6mm ARC Lightweight Backpacking Rifle Build

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

Why not tape the dial with painters tape and have the yardage marked out? Currently loving my new scope as well. Same one.

 

[Unckebob]

Thought others might be interested in this build. I have had an interested in adding a lightweight deer and goat rifle to the quiver for some time. As I have two other rifles that cover most of my Elk/Deer hunting I wanted to take a budget friendly approach as this rifle would only be used on certain hunts. I was intrigued by the new calibers being added to Howa Mini Action, especially that the barreled actions could be bought for around $450 on Brownell's. After researching the various options I found the 6mm ARC to be a good fit for my criteria as a lightweight cartridge capable to 300-400yards with a simple optic. The 6.5 Grendel was also a viable option.

Now for the stock, I looked briefly at Bell and Carlson as they have proven reliable for me with other builds, however weight was right around two pounds which in the era of carbon fiber is a bit on the heavy side for a ultralight rifle. Stocky's had two very appealing options the VG (Vertical Grip) Mini (21 oz) and the Carbon Hunter Mini (17 oz.) I have a strong preference for a vertical or pistol style grip and decided the 4 oz was worth the ergonomics. The stock came as advertised right at 21 oz.

View attachment 520487

It is a very lightweight stock, the fit was excellent and the finish was just OK, not quite what I expected for $550. It does not have as much internal structure as other stocks and I noticed that there was significant flex in the stock when tightening the action screws.... no bueno. The barrel channel was also a little off and contacting the barrel. I otherwise loved the fit of the stock and the limbsaver pad so elected to epoxy bed the action. Some sanding remedied the barrel fit. Bedding resolved the stock flex and improved accuracy. I was also considering a Stocky's for my Savage 280 AI but after the fitting issues with this stock I am going to go with a Mesa Precision for that build.

View attachment 520488View attachment 520489


Next up rings... it was down to a DNZ game reaper or Talley Lightweights. As the DNZ is only 1oz heavier and is a one piece mount I went that route. I have used DNZ before and found they provide a solid platform for a lightweight set up. I am sure the Talley's would have worked as well. Trigger was good to go IMO, the two stage took a bit of getting used to but it breaks nice and clean with no creep at 2.5 lbs. Aftermarket options are available if someone was so inclined.

I agonized over scope options for some time. I looked at the SWFA 2.5-10x32 (9oz and on backorder), Leupold VX-3HD 2.5-10x40 ~13oz, Maven RS.2 ~ 12oz, and Trijicon 3-9x40 ~ 13oz. I liked the reticle on the SWFA so placed a back order but knowing it could be many months and being inpatient I also ordered the Trijicon. The battery free illumination on the Trijicon is awesome and the scope is robust with excellent glass. When the SWFA arrives I can do a side by side and decide which one wins. I have had one prior Leupold with CDS which had issues with RTZ. I liked the Maven but felt the Trijicon had better glass, field of view and low light performance.

The finished rifle weighs in at 6lbs 4oz. I have upgraded aluminum bottom metal on order to replaced the factory plastic.

View attachment 520490

All assembled it was time to get some rounds down range. Recoil is pretty mild in the 6mm ARC even in a lightweight platform. I was getting 2700 FPS with the Hornady Precision Hunter 103gr rounds. When I can get my hands on some small rifle primers I will be handloading this with some 88gn Hammer Hunters and hope to be able to get around 2900 FPS. For now the Hornady Precision Hunter shoots right around 1-1.25 MOA. I have definitely noticed that it is more challenging to steady the crosshairs on a lightweight rifle. Further practice on my part should also yield accuracy improvements. That being said 1 MOA is more than adequate in this hunting set-up that is limited to 400 yards. Will sight in for 200 yards, 6" holdover at 300 yards, 12" at 350 yards. The bottom post of the Trijicon Duplex is 4.3 MOA which is perfect for a 400 yard hold. If I end up keeping the Trijicon long term I will get a Kenton Turret to give me the option to dial if needed.

View attachment 520491

beautiful build. If I didn't have a 243 in the safe for hunting, I would build something similar to hunt with. Love my 6ARC.

