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6.5 Grendel vs 300 Blackout Review & Comparison
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May 10, 2024
0:00 Intro 1:54 6.5 Grendel vs 300 Blackout Cartridge History & Development 10:17 Cartridge Sizes 12:53 Trajectory & Kinetic Energy 16:15 Wind Deflection 16:36 Recoil 17:36 Other Factors: Frontal Area, Sectional Density, & BC 19:43 Ammo Selection 21:59 Rifle Selection 26:12 6.5 Grendel vs 300 Blackout: Which one is right for you? To learn more about popular calibers like the 6.5 Grendel and 300 Blackout visit: https://huntingguns101.com/optin1615146914565?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HG101&utm_term=YT&utm_content=65grenvs300bo ______________________________________________ HUNTING AND SHOOTING GEAR I LIKE AND USE Hearing Protection: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/earbuds My favorite scopes (blog article): https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/best-rifle-scopes-for-hunting/ My favorite budget hunting rifles (blog article): https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/best-hunting-rifles-under-500/
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hi there, I'm John McAdams, founder of the Big Game Hunting blog
0:05
In this video, I do a detailed comparison of the 6.5 Grindle and 300 blackout cartridges
0:12
Now, I think that most hunters and shooters who like using modern sporting rifles probably agree the 223
0:18
Remington and as relative the 556 NATO are both effective in certain situations
0:24
At the same time, though, the shortcomings of those cartridges are also very apparent to most people
0:28
So this has led to the development of many other cartridges designed to improve on the performance of the 556 and 223, but still function in an AR platform
0:39
Now, the 6.5 Grindle and the 300 Blackout are currently among the most widely used of those cartridges
0:45
As good as they are, though, the 6.5 Grindle and 300 Blackout are not perfect, and there are some downsides to using them
0:53
For that reason, this episode is a detailed comparison of the 6.5 Grendel and the 300,000
0:58
or blackout where I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each one so you can decide which one
1:03
is best for your particular hunting situation. Before we get started, make sure you are on my email
1:09
list. To do that, click that link below or go to Hunting Guns101.com and sign up for my free
1:17
e-book on the best hunting cartridges. You'll get my free e-book when you do that, plus you'll
1:22
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1:28
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1:34
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1:38
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and hit that like button, the thumbs up button, if you like this video
1:56
Okay, so let's get started talking about the 6'5. Grindle and the 300 blackout. As usual, we'll start with the history of the two cartridges
2:03
Now, the story of both cartridges starts with the 223 Remington and the 556 NATO
2:08
Now, the U.S. military selected the M16 rifle and the high velocity 5.56 by 45mm cartridge to
2:16
replace the relatively new M14 rifle and 762 by 51 millimeter cartridge during the early 1960s
2:24
Remington saw the potential for a tremendous commercial opportunity here and developed a civilian version of the new cartridge that was extremely similar to but not identical to the 556 NATO
2:37
Derived from the 222 Remington and formerly standardized with Sammy as the 223 Remington in the early 1960s
2:45
this new cartridge could fire a 55 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity approaching 3,300 feet per second
2:51
The 556 NATO had similar ballistics in the original 556 by 45mm M193 ball load fired a 224 caliber, 55 grain, full metal jacket bullet, and 3,250 feet per second
3:07
Now, unfortunately, the cartridge in the M16 got off to a really rough start with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Vietnam
3:15
Modifications to the rifle and ammunition solve most of the reliability problems that plagued that system during the war
3:21
Even so large numbers of people in the military still had serious concerns regarding the stopping power of that little cartridge, though, especially with the new M855 load adopted with the M16A2 in the 1980s
3:36
Incorporating a new bullet design with a steel penetrator, the M855 load fired a 62-grain, full metal jacket bullet at 3,025 feet per second
3:47
Now, the M855 penetrates a lot better than the old M193, but complaints about terminal performance with this cartridge from soldiers grew even louder after that new ball load saw use in combat in the 1990s and early 2000s
4:04
Civilian hunters who adopted the AR-15 and the 223 Remington cartridge during the last couple decades of the 20th century shared many of those concerns
4:13
The rifle and cartridge performed very well for predator and varmint hunting and for target shooting
4:19
but the 222, excuse me, the 223 Remington also developed a reputation for unsatisfactory performance on bigger game like deer
4:28
However, the AR-15 platform did offer a number of advantages to shooters and it eventually became very popular in the United States
4:36
So with this in mind, gun designers understood they were looking at a potentially massive commercial opportunity if they could be
4:43
build a cartridge that improved on the 223 Remington but still functioned in the AR-15
