300 blackout vs 6.5 Grendel vs 44 magnum for my son

[1nderbeard]

Hornady Custom 6.5 Grendel 123gr SST 20ct Box 8152 - BW JAMESON GUN SHOP

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bwjamesongunshop.com

A little over a buck a round

that website looks shady...have you used it before?

 

[LarryC]

I'm starting to plan for next deer season, and I think my son will be ready to hunt with my. He will be almost 10 and is a great shot with his .22 already with open sights. My issue is that currently I only have a 7mm-08, a 12 guage, and a muzzeloader for deer and my son is way way on the small side for his age.

So I am narrowing my options down to a 300 blackout, 6.5 grendel, or a .44 magnum lever gun. I have been leaning towards the 300 blackout since I have a lower ready anyway and I could put a suppressor on it since he doesn't care for loud noises even with ear muffs on. I also like the 6.5 Grendel because eventually he could reach out farther as his confidence builds. The .44 magnum is on the list just because it seems like the standard first deer rifle around here and I've always wanted to add a lever gun to my collection anyway.

Any thought on these or are there any others I should be looking at?

I would also go for the 6.5 Grendel! I built one for one for myself with a BCA upper, then for of my sons (in his 50's), same upper. His wife loved it so much I built one for her. Extremely accurate round, She has killed several predators (killing chickens on their rural home), at 50 to 100 yards. It has very little recoil, fairly low noise compared to the 44 mag. Don't have any experience with the 300 blackout but know the Grendel has far greater accuracy and range.

 

[Rookie]

that website looks shady...have you used it before?

No, I just grabbed the first link I found. I should have looked at a few more, because that price is questionable. It's been a few years since I've bought any...

https://palmettostatearmory.com/hornady-custom-6-5-grendel-123-gr-sst-20-rounds-ammunition-8152.html

 

[92FSTech]

I vote .44 Mag lever gun. I have a few Marlin 1894s, and they are some of the best handling rifles I've ever shot. And it's a much more interesting gun than an AR...especially a budget AR. ARs aren't the answer to everything...especially hunting where it's all about accurate first shots rather than capacity and firepower.

I had a 16" 6.5 Grendel AR that I built, with the intent of using it for deer, but never ended up getting to go. It originally had a BCA barrel on it, because it was cheap, and that thing was a piece of crap. Like someone else said, I could sometimes get it around 2 MOA cold bore, but once it heated up it was all over the place. I ended up spending a couple hundred bucks to replace that barrel with a Faxon, which brought the gun down to around 1moa, maybe a little over. Ultimately, I decided that there was nothing I could do to paper with it inside of 200 yards (max distance at my range) that I couldn't do with .223, and with .223 I don't have to worry about hard to find components and expensive brass that gets lost or chewed up by your AR at an alarming rate. I sold the gun and put the proceeds towards another CMP Garand. Don't regret that decision one bit...except it would have been cheaper to just buy the Garand first.

6.5 Grendel also loses a lot with the shorter barrel. I think I could enjoy one with a long, rifle-length match barrel and quality parts of I had the space to stretch it out. But the 16" build in my environment just didn't make any sense.

A .44 lever gun will get the job done while being a classic piece that your kid will appreciate the rest of his life. A BCA 6.5 Grendel will be just another cheap AR that looks and handles like every other AR, and shoots a difficult to source and expensive caliber.

 

[Levergun1]

I vote .44 Mag lever gun. I have a few Marlin 1894s, and they are some of the best handling rifles I've ever shot. And it's a much more interesting gun than an AR...especially a budget AR. ARs aren't the answer to everything...especially hunting where it's all about accurate first shots rather than capacity and firepower.

I had a 16" 6.5 Grendel AR that I built, with the intent of using it for deer, but never ended up getting to go. It originally had a BCA barrel on it, because it was cheap, and that thing was a piece of crap. Like someone else said, I could sometimes get it around 2 MOA cold bore, but once it heated up it was all over the place. I ended up spending a couple hundred bucks to replace that barrel with a Faxon, which brought the gun down to around 1moa, maybe a little over. Ultimately, I decided that there was nothing I could do to paper with it inside of 200 yards (max distance at my range) that I couldn't do with .223, and with .223 I don't have to worry about hard to find components and expensive brass that gets lost or chewed up by your AR at an alarming rate. I sold the gun and put the proceeds towards another CMP Garand. Don't regret that decision one bit...except it would have been cheaper to just buy the Garand first.

6.5 Grendel also loses a lot with the shorter barrel. I think I could enjoy one with a long, rifle-length match barrel and quality parts of I had the space to stretch it out. But the 16" build in my environment just didn't make any sense.

