First off, thanks for all for your advice and experience.

As I said, new to the AR market and bought Ruger 556. Tired of lugging around my 270 bolt action around the woods.

Was looking for deer round and upper for my AR. Originally was looking at 300 blk out: for price point.

Started doing research, polls and reading ballistic charts. I feel comfortable with 1000 ft pounds for white tail.
300 could do that to about 125 yards.

6.8 can do that for about 200. (Factory)
6.5 can to about 300. (Factory)

I only feel comfortable taking 250 yard shots max.....

The price between the 6.8 and 6.5 is minimal.

I currently hunt east texas and shot under 125. But don't want to limit myself if I change leases or get invited somewhere.

Thoughts on 6.8 vs 6.5???????????? Hopefully this is my last question about this.

Love my 6.5G!

Own an AR and bolt action in 6.5 Grendel and none in 6.8 if that gives you my opinion.

Oh and if not a reloader choices are increasing in factory loads for the Grendel.

Hornady, Federal, PPU and Wolf offer loads for it now as well as Alexander arms and precision Firearms. Counting those last 2 there are last time I counted 34 commercial loads available for the Grendel just a few mouse clicks away from your door.

I love my 6.8. Killed 9 deer with 9 shots on an MLD hunt this year. Plenty of ammo available for it and cheaper than Grendel for now.

I think either would work just fine for your intended application. I own and the 6.8 and it's worked great on pigs and deer.

Both are good. The 6.8 has more ammo options, but the Grendel is picking up. The 6.5 has better ballistics.

I chose performance over ammo availability. So far, I've had no problems getting ammo. The Hornady match and custom ammo is usually available, it's priced decently, and it's good stuff.

If you are looking at the Hornady site for ballistics, realize the 6.8 is with a 16" barrel and the Grendel is a 24" barrel. They are the same performance within 300 yards using same barrel lengths.

I don't rely on anyone's ballistics. I run the numbers myself.

I was actually talking about the OP but do you have a 6.8 SPC to compare the two?

I still stand by my statement that there is zero difference on game within 300 yards. Anyone that tells you differently is full of crap. Buy whichever you want.

How does 6.5 Grendel do with short barrels?

A lightweight 12.5" 6.8 spc has been what I have been planning.

Very little difference and not enough for a deer to know inside 300. These are directly from the Hornady webpage for their ammo





Contrary to popular belief the Grendel does work well in shorter barrels.

Both are in reality good hunting cartridges with low recoil especially in a gas gun such as the AR. If you reload I think the advantage goes to the Grendel with some of the bullets available for it, the little round can be a legit 400+ yard deer gun with 1000ft/lbs past that distance.

Between me and my buddies, we have killed over 300 pigs in last few years using 6.8 with AR Performance barrels and Hornady 120gr SST handloads.

Experience indicates that the SSTs are accurate as stink but not the best bullet for deer....

I have no experience with the 6.5 but like the round.
99 percent of my shots are under 200 yards.
If most of my shots were 200-300, I might look harder at the 6.5

That being said, with the right bullet, either would perform well.
If you have friends that use either caliber, think about going that way to make teething pains easier!

It does well from the reports I have read in a 12.5 inch barrel.

Double Naught Spy on here doesn't use a barrel that short but does post lots of pig hunting videos on his youtube channel and posts links here in the hog/varmint forum and his machine that goes ping is a Grendel with I think a 16 inch barrel.

If you want a 16" or 18" barrel get a 6.8, the bullets are light compared to the diameter. The gunpowder can exert pressure across a larger area and get the bullet moving faster more efficiently. If you want to go with a 20" or 24" barrel, go with the grendel because there is a lot on the table when adding barrel length to a grendel. Personally, I would choose an 18" 6.8 SPCII for deer hunting. Less than 16" is a PITA for legal resons, and I don't really notice the extra 2" in the way the rifle handles compared to a 16".

Do I need to own a 6.8 to make the comparison?

I never said there was a difference to 300 yards. I said the 6.5 has better ballistics.

I'm in the same boat. Will go with the best price when I buy.
Hoping to get a complete upper for under 6.

If you don't rely on ballistic charts and run the numbers yourself, how could possibly know without owning and shooting both calibers?

I know someone that owns one, and I did a lot of research before I bought one. To think that someone has to own something to see what it can and can't do is ridiculous. I think you know that. Everyone else does.

I wasn't picking on your beloved 6.8. I simply provided my opinion of the difference in the two.

There really is no wrong answer between the 2 especially for the OPs original use of medium game within 250 yards. Everyone has their opinions based on what they bought. The only wrong answer was the 300 Blackout .

My beloved 6.8, very funny. I don't think their is any material difference between the two. Everything I've posted has said that. I think the 6.8 VS Grendel debate laughable.

I chose the 6.8 spc in 18" from Wilson Combat. You do have to buy the mag to go with the upper. Otherwise snapped right in within a few seconds and shoots like a dream.

As Gravy Train mentioned, I can't tell a handling difference between it and my 16" 223/556. Many more ammo options on this one which will be important again.

These conversations are the same ones going in my mind.

Very good point on the barrel length, since I really don't want barrel longer than 18 inches.

I doubt I could hit anything at 300 yards anyway, and wouldn't even Attempt a game shot that far.

Thanks for the Hornady chart, that helps....

If it helps, I have 16" AR and a 18.5" Ruger Ranch in 6.8 Spc. I used a Magnetospeed to check factory 120 SST ammo from both. The 16" was 2450 fps which was right at Hornady's figures. The longer barreled Ruger was 2535 fps.