Did you rebuild your AR-15 to take the modern 6.5 Grendel ammo?
Are you looking for the perfect magazine to complete your rifle build?
Finding the best 6.5 Grendel magazine can be tricky. You don’t want to be out in the field and run out of ammo or have a round jam.
We did the hard work and sorted through a lot of options to come up with this list.
Read on for details on the 6.5 Grendel, magazines, and our reviews of the best products below.
| Product | Our Rating | Scenario |
| E-LANDER – 6.5 GRENDEL STEEL BLACK | 4.9/5 | Best Overall |
| ASC 6.5 Grendel Black Stainless Steel | 4.6/5 | Budget Friendly |
| C-PRODUCTS 6.5 GRENDEL STAINLESS | 4.7/5 | Editors Pick |
| ASC 6.5 GRENDEL 25RD CAPACITY | 4/5 | Alternative #1 |
| C PRODUCTS DEFENSE 6.5 GRENDEL 26R | 3.5/5 | Alternative #2 |
Our Review Of The Best 6.5 Grendel Magazines
In this section, we break down each of the products into their features and how it might impact your shooting experience.
Balance the information from the features section above with what you read below to find the best 6.5 Grendel magazine for your needs.
E-lander – Ar-15 Magazine 6.5 Grendel Steel Black
The E-lander magazine costs a little more than other magazines, but its design may have everything you want.
The magazine has a 24 round capacity which is perfect for people who take this rifle to shoot at the range. But this is usually subject to regulations regarding high capacity magazines.
It also comes in 4, 10, and 17 round options if you’re looking for something more suited for hunting and free regulations (depending on the local and state laws as well).
It’s made out of heat-treated stainless steel. This makes it sturdier and better able to stand the higher recoil and pressure from the larger 6.5 Grendel rounds.
The white polymer follower is self-lubricating and non-tilt designed. This keeps the magazine reloading smoothly without any jams.
E-lander uses a high strength spring for optimal reload speed as well. To compensate for the added pressure, especially in the higher capacity options, they apply a heavy-duty steel floorplate.
Here’s what users had to say about the magazine:
Positives Recap for This Product
- Very reliable and consistent
- Lasts a long time without losing its reliability
- Smooth inserting into the rifle
- Tough material and design
Negatives Recap for This Product
- Slightly higher price
- May not fit all the rounds as advertised
ASC AR Family Rifle Magazine 6.5 Grendel
This AR magazine for the 6.5 Grendel is affordable and is built with some of the standards you look for in a magazine.
It’s made from heat-treated, 410 stainless steel to provide durability in the face of the more significant recoil and pressure from the larger 6.5 Grendel ammunition.
On top of this excellent material, ASC also used their special chemical for finishing the metal. This prevents corrosion from moisture and grime.
An added feature of this finish is that it helps the magazine be “self-lubricating.” It adds to the smooth and reliable function of the part.
This magazine has a 10 round capacity which is just in the sweet spot for hunting and target shooting alike.
With a blue follower, you’ll easily be able to see when you’re out of ammo. The anti-tilt design should make it easy to reload and provide more consistency as you fire.
The chrome silicon springs push the rounds up into the chamber as you fire. In general, this material isn’t as powerful as steel springs, but they are more resistant to corrosion.
The floor plate is also made of stainless steel to provide a secure base for the part to fire from.
Customers who used the magazine also had the following to say:
Positives Recap for This Product
- Great consistent use
- Works well over a long period
- Resistant to weather damage
- The blue follower is an excellent addition
Negatives Recap for This Product
- No consistent complaints about this magazine were found
C-products – Ar-15 Magazine 6.5 Grendel
C-products magazines come in at the medium price range and have their special design to make the most of your 6.5 Grendel ammo.
The magazine is made of stainless steel to give as much durability under fire as possible.
It’s finished with matte black to reduce glare from sunlight, which is important when hunting. This simple finish does offer some basic protection from corrosion as well.
The blue follower is made of polymer and is anti-tilted in design to ensure smooth function while shooting and easy reloading. The blue color makes it easy to see when you’re out of ammo.
C-products made their springs as durable as they could without making it too strong for the magazine. This balances reliable function with wear on the magazine.
This magazine can come in different capacities for different types of shooting. C-products offers this mag in 5, 10, 20, and 28 round options.
Make sure you understand the regulations surrounding high capacity magazines when you purchase the kind you want.
