, varmints, dogs, and Texas deer would be great, pigs would be a little much, but from running the numbers it seems to hit harder than a 7.62), and having it as "the hunting rifle". The numbers seem to say that it will do what I want it to. With the amount of centerfire ammo that I will probably be shooting, I don't know if price per round would effect me much. I have 2 .17hm2s and the 5.45 for plinking and little stuff.

Or, this IS Texas, there are no long distances that I have been to really. Keep the 7.62 for deer and pig, keep the 5.45 for close carbine stuff, and have the .204 for the occasion crow or varmint that hangs up while shooting. It would also be great for colony shooting, but I don't know if my father and I will ever get to that.

In your situation and with what you already have available, I would go with the Grendel,...first. With a .204 in the future. :)(actually I would go with a 6.8 spc, but you didn't list it as a consideration)
 
Ricky, I have never been struck by the 6.8. I was never really struck with any .277. I don't see it doing much better than the 7.62, especially with the chamber and twist rate and ammo availability that I found when I was looking into it years ago. I am sure they have been fixed, but I guess it's chance passed. The 7.62 could do subsonic too, if I got into reloading.

Wondering if a 20" 1:9 .223 barrel would be able to give the .204 a run for it's money, or I think my father has a 20" 1:8 bull barrel.
 
Dust

With that many guns in different calibers. It seems to me you can't affort to "NOT" get into reloading

just my.02

Dave

O by the way, Get anything BUT a 204
 
Why the dislike for the 204?

And with that many guns, I have fired 10 rounds in the last year, only 7 of them were mine, 4 were rimfire, and three were steel case. For now I am focusing on procurement, and then when I am living in a country that allows it's people to be armed, I will look at shooting.
 
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I love my .204 Specialized Dynamics Ar. It is a flat shooter, and very consistant. I use it for long range precision shooting competitions, and for PD's and predators, and have had no complaints. Caliber does not make up for shot placement, so I know that a lot of people are against the .204 and have complaints about the stopping power, but I find that having the ability to put the shot where I need and want it, does the job everytime.

The 6.5 is a VERY impressive long range catridge. It has an incredible amount of power. If you are hand loading then ammunition is not an issue. If you don't, the factory stuff tends to be a little expensive. But I have seen first hand what the caliber can do. Scott from Specilaized Dynamics and I were out in New Mexico last year, and I saw him drop a coyote at 228 yards with a through and through neck shot. He hit it just in front of the shoulder, did not hit the spine, and the coyote flipped end over end. It never so much as twitched. Scott took a long shot at a coyote at over 500 yards, and made the coyote shift gears. His elevation was good, but the coyote was running so the lead was the issue.

My $0.02, get ONE lower, and TWO uppers, one in .204, and one in 6.5, and let em fly.
 
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