4:49
Now, realizing that many people love the AR-15 as well as the 223 Remington really wasn't the best choice for hunting big game
4:58
designers set about developing a number of larger bore cartridges that were more powerful than the 223
5:03
but still function in AR-15 rifles. Among others, this list includes cartridges like the 6.8 Remington SBC, the 450 Bushmaster
5:13
458 Socom and the 50 Beowulf. However, of all those cartridges, the 6-5 Grendel and the 300 Blackout
5:20
are two of the most popular alternatives to the 223-5-6 cartridges that still function in the AR-15
5:29
Bill Alexander developed the 50 Beowulf as a big bore alternative to the 223 in 2001
5:36
He also designed the 6.5 Grindle as a medium-bore option in the same market niche in 2002
5:43
By modifying a 6.5 millimeter PPC case, which is itself descended from the 220 Russian and 7.62 by 39 millimeter cartridges
5:55
Alexander was successful in building an efficient, accurate, and sweet shooting cartridge that still function well in the AR-15
6:02
Capable of firing a 120 grain bullet at 2,600 feet per second, the 65 Grindle is also significantly more powerful than the 223 Remington
6:13
Now, this cartridge is also quite versatile, and it worked extremely well for a long-range shooting
6:18
tactical, law enforcement, and varmint hunting applications. It is also a surprisingly effective big game hunting cartridge
6:26
Now, the cartridge did initially struggle to gain widespread acceptance in the shooting
6:30
and hunting communities for a variety of reasons, one of which was the fact that Bill
6:34
Alexander trademarked the name of the cartridge. However, he relinquished the trademark in 2011 when the cartridge gained Sammy approval
6:42
thus allowing other companies to manufacture ammo, barrels, etc. bearing the name 6.5 Grindle
6:50
Now since then, the cartridge has gained traction as an effective hunting round
6:54
with more and more hunters who appreciate the improved performance it offers over the 223 Remington and have adopted it accordingly
7:01
Now let's talk about the 300 blackout. Leaders in the military started to look for a new cartridge
7:06
that could reliably shoot 30 caliber bullets from an M16 or M4 rifle
7:11
while still using a standard bolt and gas system in the early 2000s
7:15
And they wanted to accomplish several goals with this new cartridge. First, they wanted a new cartridge that performed better than the standard 556 ammunition
7:23
when using the standard high-powered stuff. And I mean supersonic ammunition there, because the next requirement was they also wanted a cartridge
7:31
that was more powerful than the 9-millimeter Luger pistol cartridge when using subsonic ammo
7:38
They also wanted the new cartridges to reliably function and still perform well when used in rifles with short barrels
7:46
And they wanted a new cartridge that would function reliably in an M16 or an M4 platform with no modifications other than a barrel change
7:56
And the new cartridge also needed to be dimensionally similar enough to the 556 that a standard M16 or AR magazine could still hold 30 rounds of the new cartridge without any modification They found a solution with the 300 Whisper cartridge Designed by J Jones of SSK Industries in the 1990s
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the 300 Whisper used a 2-21 Remington Fireball case necked up to shoot 30 caliber projectiles
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However, since the 300 Whisper was a Wildcat cartridge, designers at Advanced Armament Corporation, or AAC, made a few modifications to the cartridge
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renamed at the 300 AAC blackout and received CME approval in 2011
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This allowed the cartridge to enter large-scale production with major ammunition manufacturers
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Now, the 300 blackout is available in several different supersonic loads. For instance, Barnes manufacturers a load shooting a 110-grain, T-X bullet
8:56
at a muzzle velocity of 2,350 feet per second. Hornadie produces a load shooting a 125-grain hollow point at 2,11
9:04
175 feet per second. Both of those loads offer performance that exceeds the performance delivered by the 223
9:12
Remington and even approaches the performance of the 762 by 39mm and 3030 Winchester cartridges
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The 300 blackout also performs reliably, functions reliably, in a suppressed M16 or M4, same
9:29
with the AR platform, when using subsonic loads. For instance, Seller and Blot
9:34
subsonic ammunition, shooting a 220-grain full-metal jacket at 1,060 feet per second
9:41
or Hornady's subsonic offering using a 190-grain sub-X at 1,050 feet per second from a 16-inch barrel
9:50
both easily surpass the performance of the 9-millimeter Luger with subsonic ammo
9:55
which is 147-grain bullet at about 1,000 feet per second. Now, those two 300 blackout loads are delivering, 549.9,000
10:04
foot pounds of energy for the cellar and blot, 465 foot pounds of energy for the Hornity load
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and that 9mm Luger subsonic load is giving you about 325 foot pounds of energy
10:18
Okay, now let's talk about the relative sizes of the 300 blackout and the 6.5 Grendel
10:23
now that we're done talking about their history. So first, they use different diameter bullets
