Yet another 6 arc bolt build (for newbie)

[Techbb]

I am new to most of this so excuse any naivety and yet another arc build question:

I am looking to build a low recoil bolt action mostly for target shooting out to 300 yards, max 800 but not often given range location. And importantly deer hunting in NY and Maine in the fall. And also a trip out west or two with my FIL. I know nothing is perfect for both but want to build to latter weight wise since I already have a 6.5 Creedmoor Tikka CTR in a Bravo chassis w/ a Kahles 624i that’s way too heavy for such hunting. I also don’t love its recoil (make fun of me but am I new to shooting). I have a 30-06 Remington 700 walnut stock from my FIL that I will sell as that recoil is bonkers for me.

I also have little kids and would like to get behind a rifle at some point.

After lots of reading here, this is my idea of a figure proof set up: Zermatt Origin action (or CDG), Criterion or Proof barrel, Timney trigger, HNT or XLR chassis (don’t love stocks), magazine. I’d want it to be around 7ish pounds all in. I have a Viper 2.5-10x44 at 20oz but may look to replace with a FFP 2-10 ish. I have some cheap Leopold scope rings but could upgrade those as well. $3kish would be ideal max for all but scope but no need to spend where gains are minimal. I didn’t chose Howa Mini in VG Carbon stock bc I like a chassis and want something a little nicer to not grow out of and also adapt to.

So questions are: is 6arc a good choice? Other would be 223 but kinda want a lil more punch option. So that’s the least of my actual questions.

More so, do I need to get a carbon fiber Proof or the like to get the barrel + action + mag + trigger to be the ~4 oz that the Howa Mini barreled action comes in at and to my preferred end weight? SS Criterion weighs a lot more right? I don’t know much about contours but length wise I’m looking to be 20” to balance accuracy and weight. I cannot have a suppressor in NY where I am based.

I know lead times can be crazy so looking to get it set up before the fall and order now.

Be kind or roast this idea. Either way, TIA!

 

[Techbb]

*future proof

 

[Techbb]

Oh and if not obvious, I don’t do hand loading.

 

[HandgunHTR]

For what you described, the 6 ARC is a great cartridge. I like the 22 ARC better, but if you plan to hunt in states that still have stupid caliber restrictions, the 6ARC is pretty much ideal.
Downsides are that factory ammo is limited, but getting better. The PPC bolt-face is a unique one so choosing an action that has swappable bolt heads is a good choice if you ever do decide to move up to a 308-based cartridge or down to a .223-based cartridge. Last downside is that you will be limited to using Remington-style triggers, which are not as reliable as some of the other designs out there. Not a huge deal for most folks, but if you do get deep into hunting and start hunting hard in extreme climates, it may be an issue for you.

Buy the best scope and mounting system you can afford. Lightweight rings/rails sound great in theory, but lightweight also means less robust. My recommendation is always to have a bit more weight in the mounting system and if you are concerned about overall weight, chop the barrel a few inches to compensate.
Ditch the Vortex and get something in the 2-10, 3-15 range that is FFP and reliable. I am not stuck on recommending MOA or MILs, but choose one and use it exclusively.

That is my input.

 

[KyleR1985]

Howa Mini:

450 barreled action
350-450 stockys stock
200 aftermarket bottom metal
20 bedding material
30 reduced trigger springs gunbloke

3-4 hours of set up time gun specific to bed stock and clean up fit.

1150.00 plus any taxes and shipping for the above -specific to the mini.

Completed weight will be 6.75-8lbs depending on scope and rings chosen.

If assembled correctly, you can expect 1.5moa or so with factory ammo.


No idea what the other gun setup you're looking at costs. I suspect double or triple. Let's say double. You can buy about 800-1000 rounds of factory ammo for that price, and shoot a LOT.


Not sure what you mean about growing out of the mini - the stock has a 13.25" LOP. You can cut it shorter, or add a thicker recoil pad.



Curious what advantages the type of build you're considering offers over shooting 1000 rounds with any properly assembled gun.

 

[Techbb]

Howa Mini:

450 barreled action
350-450 stockys stock
200 aftermarket bottom metal
20 bedding material
30 reduced trigger springs gunbloke

3-4 hours of set up time gun specific to bed stock and clean up fit.

