Which one for a thermal setup 500 yards and in? Hogs and yotes.

I'd go 22arc or 6 arc

500 yards is a LONG shot for a thermal

Of those 2 I'd go Grendel

It's really more like 200. I just put 500 as that is a possibility with a hog.

Does 6arc have good hunting rounds available? Is there a 6prc upper yet?

Id be worried about a .224 having enough "oomph" for a big pig at distance.

Grendel. Hands down. Easy choice. From effectiveness to ammo availability Grendel wins easily.

I have several built out lowers so really want the best round I can get for this use that goes on an ar15.

223

False

shalackin said:

---

I have several built out lowers so really want the best round I can get for this use that goes on an ar15.

---

I don't know of a better all-around AR-15 caliber than 6.5 Grendel.

Hell, my 12" 6.5G is supersonic out past 800 and I can pretty easily ring steel at 500

That was my first thought. Just started reading and saw some 224 talk. Think I will just grab a Grendel upper from PSA and be done

My Grendel dropped a 8 point at 200 yds this morning so I might be biased.

With pigs the answer is actually 6 ARC. There are people around me shooting it in gas guns at PRS matches. No Grendel, not really any valk anymore, some 556 just for the challenge.

Hornady's new ELD-VT bullet will be money in that for yotes. Run the 103 ELD-X in the ear hole for hogs.


Edit: ok fine. Any of them will actually work, even 556. But I'd rather shoot heavy 6mm's out of the ARC than light 6.5mm's out of the Grendel.

meggy09 said:

---

With pigs the answer is actually 6 ARC. There are people around me shooting it in gas guns at PRS matches. No Grendel, not really any valk anymore, some 556 just for the challenge.

Hornady's new ELD-VT bullet will be money in that for yotes. Run the 103 ELD-X in the ear hole for hogs.


Edit: ok fine. Any of them will actually work, even 556. But I'd rather shoot heavy 6mm's out of the ARC than light 6.5mm's out of the Grendel.

---

This makes me think Grendel out of those two.
https://ammo.com/comparison/6mm-arc-vs-6.5-grendel

I have a 6.5 I'm looking to move if you're interested

Just an upper? Or full setup? What ya got??

Sent you a message!

Yes I bought a complete 6ARC upper summer '22 and between my kids and I, we've shot/killed 4 deer with it. Really great all around round, and ammo is still fairly cheap. Hornady has a Precision Hunter load for it which my gun really likes and they've performed well on our deer so I haven't researched further hunting rounds. Mine shoots sub MOA with all 3 of the different rounds I've tried in it (Hornady PH, Match & Black). Link to the folks I got my upper from

https://atherisrifle.com/

Article reads like it was written by AI and has no mention of wind drift or how velocity impacts bullet upset as ranges start getting longer.

OP: 22arc with 88gr ELDMs or 6mm ARC with 108s. Less wind drift for longer range shooting than 6.5g, both will kill well as long as velocity is above 1800-1900 fps.

tandy miller said:

---

500 yards is a LONG shot for a thermal

Of those 2 I'd go Grendel

---

I dropped a small pig this year at 500 with my 6.5 Grendel and IRay RICO thermal running Hornady SST 123.

mhnatt said:

---

tandy miller said:

---

500 yards is a LONG shot for a thermal

Of those 2 I'd go Grendel

---

I dropped a small pig this year at 500 with my 6.5 Grendel and IRay RICO thermal running Hornady SST 123.

---

I second the 6.5 Grendel, running a 20" Faxon Heavy Match barrel with Aero adjustable gas block and Aero lower and upper receivers, Larue 2 stage trigger, Hornady SST and BTHP have been money on hogs, coyotes, and other critters out to 300yds for me with a Bering optics Holster 35. Pretty easy to identify between a calf and hog once you have been using one for sometime.

Dedicated for hogs, 6.5 Grendel without hesitation. I use a 12" or 16" with a thermal and run 123 SSTs, 115 VTACs, or used to run 90 gr TNTs (which were amazing but are no longer in production as loaded ammo).

Look up Carpe Sus on Youtube. This guy has extensive videos on the efficacy of 6.5 Grendel on hogs in north Texas. Even does necropsy to show terminal performance.

I also love 6ARC for distance and coyotes. Just built a 22 Creedmoor as well. I'll be scanning thermal for yotes and then shooting NV with a sniper 66LRX for those hunts.

If you don't handload and only need ammo for hunting, check out Copper Creek ammunition for a wide variety of both 6ARC and 6.5 Grendel.

Also my buddy put his son and daughter on 6.5 Grendel for deer and they've been slaying them. Perfect cartridge for young shooters.

ETA: I'm an early adopter (i.e. - sucker) for new cartridges. Happy to talk about any of the new available bullets in AR15 and AR10. Also plenty of rigs I'm willing to part with.

FYI, 300 Ham'r is a great pig gun. DRTs more often than not.

VegasAg98 said:

---

Dedicated for hogs, 6.5 Grendel without hesitation. I use a 12" or 16" with a thermal and run 123 SSTs, 115 VTACs, or used to run 90 gr TNTs (which were amazing but are no longer in production as loaded ammo).

Look up Carpe Sus on Youtube. This guy has extensive videos on the efficacy of 6.5 Grendel on hogs in north Texas. Even does necropsy to show terminal performance.

I also love 6ARC for distance and coyotes. Just built a 22 Creedmoor as well. I'll be scanning thermal for yotes and then shooting NV with a sniper 66LRX for those hunts.

If you don't handload and only need ammo for hunting, check out Copper Creek ammunition for a wide variety of both 6ARC and 6.5 Grendel.

Also my buddy put his son and daughter on 6.5 Grendel for deer and they've been slaying them. Perfect cartridge for young shooters.

ETA: I'm an early adopter (i.e. - sucker) for new cartridges. Happy to talk about any of the new available bullets in AR15 and AR10. Also plenty of rigs I'm willing to part with.

FYI, 300 Ham'r is a great pig gun. DRTs more often than not.

---

The man that started my Grendel obsession