6mm ARC Velocities

[Taudisio]

Boom.

I’ve got to load up lever and 95’s and get the 12” 6ARC gasser dialed in. Seeing that gives me some motivation

Dang you. I was hopeful, but didn’t expect that group. Lines up perfectly with -.1 quick drop.

 

[Bluefish]

I have been trying to find a load for my Ruger American gen 2 ranch for a little while now. I was dedicated to finding a load with temp stable powders. I wanted a sub moa load above 2550 with the 95 tmks to get a comfortable 500 yards rifle. Varget couldn’t get the velocity, 8208 couldn’t get the accuracy. I broke down and finally loaded up some with leverevolution last night. I think it’s going to be just fine.
View attachment 1064340
I verified the drop at 525 and 550. That velocity gets me to 660 yards before dropping under 1800fps. 4 rounds isn’t significant, but .275” for 4 shots did make my eyebrows raise. I just finished loading 30 more to verify it wasn’t a fluke.
I didn’t start a new session for the 30.5gr load so I had to do the math by hand instead of the Garmin telling me, hence all the scratches in the book. Every single load I shot today was under 1.5” which is about the same as factory, but the velocity is a big jump up.

Have you tried cfe223? It seems to be a good powder for heavy for caliber. I am pushing the 107’s 2700 ish from a 20” barrel.

 

[Taudisio]

Have you tried cfe223? It seems to be a good powder for heavy for caliber. I am pushing the 107’s 2700 ish from a 20” barrel.

No-cfe, lever, and blc2 have all been on my list and I have refused to buy anymore. I had 1.5lbs of lever still sitting in the safe since I sold my last 6arc in about 2023. Cfe and blc2 got used up when I was making 6x45 plinking rounds. Cfe is the dirtiest powder I have ever used and I won’t do that to my suppressors.
2750 with 95’s is plenty fast from a 16” barrel.

 

[The Guide]

No-cfe, lever, and blc2 have all been on my list and I have refused to buy anymore. I had 1.5lbs of lever still sitting in the safe since I sold my last 6arc in about 2023. Cfe and blc2 got used up when I was making 6x45 plinking rounds. Cfe is the dirtiest powder I have ever used and I won’t do that to my suppressors.
2750 with 95’s is plenty fast from a 16” barrel.

To be fair, Lever is a pretty dirty powder too. Make sure you shoot some cleaner hotter loads (from a different cartridge if need be) to knock the carbon loose every now and again.

Jay

 

[HairyScandinavian]

To be fair, Lever is a pretty dirty powder too. Make sure you shoot some cleaner hotter loads (from a different cartridge if need be) to knock the carbon loose every now and again.

Jay

I'm getting sick of the LVR in my 6 ARC gasser. Makes a mess.... but can't get anything else to give me similar velocities and can't load the gas gun as hot as a bolt. It's a bad combo.

 

[ckt3]

I have been trying to find a load for my Ruger American gen 2 ranch for a little while now. I was dedicated to finding a load with temp stable powders. I wanted a sub moa load above 2550 with the 95 tmks to get a comfortable 500 yards rifle. Varget couldn’t get the velocity, 8208 couldn’t get the accuracy. I broke down and finally loaded up some with leverevolution last night. I think it’s going to be just fine.
View attachment 1064340
I verified the drop at 525 and 550. That velocity gets me to 660 yards before dropping under 1800fps. 4 rounds isn’t significant, but .275” for 4 shots did make my eyebrows raise. I just finished loading 30 more to verify it wasn’t a fluke.
I didn’t start a new session for the 30.5gr load so I had to do the math by hand instead of the Garmin telling me, hence all the scratches in the book. Every single load I shot today was under 1.5” which is about the same as factory, but the velocity is a big jump up.

16” barrel?

 

[The Guide]

16” barrel?

All Ruger American Ranch rifles have 16" barrels.

Jay

 

[Taudisio]

16” barrel?

All Ruger American Ranch rifles have 16" barrels.

