I Just Can't Get Enough Of These Things

[lapriester]

Even though I live in CA. Ten Calibers so far and a 6.5 Grendel upper being built tomorrow. 204, 22 Nosler, 223/5.56 (3 of them), 6.8 SPC (2 of them), 6.8 GPC, 6.5X6.8, 6.5 Grendel, 277 Wolverine, 300 BO, 260 Remington and 308 Winchester. I believe my wife has decided I'm crazy so she just ignores me when I'm building another upper in the shop. The hardest part is finding enough space to store all the brass and reloading dies for all of those and the 12 calibers of vintage and commercial rifles I have.

[m14brian]

You have been busy building those up!

Do you enjoy seeing what all the different calibers are like, or just like different things?

I have 2, and just ask because both mine are in 5.56 just for logistics reasons to have one caliber and relatively easy to get ammo.
m14brian

[lapriester]

I just can't resist a deal. I bought up a bunch of upper receivers both blem and complete for $29-$40 and have had them for a while. Then some great deals came up on some barrels. The 6.5 Grendel barrel was a $250 barrel for $99 and a recent Wildcat barrel in 6.8GPC (not SPC) was offered to me by the developer dirt cheap. I completed that upper a few days ago. I big game hunt with my larger calibers and burn thousands of rounds in the 204, 223's, 22 Nosler and 6.5x6.8 (windy day gun) on varmints and Coyotes. To say the least I keep very busy prepping brass and reloading during the winter getting ready for varmints in the spring. In the last month alone I've loaded about 4K rounds to add to the 3K already on the shelf. I also compete at my local club every so often. By late in the Fall most of the ammo will be gone.

Plus it's just fun putting these things together and seeing what some of the wildcat calibers csn do. And these days parts are still dirt cheap. Many of my uppers are an example that you don't have to spend a lot of money to build an upper that will shoot sub MOA without even trying and vaporize 3x5" squirrels at 200 yards plus all day.

The GPC is pictured. I decided to put a side charger on it. If it performs as expected it will be my deer hunting rifle this year. The Grendel upper will probably get assembled today. Got the handguard I've been waiting for yesterday.

[m14brian]

Sweet deals. I don't blame you there, I guess if I wasn't spending money on sniper rifles I'd be building more ARs lol. You've got some pretty sweet ones.
m14brian

[lapriester]

Like I said, you never get enough. Here's the 6.5 Grendel ready for the range. Except for the finned grip, it turned out pretty nice.

[lapriester]

FINALLY got the new 6.8 GPC wildcat and 6.5 Grendel out for some load testing. The GPC with 30 and 30.5gr of H335 behind a 110gr Sierra Pro Hunter produced hole touching little cloverleaf groups at 100 yards. Sub-sub MOA. 200 yard groups were just under 1". Far better accuracy than either of my 6.8 SPC rifles will produce with any load I've tested.

The Grendel Type 1 I tested with 100gr Ballistic Tips and 8208XBR powder. I tested 27.5, 28 and 28.5gr. The 28.5gr resulted in a 5 shot group I had to walk down to the target to determine the .25 MOA wasn't a single hole. What I found pretty remarkable was that at 200 yards the bullets were still climbing. At 100 I zeroed at 3" high. At 200 the first 5 went 6" high. Impressive to say the least. I made some elevation adjustments, and at 200 basically ripped off 10 rounds as rapidly as I could re acquire after recoil. I attached a pic of the results. Not too shabby IMHO. Next, the Grendel gets tested at 300, 400 and 500. The 6.8 GPC will be my deer gun in Sept.

[lapriester]

This is the 3 shot group from the GPC at 100 with 30.5gr H335. That will be my deer hunting load.

[m14brian]

That's an incredible group. That's about what I can get from my FN sniper rifle. Outstanding!
m14brian

[lapriester]

That's an incredible group. That's about what I can get from my FN sniper rifle. Outstanding!
m14brian

The best part is that it was repeatable. That accuracy was off a cheap folding table, bipod and a rolled up towel for a rear rest. It also makes me wonder how it could possibly improve if I used bullets most anyone would consider more accurate than the blem Pro Hunters with slightly deformed lead tips I was using for this in the 6.8. I did weigh the bullets for uniform weight but pretty much ignored the lead tip flaws...except the gross ones of course.

[lapriester]

6.8 GPC wildcat strikes. 8:20 this morning. Best buck ever for me.

[Jersey Devil]

Great photo, Larry!!
Congrats on the harvest. Any other hunting successes this year so far?

[lapriester]

Great photo, Larry!!
Congrats on the harvest. Any other hunting successes this year so far?

Working on that, LOL.

[lapriester]

Now lets add 6mm Mongoose and 224 Valkyrie to the list. 22LR, 223/5.56, 204 Ruger, 6.8GPC, 6.5x6.8, 277 Wolverine, 6.5 Grendel, 300 BO, 224 Valkyrie, 6mm Mongoose, 308 Winchester, 260 Remington, 7mm-08. I have subtracted my 6.8SPC rifles since I sold one in favor of the 6.8GPC(now called 27GPC) and had my lightweight 6.8SPC brush gun reamed to GPC.

[m14brian]

Are you gonna do a big one like a .458 Socom?
m14brian

[lapriester]

I very much doubt it. I like calibers that will shoot longer ranges on little targets or those that meet my type of big game hunting. I suppose I might if I planned hog hunting or even closer range bear. But, just not my ball game. I shot one once. Interesting.

I also like calibers that I can form the brass from what I have on hand. Example: 224 Valkyrie, 27GPC, 6.5x6.8 and several others can all be formed with 6.8 SPC brass. 277 Wolverine, 300 BO, 6mm Mongoose all are made with 223/5.56 brass.

[lapriester]

Newest addition. A wildcat 6mm Mongoose built with a BCA side charge upper and Mad Dog Weapons Systems 6mm Mongoose 18" 6 groove 1-10 twist barrel.

The Mongoose is essentially a 6x45 with a shorter angled shoulder and more powder capacity. Parent case 5.56 necked out to 6mm.


Next up, a 224 Valkyrie I have mostly put together but forgot to order a mid gas gas tube for. Duh.