.224 Valkyrie vs 6.5 Grendel for hunting and distance shooting

SulzerFirearms said:

IMO the 6.5 Grendel is better for hunting larger than varmint sized game because it has more energy. Also the Grendel, until the Valkyrie, had the best ballistics among the commercially supported cartridges for the AR-15 platform. The Valkyrie alledgedly takes the cake on in-flight ballistics now making it a better choice for target shooting at long distance since it bucks the wind better and maintains super sonic flight longer. However, this is all with the use of 90 gr VLD bullets. The problem is that all commercially available barrels right now have a 1:7 twist which seems to be getting mixed reviews on if that is enough to stabalize those 90 gr VLDs. One of the reasons so many use the 1:7 is that there are a plethora of 1:7 twist .224 barrel blanks out there since that is what the 5.56/.223 AR-15s use. Also, the magazines for the 6.8 SPC have always been a topic of controversy on which ones are reliable and which cause issues. Since the .224 Valkyrie is based off the 6.8 it may have similar issues out of a standard AR-15 magwell. Going with the Six8 platform receivers from LWRC with the ability to use the Magpul mags would alleviate those issues. Personally, I would hold out on the .224 Valkyrie until we see more info about performance of the 90gr VLDs out of a 1:7 twist barrels and we see more availability of 1:6.5 twist barrels and those results. If you want to start distance shooting you should consider getting into reloading for more consistent results.

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jcm055 said:

That's exactly the kind of info I was curious about. I know the Grendel has been around long enough to work out some of those teething issues.

Speaking of twist rate, what would be a recommended barrel for a 24" shooting the heavier grain bullets on a Grendel setup?

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Troedoff said:

1 in 8 is the standard for 6.5 up to 143's

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rabiddawg said:

I have been hunting exclusively with 6.5 Grendel for the past 5 or 6 years. I am a big fanboy.

If you are going to hunt and shoot targets out to 5 or 600 yards I would look at 18-20* barrels. .740 profiles or less and fluted if possible. If you were only shooting targets from a bench the longer barrels would be ok but it gets heavy and cumbersome for hunting.

I have 12, 2-16’s and 2-20*s. Depending on what type stand I’m hunting determines which one I carry. Imo the Grendel is a 400 yd hunting round for most situations. That said, a 16* barrel will be plenty.

If I had to recommend only one to fit both target and hunting it would be an Alexander Arms 18* fluted.

Is this Valkyrie gonna be a barrel burner? I’m asking.

I like hunting deer with 100 gr nosler bt’s. Most Grendel shooters run the 123 gr class pills which looks to be the sweet spot. Keep in mind the 90 gr 22 caliber pill is the upper end of weight range while 6.5 goes from 85 to 140 gr.

Lastly, the Grendel is a low pressure round 52000 psi. It’s recoil impulse is much more pleasant to me than even .223. It’s hard to explain but I love shooting my Grendel’s. 223 not so much.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Porky said:

I just picked up a custom AR in 6.5 Grendel a few months ago. Its a really sweet and powerful setup. I really like it.

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Thegrass13 said:

Check out Lija barrels if you still haven't started building. I used them for an sbr build as well as an 18 inch build. Fantastic accuracy and well worth the price point. I also recommend going with a JP bolt. Good luck man you'll love the grendel.

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