Anyone here shooting 6mm ARC?

[Phaedrus/69]

I realize that every other year there's some new cartridge promising to change the world. But I've been giving the 6mm ARC a long hard look. For the longest time I wanted to pick up a bolt gun in 6.5 Grendel, and maybe an upper. But the ban on imported ammo makes that pretty much a waste of time; if I have to buy domestic then 6.5 G is no cheaper than anything else. On paper at least the 6mm ARC seems be even better. Many loads are supersonic out to 1100 + yards, 6mm is great ballistics-wise and there are tons of bullets to choose from. It fits in an AR15 so you get a lighter gun than if you need to step up to an AR10. Recoil should be pretty mild, mag capacity very good and long range accuracy is by all accounts superb. I'm not really a hunter but for anything the size of deer or pronghorn it would be excellent even at extreme ranges and it's reportedly great for hogs. It seems like it would also be an excellent HD/CQB round (with bullets from 60gr up to 110gr or thereabouts).



FWIW, aside from the standard 5.56 NATO round, the most intriguing AR/MSR rounds to me are the 6mm ARC and the .300 HAM'R.

 

[Varminterror]

I started shooting a 243LBC (straight 6 Grendel) about 4yrs ago, which holds about a grain more powder and achieves about 100-150fps greater speed than the ARC, so I was excited when the SAAMI prints for the ARC dropped. Trading a bit of powder capacity for extra room to fit longer ogives into magazine length AND have a SAAMI standardized round with factory ammo available is a no-brainer for me, so building a 6 ARC upper for my son and converting my LBC upper over made sense. Plainly, there are a lot of questions which can be answered well by a 105-110grn bullet trucking 2700fps.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I'm not jumping onto anymore new cartridge bandwagons. Have had them leave me at the station too many times............

That said, a buddy was begging for 6mm ARC brass. I don't think there is much of it in the wild.

 

[rdnktrkr]

A friend purchased a Faxon barrel from Brownells and converted his 18"6.5 Grendel to a 18" 6ARC, I think he is testing 105s now and found a node between 27.3 and 27.5 of H335 (I think), I have some 100s and 85s that he will try next round, he said consistently ringing 4" steel at 300yrds, (better than his 18" Grendel). He is resizing Grendel brass in one pass with Hornaday dies and alcohol/lanolin. He is like a kid shooting it, no recoil and very accurate

 

[Jerry M]

My buddy has one. Extremely impressive to see him shot three shots rapidly and hear ding, ding, ding on the steel at 800 yards.

 

[Varminterror]

I'm not jumping onto anymore new cartridge bandwagons. Have had them leave me at the station too many times............

What about a cartridge which can be readily made from the world’s most prevalent cartridge, which pushes a sufficiently heavy bullet of highly efficient profile to a substantial velocity to achieve a great number of tasks would “leave you at the station”?

 

[Ohen Cepel]

What about a cartridge which can be readily made from the world’s most prevalent cartridge, which pushes a sufficiently heavy bullet of highly efficient profile to a substantial velocity to achieve a great number of tasks would “leave you at the station”?

I know little about it, as I said, not getting into new things now.

What cartridge is it made from and why are guys looking for brass if it is so plentiful?

 

[Varminterror]

What cartridge is it made from[?]

7.62x39 or 6.5 Grendel, or of course, native headspace factory brass.

why are guys looking for brass if it is so plentiful?

1) Covid
2) Covid
3) Ignorance
4) Complacency

Those of us who actually want to find things - even at reasonable prices - have been able to find things.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Thanks. Didn't know you could make it from -39 as I am not looking for new things now.

Did some 30-06 yesterday and will do some 30-30 today. Was well set before this happened and can chug along for a looooong time.

 

[Varminterror]

@Ohen Cepel - so particularly which cartridges then did you adopt early which “left you at the station,” and how so did they?

Sounds more like the same tired Luddite rambling about anything new.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

@Ohen Cepel - so particularly which cartridges then did you adopt early which “left you at the station,” and how so did they?