The user experience boils down to the following:
Positives Recap for This Product
- Very reliable function and cycling
- Tough, durable material and design
- Continues to work well over time
- Resistant to dropping damage
- The curved shape on higher capacity mags keeps the profile low
Negatives Recap for This Product
- May fit too tightly in the mag well and be difficult to pull out
- May not fit as many rounds as advertised
Asc Magazine: Ar-15: 6.5 Grendel
This high capacity magazine by ASC is specially designed to handle a lot of ammo and firing for the AR-15 with 6.5 Grendel ammo.
Like most other magazines, this one is made from stainless steel which provides durable material even under the heat of repeated firing.
It’s received a matte black powder coating for corrosion protection and reducing glare from light and sun.
For this magazine, ASC opted to make it at a 25 round capacity. If you’re interested in shooting competitively or at the target range, this may be the mag for you then.
It features a blue, polymer, anti-tilt follower for optimal cycling and easy reloading. The blue color makes it easier to see when you run out of ammo as well.
The chrome silicon springs are an interesting choice for such a high-capacity magazine. They need to be strong enough to cycle all rounds easily but without overfeeding or jamming the chamber.
Silicon springs should handle this pretty well, although steel springs are usually the standard for larger capacity mags.
ASC also chose to reinforce the magazine with a 300 series stainless steel floor plate which greatly improves the life of the weapon.
When the customers used the product, they had the following to say about their experience:
Positives Recap about This Product Experience
- Great value for the price and quality
- Fits securely in the magazine
- Smooth and reliable cycling
- Fast and easy company to work with
- Durable design and long life
Negatives Recap about This Product Experience
- May come with a manufacturer’s defect
- May fit loosely in the magazine well
C Products Defense 6.5 Grendel Magazine
This magazine has a higher capacity and quality design that makes up for its slightly higher price in the 6.5 Grendel magazine category.
C Products made this magazine out of 400 series stainless steel. This is a step up in durability than the standard steel used in magazines.
Its simple black finish offers a little protection from corrosion that may result from sweat and grime.
The metal is also heat treated to give it extra toughness when you’re firing a lot of rounds.
And you’ll be firing a lot of rounds if you opt for this magazine and its 26 round capacity. This is another good choice for gun enthusiasts who want to shoot competitively or at the shooting range.
The base plate/ floor plate is also made from the tougher 400 series stainless steel. This is good because the higher capacity puts some extra pressure on the part, so a tougher metal extends its life.
With this magazine, C products include a blue, polymer, anti-tilt follower which is the top-tier standard for AR magazines. This follower ensures smooth cycling, easy reloading, and makes it noticeable when you run out of ammo.
Condensing the customers’ reports results in the following lists:
Positives Recap for This Product
- Consistent and smooth cycling
- Secure in the magazine well
- Tough metal design
- Easy reloading
Negatives Recap for This Product
- Some people report that the last couple of rounds don’t load well when the product has been used for a while
About The 6.5 Grendel
In 2002, ammunition manufacturer Hornady designed their new ammo, the 6.5 Grendel.
They sought to make a better battle ready ammo for the AR-15 which had been in place for decades. They thought it was time for a change.
By making the 6.5 Grendel (.264) a little bigger than the standard .223 Remington (5.56 NATO), Hornady was able to provide more power and accuracy with less recoil.
They did this by making the shape of the round “chubby.” This helped fit the larger round into the shorter length required while still being a bigger grain.
Many gun experts consider it to be a better round in every way except the price, which is only a little more expensive than the other.
While the Grendel was designed to be the battle round, the 6.5 Creedmore released in 2008 was meant to be the match quality round.
Benefits Of Quality Magazines
There are several reasons to get a new magazine. Maybe you’re on the fence about getting a new one.
Here are a few of the benefits you might get from buying a new quality magazine:
Easy reloading – Not all magazines are easy to reload. By switching to a newer mag, you can choose the one that’s simple to reload if you’ve had problems with this in the past.
Consistency – Some magazines over time begin to have the occasional jam or misfeed. This can create a dangerous situation.
It might be time to get a new one with a consistent and reliable function if you’re starting to notice these problems.
Higher capacity – It might be that the mag that came with the AR-15 initially doesn’t hold as much as you’d like. Looking for a magazine with a higher capacity might make your shooting experience more fun.
Just make sure you check local, state, and federal regulations on what capacity is allowed.
New build or caliber – The AR-15 is excellent for rebuilding or customizing to meet what you want. If you’re switching to the 6.5 Grendel for your ammo, you’re going to need a new magazine.
