UPS just dropped off a case of Wolf 6.5mm Grendel steel case........production ammo.
100 grain FMJ

Ran a mag through a 12.5 inch gun and it ran flawless......heading out to the range now to get some testing done before I lose the light!!

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Update
now with obligatory crappy cell phone pic taken on range!


OK all you Negative Nancy's.......
It does exist.
Please forgive me, today is the day before the editorial deadline for our next issue of Be Ready....so as the Editor I am a bit pressed
for time.


However everyone on this board here knows what is most important in life

So in-between fending off writers with their pesky questions I ran out to the range to give everyone
a first look at what we got. I will be posting more info and pics as I have a chance tonight. Remember, I'm
more than a wee bit busy......

But lets stop and look at what we got.
Steel case 6.5mm Grendel from Wolf Performance Ammunition produced in Russia at Barnaul.
Steel case with Non-Corrosive Berdan primer. Features their military 'Combat Coating' for finish.
Cases look very nice and they topped with a sleek FMJ projectile.
The projectile design is supposed to be a scaled up 7N6 5.45x39mm LEAD CORE type projectile with an early yaw cycle.
Give me a bit and I will pull and section one.
UPDATE JUST SECTIONED ONE. Steel jacket, lead core with big air pocket in nose. Perhaps it will have a very early
yaw cycle similar to 7N6 as was the plan. Testing needs to be done to find out.........

Lets start with Chrono Results for 10 shot groups measured 12 feet from the muzzle
at 85 degrees F 1030 feet above Sea Level. Measured with Oehler 35P.
20 inch barrel
Average of 10 shots
2600 FPS
Extreme Spread
50 FPS
Standard Deviation
NA (Battery died printing out....)

16 inch barrel
Average of 10 shots
2496 FPS
Extreme Spread
35 FPS
Standard Deviation
11 FPS

12.5 inch barrel
Average of 10 shots
2341 FPS
Extreme Spread
40 FPS
Standard Deviation
13 FPS

I fired 200 rounds total through 12.5 inch upper with carbine length gas system, 16 inch upper with Mid-length gas system and
20 inch upper with Rifle Length gas system. All Factory Alexander Arms guns. Zero malfunctions.
12.5 inch gun has a MGI buffer and ejected to 4 O'clock.
16 inch gun ejected to 2 O'clock
20 inch ejected to 3-4 O'clock
So this load ran flawlessly so far during initial testing. Zero issues with feeding, extraction or ejection
out of the gate. Zero issues with ignition.

I had the chance to put the 20 inch gun on paper and shot three 10 shot groups with it.
It is one of the very first GDMRs which has been dragged about. It currently wears a Satern
barrel and is topped with a Hensoldt 4-16x scope.

100 yard accuracy.
Average for three 10-shot groups is 2.4 inches.
The tightest five shots of each group averaged 1 inch.
So for an inexpensive steel case FMJ load accuracy is quite acceptable.
Would I shoot it Across the Course at Perry? No, but that's not what its intended for.
It slapped the snot out of my LaRues on my carbine range using my 12.5 inch gun and
16 inch carbine. Loads of fun.

Plus just because some dirt shooter on here will lament that 2.4 inch average for 30 shots is
not pretty good for ball.......I tried it on my 800 yard silhouette. I did not have a spotter but
Hensoldt makes glorious glass and recoil is so mild its very easy to spot your own shots.
Took me about three shots to find the elevation and windage and then I was able to make
frequent hits on an Action Target silhouette firing prone off the bipod. Yes Virginia......you can
ring steel at 800 yards with Wolf 6.5mm Grendel if you do your part.

So, I will get some pics up in a bit but so far I am super pleased.
Many gave up hope this day would ever come.
Many said it would never happen.
But good on Wolf for sticking to their promises and pushing it all these years
until it was a reality.

There is finally an economical modern intermediate cartridge available to US shooters.
Wolf said they will be bringing in batches every month with the first batch in their warehouse.
Expect it to sell out the first few months, then the flood gates will open as they
ramp up production.

I'm interested in pulling some and replacing the Russian projectile with a 100 grain AMAX and seeing
how they shoot.....Moscow Match.......

Congrats sir.  Looking forward to some pics/video of LaRue's getting hammered from SBR's.

I'm really curious to hear what kind of accuracy you get out of that ammo.  To me, if it doesn't shoot accurately, it's a waste of money but if it does then I'll have to consider buying some.  Currently I have a supply of Hornady 123 grn Amax that I bought a case of before things went crazy but I don't use it very often since it's like gold these days

This can't be an April fools joke, seeing is believing.   Is there a pot of 6.5 Grendel ammo at the base of this rainbow?

I am guessing these may be the Serbian/Yugo. produced projectiles...?

No......this is brand new production Russian ammunition produced at Barnaul with a Russian 100 grain FMJ-BT designed
after the 5.45x39mm 7N6 projectile.....

Heading out door now with chronograph and one pistol and two rifles

Forgive me for being a Doubting Thomas, but I won't believe it until I see it! Photos!