10:27
The 65 Grendel uses 0.264 caliber bullets, and the 300 blackout uses 0.308 caliber bullets
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There's also a big difference in their bullet weights. Most 65 Grindle ammo typically has bullet weights in the 90 to 130 grain range, with
10:44
100, 110, 120, and 123 grain bullets being the most common. The majority of 300 blackout factory loads shoot bullets in the 90 to 220 grain range, though
10:56
110 grain, 120 grain, 150 grain, and 220 grain bullets are the most popular
11:01
There's also that Hornady, 190 grain, subsonauts. load in there too. And that's a big part of the distinguishing factors in their performance as well
11:10
is that there's not really hardly any 6.5 Grindle subsonic loads, whereas that's a pretty
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significant part of the 300 blackout ammo line. More on this in a second. Now, both cartridges
11:23
are designed for use in an AR-15, which can only accommodate cartridges up to 2.26 inches long
11:29
So the 300 blackout and the 65 Grindle, which each have the same overall length of 2.26 inches, are the maximum size of a cartridge that will still fit in a standard AR-15
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Aside from that, the two cartridges have pretty different dimensions, though. The 65 Grindle uses a longer case that is also larger in diameter
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The end result is a 65 grindle has a significantly larger case capacity and can hold more powder
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That said, don't forget the 65 Grindle is descended from the 220 pPC
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and 762 by 39 millimeter cartridges. So for that reason, the cartridge has a larger 0.438 inch rim diameter and also has more taper
12:08
than the 223 and 556 cartridges and the 300 blackout. For this reason, the 65 Grindle requires a different bolt and ideally a special magazine
12:21
for optimum reliability. That's not the case with the 300 blackout, though, since it has the same 0.378 inch rim diameter
12:28
and an overall shape similar enough to the 223 and 556 cartridge
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it can use the same boltface and the same magazine as the 223 and 556 cartridges
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We'll talk more about magazines here in a minute. Additionally, the 300 blackout is loaded to a little bit higher
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Sammy maximum average pressure of 55,000 PSI versus 52,000 PSI for the 6-5 Grendel
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Now let's talk about their ballistics. Now the differences in the external dimensions of the
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these cartridges also translates into some interesting differences in their ballistic performance
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This is illustrated when you compare Barnes-Fortex, Hornity Custom, Federal Fusion MSR, and Nossler
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Ballistic Tip factory ammo. The 65 Grindle loads in this comparison use 115-grain T-T-SX with a 0.4-0-0 BC
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120-120-G fusion with a 0.340 BC, 120 grain ballistic tip with a 0.458 BC
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and 123 grain SST with a 0.510 BC bullet. Now the 300 blackout loads in this comparison use 110 grain TX with a 0.300 BC
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125 grain ballistic tip with a 0.366 BC and 150 grain fusion with a 0.330 BC bullet
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Now notice that the various bullets used, in those 6-5 grindle loads all have a higher BC than those use in the comparable 300 blackout
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loads. Now, the Nossler ballistic tip and fusion MSR loadings are two of the very few
14:03
factory ammo loads that use the exact same bullet for each cartridge. Now, at the same time
14:08
those Barnes loads do not use the exact same bullet, but they're pretty darn close. And finally
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at the same time, I could not do a comparison involving the 6-5 grindle without including that
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Hornady custom 65 Grindle load with 123 grain SST. I think that's arguably the best 6.5 Grindle factory hunting load in current production
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So I had to put it in there. Now, Hornady unfortunately, does not produce a 300 blackout loading using a similar projectile
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So I'm just going to put that 6.5 grindal loading in there and we'll just compare all these seven loads to each other
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Now, with all that said, you look at the ballistics for this stuff, 65 grindle has a significant edge in terms of kinetic energy
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and trajectory over the 300 blackout. This is because the cartridge has an advantage in case capacity
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so it typically has a significantly higher muzzle velocity than is the case with the 300 blackout
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This can vary from 50 to 700 feet per second, depending on the exact load in question
