6.5mm Grendel is an intermediate, mid-range cartridge that fills the gap between 5.56 and the larger 7.62/.308. It was designed to hunt deer and similarly sized game with an optimal effective range of 300 to 400 yards.
However, this round can hold it’s own when it comes to long-distance shooting. With just the right ammo and barrel, 6.5 Grendel can maintain supersonic speeds beyond 1,200 yards. It’s strongest within about 900 yards, though.
Of course, it doesn’t matter how far you can shoot if you can’t see your target. You have to have a good scope to get the most out of your 6.5 Grendel rifle.
Table Of Contents
- Our Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel
- What Are Scopes for 6.5 Grendel?
- What Are The Different Types of Scopes for 6.5 Grendel?
- How Do Scopes for 6.5 Grendel Work?
- What Do You Look For In The Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel?
- Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel Reviewed
- ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20X Riflescope (Best High End)
- Final Thoughts On Scopes for 6.5 Grendel
Our Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel
- Vortex Optics Crossfire II 6-18×44 Riflescope (Our Top Pick)
- Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-9×40 Riflescope (Best Budget)
- ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20X Riflescope (Best High End)
- Burris Fullfield II Riflescope 4.5-14x42mm
- Leupold Rifleman 4-12x40mm Riflescope
To help you find a great 6.5 Grendel scope, we’ve put together a list of our top five recommendations. We’ll get to them shortly, but first, let’s go over some other info to help you understand what makes a good 6.5 Grendel scope.
What Are Scopes for 6.5 Grendel?
Let’s start by talking about some features that make a scope good for 6.5 Grendel in particular.
Eye Relief
6.5 Grendel is a low recoil round, so long eye relief is less important for 6.5 Grendel scopes than for others.
Of course, long eye relief and a large eye box are still nice to have. They shouldn’t be treated as qualities that make or break a scope, though.
Mid-Range Magnification
Sure, 6.5 Grendel can perform around 1,200 yards with the right equipment, but that’s not what most shooters use it for. For most of us, 6.5 Grendel scopes don’t need to be super long-range scopes.
You’ll want at least 4x magnification for hunting deer at 300 yards. You’ll want a maximum magnification of at least 8x to 10x.
Target shooters and hunters of smaller game will appreciate higher magnifications, though, since they’re aiming for smaller targets.
Reticle
When it comes to reticles, you want to look for a dot, duplex, BDC, or mil-dot reticle.
A dot reticle is exactly what it sounds like. It has a single dot in the center. Red dots are perhaps the most common, but green and black dots are also popular.
A duplex reticle resembles traditional crosshairs. The main difference is that the lines thicken a short distance from the center. This helps the reticle be more visible.
Simple reticles like dot and duplex reticles are good for closer ranges.
Duplex reticles can also be good for longer-range shooters that don’t like a lot of visual clutter. They can be used to adjust for bullet drop, but there’s more of a learning curve than with BDC or mil-dot reticles.
BDC (bullet drop compensation) reticles are also similar to traditional crosshairs. However, they have a series of hash marks down the line in the 6 o’clock position. These hash marks help you correct for bullet drop at particular distances.
Mil-dot (milliradian dot) reticles are similar, but they have dots along all four lines. This allows shooters to correct for elevation, both up and down, and for windage.
Mil-dots are great, but they provide more information than most of us need, especially for 6.5 Grendel. They’re best for long-range or competition shooters.
What Are The Different Types of Scopes for 6.5 Grendel?
Scopes for 6.5 Grendel are primarily used for either target shooting or hunting. The same scope can be used for both. However, there are certain features that can make a scope optimal for one or the other.
Target Scopes
Scopes for target shooting tend to have higher magnification than hunting scopes since targets tend to be smaller than deer.
They also generally have either a BDC or mil-dot reticle for high precision shooting.
Hunting Scopes
Scopes that go with your hunting rifle tend to have a larger objective lens. This allows better light transmission for shooting in dim conditions. It also provides a larger field of view, which makes it easier to keep track of a moving target.
Hunting scopes may have any of the previously discussed reticles. It simply depends on the shooting distance and the hunter’s preference.
How Do Scopes for 6.5 Grendel Work?
Traditional riflescopes use a series of lenses to transmit light from one end of the scope to the other, giving you your sight picture.
The three main parts to know are the objective lens, the erector system, and the eyepiece assembly.
The objective lens is at the front of the scope towards the muzzle. Light enters the scope through the objective lens, which focuses it down for travel through the other lenses.
The erector system includes the reticle and magnification lens. As you adjust magnification, the magnification lens moves. If you increase magnification, it moves forward. If you decrease it, the lens moves backward.
If the reticle is in front of the magnification lens, the scope is a front or first focal plane (FFP) scope. This positioning causes the reticle to appear to grow and shrink as you adjust magnification.
This allows the reticle to stay the same size relative to the target even as you adjust magnification. On the other hand, the reticle can also be thin and hard to see at low power. At the same time, it can be thick and obstruct your view at high magnification settings.
All the traditional scopes on this list, however, are rear or second focal plane (RFP or SFP) scopes.
This means that the reticle is positioned behind the magnification lens. Therefore, the reticle appears the same size regardless of magnification settings. This is great for mid-range scopes since you don’t have to deal with reticle distortion at low or high settings.
Finally, the light passes through the ocular lens in the eyepiece.
There are also digital scopes, which use cameras to produce the image. Digital scopes often have night vision features, which traditional scopes aren’t capable of. They’re also less common than traditional scopes and tend to be high end.
