6mm ARC Velocities

[TxLite]

Didn’t see a threads specifically for 6 ARC, so figured I’d get this going for people to share velocities and barrel lengths on their 6 ARC. This should help folks get a baseline of what to expect when they are considering building one.

16” Proof stainless AR barrel, suppressor, factory ammo. Accuracy was about equal between the factory 108 eldm and factory 103 eldx. These are the first shots down the barrel so I am expecting them to speed up and settle in a little.

 

[KyleR1985]

In.

Have a 6ARC upper on the way. And 500 95gr tmk’s. Once I get through the 3 boxes of 108’s I’ll hand load those.

Looking to set up no nonsense 300 and in deer gun for all the states I hunt. And one my kids can shoot without blinking.

 

[TxLite]

Looking to set up no nonsense 300 and in deer gun for all the states I hunt. And one my kids can shoot without blinking.

That was the same goal I had but 500. Should be right there with the 16”

Haven’t decided if I will hand load for it yet. Time has been hard to find for it lately and this factory ammo seems to shoot well enough. Kept the brass just in case.

 

[KyleR1985]

What suppressor?

That was the same goal I had but 500. Should be right there with the 16”

Haven’t decided if I will hand load for it yet. Time has been hard to find for it lately and this factory ammo seems to shoot well enough. Kept the brass just in case.

 

[MThuntr]

106gr TAP 20" Howa Mini with Banish Backcountry

 

[TxLite]

What suppressor?

Silencerco scythe

 

[The Guide]

I have a Howa Mini 6 ARC with the 22" sporter barrel. Bought a box of each available factory ammo last year. The 103 ELDX was the most accurate. Bought another box of the same lot and shot it a bit before hunting season ended. Got a Garmin Xero this spring and cronoed the ammo at 2724 fps. Found a case on sale and bought it. This lot was way slower at 2614 fps. Still accurate but much slower. I have not run the 108 ELDM or the 105 Black ammo over a crono yet.

I'll finish this ammo out and if I get the 95gr TMK bullets I ordered, I'll make a load with them. Hodgdonreloading.com shows the 95 TMK @ 2900+ fps with Lever and CFE 223 so it could be a perfect fit to make it a 700+ yard gun for my density altitude.

Jay

 

[KyleR1985]

I have a Howa Mini 6 ARC with the 22" sporter barrel. Bought a box of each available factory ammo last year. The 103 ELDX was the most accurate. Bought another box of the same lot and shot it a bit before hunting season ended. Got a Garmin Xero this spring and cronoed the ammo at 2724 fps. Found a case on sale and bought it. This lot was way slower at 2614 fps. Still accurate but much slower. I have not run the 108 ELDM or the 105 Black ammo over a crono yet.

I'll finish this ammo out and if I get the 95gr TMK bullets I ordered, I'll make a load with them. Hodgdonreloading.com shows the 95 TMK @ 2900+ fps with Lever and CFE 223 so it could be a perfect fit to make it a 700+ yard gun for my density altitude.

Jay

I called about my 95tmk order. It backed off my credit card. Same story about a glitch.

Glad I found some hiding in a mom and pop shop.


They seemed aware of the desire by the genpop for those bullets haha.

 

[Caseknife]

My Howa Mini 20" will push the 87 gr Absolute Hammers at 3050.

 

[doverpack12]

New Bear Creek 16” barrel in AR side charge upper. 108 ELDM factory. Shots 1-7 over the LabRadar averaged 2480 fps and my drops seemed to line up well to 571 yards.

I shot the 103 ELDx as well and agree accuracy was similar but didn’t put that velocity in my app because the 108 shot so well.

 

[bnsafe]

dover, how did it group. thats exactly what im looking at now

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

I'm running the 103 ELD-X w/ Leverevolution in a Proof 16" bolt gun to 2750fps. Had it at 2800, but accuracy fell apart.

 

[The Guide]

I'm running the 103 ELD-X w/ Leverevolution in a Proof 16" bolt gun to 2750fps. Had it at 2800, but accuracy fell apart.

What's your recipe? With my 22" barrel I bet it would be close to 2850 to 2900. That would be dang nice for a rifle so light.