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Now, the federal fusion loads are somewhat of an outlier here due to the especially low muzzle velocity of that heavy 150 grain 300 blackout load
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The 6-5 Grendel still has 150 foot per second edge with the ballistic-tipped loads and a 240-foot-per-second advantage
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even when shooting a heavier bullet with the Barnes loads. Heck, that 6-5 Grendel Hornady load is still pushing a 123 grain bullet
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230 feet per second faster than the 300 blackout is firing a 110-grain bullet with the Barnes' 300-blackout load
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Now, the fact that the 6-5 Grendel uses much more aerodynamic bullets across the board
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means that advantage grows as range increases. So the 6-5 grindle starts out with significantly more energy at the muzzle
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9 to 51%, depending on the exact load, and this advantage in retained energy grows as the range increases
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You got a 23 to 139% advantage at 500 yards. At the same time, while I wouldn't describe it as an especially flat shooting round
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the 6-5 grindal still has a significantly flatter trajectory, with less bullet drop at all ranges Let talk about crosswind now Once again the 65 Grindle handily outperforms the 300 blackout in terms of wind drift at all ranges That difference is especially pronounced
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when comparing that high BC 123 grain hornity load to the 300 blackout and even the other
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65 grindle loads because it's a fast loading with a really high BC bullet. Let's talk about
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recoil now. Now when you compare recoil produced by hand loads approximating the Nosseler ballistic
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tip loadings from identical 7-pound rifles, you'll see that the 300 blackout has about 20
16:49
less recoil than the 6-5 Grindle. This is because the cartridge uses significantly less powder
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to push a bullet of similar weight at a slower velocity. Even so, the 6-5 grindle is still a relatively
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mild-re recoiling cartridge itself. For example, the mild-kicking 243 Winchester firing a 100-grain
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bullet at about 3,000 feet per second from a 7-pound rifle produces about
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12 foot pounds of recoil. Compare that to about 8 foot pounds of recoil for the 6-5 grindle load in this
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comparison. So all things considered, most hunters should be able to handle the recoil from both the
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300 blackout and the 6-5 grindle without much trouble, though the 300 blackout does have a small
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edge in this respect for, you know, and that's more important for smaller or really recoil-shy
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hunters. Now, additionally, there are a couple of other factors that are also worth discussing. So first
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the 300 blackout uses larger diameter bullets than the 65 Grindle. Specifically, the larger diameter 0.308 caliber bullets used by the 300 blackout
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have about 36% more frontal surface area than the 65 grindle. All other things being equal, a bigger bullet will make a bigger hole
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cause more tissue damage and result in more blood loss. That's a definite advantage in favor of the 300 blackout
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On the other hand, the 65 grindle has a small edge over the 300 blackout
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in terms of sectional density. Now, sectional density is a measure of the ratio of the diameter of a projectile to its mass
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All other things equal, a heavier bullet of a given caliber will be longer and therefore have a higher sectional density and penetrate deeper than projectiles with a lower mass and lower sectional density
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For example, 110 grain, 120 grain, 150 grain, 1090 grain, and 220 grain, 0.301,000
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1.30-caliber bullets have sectional densities of 0.16, 0.181, 0.220, excuse me, 0.226, 0.286, and 0.33, and 0.33, and 0.264-cali bullets
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which have sectional densities of 0.236, 0.246, and 0.252, respectively. Now, while the heaviest 300 blackout bullets do indeed outclass the common 6-5 Grendel
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bullet weights in terms of sectional density, those heavier bullets for the 300 blackout are only commonly used in subsonic loadings