What Do You Look For In The Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel?
Aside from the things that make a scope great for 6.5 Grendel in particular, there are a few more things you should look for in a scope.
Easy Adjustment
Scopes should at least have adjustable windage and elevation. Some also have adjustable parallax.
Adjustment turrets shouldn’t be stiff. They should be easy to rotate, but not so easy that an accidental bump can change your settings.
Turrets should also be crisp and tactile. That way it’s clear when you’ve made an adjustment, even without looking.
The power ring for the magnification setting should rotate smoothly as well.
Durability
Since 6.5 Grendel is a low recoil round, shockproofing is less important than with other rounds. Still, it’s better to play it safe and go with a shockproof scope. Plus, bumps and drops can happen regardless of recoil.
Speaking of which, your scope’s body should be made of a durable material and should preferably be a single piece. Aircraft-grade aluminum is a common material for scope bodies. This is because it balances both weight and durability.
In addition to shockproofing, your scope should also be waterproof and fog proof to protect it from moisture.
Image Clarity
In general, the larger the objective lens, the more light it allows to enter the scope. More light allows you to shoot in lower light conditions. Regardless of size, though, lenses should be nice and clear, without obvious tint, for optimal light transmission.
However, too much light can cause glare. A sunshade or anti-reflective lens coating (or both) is necessary to counteract that.
Lenses should be free of warps that can cause image distortion. They should also have a scratch-resistant coating.
Lightweight
A heavy scope can throw off the balance of your rifle. It can also be annoying to tote around, especially while hunting since you may have less opportunity to put your rifle down.
A lightweight option is much more comfortable to carry and shoot.
Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel Reviewed
Now let’s get on to the scopes themselves.
Vortex Optics Crossfire II 6-18×44 Riflescope (Our Top Pick)
Our top pick is the Vortex Optics Crossfire II 6-18×44 Riflescope.
Its magnification range goes from 6x to 18x, so it’s good for hunting, but great for target shooting. It also has adjustable parallax to help you get the highest accuracy at all ranges.
The fast focus eyepiece makes focusing the dead-old BDC (MOA) reticle quick and easy. The scope also has comfortable eye relief and a forgiving eye box.
Pros
- Lifetime warranty
- Waterproof, fog proof, shockproof
- Aircraft-grade aluminum with a matte black hard anodized finish
Cons
- Parallax adjustment is a little tricky
Buy The Vortex Optics Crossfire II 6-18×44 Riflescope Here
Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-9×40 Riflescope (Best Budget)
If you’re looking for a high-quality scope at a more budget-friendly price point, you can go with a 3-9x magnification range version of the Crossfire II. It’s not as good for long-range shooting, but it’s still a great scope.
Like our top pick, this version of the Crossfire II has a fast focus eyepiece and dead-hold BDC reticle. However, it has a fixed parallax setting at 100 yards and a slightly smaller 40mm objective lens.
Pros
- Lifetime warranty
- Waterproof, fog proof, shockproof
- Aircraft-grade aluminum with a matte black hard anodized finish
Cons
- Limited range
Buy The Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-9×40 Riflescope Here
ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20X Riflescope (Best High End)
Or maybe you’re searching at the opposite price range.
The ATN X-Sight II HD Riflescope is a high-end digital scope with features traditional scopes couldn’t hope to match.
For example, the Smart Range Finder automatically calculates bullet drop so you don’t have to make holdover adjustments yourself. You can also enter wind readings and the scope will automatically make windage adjustments as well.
The scope also has night vision capability, so you’re covered even in low light.
And the camera in this digital scope allows you to record pictures and videos in 1080p full HD.
Pros
- WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Built-in GPS, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, and barometer for automatic adjustments
- Multiple reticle options
Cons
- Short eye relief compared to the other sights on this list, but 6.5 Grendel is low recoil
- Heavy
- Requires batteries
Buy The ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20X Riflescope Here
Burris Fullfield II Riflescope 4.5-14x42mm
The Burris Fullfield II Riflescope is a great scope with a middle-of-the-road magnification range. It’s an excellent choice for hunting especially, but also for target shooting.
It has adjustable parallax for optimal accuracy at every magnification level. The Burris Ballistic Plex BDC reticle further helps with accuracy.
The objective lens is large and multicoated for a bright, crisp sight picture.
Pros
- Burris Forever Warranty
- Waterproof, fog proof, shockproof
Cons
- Turrets could stand to be gripper
- Matte finish isn’t as scratch-resistant as competitors’
Buy The Burris Fullfield II Riflescope 4.5-14x42mm Here
Leupold Rifleman 4-12x40mm Riflescope
Last is the Leupold Rifleman Riflescope, another great middle-of-the-road magnification scope.
It’s very lightweight at just 13.1 ounces but it’s designed to disperse recoil energy, so it’s still rigid and durable. It’s also waterproof and fog proof, so you’re covered in all weather conditions.
Leupold’s Twilight Light Management System eliminates glare and provides up to 10 additional minutes of shooting light, so you’re covered in an array of light conditions as well.
Unlike the other scopes on this list, this one has a duplex reticle.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Waterproof, fog proof, shockproof
- Comfortable eye relief and eye box
Cons
- Lacks a parallax adjustment turret
Buy The Leupold Rifleman 4-12x40mm Riflescope Here
Final Thoughts On Scopes for 6.5 Grendel
Hopefully, you now have all the information you need to choose a new scope for your 6.5 Grendel rifle.
All of the scopes are great for use with this mid-range round. Which one’s best for you just depends on your needs and preferences.