1150.00 plus any taxes and shipping for the above -specific to the mini.

Completed weight will be 6.75-8lbs depending on scope and rings chosen.

If assembled correctly, you can expect 1.5moa or so with factory ammo.


No idea what the other gun setup you're looking at costs. I suspect double or triple. Let's say double. You can buy about 800-1000 rounds of factory ammo for that price, and shoot a LOT.


Not sure what you mean about growing out of the mini - the stock has a 13.25" LOP. You can cut it shorter, or add a thicker recoil pad.



Curious what advantages the type of build you're considering offers over shooting 1000 rounds with any properly assembled gun.

It seems that w the Origin and shouldered barrels you can swap things in and out pretty easily sans smith.

I imagine they are a lot more expensive for a reason. Is it just vanity? But yeah it’s not a cheap idea.

Like chassis better (I know stocks are better for pure hunting but I am going to be a mix).

 

[Techbb]

It seems that w the Origin and shouldered barrels you can swap things in and out pretty easily sans smith.

I imagine they are a lot more expensive for a reason. Is it just vanity? But yeah it’s not a cheap idea.

Like chassis better (I know stocks are better for pure hunting but I am going to be a mix).

I guess the question I have is what DOES the Origin + set up get you outside of being able to put it into a HNT chassis? Bit smoother action and some customization?

 

[Techbb]

For what you described, the 6 ARC is a great cartridge. I like the 22 ARC better, but if you plan to hunt in states that still have stupid caliber restrictions, the 6ARC is pretty much ideal.
Downsides are that factory ammo is limited, but getting better. The PPC bolt-face is a unique one so choosing an action that has swappable bolt heads is a good choice if you ever do decide to move up to a 308-based cartridge or down to a .223-based cartridge. Last downside is that you will be limited to using Remington-style triggers, which are not as reliable as some of the other designs out there. Not a huge deal for most folks, but if you do get deep into hunting and start hunting hard in extreme climates, it may be an issue for you.

Buy the best scope and mounting system you can afford. Lightweight rings/rails sound great in theory, but lightweight also means less robust. My recommendation is always to have a bit more weight in the mounting system and if you are concerned about overall weight, chop the barrel a few inches to compensate.
Ditch the Vortex and get something in the 2-10, 3-15 range that is FFP and reliable. I am not stuck on recommending MOA or MILs, but choose one and use it exclusively.

That is my input.

Very useful info. What scopes / mount would you recommend that are decent at low distance when needed?

 

[waspocrew]

A Zermatt Origin is a great action. Like you mentioned, it does offer flexibility for setting up the rifle for other cartridges. I have a couple of TL3 actions and it's super easy to swap bolt faces and barrels around.

I have a Howa Mini in 6 ARC. Definitely a fun little rifle that shoots pretty well for the price.

I'd look at your weight goal again though - 7 lbs all in is going to be a little difficult. Origin ~ 31 oz, 20" proof carbon prefit is 42 oz, MDT Hunt 26 is 26-31 oz (depending on configuration), then you have a trigger, rings, magazine, and scope yet to account for.

 

[UnckleBob]

It seems that w the Origin and shouldered barrels you can swap things in and out pretty easily sans smith.

I imagine they are a lot more expensive for a reason. Is it just vanity? But yeah it’s not a cheap idea.

Like chassis better (I know stocks are better for pure hunting but I am going to be a mix).

I have two Origin Long Actions (270 & 280AI). This week, my new 280AI barrel came in. It was not hard to swap out the old barrel. I haven't need to try a new bolt head, but it seems pretty straightforward. You could easily buy a short action version and start your build.

But, regardless of a caliber, you may run into a lot of problems picking out the right parts that work together. For example, I started with BDL bottom metal. It fed like butter, but the design of the Origin made it hard to load from the top. I hated it. I ended up buying a Hawker Hunter dbm bottom metal, but (although it should have fit) it did not quite fit my stock. Next, I plan to replace the very functional Grayboe stock with a carbon fiber stock. I loved them as projects, but they were high maintenance to get them where I want.

When I decided I needed my new 6ARC bolt gun, I happily got a Howa Mini with a 20" Carbon Fiber barrel. Everything fits out of the box. I am very happy with my purchase that cost less than the cost of one Origin Action.