 

[jamesmc8]

beautiful build. If I didn't have a 243 in the safe for hunting, I would build something similar to hunt with. Love my 6ARC.

Thanks! I really enjoyed the build. Accuracy is getting better as the barrel breaks in currently getting 0.75". Can't wait to reload for it.

 

[ACHILLES]

Thought others might be interested in this build. I have had an interested in adding a lightweight deer and goat rifle to the quiver for some time. As I have two other rifles that cover most of my Elk/Deer hunting I wanted to take a budget friendly approach as this rifle would only be used on certain hunts. I was intrigued by the new calibers being added to Howa Mini Action, especially that the barreled actions could be bought for around $450 on Brownell's. After researching the various options I found the 6mm ARC to be a good fit for my criteria as a lightweight cartridge capable to 300-400yards with a simple optic. The 6.5 Grendel was also a viable option.

Now for the stock, I looked briefly at Bell and Carlson as they have proven reliable for me with other builds, however weight was right around two pounds which in the era of carbon fiber is a bit on the heavy side for a ultralight rifle. Stocky's had two very appealing options the VG (Vertical Grip) Mini (21 oz) and the Carbon Hunter Mini (17 oz.) I have a strong preference for a vertical or pistol style grip and decided the 4 oz was worth the ergonomics. The stock came as advertised right at 21 oz.

View attachment 520487

It is a very lightweight stock, the fit was excellent and the finish was just OK, not quite what I expected for $550. It does not have as much internal structure as other stocks and I noticed that there was significant flex in the stock when tightening the action screws.... no bueno. The barrel channel was also a little off and contacting the barrel. I otherwise loved the fit of the stock and the limbsaver pad so elected to epoxy bed the action. Some sanding remedied the barrel fit. Bedding resolved the stock flex and improved accuracy. I was also considering a Stocky's for my Savage 280 AI but after the fitting issues with this stock I am going to go with a Mesa Precision for that build.

View attachment 520488View attachment 520489


Next up rings... it was down to a DNZ game reaper or Talley Lightweights. As the DNZ is only 1oz heavier and is a one piece mount I went that route. I have used DNZ before and found they provide a solid platform for a lightweight set up. I am sure the Talley's would have worked as well. Trigger was good to go IMO, the two stage took a bit of getting used to but it breaks nice and clean with no creep at 2.5 lbs. Aftermarket options are available if someone was so inclined.

I agonized over scope options for some time. I looked at the SWFA 2.5-10x32 (9oz and on backorder), Leupold VX-3HD 2.5-10x40 ~13oz, Maven RS.2 ~ 12oz, and Trijicon 3-9x40 ~ 13oz. I liked the reticle on the SWFA so placed a back order but knowing it could be many months and being inpatient I also ordered the Trijicon. The battery free illumination on the Trijicon is awesome and the scope is robust with excellent glass. When the SWFA arrives I can do a side by side and decide which one wins. I have had one prior Leupold with CDS which had issues with RTZ. I liked the Maven but felt the Trijicon had better glass, field of view and low light performance.

The finished rifle weighs in at 6lbs 4oz. I have upgraded aluminum bottom metal on order to replaced the factory plastic.

View attachment 520490

All assembled it was time to get some rounds down range. Recoil is pretty mild in the 6mm ARC even in a lightweight platform. I was getting 2700 FPS with the Hornady Precision Hunter 103gr rounds. When I can get my hands on some small rifle primers I will be handloading this with some 88gn Hammer Hunters and hope to be able to get around 2900 FPS. For now the Hornady Precision Hunter shoots right around 1-1.25 MOA. I have definitely noticed that it is more challenging to steady the crosshairs on a lightweight rifle. Further practice on my part should also yield accuracy improvements. That being said 1 MOA is more than adequate in this hunting set-up that is limited to 400 yards. Will sight in for 200 yards, 6" holdover at 300 yards, 12" at 350 yards. The bottom post of the Trijicon Duplex is 4.3 MOA which is perfect for a 400 yard hold. If I end up keeping the Trijicon long term I will get a Kenton Turret to give me the option to dial if needed.