A .44 lever gun will get the job done while being a classic piece that your kid will appreciate the rest of his life. A BCA 6.5 Grendel will be just another cheap AR that looks and handles like every other AR, and shoots a difficult to source and expensive caliber.

Some valid points and some opinions. Nothing wrong with that.

One thing that I really like about an AR is the endless array of options/parts and modularity. Can always take the lower and set anything from a .22 LR to a .450 Bushmaster on it, depending on what you are hunting/shooting.

 

[DadSmith]

I vote .44 Mag lever gun. I have a few Marlin 1894s, and they are some of the best handling rifles I've ever shot. And it's a much more interesting gun than an AR...especially a budget AR. ARs aren't the answer to everything...especially hunting where it's all about accurate first shots rather than capacity and firepower.

I had a 16" 6.5 Grendel AR that I built, with the intent of using it for deer, but never ended up getting to go. It originally had a BCA barrel on it, because it was cheap, and that thing was a piece of crap. Like someone else said, I could sometimes get it around 2 MOA cold bore, but once it heated up it was all over the place. I ended up spending a couple hundred bucks to replace that barrel with a Faxon, which brought the gun down to around 1moa, maybe a little over. Ultimately, I decided that there was nothing I could do to paper with it inside of 200 yards (max distance at my range) that I couldn't do with .223, and with .223 I don't have to worry about hard to find components and expensive brass that gets lost or chewed up by your AR at an alarming rate. I sold the gun and put the proceeds towards another CMP Garand. Don't regret that decision one bit...except it would have been cheaper to just buy the Garand first.

6.5 Grendel also loses a lot with the shorter barrel. I think I could enjoy one with a long, rifle-length match barrel and quality parts of I had the space to stretch it out. But the 16" build in my environment just didn't make any sense.

A .44 lever gun will get the job done while being a classic piece that your kid will appreciate the rest of his life. A BCA 6.5 Grendel will be just another cheap AR that looks and handles like every other AR, and shoots a difficult to source and expensive caliber.

I have some wolf 6.5 Grendel 100gr. They are 2.5" at 50yd in the same barrel I get under a moa with SST bullets. If you don't use the right ammunition it won't shoot well.

 

[dak109]

Federal American Eagle 6.5 Grendel Ammo 90 Grain TNT JHP - Ammo Deals

Federal American Eagle 6.5 Grendel Ammo 90 Grain TNT JHP at Target Sports USA with free shipping available. Enjoy deals on 6.5 Grendel ammo for sale.

www.targetsportsusa.com

A little under a buck a round.

When you can find it. It works well on coyotes and hogs, so I assume it would work on deer.

The TNT rounds tend to fragment pretty good is my understanding. I like an exit hole.
I was surprised when told the Grendel ammo was running more. It’s for sure a more popular caliber. I haven’t bought ammo for a long time. I role my own. So I really haven’t been watching prices on very much, other than to know they are high.

 

[92FSTech]

If you don't use the right ammunition it won't shoot well

I tried Hornady 123 and 129 SSTs and ELD Black....factory and reloads. Also some Sierra 123s. None of it shot well. But that Faxon Barrel made a big difference. The BCA barrel was the problem. I ended up giving it away, because I couldn't sell it.

 

[Rookie]

I tried Hornady 123 and 129 SSTs and ELD Black....factory and reloads. Also some Sierra 123s. None of it shot well. But that Faxon Barrel made a big difference. The BCA barrel was the problem. I ended up giving it away, because I couldn't sell it.

That's why I recommended the criterion barrel made by Satern. Closer to 1/2 moa with Hornady and close to moa with federal.

 

[DocIndy]

6.5 Grendel all day. Deer slayer, coyote killer, and just fun to shoot.

 

[kBk wz. 1970]

I vote .44 Mag lever gun. I have a few Marlin 1894s, and they are some of the best handling rifles I've ever shot. And it's a much more interesting gun than an AR...especially a budget AR. ARs aren't the answer to everything...especially hunting where it's all about accurate first shots rather than capacity and firepower.

I had a 16" 6.5 Grendel AR that I built, with the intent of using it for deer, but never ended up getting to go. It originally had a BCA barrel on it, because it was cheap, and that thing was a piece of crap. Like someone else said, I could sometimes get it around 2 MOA cold bore, but once it heated up it was all over the place. I ended up spending a couple hundred bucks to replace that barrel with a Faxon, which brought the gun down to around 1moa, maybe a little over. Ultimately, I decided that there was nothing I could do to paper with it inside of 200 yards (max distance at my range) that I couldn't do with .223, and with .223 I don't have to worry about hard to find components and expensive brass that gets lost or chewed up by your AR at an alarming rate. I sold the gun and put the proceeds towards another CMP Garand. Don't regret that decision one bit...except it would have been cheaper to just buy the Garand first.

