6.5 Grendel or .224 Valkyrie?

[Salted]

So, I've been running a .223 Wylde, 20" with 1/8 twist for years now. It's fun, and it'll run on cheap ammo when I'm out at the range with friends so I'm not burning through my pricier stuff. Easy as pie at 300-400 yards. I'd like to start getting into longer range stuff, and I'm torn.

Now, I'm new to precision long range shooting, so cost of ammo is bouncing around in my head since I'm going to be wasting a lot. Not as important as performance, though. So, with all that said, what do y'all prefer for an ar15 platform: The 6.5 Grendel or the .224 Valkyrie?

 

[zackmars]

You'd best be served by going long action, ie .308, 6.5CM, .260rem, etc.

6.5 grendel and .224 are unobtanium, though grendel is a bit easier to find

 

[FireInTheWire]

So, I've been running a .223 Wylde, 20" with 1/8 twist for years now. It's fun, and it'll run on cheap ammo when I'm out at the range with friends so I'm not burning through my pricier stuff. Easy as pie at 300-400 yards. I'd like to start getting into longer range stuff, and I'm torn.

Now, I'm new to precision long range shooting, so cost of ammo is bouncing around in my head since I'm going to be wasting a lot. Not as important as performance, though. So, with all that said, what do y'all prefer for an ar15 platform: The 6.5 Grendel or the .224 Valkyrie?

That 223 will do 800yrds all day. Why not just keep doing what ya doing?

 

[Sam7sf]

Having shot both I don’t know...the 224 v is a good shooter. 6.5 g is also something I’d prefer to have from cqb to intermediate. Both are good. If I was using it just for pest control I’d go with the 224 v.

 

[jrbfishn]

They will both do a fine job with the right load.
Right now, if I had to choose, I would probably go with the one I could most easily get reloading components for.

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[cajunautoxer]

OP do you reload?

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[Vaquero]

Grendel seems less finicky.
According to my friends.
I have neither.

 

[10-96inTexas]

The Grendel is a great cartridge. I've put together two for the grandkids. Accurate, low recoil and a deer killing machine.

 

[Salted]

You'd best be served by going long action, ie .308, 6.5CM, .260rem, etc.

6.5 grendel and .224 are unobtanium, though grendel is a bit easier to find

I've got plans for a stripped ar10 lower, but I just haven't gotten around to getting my pieces together. I'll keep the availability of ammo in mind.

That 223 will do 800yrds all day. Why not just keep doing what ya doing?

I fully intend to keep shooting 223, but I'd like something that I could try for 1k on. Wishful thinking, since I am no where near competent enough, yet...but when the time comes, I'd like a round that performs well consistently at that distance.

Having shot both I don’t know...the 224 v is a good shooter. 6.5 g is also something I’d prefer to have from cqb to intermediate. Both are good. If I was using it just for pest control I’d go with the 224 v.

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Salted]

They will both do a fine job with the right load.
Right now, if I had to choose, I would probably go with the one I could most easily get reloading components for.

Sent by an idjit coffeeholic from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Good point!

OP do you reload?

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I do, but I've yet to start actually playing around with custom loads.

Grendel seems less finicky.
According to my friends.
I have neither.

None of my friends use these calibers, either. In fact, most of my friends are into 7.62.

 

[Salted]

The Grendel is a great cartridge. I've put together two for the grandkids. Accurate, low recoil and a deer killing machine.

View attachment 317273

Deer and hogs are gonna end up receiving deliveries from this thing, so I'll keep that in mind.

Great pic, too! I'd call that a big success.

 

[deemus]

I have a 224 and like it. The factory loads were all MOA with few exceptions. Reloading is where you can do great things with the Valkyrie. I’m trying to get a sub 1/2” group. And I will.

I’m in the process of developing a load fir it. Read some articles. There a few out there. The long range guys are shooting 80g plus bullets. I’m using 90g SPs.

If you have trouble finding ammo let me know. I have some I can sell you. I bought it when I could find it but never could remember what I had. Ended up with 200ish rounds I don’t need. Several brands and bullets.

 

[jrbfishn]

On a whole, I think Vaquero is right. The 6.5 gren is probably less finicky. My .224 will shoot most factory ammo good enough to hunt with. But only 75grn accurate enough for any real distance shooting. Mine dpesn't like anything heavier than 80grn for some reason.

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[zackmars]

I've got plans for a stripped ar10 lower, but I just haven't gotten around to getting my pieces together. I'll keep the availability of ammo in mind.


I fully intend to keep shooting 223, but I'd like something that I could try for 1k on. Wishful thinking, since I am no where near competent enough, yet...but when the time comes, I'd like a round that performs well consistently at that distance.


Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

.224v, 6.5g are all fine cartridges, but exist in this wierd state of being in an overcrowded market, yet you can't find ammo for them. I'll be surprised if any of the various speciality cartridges will exist in a few years.

Keep ar15's 5.56 or .300blk. if you want long range, you want a long action.

 

[FireInTheWire]

I'll also add- keep visibility in mind. At longer distances 900+ smaller bullets get harder to see. No feedback. I also was interested in the 224. I asked a LR buddy of mine about it and he said "it's hard to see out past 1,000." Hits, misses and vapor. Most of my LR shooting is solo with no spotters. So splash is important for me. Splash from a 6.5 bullet compared to a .22 is significant. This might not be such a big deal if you have 3 guys behind you spotting.

When me and buddy of mine shoot, we start with our 223's. @ 975 we see about 3/4 of the shots. It takes really dry conditions to see a miss at that distance. 308's give so much more feedback. And then, the 300prc, you don't miss anything with that feedback.

 

[Darqhelmet]

I thought .224V was dead. Who’s still making barrels and ammo for it? I don’t own either but have heard nothing but headaches about .224V from a couple different gun/reloading podcasts. It’s enough to keep me away from it.

 

[cajunautoxer]

Is this correct? Grendel you can use AR15, where as the CM needs AR10?

 

[FireInTheWire]

Is this correct? Grendel you can use AR15, where as the CM needs AR10?

Yes

 

[robertc1024]

I like the idea of the .224V, but I've heard way too much trouble with it trying to make precision loads. I've had an AR15 in 6.5 Grendel for years, and I like that cartridge so much, I bought a Howa mini-action in the same caliber. It's an easy cartridge to load and not finicky at all. It carries a lot more energy down range and has MUCH less wind drift. I compared factory 75g .224V & 123g 6.5G with the same wind on my ballistics calculator. At 800 yards, you get 71 vs. 51 inches of wind drift. That's a lot!

 

[toddnjoyce]

Deer and hogs are gonna end up receiving deliveries from this thing, so I'll keep that in mind.

Great pic, too! I'd call that a big success.

Horses for courses. For deer hunting to 1K shots, you’d be best served with a long action cartridge. If your dead set on AR-15 pattern though, it’d be a cold day in hell before I shot at a deer with a .22 cartridge. The .224V starts with the energy of a .243 that’s already at 200yds.