Unfortunately, the illuminated portion of the reticle of the Viper PST 2-10x32 is not daylight bright, even at the highest setting.
6.5 Grendel
- Thread starter OkieStubble
- Start date
Yep, a little over 50 years when a fresh butter bar in the USAF, training to be a weapons controller, and that meant sitting on a radar scope and guiding an interceptor, ie the weapon, to his moving aerial target, we learned quickly that the order of the day was to keep the interceptor just below the transonic speed, specifying a usual mach number to make computations easier. Go supersonic if close enough and needed it, but stay out of the transonic range due to stability and buffeting issues.
Bump! @OkieStubble , when you gonna shoot that thing?
- Thread starter
- #84
I dunno. It's been in a gun sock in the back of the safe since I purchased it. I get pretty busy with other life stuff that's on my plate, but I haven't forgotten about it. I just haven't found the sighting system I want to go on top of it yet. I probably will save my pennies for Thermal. I did purchase a Dead Air suppressor, about a month ago, it sits in an LGS gun safe waiting on my stamp of approval. I have about 7 boxes of Grendel and counting most of it is Hornady Black. Not many different brands available in 6.5; and .30-.30 is very hard to find in stock on shelves also, but when I do, I try to buy a few boxes of both here and there.
Hopefully it will be a perfect compendium of everything coming in at the same time when I do shoot it. The Stamp comes in, I top it off with thermal and have 1000 rounds of 6.5 all at the same time? Who knows?
In the meantime, I just got the wife's LCP Max lined out, trying to get my .22 BuckMark and myself lined out to produce better scores and also just got back from the range today with the President of my HOA who is 78 years young, helping him learn how to handle an AR for the first time, because he thought he might possibly be interested in purchasing one. He shot really well from the bench at 25 and even a 100, but felt it was too much rifle for him when shooting standing. He's almost 79 and a bit thin & frail in his physique.
I kind of figured he might come to that conclusion, so I also packed the Ruger 10-22 and a box of bulk ammo with a couple of BX-25 magazines. He really liked that alot!
Also showed his wife how to use her new, S&W M&P .380 EZ they bought for home defense. Showing how to use a gun to older, non-gun people, can be a very challenging task. The time went by fast but the day seemed grueling. Hopefully, they got something out of it they will retain. Ok, I have finally found a receipe.
13.5 grains of 8208 behind a 160 grain Hornady round nose bullet. I can't find anyone who has these bullets in stock.
It will take a fast twist barrel to stabilize a bullet this long and it probably will act like a full metal jacket. E.g. It won't expand.
I'll keep looking.
B.C.
13.5 grains of 8208 behind a 160 grain Hornady round nose bullet. I can't find anyone who has these bullets in stock.
It will take a fast twist barrel to stabilize a bullet this long and it probably will act like a full metal jacket. E.g. It won't expand.
I'll keep looking.
B.C.
- Thread starter
- #86
I figured it might not expand. Surely, someone manufactures a frangible 6.5?
140 gr. maybe another option also. If 6.5 components are has hard to find as 6.5 ammunition on the shelf? Yesterday, I went to Cabela’s, Bass Pro, 2 different Academy Sports and 2 different LGS’s.
.30-.30 and 10mm is making a good comeback, but Grendel and .45 ACP was like a ghost town.
Your best bet is to get on the notification list of several on line ammo sources. Some of the brands are obviously much more expensive than others. But one could justify the higher cost as a way to obtain brass, if one reloaded.
Berger makes a 156 gr. 6.5 bullet. Finding it in stock is another thing.
www.powdervalleyinc.com
Berger Elite Hunter Bullets 0.264 (264 Caliber, 6.5mm) 156 Grain Hollow Point Boat Tail Box of 100
The 6.5mm, 156 grain Elite Hunter Bullet from Berger is purpose-built for hunters demanding a heavy-bullet solution for .264 caliber rifles.
www.powdervalleyinc.com
You might want to take a hard look at Meopta glass. They made lenses for Ziess for years and may still make them. They use a proprietary lens coating with their own scopes that boasts one of the highest light transmission numbers in the business. I have two or three of their scopes and can honestly say that they are stunning. I would put clarity and light transmission on a level with the likes of Hensoldt and US Optics. I rate Meopta above Steiner and Swarovski. Just my opinion.
A couple of things about glass.
If you are going to go subsonic and limit your shots to 200 yards or less, you might want to consider staying in a lower power range. The concern is the "light pencil" (yes, I know it's actually a cone) that exits the scope. The bigger this cylinder of light is, the easier it is to find it with your eye. This is especially important when you are in a hurry. You can calculate the size of the light pencil by dividing the objective lens diameter by the power. A 40mm objective on a 3-9 scope at 6 power (40 divided by 6) is just under 7mm. This is probably a little bigger than the widest opening of the iris of your eye. Young people can get 7mm but this number shrinks with age. When the light pencil is bigger than the pupil of your eye, all the light outside the pupil is lost. On the other hand, the bigger the light pencil, the easier it is to find with your eye and the easier it is to see the whole image (this works well if you are in a hurry). Generally speaking, the higher you crank the power, the closer you must get to the scope to see through it (less eye relief) and the less tolerant it is of variation from the 'sweet spot'. I'm a varmint hunter and that means I live with huge, heavy scopes at high power (usually around 25X). Cranked up that high, it is sheer folly to attempt quick or easy target acquisition. I have found while using astonomical telescopes as well as telescopic sights, that for me, an exit pupil of 2mm is just about the bottom limit I can deal with. On the up side, at 2mm, astigmatism isn't an issue.
