Maybe you want something a little different than the venerable .223 Remington/5.56 NATO in your AR.
What is a good cartridge that is a jack-of-all-trades? Look no further than the 6.5 Grendel!
Look no further…I test some of the most popular 6.5 Grendel uppers on the market.
By the end, you’ll know if you want a 6.5 Grendel (the answer is yes) and which one to get. So keep reading!
Table of Contents
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The Jack-of-All-Trades
The 6.5 Grendel has proven itself so far to be a great cartridge regarding target shooting and hunting within intermediate ranges.
Its parent case is the .220 Russian, which it shares with the 7.62x39mm.
Unlike the 7.62x39mm though, this cartridge is built with speed in mind and drastically outperforms its cousin in ballistics and long-range performance.
With high-quality, factory ammunition becoming more available, the 6.5 Grendel is a great choice for anyone that wants to push further.
Offerings from Federal Premium, American Eagle, Hornady, and economical steel case ammunition from Wolf can be found at local gun shops and can easily be found online.
Lots of Choices
What 6.5 Grendel upper will fit your budget and your expectations?
I went about answering that question with different companies that offer 6.5 Grendel uppers!
All the mentioned companies come in at different price points for the 6.5 Grendel — ranging from $399 up to $549. Each upper was tested with either an 18-inch or 20-inch 416R stainless steel barrel, and all of them were a “Type 2” 6.5 Grendel chamber.
The companies are as follow:
Testing in Hilly Western Pennsylvania
During my time with these uppers, I was able to do some accuracy testing to shoot groups at 100 yards and out to 400 yards.
If I could have gone further, I would have, but the fact remains that Western Pennsylvania is not amazing countryside for 1,000-yard shots.
In my opinion, though, nearly a quarter-mile can still show excellent accuracy capabilities for a rifle. All rifles were thoroughly cleaned before they were shot.
The lower that was used is a typical, forged T6 7075 aluminum receiver with a rifle length extension, using a LUTH-AR MBA-1. Lower parts are from CMMG, but the drop-in trigger is the Timney AR-15 Competition Trigger.
It’s no over-exaggeration to say that the Timney is one of the smoothest drop-in triggers I have handled with a very crisp trigger pull and short reset.
This is an excellent choice for precision shooting at longer ranges.
All shots were taken off a bench using Caldwell Shooting Bags.
I used an ACME Machine 6-24×50 FFP with their TR-MOA reticle for the optic and have used this scope with a few different reviews. This is a great optic for anyone with a smaller budget looking for long-range glass.
Ammunition used for accuracy testing was sent to me by Hornady. It consisted of Hornady Black ELDs in 123 grain and Hornady Custom SST in 123 grain.
As always in my experience, Hornady ammo performed great and was consistent with shot to shot. It is relatively inexpensive ammo regarding match-grade or hunting-grade ammunition.
I tend to shoot a lot of Hornady ammunition in my personal 6.5 Grendel rifle.
Best 6.5 Grendel Uppers
1. ACME Machine 18-inch Upper
ACME Machine sells and manufactures just about anything that you could use to build or upgrade your rifle.
They are a lower-budget, bargain retailer that can sell a product at a surprisingly low cost, while still offering higher-grade components like Ballistic Advantage, Aero Precision, Magpul, LUTH-AR, and their own line of products.
ACME Machine’s entry into the 6.5 Grendel market utilizes a Ballistic Advantage barrel. The model that I received had an 18-inch fluted 416R stainless steel barrel. Its bolt carrier group is a fully nitrided system that uses a 9310 Type 2 Grendel bolt.
Mechanically, the weapon fed and fired flawlessly using a 5-round ASC magazine.
The upper receiver was an Aero Precision M4E1 and aesthetically provides a step up from the standard mil-spec world of forged receivers.
This upper came with an included ACME Machine 17-inch free-floated handguard and phosphate gas block.
To round it off, the upper came with an ACME Machine ambidextrous charging handle and phosphate 3-port muzzle device to tame recoil.
The Ballistic Advantage barreled upper from ACME Machine performed very well and shot under 1 MOA at 100 yards. The best 5-shot group measured in at .89 MOA.
After the barrel fouled, it tightened up more when I reached out to 400 yards. This upper was able to print a .74 MOA group that measured in at 3.1 inches at 400 yards.
