What is your opinion on the best bet to step up from 5.56 to a harder hitting round for hunting. I've read reviews on both but was looking for input from those not trying to sell the caliber..... Thanks

Mostly hogs and maybe even take it Whitetail hunting.
Cost effectiveness is a plus also....

300BLK

Thansk, but is there a specific reason? I hear the 6.5 has greater range?

6.5 will definitely be a better hunting round, but the components are expensive. The 6.5 never really took off, so ammo is expensive.

300 BO is becoming more readily available, and hopefully in the next couple of years will start to become more mainstream.

Good , thanks, I was thinking 300 already.....

I've got a friend that loads and shoots it. He's taken it to 1000. It's not the best long range round, but that's pretty salty for an AR-15 chambering. I'm going to be rebarreling my AR for 6.5 Grendel because of this.

If I want to go to the woods with a handy short .30 cal, I'll take my Marlin 336 .30-30 down from the wall. I'm not bashing the 300 Blackout. I walk a different path.

not offended by any input that I ask for, thanks , still on the fence before I buy a barrel, wanting to stay 16" or shorter. Probably won't have any shots farther than 500 if that far.

My first inclination was toward the 6.8 spc.

If your going 16" then 6.8 is the best choice. They are nice

6.8 would be the better choice- not an option here but a good round.

The 2 calibers are totally different for their use. The 6.5 was more for long range shooting out of an AR-15 platform. The 6.5 is a good and very accurate caliber. It is more expensive to shoot, because it is a proprietary round from Alexander Arms. If you reload it, it's not too bad on cost. Factory ammo, however, is very expensive. You have some good, high BC bullets options for long range shooting.

The 300 blk out was designed to shoot 30 cal bullets out of the AR-15 platform. It has more energy than a 223, and is cheap to shoot. You can get supersonic ammo in 110 to ~150 grain bullets. You can get subsonic ammo in 190-240 grain bullets. It is Hollywood quiet when shooting subsonic suppressed ammo. For these reason, the 300 is more veratile. I just bought a Rem bolt gun in 300 blk out to play with this week and hunt with. I will use a suppressor and shoot the 110 V-max and see how they do.

If you are looking for an accurate long range caliber out of an AR-15 platform, then the 6.5 is a good one. If you are looking for a plinking caliber with all kinds of bullet options in 30 cal, then the 300 blk out. My choice is a blk out.

I haven't ruled out 6.8, does it take the same BCG and mags as a 5.56?

No, requires specific magazines and bolt.

My opinion that the 6.8 spc has more options, more avalability, bigger bullet, just lower BC.

Either will work for hunting.

Depends on if you want to run a suppressor. If you plan on running a can, go with the 300blkout.

If for unsuppressed hunting, go with the Grendel. Way better ballistics past 200yds.

Is it just the folower or is the mag itself different?

Why not suppressed past 200 with a Grendel?

Good question, I thought the 6.5 Grendel was good way past that.

It is. I don't understand why one couldn't suppress a Grendel. When my form 4 arrives my suppressor will ride on 4 different rifles.

I think he was talking Subsonic and suppressed on the 300 blk.
I have no need for that, other than it would be fun to shoot.

I would like to own the Grendel myself, but I also reload.
Another upper I'm looking at is the 450 bushmaster.

I understand he was talking subsonic suppressed. My point is why limit the suppressed rifle to subsonic? And for that matter one could load subsonic Grendel.

Sure, but what would be the point? You'd still get the sonic crack.

The 300blkout was DESIGNED for subsonic/suppressor use out of a SBR. Thats why i'd rather have the 300blkout if I were going to run a can.

Plus why use a Grendel subsonic anyway? Its taylor made for longer distances that subsonic rounds cant perform at. I would think you'd want to run a larger/heavier round for subsonic (300blkout 220gr)

But since you were just stiring the pot, what does it matter anyway.

I'm building a 264LBC/Grendel. I already have two AR's in 7.62x39, so 6.5G was a no-brainer...5.56 and 300blk are really not very powerful. I want more umph in my AR, not less...

I'm not just stirring the pot Mr.Thin skin.

Why use a .308 Win subsonic, why use a .260 subsonic? Because it's quieter. One can use their rifle that is capable of long range in the creek bottoms, short range for hog extermination with different ammo for subsonic.

My initial reasoning for getting a suppressor was for medium to long range hog and predator killing. Yes there's a sonic crack, but after speaking to a fellow long range shooter, his take was as long as you make a bang flop on a hog in a group you can kill four or five. Sonic crack doesn't matter when it hits the mark.

Thanks for all the input guys....... I guess you can't have too much information,,, so to speak.......

The members on the Grendel forum have had problems with subsonic loads for a number of reasons. In a bolt rifle with a longer magazine, it would probably be easier.

Maybe so. First thing I would do is call Chad. If he hasn't been able to make it cycle then I would not fuss with making a Grendel subsonic.