New AR Time .

isu22yote

New member
I need... errr want a new AR for my thermal coyote hunting . Want a harder hitting cartridge than 223. Im not a reloader so need factory options and I have a surpresser. Was thinking 6.5 grendel was the best fit ? My question is - should I go pistol or full lenght ? My AR im using now is heavy and feels 5 foot long with that surpressor on it with a 16 inch barrel , however , Id like something that shoots relatively flat to 150-200 yards. Lighter the better ! Maybe Im asking too much lol . Any full built 14 inch 6.5 uppers ? My heads spinning . Need some opinions !!
 
The 6.8 SPC does well with short tubes. 110 grain VMax hits hard for factory ammo. I reload so 90 grain Gold Dots are my go to when hunting with a 6.8. My fave is my 6X6.8 with 58 grain Vmax. But since you don't reload that not an option. Good luck with your choice.
 
At 150-200 yards, I am not so sure you will gain any real advantageous weight savings or power going that route?

Maybe a shorter package at the expense of higher ammo costs?

Trajectory may be worse? Terminal performance may be worse also?

The larger bullet would be better for going through bone on a larger animal. But a 25-30lb Coyote?
 
l want a bang flop caliber . 223 is fine 70 percent of the time . I’ve shot hornaday soft points , vmaxs , nosler BT , and sometimes you just double lung them and they run 100 yards then die , which is fine during the day , at night it gets tricky to find them in the thick stuff !
 
Factory ammo leaves a lot of good options by the wayside like the 243 wssm, and short barrel neuters any flat shooters anyway.

The best thing I can think of is to find a dpms g2 compact hunter in 243 win. That will have a 16" barrel and will still hit hard and normally tons of ammo out there, if things ever get back to normal. It's still going to be loud with a can I think but probably manageable. I have the 20" version and it's a great rifle and not much heavier or bulkier than a normal ar.

Otherwise, 224 Valkerie is marginally faster than 223, 22 Nosler a bit better with light bullets, 6 Arc but there's really no light bullets loaded, and 6.5 G if you can find the load with 90 gr tnt's.
Maybe the 6.8 spc with light bullets.

FWIW I like a 22" barrel with suppressor so I can't relate to the stubby barrel thing haha. I can agree this is a case where short would be handy I guess.
 
im with 204AR - i like 18-20" barrels with my 8" can, so not really into the shorty thing for hunting guns (i have several pistol uppers i play with too!
smile.gif
). the one that i dislike is my 24" bull barrel... the can makes an already nose heavy gun downright anchor like feeling
.

that said - even with factory offerings only being in the 108gr class... i would still consider a 6mm ARC

as far as the arc goes in shorter platforms with the 108gr offerings i found this over on the hide

2985.jpg


cant verify original source, but poster claimed it was a reply to their comment on hornady's barrel length video (youtube?)



if we assume 2350 for the 108 ELD-M for a 12" barrel - with a 175yd zero

50 yds - 0.2" high
100 yds - 1.5" high
150 yds - 1.0" high
200 yds - 1.5" low


@ 200 yds = 2049 fps with 1007 ft/lbs of energy.

so you could build a 12 or 12.5" pistol, throw your can on, and have a platform with an OAL somewhere around 36" with your can on - depending on the OAL of your can.

at least that gives you a rough idea.
 
just for a straw man....

6.5grendel 123g eld-m out of a 12" barrel = 2265 fps (labradar data from 6.5G forum, PSA upper)

so going with the same 175yd zero gets you the following


50 yds - 0.4" high
100 yds - 1.7" high
150 yds - 1.1" high
200 yds - 1.6" low

@ 200 yds = 1954 FPS / 1042 ft/lbs

hth

 
Those energy figures are impressive! 1042 ft/lbs at 200 yards.

That is far better than 223 Rem at Nato velocities!

However it has been my possibly false perception that varmints hit with high velocity projectiles go down hard and fast, even with pathetically low ft/lbs ballistic app stuff
 
ya... as i noted - i prefer longer barrels for hunting for that reason - higher velocity hits out at distance.

op was asking about harder hitting out of short platform at around 200 yds max. so just showing some options of what a couple of comparable cartridges might give them - especially since they asked about the grendel as an option.

providing some data on factory offerings since they dont reload


i'm sure once things settle down - someone will offer the arc in something like a 75gr vmax for varmint usage.


if you could get one of those at around 2700 in a 12" (assuming a "standard" 50 fps/in loss from the 18" data at 3000 fps in a gas gun) - thats hitting @ 2182 fps @ 200 yds, with a MPBR of +1.1" @ 100/-1.2"@ 200 with a 175yd zero.




not quite the 2400 fps it would be holding @ 200 yds with the 3k FPS 18" platform, which i suspect would be quite violent energy transfer from said vmax.

my arc is a 20" very much for that "smack em fast" mentality
smile.gif
 
My post is far from arguing or debating with you. Just an observation for conversation.

Thanks for all the stats. I am liking the look of the ARC as well.
 
I built a 12.5” grendel a couple of years ago, mainly I wanted it for the compact design and I run it suppressed, I finally picked a hand load with 90 Speer tnt and h335, they run 2650 and they work great on coyotes out to 250-300 yards I have also had good accuracy and performance with several factory loads as well
 
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Originally Posted By: koomanI built a 12.5” grendel a couple of years ago, mainly I wanted it for the compact design and I run it suppressed, I finally picked a hand load with 90 Speer tnt and h335, they run 2650 and they work great on coyotes out to 250-300 yards I have also had good accuracy and performance with several factory loads as well

Dang..... That sounds like a great combo. I suppose that TNT is nice and soft and expands like one would want it to. I learned a little from this thread. I have had my head in the sand a bit it seems.
 
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