I have had personal success with Ballistic Advantage before, so this did not surprise me.
2. Atheris Rifle Company 20-inch Upper
This company produces a multitude of calibers with complete rifles and upper receivers. They are well known in smaller circles of the 6.5 Grendel Cult to have well-built, accurate rifles that won’t kill your bank account.
The upper that Atheris Rifle Company sent to me was barreled with a 20-inch Atheris barrel with a thread protector.
It uses a mil-spec, forged upper receiver with Strike Industries parts for the dust cover, and an Atheris ambidextrous charging handle. The bolt carrier group is a nitrided system with a 9310-steel bolt.
Just like all the other uppers, it performed flawlessly during my tests.
What really drew my eye to this upper is the aesthetics of the free-floated handguard. It is a 15-inch lightened M-LOK handguard that is 100% American-made. It offers a slim handguard with plenty of grip for your hand.
But it also features Picatinny rails on the end of the handguard toward the muzzle for attaching any accessory that you may want for the AR-15. By design, the handguard also uses an anti-rotation system for a rock-solid mount.
The Atheris 6.5 Grendel upper stepped up the competition at this point.
Its best 100-yard 5-shot group measured in at .62 MOA. Once the barrel fouled from previous zeroing shots and at 100 yards, it began to tighten up at 400 yards.
This upper’s best 5-shot group at 400 yards measured .5 MOA at 2.09-inches. Atheris Rifle Company’s experience really shines through with their 6.5 Grendel.
At $549, this upper is a shooter and seems to be capable of sub .5 MOA!
3. Grendel Hunter 20-inch Upper
This is another great company that is well known within the Grendel community.
If you are a fan of the 6.5 Grendel, you probably know or have spoken with Andy Hobein, the owner of Grendel Hunter, on forums or on Facebook pages.
He has a wealth of knowledge about the Grendel and is always willing to share.
The Grendel Hunter upper that was sent to me uses a 20-inch Satern Liberty barrel with a Grendel Hunter designed slanted 3-port muzzle device. Its free-floated handguard is also designed by Grendel Hunter and features a slanted angle cut that matches the muzzle device perfectly.
This muzzle device is highly efficient in my experience.
The receiver is an Aero Precision M4E1 upper and is built with Strike Industries parts, including their dust cover, forward assist, and a Strike Industries charging handle.
On the Grendel Hunter website, upgrading is easy with their drop-down menu, allowing customers to customize what they want.
The Grendel Hunter upper was an absolute tack driver during testing.
With the Satern Liberty barrel, its best 5-shot group at 100 yards printed a .43 MOA, with one round that opened the group. Once I stretched its legs out to 400 yards, I was able to shoot a .44 MOA, 1.85-inch group.
A sub .5 MOA complete upper at nearly $650, in my opinion, is well worth it. Grendel Hunter has a winner on their hands.
4. Palmetto State Armory 6.5 Grendel 18-inch Upper
This 18-inch upper from PSA uses a mil-spec, forged upper receiver.
The bolt carrier group is nitrided and opts for a 9310-steel bolt with “6.5 Grendel” laser engraved on the carrier. It uses mil-spec parts for the forward assist, charging handle, and dust cover.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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The handguard is a free-floated, 15-inch MLOK with a solid design an integrated QD attachment point.
The 18-inch 416R stainless steel barrel is manufactured by PSA through D.C. Machine and in my experience, they are typically great shooters for the price.
The muzzle device is a typical A2-style muzzle device threaded for a 5/8×24 TPI barrel. I personally was able to stretch out to 1,000 yards with a PSA 6.5 Grendel rifle while in Wyoming with PSA on a media trip.
Shooting the PSA Grendel, I was able to make a respectable group at 100 yards measuring in at 1.16 MOA. After the initial zeroing and fouling shots, at 400 yards the barrel did prove to be sub-MOA putting out a 5-shot group at .86 MOA measuring in at 3.58-inches
At its price point, at under $400, it is a solid choice for anyone looking for a hunting or recreational long-range shooter.
Plus…we at Pew Pew Tactical love their regular AR-15 Uppers (full review).
What’s your take on the PSA Grendel? Give it a rating below.