Jay

Correct

 

[ckt3]

Thanks. I have seen some get SBR’d but figured slim chance

 

[YaakRiver]

After tinkering with seating depth and shoulder bump, I’ve got a load for my 20” 6 ARC bolt gun that is shooting 109 ELD-Ms over 29.5 gr of Staball Match into a 3/4” hole at 2728 fps.

 

[YaakRiver]

And then I loaded up 116 TMKs over 29 gr if Staball Match and shot this group. Velocity was 2644 fps and bullets were seated .070 off.

 

[KyleR1985]

And then I loaded up 116 TMKs over 29 gr if Staball Match and shot this group. Velocity was 2644 fps and bullets were seated .070 off.
View attachment 1067317

OAL of these?

 

[Taudisio]

I loaded up 5 rounds and they sat in the freezer for four days. Packed them up, in ice, and drove up the mountain to check their velocity and the temp stability and accuracy yesterday. I imagine the rounds were around 20-30 degrees when fired.
95tmk, new Peterson brass, 2.300”, federal 205gmm, 31gr leverevolution.

Frozen rounds impacted high right, about 1.3” group, 2695 avg velocity, sd 10, es 30.

The next 5 rounds (shots 6-10) were the exact same load, not frozen, outside temp was 55.

Zero was not adjusted between the frozen rounds and ambient temp-confirmed zero. Shots 10-15 of the day went into about 1.25” and were low. I blame mirage from the suppressor as I did not take any breaks besides changing the mag between the frozen and standard 10 round. I need to shoot more groups to be 100% confident it was just mirage as the ES jumped up.
I went over the hill to verify the zero and velocity at 502 yards. It was probably around 65 degrees when I shot the water. I used the data from above at 2735mv. Dialed 3.1mils. First round impact, slightly high.

What all of this tells me is that working up a load with leverevolution during summer would not be ideal. A fella would need to get more (good) data between 40 and 65 degrees as that is our standard October/November rifle deer hunting weather. Especially if they had planned to hunt beyond 500 yards (I don’t). Folks getting data in 75-100 degree summer weather would probably have a rough time come fall.

 

[YaakRiver]

OAL of these?

CBTO was 1.703 measured with Hornady tools. I’ll load more today and get the COAL.

 

[ckt3]

Loading up some 107 TMK over 8208 XBR in a 18” Tikka. I was gonna go near Sierra’s published max of 26.3 gr (probably just load 26 gr and call it a day) but I see Hornady’s book has a max of 27.2 grains for similar weight bullets. They’re COAL are both 0.118” longer than mine (mine will be jumping 0.060” for a COAL of 2.363”).

My first time loading 6 ARC or 107’s. What charge would you all go with?

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Loading up some 107 TMK over 8208 XBR in a 18” Tikka. I was gonna go near Sierra’s published max of 26.3 gr (probably just load 26 gr and call it a day) but I see Hornady’s book has a max of 27.2 grains for similar weight bullets. They’re COAL are both 0.118” longer than mine (mine will be jumping 0.060” for a COAL of 2.363”).

My first time loading 6 ARC or 107’s. What would you all go with?

I load 29.7 grains of staball match, Alpha Brass, cci 450 primer, 107 SMK and from a 16.5" barrel (bolt rifle) I am getting 2615 fps. No pressure signs. I would go to 31 grains like Hornady calls for but I run out of case capacity.

 

[YaakRiver]

Loading up some 107 TMK over 8208 XBR in a 18” Tikka. I was gonna go near Sierra’s published max of 26.3 gr (probably just load 26 gr and call it a day) but I see Hornady’s book has a max of 27.2 grains for similar weight bullets. They’re COAL are both 0.118” longer than mine (mine will be jumping 0.060” for a COAL of 2.363”).

My first time loading 6 ARC or 107’s. What charge would you all go with?

I'd stick with the 26 grains to start. All the loads that I've worked up for my 6 ARC have reached pressure before the Hornady max for bolt guns.