Second thought is regarding light charges of slow burning powder.
I read the posts on the Grendel forum regarding light charges of 8208 and in the past, have read of pressure excursions with this type of loading. The theory I find most plausible is that the powder lays in the bottom of the case, so that when the primer ignites the powder, it ignites the whole surface, rather than just a small area at the rear like it would with a full case. Trail Boss is a high bulk powder that is reputed to avoid this pitfall. I have no idea how probable an extreme pressure excursion would be, but as a safety measure, I have avoided doing that for years, even to the point of not loading slow powders below the starting load in the manual I was using.
I own QuickLoad and will try plugging in some numbers to see what it spits out.
Take a look at Meopta. It's good glass.
Bill.
A couple of things about glass.
If you are going to go subsonic and limit your shots to 200 yards or less, you might want to consider staying in a lower power range. The concern is the "light pencil" (yes, I know it's actually a cone) that exits the scope. The bigger this cylinder of light is, the easier it is to find it with your eye. This is especially important when you are in a hurry. You can calculate the size of the light pencil by dividing the objective lens diameter by the power. A 40mm objective on a 3-9 scope at 6 power (40 divided by 6) is just under 7mm. This is probably a little bigger than the widest opening of the iris of your eye. Young people can get 7mm but this number shrinks with age. When the light pencil is bigger than the pupil of your eye, all the light outside the pupil is lost. On the other hand, the bigger the light pencil, the easier it is to find with your eye and the easier it is to see the whole image (this works well if you are in a hurry). Generally speaking, the higher you crank the power, the closer you must get to the scope to see through it (less eye relief) and the less tolerant it is of variation from the 'sweet spot'. I'm a varmint hunter and that means I live with huge, heavy scopes at high power (usually around 25X). Cranked up that high, it is sheer folly to attempt quick or easy target acquisition. I have found while using astonomical telescopes as well as telescopic sights, that for me, an exit pupil of 2mm is just about the bottom limit I can deal with. On the up side, at 2mm, astigmatism isn't an issue.
Second thought is regarding light charges of slow burning powder.
I read the posts on the Grendel forum regarding light charges of 8208 and in the past, have read of pressure excursions with this type of loading. The theory I find most plausible is that the powder lays in the bottom of the case, so that when the primer ignites the powder, it ignites the whole surface, rather than just a small area at the rear like it would with a full case. Trail Boss is a high bulk powder that is reputed to avoid this pitfall. I have no idea how probable an extreme pressure excursion would be, but as a safety measure, I have avoided doing that for years, even to the point of not loading slow powders below the starting load in the manual I was using.
I own QuickLoad and will try plugging in some numbers to see what it spits out.
Take a look at Meopta. It's good glass.
Bill.
Powder Valley currently has Hornady 153 grain A-Tip match bullets in stock. Stop and sit down before reading the rest of this. They are $76 for a box of 100 and that doesn't include tax or shipping. Yep, 76 cents a trigger pull. This is the heaviest .264 dia bullet they have in stock.
Bill.
Bill.
- Thread starter
- #91
I forgot that you already have a stash of factory ammo. You just need to get a minimalist reloading set up.
- Thread starter
- #93
I don’t want to even think about the staggering amount of how much brass I have left at ranges over the years.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. Realizing I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed is very sobering.
- Thread starter
- #94
I found this quite interesting.
"Finally got my suppressor in and took it out to try with the subsonic loads I made up. Not sure what is up with the audio and my second camera died but you can still tell that the bullet impacting an old propane tank 75 yards downrange is louder then the rifle. PPU 7.62x39 Brass, non-fireformed Hornady 160gr RN CCI Magnum Large Rifle Primers IMR8208 powder, I will not share exact load data but when working with Subsonic start on the high side and work down so you don't stick a bullet in the barrel."
"Finally got my suppressor in and took it out to try with the subsonic loads I made up. Not sure what is up with the audio and my second camera died but you can still tell that the bullet impacting an old propane tank 75 yards downrange is louder then the rifle. PPU 7.62x39 Brass, non-fireformed Hornady 160gr RN CCI Magnum Large Rifle Primers IMR8208 powder, I will not share exact load data but when working with Subsonic start on the high side and work down so you don't stick a bullet in the barrel."
@OkieStubble , have you received your suppressor yet?
While I had suggested the Lyman reloading manual, you might consider the Hornady manual since you are considering reloading the Grendel.
- Thread starter
- #97
- Thread starter
- #98
Not yet. They’re supposed to call me, but I think I’m going to call them.
I have not shot my 6.5 Grendel AR in quite a while now. Last few trips to the range I simply took the little CZ 527 in that caliber along. Gun is lighter, better trigger, more accurate, and easier chasing brass.
- Thread starter
- #100
The CZ 527 is a nice little rifle. I went cheaper with the Ruger American because I plan on changing out the stock, trigger and slick up the bolt. The barrel already has pretty good accuracy and is threaded. Just waiting to get approved for the dead air suppressor.
The bolt is designed with a cut out, that allows the Ruger American to accept and feed AR magazines. Don’t know if I’d hang a 30 rounder from it, but I have been purchasing a few 6.5 Grendel 15 round mags for it and have seen some 20 rounders for sale. I have read that .556 mags can take 6.5 Grendel ammo, but I dunno if I trust that when it comes to feeding issues.
They sell 6.5 AR mags so I buy 6.5 Grendel mags.
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