5. Sanders Armory 20-inch Upper
Sanders Armory offers multiple offerings of varying calibers. Kelly Sanders, the owner, can be found on multiple pages dedicated to ARs on Facebook and is always willing to help people with information.
While this is getting more normal with social media, in my opinion, when an owner of a company is active on social media, that speaks volumes of their customer service.
The upper that was sent to me has a 20-inch Sanders Armory barrel in 416R stainless steel with a 3-port stainless muzzle device. It’s a mil-spec, forged receiver using a nitrided BCG.
And the handguard is a free-floated 16.5-inch, clamp-on, KeyMod design. It felt very solid running off the shooting bags or when I had mounted a bipod on it.
At 100 yards, this upper was able to print a .57 MOA group. After the other uppers tightening up a bit from all the zeroing shots, and 100-yard groupings, I had high hopes that this upper would do the same. It did not disappoint.
Out of all the uppers, the Sanders Armory 20-inch upper’s best 5-shot group at 400 yards measured .37 MOA and 1.56 inches.
This complete upper is priced at $488 currently, so I feel the need to reiterate IT GROUPED 1.56-inches AT 400 YARDS!
While this upper does not look as flashy as other models, and I personally like M-LOK over KeyMod, this upper is a workhorse that can put up solid results in the accuracy department.
Conclusion
In my opinion, these uppers are all great buys…depending on what you want. With that said, all barrels are different, and YMMV.
Depending on your budget, and what you expect from a rifle, any of these choices could be a viable option. I can’t honestly pick “the best” choice without the expectations of the shooter and their budget.
But in the end, hopefully, with the information in this article, you can make your best choice with the money you have.
It is safe to say though, that if you want a long-range cartridge for your AR-15, the 6.5 Grendel is a fabulous choice and will get the job done for your paper punching or hunting needs!
What 6.5 Grendel upper do you run? Take any game with it? Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to get some glass to go with your new rifle with our Best AR-15 Optics!
52 Leave a Reply
I would urge caution with Atheris. Check their BBB rating. It is unusual for a company to have an "F" rating. My personal experience was less than satisfactory. The upper I received was not what I ordered after waiting for months. On the positive side, none of this is a reflection on the 6.5 Grendel. It is a wonderful cartridge.
I enjoyed your article on 6.5 Grendel uppers for I’m in the market for another 6.5 Grendel upper. I have an Alexander 24 “ heavy upper that is a tack driver with an older US Optic TPal 5x25 scope. I hunt wolves here in Alaska. The 6.5 is great for wolves I use a 100 grain lupua fmj at 2700 fps. If I’m shooting over 600 yrds I used Hornady amax 123 grain. I have taken wolves to 956 yards with no trouble, I do not want pelt damage. So to add to my arsenal I’m looking for a 16” light upper that would be fast on maneuvering around on a snow machine on trap lines and calling them in.
Any way to get data on the weights of these uppers? Looking to find the best compromise for hunting but want a 20in barrel.
i clicked on advanced then i saw the groups... im a little old. but my 243 is like .013 or so out of yer 6.5 sorta like my 120 year old mauser... but my groups are better. so iwas wondering as i have bought 243 ammo for 40 yrs and have enough reloaded the 6.5 x55 and the 243 at 140 gr. which is better can you compair a round that was good for a 1000 120 yrs a go with a boffers barrel to
a 6.5 grendel and. the cost of mine was 300.00.. ammo 17.00 per 20 reload at.32 and ... how much is a box of yer ammo? whay do you mesure accuracy with factory?what shelf is it on and who cares
Wow old timer, no disrespect, but we here are talking about an AR-15 platform that is the the most versatile rifle on the planet. The fact that those numbers were put up with factory ammo speaks to its popularity. I own a 243 and i can run double the rounds thru my AR before the barrel goes. All i have to do with the AR is swap out the barrel in my shop, and 20 minutes later I’m ready to go with a new barreled gun. Oh and we do care, very much. Thank God that mausers are not the only choice.
I have 2 Sanders Armory AR’s and they both are tack drivers. At 200 yards on a calm day when I’m on, I can do an inch and some times less. All day at 300 yards on 3 inch steel without a miss. Using a Trijicon 4x16 scope and Hornady ammo. Bolts at my range can’t do any better.