Lower profile – Some magazines are designed with different styles. This means that magazines with the same capacity may not take up the same space or profile.
If you’re getting caught by a bulky magazine, then you can choose a lower profile mag to meet your needs.
Related:Best 6.5 Grendel Barrels
Features of Magazines
In this section, we’ll look at the common features of rifle magazines and how to pick the best one for your needs.
Use this section to keep yourself informed as you check out our reviews below.
Material
The standard material for magazines is stainless steel. This metal is naturally sturdy and resistant to grime.
Not all stainless steel is equally rated, though. If a magazine is made from higher rated steel, it should last longer.
Other chemical finishes can help with protection from corrosion and ensure reliable cycling over time.
Capacity
Of course, you need to consider a magazine’s capacity.
If you’re only using the rifle for hunting, a smaller magazine may be best for you. If you want to shoot competitively or at the range, you can opt for more rounds.
Take care you know the regulations in your area regarding high capacity magazines, so you don’t get into trouble.
Follower
The follower is a little guide that serves the dual purpose of pushing the rounds into the chamber and making reloading the magazine easier.
Colored polymer followers are the new standard with blue being considered the most effective color.
Reliability
All manufacturers will tell you that their magazines cycle smoothly and reliably every time, but that may not be the case.
In the recaps sections below, we’ll make sure to note any magazines that tend to jam. Usually, this happens at the end of the magazines capacity.
Springs
The springs are the part that pushes the follower and cartridges into the rifle chamber as you fire. Because of this, you want to make sure the springs are good.
Usually, springs are made from steel or chrome silicon.
Steel springs have more power and are therefore more reliable, but they tend to be harder on the part.
Silicone is more comfortable in the magazine, but it tends to jam over time.
Mag Well Compatibility
Even if the magazine is designed for the AR family, that doesn’t mean it always fits precisely right in the magazine well.
The best magazines fit snugly in the well, but they are also easy to remove in a pinch. This isn’t always the case, and we make sure to highlight this if there are problems with the products in this area.
Commonly Asked Questions
What is the 6.5 Grendel good for? – The 6.5 Grendel was made to be an upgraded .233 Remington (5.56 NATO) for the AR-15 in 2003.
It’s “good” for all of the same things as those rounds, namely battle and hunting are its main uses.
The biggest draw of the 6.5 Grendel is that it has better accuracy potential because of its velocity and less recoil. There is a lot less of your aim thrown off from muzzle rise with this ammo.
What caliber bullet is the 6.5 Grendel? – The “6.5” in Grendel refers to its caliber. It could also be measured as a .264 caliber bullet.
This puts it a little larger than the standard .223 Remington, but changes in the grain give it more velocity, as well as the larger round, help it with being more accurate.
The main reason it hasn’t taken over as the ammo of choice for the AR-15 is that the 5.56 NATO (.223 Remington) is much more available that it’s cheaper to produce.
On top of this, it’s also the international standard for ammunition, so the armed forces need to keep using it.
What are the best barrel lengths for the 6.5 Grendel? – The best barrel lengths are the 20” and 24” barrels.
You can go shorter, but the Grendel is designed to work with more muzzle velocity, so a short barrel doesn’t make good use of the round’s power.
What is the effective range of the 6.5 Grendel? – There is some debate on exactly how effective the 6.5 Grendel is at different ranges.
But, in general, most agree that you’ll be able to hit targets up to 800 yards with reliable accuracy.
It also depends on your skills as a shooter and your field of view, but 800 yards is the average number.
Is the 6.5 Grendel comparable to the .308? – Yes and no.
They are similar in size (the 6.5 is a little smaller and lighter) and close in muzzle velocity. Both are designed for accuracy and power at a little bit of a longer range than the .223 Remington.
The Grendel wins with less recoil, lighter weapons, and shorter barrels. The .308 gives a bit more power and range than the Grendel.
Overall, though, fairly close.
Related: How Far Can An AR-15 Shoot Accurately?
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed checking out our picks for the best 6.5 Grendel magazines. Getting a good magazine can help you get the most out of your rifle.
Any of our picks can help meet exactly what you’re looking for in capacity, reliability, and quality. Which one you go with is ultimately up to you and your budget.
Plan on shooting a lot? Get a mag with a larger capacity and has easy in-and-out.
Looking for a mag that reloads easily. Pick one from our list that has an easier reloading mechanism.
Whatever you pick, make sure it’s what you want.
