6.5 Grendel and 30-30 are two massive cartridges on the market. And with the popularity of the two cartridges, it only makes sense that you should know the differences between them and when you would want one over the other.

Here is the short answer:

6.5 Grendel is usually in an AR15 platform and is best for short to medium-range engagements. The 30-30 Winchester is primarily in a lever-action platform and is best for short-range engagements. If you want a modern gun made for hunting and target shooting then you will want the 6.5 Grendel. If you like the appel of a lever gun for close-range hunting then you will want the 30-30.

With the short answer out of the way, we can take a closer look at each of the cartridges, when you would want one over the other, and which one is better.

The 30-30

The 30-30 was made in 1895 and operated in the Winchester model 94.

It was one of the first cartridges to use smokeless powder which was a new invention at the time. The 30-30 used a .308 caliber bullet and 30 grains of smokeless powder, it was a smaller version of the 45-70 only without the punch. 

The 30-30 was marketed towards hunters, and the marketing worked as it picked up steam as a medium game hunting cartridge. It was a pretty small caliber at that time as most of the bullets they used were around half an inch, so it was primarily used for bigger medium game animals, as powders and bullets got better, the 30-30 began started to be used for bigger and bigger game to where now it is used on the smallest of big game species.

Nowadays, the 30-30 is used for close-range deer hunting. The 30-30 works best on deer within 150 yards as the trajectory starts to get worse and the bullet will begin to lose significant energy. But if you are within 150 yards, the 30-30 is a heavy-hitting cartridge.

6.5 Grendel 

The 6.5 Grendel is a more recent cartridge that was developed in 2003. It was made to compete with other AR15 cartridges at the time like the 5.56 NATO, 6.8 SPC, and 30 Remington. 

The 6.5 Grendel picked up steam as an intermediate with high power and flat trajectory. The 6.5 Grendel, when compared to the 5.56 (the standard AR15 cartridge), has over 550 more foot-pounds at 200 yards. This extra energy made it popular among hunters who wanted an AR15 but more punch than what the 5.56 could offer.

The 6.5 Grendel is now used for medium to close-range plinking and medium to close-range hunting. Ammo for the 6.5 Grendel is relatively cheap, so it’s great for hunters who want a gun they can hunt with but also want to go target shooting and not spend a bunch of money.

When you would want one over the other

Now that we know a little bit of the history of each cartridge and what they are mainly used for, we can look at why you would want one over the other.

Range. How far you want to shoot is a major deciding factor for which cartridge you choose. The 30-30 is not very powerful past 150 yards, so your range is limited. The 6.5 Grendel can efficiently shoot out to 500 yards. So if you want to be able to shoot outside of 150 yards, then you will want the 6.5 Grendel.

Gun platform. 30-30 and 6.5 Grendel traditionally come in two different platforms: The 6.5 Grendel is in an AR15 platform and the 30-30 is in a lever-action platform. With the AR15 platform, you can take fast follow-up shots and have up to 30 rounds of ammo. This amount of ammo is helpful when hunting hogs where you may need to take out as many as you can as fast as you can. With the lever-action platform, you only have 6 rounds of ammo and not a very fast firing rate. So if you want the extra 24 rounds, you will want the 6.5 Grendel. (keep in mind some states do not allow you to hunt with more than 10 rounds of ammo).

Price. When it comes to the price of ammo, then the 6.5 Grendel wins. With the 6.5 Grendel, you can get ammo for around 10$ per 20 rounds of ammo. With the 30-30, most boxes of ammo are about 24-30$ per 20 rounds of ammo.

When it comes to guns, it’s a tie. If you are going to get a complete gun in 6.5 Grendel then it will cost around 700-1000 dollars. For a 30-30 it will cost about 700 dollars. But if you already have an AR15 then you can replace the upper with a 6.5 Grendel upper which will cost about 450-600 dollars depending on which brand you buy from.

Which one is better

If I had to choose one, it would be the 6.5 Grendel. Parts are more available, it’s easier to find ammo, and I am more familiar with the AR15 platform. You also can shoot farther and for less money so it just seems like a better option.
See more articles here