Should always try the LaRue tatical MBT trigger, for$89 nothing even close think I like better than my $250 trigger.
P.S. There upper is pricy but well worth adding into the mix
the mbt is 79.00 better then all of these. example i build 3 millspec for the price of any of the pictured rifles in review. then the difference is in the ammo. so they get 1 gun with 1 box same price i arm 3 men with 3 guns and 300 rounds and body armor . compression would be my neighborhood vrs tactical youtube community.
Zach, the owner of Atheris Rifle, is also pretty active in social media forums. He helped me with a problem I was having with my 50 Beowulf, and it wasn't even an Atheris Rifle build.
I just put together a PSA complete lower with shipping & FFL ($259), with a Moriarti Armaments upper 6.5 Grendel 18" Heavy nitrite barrel-Mid Length ($316), Rubber City Armory carrier nitrite ($92), Grendel Hunter 6.5 grendel type 2 nitrite bolt ($64), Enhanced firing pin kit with cam pin & cotter pin ($26), 1-5rd mag, 2-10rd mag, 1-20rd mag ($78). Total was $835 for the complete rifle. Have not fired yet, because bullets are hard to get now, but I just ordered 200 rds Hornady Custom 123 gr SST ammo, can't wait to see what she will do.
Am considering buying a 6.5 Grendel upper. Is the ammo generally hard to find. More than 556? Thks
Planning a 6.5 grendel build. On the 18" uppers, were they mid-length or rifle length gas? Thanks
Are you certain that Grendelhunter isn't a 19" barrel? I know they offer one and it looks to be between the 18" and 20" in the "all 5" picture?
I believe Andy Hobein at Grendel Hunter only has a non-threaded muzzle option that is 19". I could be wrong about that though. All barrels were either 18" or 20" that were supplied for this test.
Ken, Any thoughts on Bear Creek Arsenal 6.5 uppers? Their advertised (and pictured) groups look like they would challenge PSA at the same price point.
Some of their groupings are... very interesting. I would be highly suspect of seeing those groups outside of a highly controlled 3-round test. Their quality control is very patchy from what we've seen, if you're looking for a budget upper I would highly recommend PSA!
Thanks for the quick reply David. Despite the perhaps questionable self reported groups, have you tested any of the BCA uppers in 6.5 or other calibers?
We have not, sorry.
For what it is worth in the AR-10 vein I just started shooting one of their 243win uppers, could not pass it up for fun, complete for under $300. First two boxes of cheapest Remington 100gr settled shooting 3/4 - 7/8 moa at 200yds. If stays same or gets even better breaking in I will be happy camper. Warning their info says fits dpms but actually fits Black Rain / Windham. I have both so wasnt a big deal for me.
I have owned a 6.5 Grendel barrel from BCA. Using 123 grain Hornady AMAX, and then the updated Black ELD, I typically shot under 1 MOA 5 shot groups. BUT.... when shooting Hornady SSTs, groups would open to 4" at 100 yards. I got rid of it because it wasnt consistent enough. As far as their uppers go, I would not recommend them due to issues with quality control and proper assembly.
I have a couple grendel from a 10.5 upper for pistol hunting to the kids side charging 16 inch bca to a ar stoner 20 inch coyote destroyer. What i find is 99% of all grendels ive built and shoot from 500 dollar builds to a grand will just flat out shoot a moa or less if you reload for it. My ar stoner will do .5. To .6 or better all day long the bca thats cheap shoots 5/8 to a inch with 120gr to 100gr. The kids have killed lots of deer most just drt on the spot. For your average shooter you will never push a grendel as far as you can shoot with it my 400 yard range in the yard is longer then most people will ever shoot. Spend money on the glass and learn to shoot then build you a nice upper to hit the 1000 yards with it. The grendel is a great choice but you hand load will take it perform.
Thank you for the great review. I have been looking to purchase a 6.5 Grendel upper and I have now made my choice for the Sanders. I did talk to the owner on the phone and he was exceptionally friendly and informative. I am looking for precision over everything else so the Sanders wins. Thanks again.
I have a Windham Weaponry multi-caliber system AR, they do not make a 6.5 Grendel barrel for it and was wondering if I can just buy a complete upper instead of buying barrel/gas tube and gas block. Which upper will work and was hoping for 20-24" barrel for hunting
OOps, left out a detail. I also run a JP polished buffer spring and a KVP 4.3 oz heavy buffer.
