22arc versus 6 arc

[BurtG]

Seems everyone loves their 6 arc.
But 22 arc shoots flatter. 6 arc has more energy on target and better at extending max range.

Anyone else on the fence about which one to go with

Seems 22 arc would be better to 5-600 yards

 

[SkyScrapin]

Tend to agree with you.

The 6ARC is lethal on critters. I’m sure the 22ARC is too. Enough to make me think about getting an 18” barrel to sling 75eld at 2950fps with factory ammo.

Need to shoot through ArmyJerry levels of 6ARC first.

Preston

 

[Tex68w]

I went the 6 ARC route, if I were starting over today I'd still go 6 ARC. Using it solely for small to medium size fleshy targets at the moment.

 

[232593]

Seems everyone loves their 6 arc.
But 22 arc shoots flatter. 6 arc has more energy on target and better at extending max range.

Anyone else on the fence about which one to go with

Seems 22 arc would be better to 5-600 yards

Still on the fence until I find out which one has the furthest fragmentation range.

I suppose the 22 ARC would be a good way to put all those 77 grain TMKs & 80 ELDs that I have to good use.

 

[ut755ln]

Still on the fence until I find out which one has the furthest fragmentation range.

I suppose the 22 ARC would be a good way to put all those 77 grain TMKs & 80 ELDs that I have to good use.

Could you seat them in the 6 ARC cartridge?

 

[232593]

Could you seat them in the 6 ARC cartridge?

???

 

[AR shooter]

I don't think you would go wrong with either one. I don't have the 22 ARC but my Valkyrie is a twin and a 6 ARC. Good little 5 or 6 hundred yard guns but I think my 6 ARC is a little more consistent because of the heavier bullets.

 

[rlsmith1]

I went 6 arc and would do it again. I actually sold my 18” and kept the 14.7”

Companies like AAC making 6 arc ammo make it reasonable to shoot without going $1 / pull

 

[Tex68w]

I went 6 arc and would do it again. I actually sold my 18” and kept the 14.7”

Companies like AAC making 6 arc ammo make it reasonable to shoot without going $1 / pull

Who makes a 14.7" or did you cut a 16" down? I sold my 18" as well even though it was a tack driver, running a Proof 14.5" now and I love it.

 

[JR1200W3]

There's no contest between 22 ARC and 6 ARC at distance if you're judging by elevation and wind. I made this decision years ago when I was looking at a 6mmAR Turbo. All of Whitleys MV were with long 24" barrels and even then he was struggling for speed. With high BC long .224 bullets the 22ARC outruns the 6. As far as energy and hunting, I'd go 6.5 Grendel every time.

 

[rlsmith1]

Who makes a 14.7" or did you cut a 16" down? I sold my 18" as well even though it was a tack driver, running a Proof 14.5" now and I love it.

Craddock RTR barrel, my 18" was a Proof SS and it was a great shooter

 

[Shoots 700's]

Who makes a 14.7" or did you cut a 16" down? I sold my 18" as well even though it was a tack driver, running a Proof 14.5" now and I love it.

What velocity are you seeing with the 14.7?

 

[Sendero_Man]

A friend runs the 22ARC for his thermal rig. 62 VT's zero'd at 250 he said it's point and shoot for most night work.

 

[BravoSector1]

I can't hunt with .22cal in my home state so stepped to the 6. Very happy with it.

 

[232593]

Seems everyone loves their 6 arc.
But 22 arc shoots flatter. 6 arc has more energy on target and better at extending max range.

Anyone else on the fence about which one to go with

Seems 22 arc would be better to 5-600 yards

One of the dilemma’s I had with the 22 ARC was lack of quality brass. Last I had seen Hornady was the sole source, and their brass sucks. However Alpha now makes brass for the 22 ARC. So maybe I will have that Krieger blank I have chambered in 22 ARC vs 5.56 NATO.

Another thing to consider when comparing these two cartridges is totall surface area inside the neck. I have an AR10 chambered in 22 Creedmoor and just to get the bullets to stop unseating during cycling & hold 1 MOA accuracy at 400 yards I had two put like .005 or .006 neck tension on it. Again that’s with an AR10, not sure if the AR15 will create similar phenomena.

@BurtG do you roll your own or stick to factory offerings?

 

[TrevK]

Real happy with the 18in 6arc. Over 3k fps with the 80gr ELD-VT’s and 2580 with the 108’s. Loved the 80’s out to 550 and took the 108’s out to 1000y in the same day. Would’ve liked to try the 80’s out farther but I ran out. I already have the 6 so I’m biased, but I’ll do a 223ai bolt gun before a 22arc upper.

 

[BurtG]

@BurtG do you roll your own or stick to factory

No time to reload no time for anything anymore

Really sucks when places like Stand1 and prime/spark go out of business

 

[WindstormSCR]

22Arc is interesting from a pure accuracy standpoint, but the tighter you go with a fat powder column the shorter your barrel life will get, and the worse your short barrel performance becomes (for those who care about that kind of thing)

if you're strictly building target or varmint and don't care about barrel longevity or length, 22Arc wins every time, at least in AR-sized actions.