View attachment 520491

Cool build, those 88gr hammers are impressive at 2900fps. I run them at the same speed in a 16” 243win. I get full pass throughs on 200lb hogs at close ranges.

 

[ChrisAU]

Well I got my Excl Lite 6 ARC in a couple days ago, chassis did not excite me. A Magpul CTR stock and an ARCA rail up front to stiffen the foreend would do wonders for it but alas I decided to order a B&C for it. Will be a dedicated coyote hunting rifle. Always wanted a mini and I love 6 ARC, built an AR one a couple years ago.

 

[PistolPete]

Thanks! I really enjoyed the build. Accuracy is getting better as the barrel breaks in currently getting 0.75". Can't wait to reload for it.

Sweet set up. What was the weight of the factory stock?

 

[jamesmc8]

Sweet set up. What was the weight of the factory stock?

I bought it as a barreled action without stock from Brownells so it didn't have a factory stock. I'm pretty sure the Hogue stock that comes on the factory offering is about 2.5 lbs.

 

[jamesmc8]

Thought I would circle back with a couple updates now that I have done some reloading for the rifle. I used the 88 gr Hammer Hunter with various powders. I started with Varget which delivered good accuracy around 0.75" but mediocre velocity at about 2650 fps. I ran out of room at around 28 grains, the Hammers are long so this does negatively impact case capacity. Win Staball Match essentially produced identical results to Varget. This would be adequate out to 200-300 yards but I wanted to have my effective range be at least 400 yards. Next I tried Ramshot Tac which delivered excellent velocity but poor accuracy 1.5-2". Finally I tried Accurate 2460 which gave me the best combination of accuracy and speed. I have a load with 28.8gr of AA2460 and 88 grain Hammer Hunters that shoots 2900fps right at 1 MOA. When it becomes available I would like to experiment with some H4895 but happy with my current load and plan to test on antelope this fall.

 

[Unckebob]

Thought I would circle back with a couple updates now that I have done some reloading for the rifle. I used the 88 gr Hammer Hunter with various powders. I started with Varget which delivered good accuracy around 0.75" but mediocre velocity at about 2650 fps. I ran out of room at around 28 grains, the Hammers are long so this does negatively impact case capacity. Win Staball Match essentially produced identical results to Varget. This would be adequate out to 200-300 yards but I wanted to have my effective range be at least 400 yards. Next I tried Ramshot Tac which delivered excellent velocity but poor accuracy 1.5-2". Finally I tried Accurate 2460 which gave me the best combination of accuracy and speed. I have a load with 28.8gr of AA2460 and 88 grain Hammer Hunters that shoots 2900fps right at 1 MOA. When it becomes available I would like to experiment with some H4895 but happy with my current load and plan to test on antelope this fall.

In their bolt gun data, Hornady has bolt gun loads for the 90g CX out to 3050 fps. Would you consider switching to a CX or a Barnes?

 

[jamesmc8]

In their bolt gun data, Hornady has bolt gun loads for the 90g CX out to 3050 fps. Would you consider switching to a CX or a Barnes?

Yeah I would give them a try!

 

[surfr716]

just built a mini M40 clone in 6 arc on an action from brownells and a B&C stock . Excited to throw a can on it and see what it can do. got a couple factory ammo options and a few powders and bullet options to try out . hoping a hefty load of CFE 223 or some leverevolution behind a 90 gr cx does well in it. be a fun little deer rifle especially if i can get up around the 2.9 to 3k fps mark.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

just built a mini M40 clone in 6 arc on an action from brownells and a B&C stock . Excited to throw a can on it and see what it can do. got a couple factory ammo options and a few powders and bullet options to try out . hoping a hefty load of CFE 223 or some leverevolution behind a 90 gr cx does well in it. be a fun little deer rifle especially if i can get up around the 2.9 to 3k fps mark.

Post pictures!

 

[Ozarkansas]

My brother has a similar project going on in 6.5 grendel, his comes out to just 5.9 pounds scoped. It’ll be a sweet little rig for hunting these hills in the eastern U.S.