I guess I should have been more detailed about my finished rifle. I have a Geissele SSA-E and a Vortex Viper PST II 5-25 FFP on an American Defense Recon QD mount . I swapped out the BCG for either a Fail Zero NiBo or a ToolCraft NiBo; can't remember which. I also swapped out the CH for a CBC Industries ambi CH. I run a Vltor EMOD buttstock and an ErgoGrip tactical deluxe grip. OMG this grip is fat and oh so comfy! I think it helps immensely when precision shooting. That about rounds out my build. I have a shitty Amazon bipod that I want to replace with a nice Accushot Atlas.
I have a Radical Firearms 24" medium contour SS 1:9 upper and shoot nothing but Hornady Black ELD 123g. As they say, it's more accurate than I am. My best 3 shot group so far has been .45" at 100 yds and it shoots well under MOA at 200 yds. My range goes to 600 yds, but they are steel targets so I have no way of seeing what kind of accuracy it has beyond 200 yds since paper targets are not allowed past that distance. When I bought the upper last year it was right about $500 and I got it at JoeBob on sale for about $480. Now they are anywhere from $500-$620. It came with a pepper pot brake that almost seems like it's part of the barrel, as it is very slim and low profile. It mitigates any muzzle flip nicely. The BCG is a standard nitride type and the CH is milspec. The rail is M-lok and very nice, with small sections of pic rail at the 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions at the muzzle end. Every time I take it out it just feels right and I always look forward to improving my accuracy with it.
I ordered a 6.5 Grendel, 18” upper from Atheris, because they said they had a sub-Moa guarantee. I ordered the upper and the stainless match barrel and waited for it to be cerakoted. After a month or so it finally came. It looked good, i had put in 2 calls 2 different times to inquire about the shipping status. One call was its gonna ship soon. One call was its gonna ship this week. Then the next call went to vm, i left my info and within an hour they didnt call me back, but sent me a notice that they printed a shipping label. Wouldnt answer or return any of my calls. Then they send me a invitation to write a review. Which i did, i stated the quality and workmanship looked good, but their customer service was lacking and because of that I wouldn’t purchase from them again. It said it had to be approved, i marked it 4 stars. I went to the website to check the review its now 5 stars, and says workmanship seems good, quality looks very good. Thats it. Only 2 lines from my paragraph. A little shady and shitty customer service. I would look at a different company.
Atheris (Like the spiked bush Viper) Not Artheris. Excellent uppers btw. By far the best bang for the buck.
I see a lot of suggestions as to better but nobody listed their 100 yd group size. I dont expect everyone to have a 400 yd range but at least post a sample of your 100 yd group. I have a Sanders 18" fluted match upper and I have .65 " to .75" 100 yd groups and I am 67 years old and a cancer survivor with hands that go numb at times through out the day. Others at my club have gotten better results than I did. For the money (half of a 18 " AA upper) I would find it hard to believe that a AA can shoot .35" 100 yd groups with the same ammo. If it can then you got what you paid for but I dont have $1000+ to spend on a hog hunter and part time target rifle.
It has yet to fail and after using some accuracy oil recommended by Rex Tibor my groups are coming down in size. Maybe the title is wrong and should be the best for under $750. But I can see spending $500 more for a AA upper when mine does all I need and then some.
5 best? Well your credibility just went to shit. All of those listed are complete trash lol ACME Machine? They source half their crap from China and act like it a great value. Just because 5 awful companies sent you free uppers, doesn’t mean they are the best. Kids, save your money and buy a nice 6.5 barrel. Not this crap. Because yours won’t be free, and they aren’t worth their weight in the Chinesium they are “forged” from.
Weird flex but OK.
Crap? The groups say differently. Take your meds and calm down
I'm with jp64. The groups speak for themselves. Just because you have unending $, doesn't mean the rest of us do. My old 788 is one of the best shooting .223's I've seen. Now that is a "CHEEP" gun.
They cherry picked the best groups out of who knows how many by their own admission. That's not nearly the same thing as proving the upper. What's the average of everything it shot? I've had uppers that would barely hold 2 MOA but would occasionally shoot 0.5 MOA groups.