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The 65 Grindle has the edge with the most common bullet weights for each cartridge in supersonic loads
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All right, so where do we stand with each cartridge? The 6-5 grindle fires smaller diameter, often lighter, usually more aerodynamic bullets at a significantly faster velocity than the 300 blackout
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Therefore, the 6-5 grindle has a flatter trajectory, more resistance to wind drift, and carries significantly more kinetic energy downrange than the 300 blackout
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All right, now let's talk about ammo availability. Both are reasonably popular cartridges, but neither can really compare to stuff like the 223 Remington, 308, Winchester, or 65-crete
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read more in sheer volume of ammo sales. That said, the 65 Grendel and the 300 Blackout are both very popular alternatives to the
20:01
223 and 556 cartridges in the AR platform, and there are good factory ammo choices for both
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Now, the big ammo manufacturers like Barnes, Federal, Hornady, and Nossler produce quality
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65 Grindle and 300 Blackout factory ammo suitable for hunting. Now, 300 Blackout and 65 Grindle ammo is available from Barnes and
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their vortex line, from Federal with their fusion MSR and American Eagle lines
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from Hornady with their American gunner, black, and custom lines, and from Nossler
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in their ballistic tip and Varmageddon lines. Hornity also produces 300 blackout ammo in their subsonic line, which is probably the best
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option available for those who want to hunt with a suppressed rifle and subsonic ammo
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Nossler also offers 300 blackout in their expansion tip line and the 65 Grindle and their
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trophy grade long range line. Alexander Arms still produces 6-5 Grindle ammo, and Wolf also offers a pretty good
20:58
low-priced full metal jacket option for that cartridge, too. Winchester produces hunting ammo for the 300 blackout, but not the 6-5 grindle as part of
21:08
their Deer Season XP and PowerPoint lines. They also produce some other 300 blackout loadings better suited for target shooting
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and self-defense. Remington produces match and or target shooting loads for both cartridges, but no
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no hunting ammo for the Grindle or the blackout at this instant
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Now, during normal times, it's usually not that different to find ammo for either cartridge
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And most gun or sporting goods stores will have some in stock. However, while they're by no means rare, many smaller gun stores won't keep 6.5 Grendel or 300 blackout
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ammo in stock. Now, during the big ammo shortage that we're just coming out of here in 2023, the difference
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between the two has become pretty scrambled. and at least where I live in shop
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300 blackout ammo is usually easier to find than 6-5-Grindle ammo. But that's just me
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Your mileage may vary, though. All right, let's talk about rifle availability for each one
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So both cartridges are commonly chambered in semi-auto rifles, and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that they were originally designed
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for use in the AR-15 platform. But there's also a couple of good bolt-action rifles chambered in 65-Grindle and 300 Blackout
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Alexander Arms manufactured the first rifles in 6-5 Grendel, and they continue to do so
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Since then, Wilson Combat and a couple of other companies like Bear Creek Arsenal, Diamondback, DPMS, Sons of Liberty Gunworks
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and the Tennessee Arms Company have started producing modern sporting rifles chambered in the cartridge
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The Ruger American Ranch and Predator bolt-action rifles are currently manufactured in 65 Grendel
22:43
The same goes for the CZ-527 and the Hawa Mini. The situation is similar with the 300 blackout, but there are a few more options in that chambering
22:52
For instance, AR-15 style rifles like those made by Barrett, CMMG, Daniel Defense, Diamondback, DPMS, LWRC, Rock River, Ruger, Sig Sauer, and Wilson Combat, are extremely popular with the 300 blackout
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The 300 blackout is also available in the Ruger Mini-14, the Ruger American Ranch Rifle, the Mossburg MVP
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the CZ 527, the Savage 110, and the Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical
