223 vs 6 ARC vs 6 Creed

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Is there any benefit of choosing a 6 ARC over a 223 for whitetail out to a few hundred yards? Also I do want to add a 6mm to the arsenal.. should I get a howa mini in 6 ARC or rebarrel a tikka to 6 creed?

This cartridge thing kinda gets confusing to me. I know most people favor cartridges that shoot high BC and heavy for caliber bullets. That’s where 22 ARC, 22 creed, 6 ARC, 6 creed, 6.5 creed and prc comes into play, but if the extra recoil and velocity isn’t needed due to shorter range hunting, wouldn’t a 6 ARC be better than a 6 creed or just as good because they both shoot high bc heavy for caliber bullets just at different speeds or just grab a 223 and 77tmk’s and forget about it all. I don’t think a 22 ARC is a great option because if I need more velocity than a 223, I’d rather get a 22 creed. But I could also use the same logic with the 6 arc and 6 creed? Thank you guys I know this is a lot.
 
The 22 ARC has less expensive factory ammo than the 22 Creedmoor. And it allows you to shoot better bullets from a factory rifle than the 223. I went 223 because of the great selection of factory ammunition at a good price.
 
6 ARC has less recoil than a 6 Creed. It’s almost identical to the recoil on a 223. This allows spotting impacts much easier in the scope. 6 ARC also has a barrel life of around 5K rounds, so you can shoot A LOT in practice without burning up the throat and diminishing accuracy/velocity. 6 ARC shoots higher BC bullets than 223, so better at beating the wind on longer shots.

Personally I would get a Howa Mini barreled action in 6 ARC.
 
How many rounds a year do you shoot now? How many do you plan to shoot per year in 2030?
This is a good question. How much are you going to shoot it, and what is your budget/comfort with re-barrelling? Be honest with yourself.

Sub 100 rounds a year = creedmoor
Sub 500 rounds a year = ARC
> 500 rounds a year = 223

If you have the budget and/or are comfortable re-barrelling every few years, those numbers are low.

There is a recoil difference stepping up to 6 creed, but everything else is in the same general area.

I think you'll get a lot of suggestions for 223 and for good reason. It's fun and cheap to shoot, so it's more likely you'll shoot it more and be a better shooter.
 
At a few hundred yards, not really, but past 350 changes can be more significant. How far will you actually shoot?

If you bought a ton of the 77 TMK ammo for long range, you’d be good, you can practice with other ammo.

One question is how much will you practice and will the money make a big difference. Unless you need/want to add a 6mm, personally I would choose the 22 ARC. I have a 22 BR in a Howa Mini that is a very fun gun.

A 16” 6 creed is the most you would want, for the distances. Gonna cost the most for ammo and per shot bullet life. I would go .223 or ARC for that reason.
 
This is a good question. How much are you going to shoot it, and what is your budget/comfort with re-barrelling? Be honest with yourself.

Sub 100 rounds a year = creedmoor
Sub 500 rounds a year = ARC
> 500 rounds a year = 223

If you have the budget and/or are comfortable re-barrelling every few years, those numbers are low.

There is a recoil difference stepping up to 6 creed, but everything else is in the same general area.

I think you'll get a lot of suggestions for 223 and for good reason. It's fun and cheap to shoot, so it's more likely you'll shoot it more and be a better shooter.

1K rounds a year still gets one around 5 years off a 6 ARC barrel. Not shabby. The .223 is certainly superior when it comes to barrel life over the 6 ARC.
 
1K rounds a year still gets one around 5 years off a 6 ARC barrel. Not shabby. The .223 is certainly superior when it comes to barrel life over the 6 ARC.

That was the cutoff in my mind.

6creed doesn’t make any sense to me given the use case, unless the OP shoots a box of ammo a year, and might use it in 10 years to shoot something 4-500 yards out(conflicting, but reality).

It’s 223 and 6ARC. If it’s 1000 rounds or less, go 6ARC and have the extra capability, at a marginal cost difference. If you’re shooting thousands of rounds go 223, get cheap.

All of them kill whitetails with zero compromise inside 300 yards.
 
Only thing would be id you deal with high winds. For normal wind, not much at those ranges. For 20-30 moh gusts the difference in shootable distance is noticable.
 
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