Ammo isn't as cheap as .223, but 6ARC Hornady Match ammo is affordable when compared to larger cartridges. I plan to shoot 60 rounds tomorrow because the recoil is basically nothing and a box of ammo isn't $75+. I doubt the new 280AI will get 20 shots due to recoil and cost,

Note: If you don't know exactly where you are going to hunt, get a 6mm of some variety. A Tikka .243 should be under consideration.

 

[Techbb]

Very useful info. What scopes / mount would you recommend that are decent at low distance

I have two Origin Long Actions (270 & 280AI). This week, my new 280AI barrel came in. It was not hard to swap out the old barrel. I haven't need to try a new bolt head, but it seems pretty straightforward. You could easily buy a short action version and start your build.

But, regardless of a caliber, you may run into a lot of problems picking out the right parts that work together. For example, I started with BDL bottom metal. It fed like butter, but the design of the Origin made it hard to load from the top. I hated it. I ended up buying a Hawker Hunter dbm bottom metal, but (although it should have fit) it did not quite fit my stock. Next, I plan to replace the very functional Grayboe stock with a carbon fiber stock. I loved them as projects, but they were high maintenance to get them where I want.

When I decided I needed my new 6ARC bolt gun, I happily got a Howa Mini with a 20" Carbon Fiber barrel. Everything fits out of the box. I am very happy with my purchase that cost less than the cost of one Origin Action.

Ammo isn't as cheap as .223, but 6ARC Hornady Match ammo is affordable when compared to larger cartridges. I plan to shoot 60 rounds tomorrow because the recoil is basically nothing and a box of ammo isn't $75+. I doubt the new 280AI will get 20 shots due to recoil and cost,

Note: If you don't know exactly where you are going to hunt, get a 6mm of some variety. A Tikka .243 should be under consideration.

It would be nice to put it into one of those super light chassis mentioned above which the Howa Mini won’t allow unfortunately. What did you put yours in?

Looked to Tikka 243 since I already have the 6.5 CM CTR but is there all that much difference between those two for recoil? Main advantage for the 6 ARC for me would be the minimal recoil.

 

[UnckleBob]

It would be nice to put it into one of those super light chassis mentioned above which the Howa Mini won’t allow unfortunately. What did you put yours in?

Looked to Tikka 243 since I already have the 6.5 CM CTR but is there all that much difference between those two for recoil? Main advantage for the 6 ARC for me would be the minimal recoil.

I bought my 6ARC in a wood stock on a lark. Actually, I like the extra weight. I get you want a chassis, but the truly light ones are big bucks. I don't think they are worth it.

At one time, I had a Kimber Hunter (about as light a factory rifle there is) in 243 with a bare muzzle. The recoil never bothered me at all. 243's have been popular for decades because the recoil was not bad.

 

[rabbithuntr]

It would be nice to put it into one of those super light chassis mentioned above which the Howa Mini won’t allow unfortunately. What did you put yours in?

Looked to Tikka 243 since I already have the 6.5 CM CTR but is there all that much difference between those two for recoil? Main advantage for the 6 ARC for me would be the minimal recoil.

I would say the 243 would be similar to a heavier 6.5. A suppressor on the 243 would definitely help the shoot ability, a tikka and a suppressor would cost similar to an origin and a proof. A well designed stock would also help. Maybe look at the rok stock. I had an origin and had it hang fire in cold weather multiple times. I now have a tikka in 223, which is great unless you have caliber restrictions where you hunt.

 

[BasicUtahrd95]

Here is a chassis for the Howa Mini if you are interested:

Elf Owl Chassis - JTAC Industries

The Elf Owl Chassis, is a compact, affordable and modular Howa Mini Action chassis. Perfect for bolt action pistol and compact bolt action rifle builds.

jtacindustries.com

I have had good luck with my 6 ARC in a Stockys VG, but the chassis is interesting.

 

[Caseknife]

HOWA 1500 BARRELED MINI ACTIONS 6MM ARC

Check out HOWA 1500 BARRELED MINI ACTIONS 6MM ARC available Online at Brownells Today and many more Rifle Receivers & Parts products are available in our Gun Parts Department.

www.brownells.com

Combine this with the above mentioned chassis for probably less than the action that you were looking at.