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It's even possible to get a 300 AAC blackout barrel for the single-shot Thompson Center Encore
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And it's also possible to purchase a 6-5 grindle or 300 blackout upper receiver
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and convert an existing AR-15 in a different chambering to shoot the grindle or blackout cartridge
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Now we can't have a 6-5-Grindle-verse-300 blackout. blackout comparison without discussing the magazine situation
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First, since it is more closely related to the 223 Remington cartridge and is similar in shape
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300 blackout can use regular AR-15 or M16 rifle or M4 carbine magazines designed for use with the 223 and 556 cartridges without modifications
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And those magazines will still retain a 30-round capacity. You can purchase 300 blackout magazines if you want the absolute best reliability
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but regular 223 or 556 NATO magazines will often work just fine with the 300 blackout though
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So keep that in mind if you already have a pile of Magpull mags for your AR There is one vitally important safety consideration to keep in mind for those who own rifles chambered in both 223 and 300 blackout though
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A 300 blackout cartridge can indeed chamber and fire with catastrophic results in a
24:44
223 Remington or a 556 NATO chamber. Trying to push a 30 caliber bullet down a 22 caliber bore will likely destroy your
24:53
rifle and potentially cause severe injury or death as a result. So those who owned rifles in both cartridges should exercise extreme care to avoid mixing
25:04
ammo for the two cartridges. For that reason alone, it might be a good idea to purchase some dedicated 300 blackout
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magazines and then segregate those magazines from all your 223 or 556 stuff to further
25:19
reduce the odds of a serious accident like that occurring if you actually
25:23
accidentally mix ammo. The situation is different for the 65 Grendel, though
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That cartridge can use regular M16 magazines with a slight decrease in magazine capacity
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and sometimes in reliability. A typical 30-round 223 or 556 magazine will usually hold up to 26 65 Grindle rounds
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However, that cartridge has a larger rim diameter and a significantly different shape compared
25:51
to the 223 cartridge. So for that reason, purpose-built 6-5 grindle magazines with a modified follower and feedlips do provide optimal reliability
26:02
But like I said, your mileage may vary. There are some people that get great results out of a regular AR-15 or M-16 magazine
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The only way to know is to find out. So which cartridge is right for you
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Do you primarily hunt medium game like whitetail deer or feral hogs at ranges within 200 yards
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Both cartridges will absolutely get the job done if you do your part at shorter range
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However, I think the 6-5 Grendel has a definite edge here, especially at ranges past 100 yards
26:33
The 6-5 Grendel has more kinetic energy at all ranges, and most 6-5-Grendel hunting loads carry 1,000 foot pounds of energy out to 200 to 300 yards
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That 123 grain SST load is an exception, and it carries that much energy out past 400 yards
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On the other hand, most supersized. 300 blackout loads only carry 1,000 foot pounds of energy out to about 100 yards
26:57
So with that in mind, I'd strongly recommend a 100 to 150 yard maximum for the 300 blackout
27:03
on deer size game. Now, are you looking for a better cartridge for longer range hunting, like for game like
27:09
mule deer or pronghorn in open country where you might need to take a shot at longer range
27:13
To be perfectly honest, I don't like either cartridge for hunting at longer range
27:18
But if you were restricted to just these two cartridges, I think the 6.5
27:22
Grindle is definitely the better option than the 300 blackout in this application, since it
27:27
has a flatter trajectory, quite a bit less wind deflection, and it carries significantly more energy
27:32
out past 200 yards. What about if you want something to hunt bigger game, black bear, caribou, moose, elk
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eeland, whatever, right? I consider both cartridges too light for this sort of hunting, and I strongly recommend against
27:45
using either one on game bigger than deer or feral hogs. Do you want the ideal cartridge to use with a surprise
27:52
both work in this area, but the 300 blackout is a little bit better choice here than the 6-5
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Grendel, since this is what the 300 blackout was specifically designed to do