6.5 Grendel also loses a lot with the shorter barrel. I think I could enjoy one with a long, rifle-length match barrel and quality parts of I had the space to stretch it out. But the 16" build in my environment just didn't make any sense.

A .44 lever gun will get the job done while being a classic piece that your kid will appreciate the rest of his life. A BCA 6.5 Grendel will be just another cheap AR that looks and handles like every other AR, and shoots a difficult to source and expensive caliber.

A .44 lever gun will get the job done while being a classic piece that your kid will appreciate the rest of his life.
(This is how I feel about the Winchester 94 that has been handed down 2 generations to me, and my son will be handed.)

 

[indysims]

Look at 6mm ARC... new cartridge but better ballistics that 6.5 Grendel. 300 blackout would be a good cost effective route... if you already have a 5.56/223 AR, you can use your existing bolt/charging handle/magazines. The supersonic cartridges in 300 do well with whitetail and the suppressor still knocks down the sound at the shooters ear.

 

[kBk wz. 1970]

Look at 6mm ARC... new cartridge but better ballistics that 6.5 Grendel. 300 blackout would be a good cost effective route... if you already have a 5.56/223 AR, you can use your existing bolt/charging handle/magazines. The supersonic cartridges in 300 do well with whitetail and the suppressor still knocks down the sound at the shooters ear.

300 BO is cost effective? Better off to build a x39-

 

[indysims]

300 BO is cost effective? Better off to build a x39-

In my example... already owning a 5.56/223 you don't have to buy a new BCG or magazines. Both of those are required with 6.5or x39. The intent is hunting not plinking. The cost of a bolt is equal to around 75 to 100 rounds... that's a lot of deer seasons.

Just my opinion

 

[kBk wz. 1970]

In my example... already owning a 5.56/223 you don't have to buy a new BCG or magazines. Both of those are required with 6.5or x39. The intent is hunting not plinking. The cost of a bolt is equal to around 75 to 100 rounds... that's a lot of deer seasons.

Just my opinion

Yeah, I guess. If cost effectiveness is the only determining factor for a dedicated deer rifle. Guess I look at legacy in firearms as a “my first kill rifle” being more than “this bolt”. (Either way cheaper than a Henry .44)

 

[roscott]

Grendel for sure. I have all of those mentioned, and the blackout and the .44 just sit in the safe these days.

Blackout is really fun subsonic. 44 is really cool if you want a lever action. But for a practical do-it-all gun, I love Grendel. Killed an antelope at 283 yards in Wyoming with one this year, and have killed heaps of coyotes, hogs, and deer with the gun pictured above.

I’m a big fan of it as a starter gun because he won’t outgrow it, and it can do just about anything without a lot of noise or recoil. Mine is a ballistic advantage barrel and bolt, and shoots just under MOA with SST. I’ve had excellent luck with Faxon too though.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Thanks for all the replies from everyone. I am definitely leaning towards the Grendel now. We only hunt on private land, and I don't see that ever changing, sop the Grendel fits the bill pretty well.

As for as Bear Creek goes, I have never ordered from them, but 3 of my friends have bought uppers from them in the last few months, and they have all been happy with them. I may wait for my christmas bonus and look for a nice upper though.

 

[Ggreen]

Thanks for all the replies from everyone. I am definitely leaning towards the Grendel now. We only hunt on private land, and I don't see that ever changing, sop the Grendel fits the bill pretty well.

As for as Bear Creek goes, I have never ordered from them, but 3 of my friends have bought uppers from them in the last few months, and they have all been happy with them. I may wait for my christmas bonus and look for a nice upper though.

You won't regret getting a better upper. 10 months until deer season leaves some time to get a good upper at a good price.

 

[edwea]

If you are leaning towards buying an assembled upper, check out grendel hunter. They are solid.

 

[Rookie]

Thanks for all the replies from everyone. I am definitely leaning towards the Grendel now. We only hunt on private land, and I don't see that ever changing, sop the Grendel fits the bill pretty well.

As for as Bear Creek goes, I have never ordered from them, but 3 of my friends have bought uppers from them in the last few months, and they have all been happy with them. I may wait for my christmas bonus and look for a nice upper though.

You should seriously consider the barrel I suggested. They are excellent barrels...