Jay

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

What's your recipe? With my 22" barrel I bet it would be close to 2850 to 2900. That would be dang nice for a rifle so light.

Jay

Happened to be exactly Hornady's max load for bolt guns, 30.8gr Leverevolution, CCI 400 SRP. In my 22" Howa it was pushing 2860ish, but bad accuracy. COAL of 2.265, which still fit in the factory Howa magazine.

I also had a promising load with Varget but it was so compressed I didn't pursue it. I had to pull the lever multiple times to incrementally seat the bullet. Comparable accuracy, and around 2660fps avg across 5 shots. If temp stability becomes an issue for me, I might revert back to Varget and try to back off the charge to stay around 2600 without all the compression.

 

[The Guide]

Happened to be exactly Hornady's max load for bolt guns, 30.8gr Leverevolution, CCI 400 SRP. In my 22" Howa it was pushing 2860ish, but bad accuracy. COAL of 2.265, which still fit in the factory Howa magazine.

I also had a promising load with Varget but it was so compressed I didn't pursue it. I had to pull the lever multiple times to incrementally seat the bullet. Comparable accuracy, and around 2660fps avg across 5 shots. If temp stability becomes an issue for me, I might revert back to Varget and try to back off the charge to stay around 2600 without all the compression.

Once I run through this case of 103 Precision Hunter ammo I bought, I'll take a look at that load. Did you look at CFE 223 for an alternative to Lever for an accuracy load? I know that sometimes if Lever isn't the accuracy load, CFE 223 will be the accuracy load with similar speed.

Jay

 

[Touchdown88]

Howa mini, 20" carbon barrel.
103 ELD-X, Fed 205, 30.0 gn CFE223: 2720

 

[SBR Sarge]

Here are some of my latest AR15 Velocities. All are factory loads; Hornady unless noted..

12” Barrel

TAP. 2347
ELD-X. 2344
Black. 2395
ELD-M. 2396
Copper Creek 80TTSX. 2142
Copper Creek 95LRX. 2181



13” Barrel

Precision Firearms 80gr TTSX. 2680
Precision Firearms 95gr LRX. 2520



18” Barrel

PF 80gr TTSX. 2880
PF 95gr LRX. 2709
TAP. 2608
ELD-X. 2643
ELD-M. 2621
Black. 2615
Copper Creek 80TTSX. 2452
Copper Creek 95LRX. 2408

I have found the Hornady loads to be boringly consistent with very close points of impact points at 100yds. The precision Firearms loads group slightly larger than the ELD-M and -X, but all are close to, or under moa.

The loads from Copper Creek were well under advertised velocities with groups of 1-1.5moa

I like the PF loads since I like copper solids. The factory -X and -M group very slightly better, but for hunting they are a wash.


ETA- all velocities are with a suppressor

 

[General RE LEE]

Howa Mini 22" sporter barrel

27.5 grains of Varget 108 ELDM 2676 FPS

I can run other powders for more speed, but I get excellent accuracy, very low SDs and temp stability with Varget.

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

Once I run through this case of 103 Precision Hunter ammo I bought, I'll take a look at that load. Did you look at CFE 223 for an alternative to Lever for an accuracy load? I know that sometimes if Lever isn't the accuracy load, CFE 223 will be the accuracy load with similar speed.

Jay

I didn't mess with CFE223 yet, since I've only heard rave reviews of LeverEvolution in the 6 ARC.
31.1gr got me to 2800, but my group doubled in size. I figured I should quit while I'm ahead, especially with a 16" barrel. I've noticed a pattern that anything around 2700fps seems to be the sweet spot. Whether that's .308, 6.5 Creed, .223, and now 6 ARC.

 

[doverpack12]

dover, how did it group. thats exactly what im looking at now

Very well. 108 Eldm. One round to get close to point of aim. Rounds 2-6 are in the 5 shot group. Adjusted vertical and shot 7 is in the bull. Shot 8 was dead center on the gong at 425 and shots 9-10 were on the gong at 571 one upper right and one lower left. All shot from a molinator and jellyfish rear. I don’t have a bipod mount on the hand guard yet.



Then the below is 5 shots of 103 eldx factory. The one out was the third shot I rushed. Still decent with that, about 5/8” c-c excluding it.