Caliber Battle: 6mm ARC vs 6.5 Creedmoor for Deer Sized Game

Yes, all relative. I don’t believe the OP (Gen Lee) indicated a max expected range. That would help delineate whether it is suitable or not.

The 6 ARC certainly has less wind drift than a .223 and more than enough punch to 500-ish yards. Less recoil than the 6.5 offerings.

I have had both. The 6ARC replaced the 6CM as my choice for shooting at targets. I never hunted with either, but I am sure it would perform similar to a 243.

For hunting deer sized game using a bolt gun, the ARC would be fine.
 
Proof 18' Carbon Fiber wrapped 7.5" barrel and has been head spaced for the JP bolt.
JP Silent Capture System
JP Operating System
JP EnhancedBolt Assembly Completion Group
Triggertech Diamond AR Flat trigger
Geissele Mil-Spec buffer tube
SLR Sentry 7 gas block
Radian Ultrlight QD Endplate
Suppessed Armament System 6.5mm TOMB muzzle brake. 4150 Black Nitride finish.
Reaper MX suppressor
Magpul Stocks and Grip
Radian Builders kit.

My son killed this 8pt on opening day of rifle season last year using a newly built 6mm ARC using factory Hornady 108gr. ELD-M.
Shot was 320yds, bullet entered behind shoulder and you can see the exit in pic. buck ran 10-15 yds

Rifle shoots under a 1" @200yds, velocity avg is 2,571 fps.



I killed this 8pt @ 277 yds opening weekend this year. Deer dropped at the shot, broke both shoulders found the bullet just under the hide of opposite shoulder.

IMG_3354.jpg
 
Nice bucks! This just goes to show that inside 350 yards the vast majority of hunters have way more gun than they need…

I refuse to accept the fact that the 243 is out of style. There's not alot you can't do with a cheap factory 243 and some 95 grain pills. I won't argue that the 6 creed isn't better, but man we have had the best sub-500 cartridge around for years
 
I refuse to accept the fact that the 243 is out of style. There's not alot you can't do with a cheap factory 243 and some 95 grain pills. I won't argue that the 6 creed isn't better, but man we have had the best sub-500 cartridge around for years
.243 will never die. For deer inside 500, I would choose a .243 over a 6.5 creed.

Having a slow twist with lighter bullets will always be a thing. Inside 500 yards, there isn’t a huge practical difference between the 6 creed and .243.

Heck, I built an anemic 6mm BRA to shoot 95 grain bullets and love it out to 600.
 
.243 will never die. For deer inside 500, I would choose a .243 over a 6.5 creed.

Having a slow twist with lighter bullets will always be a thing. Inside 500 yards, there isn’t a huge practical difference between the 6 creed and .243.

Heck, I built an anemic 6mm BRA to shoot 95 grain bullets and love it out to 600.

I'm half tempted to spin off the wife's 6.5 creed barrel for a tikka take off 243.
 
The 6 ARC is a fun little round, have a couple AR's chambered in it but I bought one of the barreled actions from Brownells, put it in a Howa mini action chassis that I bought on Ebay for cheap.( it was a take off) . Added a Jard trigger and man its a sweet little shooter. I run 80 gr Bergers in it. My daytime coyote and pig rig !
71578669179__FCADF9EF-24CF-4FEE-B8E9-23511A5AE04C.jpeg
 
I had my first tikka 223 turned into a 6mm arc just to have something a little different. It is a fun round, I went with a 20” barrel but do kinda wish I’d have gone 18 just to be handier with the suppressor. It shoots the 108 eldm at 2700fps. Not a smoker but it doesn’t dip below 1800fps until about 700 yards. I have shot it at distance a bunch and it shoots great, my wife shot a buck with it this fall where impact velocity was just over 1800. The 108 worked great. I want to try another 6mm but not quite sure what I’d try next. I do wish they made a lighter eldm like they do with the eldx.
Is your 2700fps listed with factory 108eldm? Howa mini available locally has 20" heavy barrel and i don't reload, for now. Been trying to find real world velocity for that round in a 20" arc.
 
Back
Top