Certainly this will give the Grendel/cartridge a boost in sales and after all this time, and finally have a actual stock of ammo...

tag for results.

A AK variant in the Grendel caliber may not be far in the future...?

Guess it depends on what you use your gun for.  Cheap ammo is great for cqb and manipulation drills or if you ever want to take a carbine class.

For me as long as it works I am all about the cheaper ammo. Usually if you do the math it's hard not to see the value unless you reload and sometimes it is still close.

David,

This is fantastic news...I haven't shot my Grendel's at all due to the lack of ammo. Pictures would be fantastic + I'm looking forward to your review!

Forget about the AK, I want an RPD chambered in it.




Lighter than a SAW, with performance like a medium machine gun.

A rare time. Tag.

Tag not really interested in steel case but tag anyway, I wasnt interested in the  Grendel either until OP talked me into it

cheap ammo + Krebs Grendel AK = pure gun powder fueled sex.




More AAR David..!!!

this thread is relevant to my interests

Glad to hear somebody finally has their hands on the stuff.

How long before AIM is selling cases?

Dave, what size primer are they?

Holy Shit!!!!  There really is an Easterbunny!



Ordering info and pics please!!!!!!!  Who has it????


Somebody needs to take my damn money, NOW!   Oh yeah, how much?

I'll be there this weekend to help shoot it.

Impatiently waiting for updates.

David,

Thank you for your comprehensive Report of this historic chapter in the 6.5mm Grendel saga. Looking forward to future updates, as your busy schedule permits.

Ha! I'm waiting to see what LRRPF52 does with it!!

Very nice write up. Now here's how it went down on my end

1. Read review
2. Very impressed and nice to know cheap ammo is avaiable
3. Saw an empty lower in my safe
4. Bought barrel
5. Wallet hates me right now

Glorious days Sir, I look forward to seeing what you make of it and how it performs for you!!
I think these cases will make wonderful playthings as well....

Thanks for the awesome info David!  

Now we just need to know who'll get it first, price, and when we can order/pre-order it!

I'm hoping it'll be cheap enough that I can stack it deep!


I'll keep checking back for any additional info, and I'll check Alexander, AIM, Wideners, J&G, etc. daily until I find where to buy it.

Three Grendels and a pile of mags standing by!

Yeah me too.

Thanks for the information.

Freakin. Sweet. I know now what cartridge my next AR will be.

I never thought I'd ever consider Russian or any steel cased ammo but after reading the write up, I may have to try some.

Do we know what the cost of a case of this stuff is going to be yet?

More than you can afford Pal.

 

Well that solved my internal 6.8 or 6.5 next build debate.

The Russians are gonna clean up on this deal.

Me too

Good question. I would assume that these will settle in the $7 range eventually. I may be wrong, but I don't expect it to reach .223 prices and Barnaul is selling Bear .308 for sub $9. I can see it somewhere in between.

When it heard the news, my wallet just self-immolated.

       
 

Now we just need to see it in stock at some distributors!  I hope that they made and shipped more than a measly 1million rounds.  A thousand cases won't come close to filling immediate demand.

Cant wait to get my hands on some this week. Pics to follow.

Do you have an inside track, or know who's getting it first?

Inside track..

Picked up the box today.. Only got to fire 20 rounds so far. Ran out of time.. But I will be getting to it later this week.  

Well shit.  I was hoping you were going to tell me who's phone to burn down.LOL

Oh well.

Thanks for the pics though!  Keep us posted on your resuts!

I've never been a fan of steel cased ammo but that 6.5 Grendel Wolf ammo looks good.   It'll be interesting how consistent the lot to lot production ammo performs.

Hopefully Wolf has invested enough time and effort to make this a quality product, the packaging and cartridge look good in the photos.

SHWELL,

Realistically, what can we expect to pay for a box (20 rounds) of Wolf Performance 6.5mm Grendel Steel Case ammo?

Am I the only one saying "meh"?

I built my 6.5 to fill my want for a more effective accurized AR without going into the 308 world. I can't think of when I would buy this ammo or shoot it? The Wolf Gold brass case is good for my "cheap" ammo.

Though I suppose seeing any kind of ammo available in this caliber is worth getting excited for

This was me at first also, even said so in this thread but now I am kind of wanting a 12"  6.5 and I am thinking this ammo would be good for it

The 6.5 is the thing that pulled me from the AK.  I've been dinking with the M16 style rifles since 1976, and I never much liked them, primarily because of the caliber.  I lugged my AKs and G3s around, cursing the weight, but unwilling to give up long range potential (in the G3 and M14 profiles, at least)  The 6.5 seemed like a dream come true for me.  It gave me the ability to have a single caliber to do just about everything I wanted to do with a rifle.  



So, for me, yes, I use Hornaday and such for precision shooting, but I went with the 6.5 in part because of the promise of cheap burner ammo.  The more I can do with the single caliber, the more I can standardize my little arsenal.  The only reason I still even HAVE 5.56 caliber rifles is the cheap(ish) ammo.