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Just use extreme caution if you want to hunt with 300 blackout subsonic rounds
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Those loads can be very accurate, but there are lots of bad stories about poor terminal
28:13
performance on deer and feral hogs when using subsonic 300 blackout ammo
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Hornady makes a 190 grain subsonic load specifically. designed for hunting that they claim works well on big game
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I don't like subsonic ammo for hunting big game in general, but this is what I would recommend
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for someone who insisted on using it. And remember what I said earlier about comparing the 300 blackout subsonic stuff to
28:40
9mm 147 grain ammo. Yeah, it's more powerful than that, but you're still talking about pistol type muzzle energies here
28:50
Yeah, you can kill stuff with them, but you're you're talking about performance that is closer to a 9mm or a 45 ACP in terms of energy
28:59
than closer to typical rifle stuff, even stuff on the lighter end, like a 243, for instance
29:06
So yeah, it'll work. Energy isn't everything, but those subsonic loads are really on the anemic end of the energy spectrum
29:16
So just keep all that in mind. Are you looking for the perfect cartridge for use in a short-barreled rifle
29:22
Both cartridges lose a certain amount of velocity here with shorter barrel links
29:27
but once again, I think you should go with the 300 blackout. It performs closer to its full potential with a shorter 16-inch barrel
29:35
as well as with a barrel-linked shorter than 16 inches, and it loses less velocity than the 6-5 Grindle does in shorter barrels
29:43
The 6-5 grindle just needs a longer barrel for optimum performance. As a rule of thumb, 18 inches is a good minimum barrel link for the 6-5 grindle
29:52
20 inches seems to be the optimum barrel length for that cartridge, though, and even longer barrels aren't that uncommon
29:58
And you can see 22 or even 24 inch barrels from time to time with the 6.5 Grendel
30:04
Now, do you want a cartridge suitable for self-defense? Both certainly work in this regard, but there are more choices for purpose-built self-defense ammo for the 300 blackout
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like that Barnes-TX and the Lehigh Defense Close Quarters bullet and others than is the case with the 6-5 Grindle
30:21
But like I said, both will work. But this seems to be an area where the 300 blackout really seems to get a lot of love as well
30:30
Now, are you looking for an ideal cartridge to use for hunting and an AR-15 platform in general
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Both work, both are improvements over the 223 Remington. But I think the 6-5 Grindle is the most capable and most flexible cartridge that will function in the AR-15
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at least among the stuff that is common. available and Sammy certified
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So are you sensitive to recoil? Both cartridges have mild recoil, but the 300 blackout does have less recoil than the
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6-5 Grendel. With all that said, the 65 Grendel and the 300 Blackout are both solid rifle cartridges
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that largely live up to the expectations of those who design them
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However, while there is some overlap in their performance and ideal uses, they're not identical
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In some areas, the differences between them are pretty darn big. So you need to carefully evaluate your needs as a hunter based upon the circumstances you foresee using either cartridge in
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Get a good hunting rifle chambered in the cartridge you select. Learn to shoot it well
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Use quality ammo and it should serve you well afield. Now if you enjoyed this video, please make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel right now and hit that like button
31:45
Just click the thumbs up button and the red subscribe button below to make sure you don't miss out on any of my new video
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videos on hunting gear reviews, cartridge comparisons, and more. For more detailed information on popular hunting cartridges and what they are best suited for
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click the link in the description below or go to Hunting Guns101.com to get a free e-book I have written on the best hunting cartridges
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Now I'm going to turn it over to you guys. Which one do you prefer
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The 65 Grindle or the 300 Blackout? What game have you successfully taken with each one
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what ammo did you use when you took that game? Let me know by leaving a comment on this video
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right now. Also, feel free to leave a comment with requests for other comparisons you would like
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to see me do in the future. Thanks for watching. Have a great day and good hunting