Sounds more like the same tired Luddite rambling about anything new.

Not sure why you wanted to call me out as a Luddite. I think the name calling is a bit off and not called for here on THR. I have respected your posts in the past and appreciated your input. Sorry if me disagreeing with you was not taken well.

I got into 6.8SPC and 45GAP (which come to mind quickly) but I'm sure there were others.

Just how much -39 brass cased ammo is out there for someone to convert to ARC? You made it seem like it was everywhere which is not my experience.

I am not into "new" things which are just rebranded old calibers (300 Whisper vs BLK or the 260 vs 6.5CRM) or things which are a marketing tool to get someone 50fps more. If the shot was good 50 or 100fps more does NOT matter as you know.

I will take The High Road after this reply and leave you to your journey.

 

[Varminterror]

Just how much -39 brass cased ammo is out there for someone to convert to ARC? You made it seem like it was everywhere which is not my experience.

If a guy can’t find 7.62x39 brass, they can’t shoot, because they don’t have eyes. It’s literally the most prevalent cartridge in the world. Yes, it gets swallowed up quickly during panics like we’ve been in of late because it IS so popular, but it’s as common as it gets otherwise. Grendel brass is even easier to form, and is exceptionally ubiquitous for the last 8-10 years (after Wild Bill gave up his trademark and the Grendel rode the coattails of the Creedmoor). In non-panic markets, if a guy can’t find Grendel or x39 brass, they’re not looking. And frankly, with the current supply we’ve seen of ARC brass and ammo, despite being launched DURING the pandemic, I doubt we’ll see any eras in which ARC brass is truly difficult to find, negating the need to find x39 or Grendel brass to form ARC anyway.

45GAP I’ll concede certainly experienced a failure to launch. 6.8, however, not a chance. I’ve been shooting 6.8 for every year of its commercial life - brass and ammo have been widely available (save during panics, like everything else).

I never have much tolerance for anyone talking poorly about new cartridges or gear simply because they don’t have use for it. But it’s silly to pretend MOST new cartridges carry any risk of “leaving you at the station,” and disappointing when people choose to spend their energy trying to scare off new shooters or would-be buyers, just to point out the limited shooting they do with their old ‘06 is satisfied without something new. The ARC and the ‘06 aren’t analogous.

The ARC uses common bolt face and magazine with the Grendel, which have been ubiquitous in market for 15+ years, has options for its own native brass from one of the highest volume producers in the market AND can be made from multiple common cartridges, and it uses common powders and a common bullet diameter. We’re not talking about a .277 Fury which uses specialized 2 piece cases and relatively less common Bullet diameter, not talking about 22 Nosler which was modified from a single parent with an inconsistent rim diameter which means it would have to be lathe turned to be formed from any other cartridge, not talking about 7 Valkyrie as a wildcat which requires multiple steps of case forming... the ARC is about as safe as an adoption as can be had.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I don't have a 6mm ARC yet but I think it stands above some of the other new rounds in a lot of ways. One big thing is that the military is adopting it as a DMR round although I'm not sure in what numbers. On paper (which is to say from a stand point of ballistics) it brings a lot to the table and seems to be the best long range round that will fit in a standard AR upper/lower. It's similar to the Grendel but better at long range as the 6.5 G starts to run out of powder capacity to drive the heavier bullets in 6.5mm, and the lighter ones don't have high enough sectional density to have the BC needed to stay supersonic out past 1,100 yards. Compared to the 5.56 NATO it has more powder capacity and the ability to use heavier bullets. No one is really talking about it replacing 5.56 in a military setting but for deer and hogs it seems like it would have an edge. Many folks like the .243 Winchester and it's been popular for decades so there are a lot of bullets to choose from. 6mm hits a sweet spot for long range shooting due to low recoil and good BC. Compared to something like a 6mm Creedmore it's certainly not as potent but it fits in an AR and has much better barrel life.

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, just looking for experience with the round. Uppers are hard to come by right now but I will be on the lookout for one down the road.