18” Alexander lite barrel/bolt on a Smith and Wesson M&P donor rifle. 15” MI Mlok rail. Ebay muzzle brake lol ( it works really well). Geissele SSA-E trigger. Magpul PRs gen 2 and heavy buffer. Warne 20 MOA cantilever base with Leupold VX5HD 3-15x44 CDS ZL. My hunting load which has dropped every critter in their tracks with perfect heart shots including a 200+ pound whitetail at 321 yards (dialed 6.25 MOA) is 26.9 grains of H4895 in starline brass, CCI 450, 129 Accubond long range (1300 fps minimum velocity), 2.260” OAL. It’s not a barrel burner but it’s always 1/2 MOA at 2285 fps. Start low and work up. Who needs CM velocity when you can expand a bullet at 1300 fps. I’ve taken that load out to 820 yards on steel and it still impacts hard. I’ve tried the Grendel II chamber but my love is with the Saami spec chambers from the ones that started it all.
16" Ballistic Advantage Premium Fluted assembled on a M4E1 'Enhanced' upper w/12" 'Enhanced' rail. Suppressed running a Sentry7 Adjustable Block. Peccary hunting. Great setup with a 1-8 Strike Eagle. Also a 12.5" BA Hanson build. Grendel still has excellent ballistics at that short of BBL length. A bit over-gassed since I'm using the pinned block rather than an adjustable (when suppressed). Going to take it next season to the reservation for Peccary hunting.
Check out the Bear Creek Arsenal Grendel...they now have a side charging receiver.....
As for the PSA, I have found they have a good product, but over torque the barrel. Take it apart and resemble at proper spec and you will be amazed. Should get equal or better performance than the Grendel Hunter.
How's your experience with Bear Creek Arsenal 20" SS non fluted Uppers in 6.5 Grendel?
I can speak from personal experience with a Bear Creek 16" M4 profile 6.5 Grendel barrel I built an upper with. 3-4 MOA at 100 yards with starting loads in hornady brass with 123-gr Nosler BTHP's. Had to work to find a load that brought those groups to just over 1 MOA. Lot of hassle. Don't buy Bear Creek. (Slightly) more expensive brands like Ballistic Advantage and Satern offer better barrels that shoot around MOA, usually better, right of the bat.
I have the 18", which I've read is the optimum length barrel, and it's spot on! I've got no complaints with BCA,and have 7.62x39, and .223 Wylde uppers.
Spend a few buck more and save time(and money, spent over $100 on ammo to try get BCA to work), I had to return 3 BCA 6.5 Grendel uppers, short chamber problems. My experience BCA upper is 2-3MOA with Hornady factory ammo. The problem only seems to be the Grendel barrels, other chamber types seem to be good, 300bo, .223 Wylde, NATO and 7.62x39.
Odin Works 20” Barrel is what is use.
I have an 18" Odin Works upper. This past season took a mule deer buck at 150, antelope doe at 250, coyote at 285, cow elk at 450. Slapped a 14" square steel consistently out to 625. Not sure how much better you could get.
what is your rifle twist rate and weight of bullets. In Calif. we can not use lead and have to have longer bullets to get and weight to them.
I believe Odin runs 1/8 twist. I was shooting 130gr Sierra Tipped Gamekings, PowerPro Varmint powder at around 2400fps. Not much help on the "no lead" rule. You could move to America where we are free to shoot the lead back into the ground. I wonder if anyone voting this lunacy in questions where we found the lead to start with?
Can only read the first few paragraphs before the popups and subscription offers show up and cover most of the screen...
In testing 6.5 Grendel uppers why wasn’t Alexander’s upper in the group since he was the major designer of the Grendel round? After all you were looking for the best upper!
Exactly, I’ve tried a Saturn barrel and I’ve tried a Ballistic Advantage barrel they didn’t impress me like the 18” Alexander barrel I’m currently running. It’s Saami from now on with any Grendel builds I do.
Because Alexnder probably wouldn't send a free upper.
Best uppers I've seen come out of Fort Worth, TX with sgtofarms it's an aero frame jp internals and t-box barrel pulling one hole groups at 100.
Great write-up. I'm getting into Grendel myself but I'm building a 12" pistol first with a longer range setup later. Will refer back to this post in the future.