From what I gather is the Grendel has a slightly better BC and thus stays supersonic longer. 6.8spc will put up just slightly higher energy. Under 400 yards the 6.8 gets the edge over the 6.5 gets the edge.

I am looking at an 18” AR to serve as a lighter NV host for hogs than an AR-10.


My only hold up is I can only find one 6.5 online and one 6.8 load locally. Sold my reloading gear so wondering if there is any chance of these calibers becoming more available or has everyone jumped ship to 300HAMR?

I’d give more consideration to 300hamr but I’m on a palmetto state budget not in that Wilson Combat tax bracket.

I have a 6.8 but they are so close in performance out to 300 yards. No hog will know the difference. If you want a Hamr, you could always buy a barrel and source the other parts cheaply.

SG has a lot of 6.8 ammo in stock. The Sellier and Bellot 110 PTS works well on hogs and is very accurate.

https://www.sgammo.com/catalog/rifle-ammo-sale/68-spc-ammo

I love my 6.5 for all forms of Texas hunting. Inside the 6.8 is just as good under 300 yards as the 6.5.

The 16” 6.8 is nice

I would go with what you can find ammo In stock and most of

If suppressed and strictly super Sonic does that lean one way or the other?

No.

Committed to 6.8. I have 2 uppers, one for daytime and one for night, along with 2k of 120 SSTs

I have no experience with the 6.5, but I own a 6.8 SPC-II and I love it. My ARP barrel (upper built by Blackstone Arms, a THF member) is 12.5" + suppressor, and it has been sub-MOA with everything I've fed it, factory or handloads. Under 300, and let's admit that VERY few people shoot at any animal over 300, the deer or hog won't know the difference. But I'm sticking with the 6.8...

Inside 300 flip a coin, like has been said no critter will complain that it was shot with one or the other. Beyond 300 the higher BC of the 6.5 at starts to win out and the further out you get the moe the 6.5 shines. If you will never shoot past that take whichever you like. If you might want to go beyond that go Grendel.

I like to shoot out to 600 or so yards so the 6.5 Grendel is my choice.

Not saying a Grendel does not perform in sorter barrels as there are people that get their critters with 12 inch class barrels in the Grendel. I know one that gets bored shooting steel at 600 yards with his 12.5 inch Grendel setup.

I had the same caliber decision to make, and finally went with the Grendel, but the deciding factor wasn’t ballistics. I had all the bits and pieces to reload for the Grendel, but none to reload for the 6.8.

Can only speak about the 6.8 as I've been using it for years and never had or shot the 6.5.
I have two 6.8s set up with NV, I shoot one and loan other one out to buddies when we go night hunting.
I generally handload 300 rounds of 120gr SSTs at a time and that lasts me a while as I've been busy for last 3 race seasons.
Both are set up with ARP 5R 16" barrels and do a great job on pigs since most of my shots are between 80 and 135 yards from an elevated 4x8 box blind.
If I shoot a pig and it gets up and runs off, it's not the 6.8's fault....!

Do Some of you guys shoot beyond 300-400 yards at night?

Academy has 120gr SST for 6.8 in stock. Both cartridges can be delivered as well. Between these 2 there is no right or wrong answer for hogs at night. If it were me, I'd get the Grendel. It does everything the 6.8 does up close and does way better at distance. You might need it for hogs at night and distance doesn't matter today. Tomorrow you might change your mind.

6.5 Grendel (LaRue AR)...I've had mine out to 800 yards at JGs place, no problem.

I wouldn’t really try to shoot medium game at much over 300 yards with either cartridge. These are limited capacity cartridges so longer range hunting of medium game is not a strength of either. Grendel will do better at targets and varmints at longer range.

Flip a coin…

Judd is right, but I would go 6.5 Grendel just because of the variety of bullets.

Once Harrison fully retires, who's really going to push the 6.8? I have a couple of his 3r barrels and an 18" 6.8 x 43mm 11.25 twist barreled upper (I built it) of his that is very accurate and easy to clean.

And, I would still choose the 6.5 over the 6.8.

PSA has their 18in 6>8 SPCII on sale.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch.html

Power wise, the 6.8 has a slight edge over the 6.5 G. For hunting, I'd lean 6.8. If you wanted to shoot higher BC bullets for longer range shooting, you can go 6.5 G. But the difference isn't that much, until you get further out past about 500-600 yards.

Agree, I failed to mention the LR advantage of the Grendel is for targets, not hunting.

I have spotted for both. The 6.8 makes it to 600 yards. Past that it ran out of gas. This was on factory ammo.

6.5 Grendel makes it to 800 yards on factory ammo.

Hunting inside 300 yards, flip a coin. Either one would be fine.