 

[gspguy22]

Got a 6arc mini on the way. Not sure which stock I'll go with. Anyone have the actual wieght on the B&C?

Thanks


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[Darryle]

Got a 6arc mini on the way. Not sure which stock I'll go with. Anyone have the actual wieght on the B&C?

Thanks


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The Stocky's VGM carbon stock is 20ish oz, the sporter version is 18ish oz, the Pendleton is reported at 17ish oz, the B&C is going to be at least 8oz heavier, I haven't weighed a B&C myself, just regurgitating what I have seen reported.

6mm ARC in the Stocky's VGM

 

[gspguy22]

The Stocky's VGM carbon stock is 20ish oz, the sporter version is 18ish oz, the Pendleton is reported at 17ish oz, the B&C is going to be at least 8oz heavier, I haven't weighed a B&C myself, just regurgitating what I have seen reported.

6mm ARC in the Stocky's VGM

View attachment 560762

I appreciate it. Going to have to make a decision on one soon.


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[jamesmc8]

just built a mini M40 clone in 6 arc on an action from brownells and a B&C stock . Excited to throw a can on it and see what it can do. got a couple factory ammo options and a few powders and bullet options to try out . hoping a hefty load of CFE 223 or some leverevolution behind a 90 gr cx does well in it. be a fun little deer rifle especially if i can get up around the 2.9 to 3k fps mark.

You should have no problem getting to 2900 with that bullet. Both Ramshot TAC and AA2460 got me to 2900 with that weight class copper bullet. Lever or CFE 223 will probably get you about 3000 fps but are not temp stable at all so may want to be weary of max loads.

 

[turbobrick]

I also ended up building one of these sweet little rifles. I messed up and ordered the heavier barrel model, but I had it cut to 16” and threaded with the Sig/Q taper for the can I have in jail. The stock is a Stocky’s that I painted. I converted it to CZ mags with Jefferson bottom metal, added a bolt on extended bolt, Rifle Basix trigger, Talley’s, Leupold VX-F 4-12 side focus.

The thing shoots lights out, and is 7lbs 7ozs with the can and a mag. The new can will cut 5 ounces out of that, and I think I can shave several more from the bottom metal with some lighting holes. I’d like to get to 7 pounds flat ultimately, a CF barrel is probably on the horizon. The factory barrel is all broken in now, so I’m going to work up a load for the 87AH.

I have the factory bottom metal, and a mag that are factory new if anyone is looking for one.





I haven't linked to Instagram before, hopefully this works. This is 10 rounds (so 1 mag change) at 300 yards on an 8" plate with factory ELDM 108s.

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View this content on Instagram

 

[jamesmc8]

I also ended up building one of these sweet little rifles. I messed up and ordered the heavier barrel model, but I had it cut to 16” and threaded with the Sig/Q taper for the can I have in jail. The stock is a Stocky’s that I painted. I converted it to CZ mags with Jefferson bottom metal, added a bolt on extended bolt, Rifle Basix trigger, Talley’s, Leupold VX-F 4-12 side focus.

The thing shoots lights out, and is 7lbs 7ozs with the can and a mag. The new can will cut 5 ounces out of that, and I think I can shave several more from the bottom metal with some lighting holes. I’d like to get to 7 pounds flat ultimately, a CF barrel is probably on the horizon. The factory barrel is all broken in now, so I’m going to work up a load for the 89AH.

I have the factory bottom metal, and a mag that are factory new if anyone is looking for one.

View attachment 561186

View attachment 561187

I haven't linked to Instagram before, hopefully this works. This is 10 rounds (so 1 mag change) at 300 yards on an 8" plate with factory ELDM 108s.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Sweet looking set-up!

 

[jamesmc8]

Was able to harvest a doe antelope with my Howa Mini in 6 ARC. 150 yards with a 88gr Hammer Hunter going 2750 at the muzzle and about 2560 on impact. After hit she ran about 80 yards before expiring. Bullet exited and left a nice wound channel and blood trail. Not near as much internal or meat damage as previous kills using a 6 Creedmoor and ELDX/Berger but not an apples to apples comparison. Overall happy with the performance of both the rifle and bullet. Mule deer next....