 

[KY_coop]

I like my howas but there's no comparison between a howa and a "custom" action. Bolt manipulation is much better/ smoother, more aftermarket, and there's more general knowledge on the 700 system if you ever need help. I also like my origin but if you want to get around 7 lbs you could look at lighter options in same price. Mack bros element is coming out with bolt face for 6arc and is very light.
6gt is offered in factory ammo from hornady and opens up options for more actions because of bolt face. 6gt will be a little faster then the arc with same bullet, but should still be easy on the recoil. Finding mags would probably be easier too.

3k is pretty tight for a diy build especially if you want light weight. Actions around 1k, cf barrel around 900, hnt/xlr chassis above 1k, good scope will be 500-1k, good rings and a trigger will be another 3-400 depending on what you pick.
Im having slight issues with my howa 6arc right now so I'm not to happy with it at the moment. But other then that I love that rifle, just hate the bolt lift. For the money they are hard to beat.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Very useful info. What scopes / mount would you recommend that are decent at low distance when needed?

For a rail, I would go with SRS. https://www.unknownmunitions.com/product/srs-rem-700-scope-rail/
There are other good ones, but this one is a great balance between robust, functional, and lightweight.

For rings, any of the major manufacturers "top tier" rings will work. I prefer Burris XTR Signature Rings because I can use the inserts to change the cant of the scope to get something other than 20MOA. However, Nightforce, UM, and Vortex all make decent rings.

For the scope, my recommendation is either the Maven RS1.2 2.5-15 (https://mavenbuilt.com/collections/riflescopes/products/rs1-2-2-5-15x44-ffp?variant=42954112762027) or the Tract Toric UHD 2.5-15 Eagleman LRH (https://tractoptics.com/toric-uhd-3...mrad-eagleman-long-range-hunting-rifle-scope/). I know that the Tract scope tested by Form didn't perform that great, but I have one and I have put it through its paces and it has held up well. The Eagleman version has a better reticle, larger numbers on the elevation turret, and the windage turret is a bit smaller for better ejection with certain rifles. The larger numbers may not be a selling point for you (don't know your age) but for me as my eyesight gets worse, it is extremely helpful.

 

[Techbb]

For a rail, I would go with SRS. https://www.unknownmunitions.com/product/srs-rem-700-scope-rail/
There are other good ones, but this one is a great balance between robust, functional, and lightweight.

For rings, any of the major manufacturers "top tier" rings will work. I prefer Burris XTR Signature Rings because I can use the inserts to change the cant of the scope to get something other than 20MOA. However, Nightforce, UM, and Vortex all make decent rings.

For the scope, my recommendation is either the Maven RS1.2 2.5-15 (https://mavenbuilt.com/collections/riflescopes/products/rs1-2-2-5-15x44-ffp?variant=42954112762027) or the Tract Toric UHD 2.5-15 Eagleman LRH (https://tractoptics.com/toric-uhd-3...mrad-eagleman-long-range-hunting-rifle-scope/). I know that the Tract scope tested by Form didn't perform that great, but I have one and I have put it through its paces and it has held up well. The Eagleman version has a better reticle, larger numbers on the elevation turret, and the windage turret is a bit smaller for better ejection with certain rifles. The larger numbers may not be a selling point for you (don't know your age) but for me as my eyesight gets worse, it is extremely helpful.

40s and very bad eyes, like -6!

 

[Techbb]

Here is a chassis for the Howa Mini if you are interested:

Elf Owl Chassis - JTAC Industries

The Elf Owl Chassis, is a compact, affordable and modular Howa Mini Action chassis. Perfect for bolt action pistol and compact bolt action rifle builds.

jtacindustries.com

I have had good luck with my 6 ARC in a Stockys VG, but the chassis is interesting.

Right, I looked into that but it seems people think the butt stock is a little flimsy? Looks pretty cool tho!

I emailed with the NZ guy who does the Elude, which looks perfect, but it seems that one is a bit shorter re the forend and it prefers cut barrels with silencers which I can't have in NY; a 20" on it might be a bit front heavy. And of course the potential issue with it being stuck in customs.