6Arc and 6.5G will hold the crown for generalist purposes for a very long time.

 

[Ryan.Johnson]

I was looking at a rifle for 600 yards and in that was short and compact. I had a 13.7" and a 20" 6 arc. Ended up selling those and went 22 arc. Flatter shooting and bullets are cheaper. Now I have a 21", 13.7", and a 11.5" 22 arc. I basically shoot only ammo i load. The 21" eats 85.5 bergers. The 13.7 gets 85.5s and 77 smk's. Trying some nosler 75 grain rdf's. Have not shot the 11.5 yet but that will get 69 grain smk primarily. As I have alot of them around. Really depends on what you need or want. Both have advantages. For me the 22 arc wins in almost all aspects of what I am looking for it to do.

 

[232593]

I was looking at a rifle for 600 yards and in that was short and compact. I had a 13.7" and a 20" 6 arc. Ended up selling those and went 22 arc. Flatter shooting and bullets are cheaper. Now I have a 21", 13.7", and a 11.5" 22 arc. I basically shoot only ammo i load. The 21" eats 85.5 bergers. The 13.7 gets 85.5s and 77 smk's. Trying some nosler 75 grain rdf's. Have not shot the 11.5 yet but that will get 69 grain smk primarily. As I have alot of them around. Really depends on what you need or want. Both have advantages. For me the 22 arc wins in almost all aspects of what I am looking for it to do.

What velocity do you get out of the 85.5s with the 21”?

 

[Ryan.Johnson]

What velocity do you get out of the 85.5s with the 21”?

I settled on 2950 with 30 grains of blc2. I could get it up to 3000 but would have just the slightest ejector mark.

 

[JR1200W3]

I get 2950'ish in a 20" with 28gr TAC and the 85.5's

 

[st1650]

I get 2950'ish in a 20" with 28gr TAC and the 85.5's

Bolt gun load ? That's almost 22gt speeds

 

[Ryan.Johnson]

I get 2950'ish in a 20" with 28gr TAC and the 85.5's

I have not tried Tac yet. Might have to try it sooner then later. Was looking to have the most temp stable and meters well powder.
Blc2 I thought would be a bit more temp stable then Tac but to be honest it probably is about the same. Hahahaha. I have a ton of powders in that range. Have not tried that many.

 

[232593]

What kind of magazines does everybody like for the 22 ARC?

 

[JR1200W3]

I have not tried Tac yet. Might have to try it sooner then later. Was looking to have the most temp stable and meters well powder.
Blc2 I thought would be a bit more temp stable then Tac but to be honest it probably is about the same. Hahahaha. I have a ton of powders in that range. Have not tried that many.

Good luck finding the holy grail of powders. It's pretty much 8208 XBR. Probably the finest, smallest kernel extruded powder.

I think it's the other way around between TAC and BLC2

 

[JR1200W3]

Bolt gun load ? That's almost 22gt speeds

20" Craddock RTR in an AR15. I'm about 230fps faster with the same bullet in my GT

 

[st1650]

20" Craddock RTR in an AR15. I'm about 230fps faster with the same bullet in my GT

What powder with your GT ?

 

[JR1200W3]

What powder with your GT ?

34.5gr of 4350(aired out in Colorado 24% RH) gets me 3180. And it absolutely hammers up there

 

[WindstormSCR]

What kind of magazines does everybody like for the 22 ARC?

my first thing to try would be the Geissele 6Arc mags. Same case head, similar body taper, so should fit and feed well

 

[232593]

@Ledzep what is the minimum velocity for the .224 & 6mm ELD-VT bullets to expand/fragment?

When you guys were testing both 22 & 6 ARC what caliber had the longest barrel life on average?

 

[Ledzep]

@Ledzep what is the minimum velocity for the .224 & 6mm ELD-VT bullets to expand/fragment?

When you guys were testing both 22 & 6 ARC what caliber had the longest barrel life on average?

Off the top of my head around 2000fps. 6mm ARC is going to have a longer barrel life between the two. Depends very much on use-case but we've got guys that have shot 6mm ARC as high as 7-8k rounds and are still happy with accuracy. I've shot 6mm ARC match barrels to 4500-5000 a few times now and pull them because I'm scared, not because they stopped shooting. I haven't shot out a 22 ARC barrel yet but I'd guess maybe a 20-30% hit in barrel life just going off of bore area. Either way it's going to be a pile of dead animals if you use it primarily for hunting.

 

[Tex68w]

What velocity are you seeing with the 14.7?

It's a 14.5" and I was seeing 2470 with 108's last time I ran the chrono, fingers crossed it'll touch 2500 as it speeds up. I've taken this year's buck at 130 (heart shot) and a female Aoudad at 113 (neck shot) with the 108's. I have been really impressed with the killing performance of the ELD-M, DRT both times.

 

[wade2big]

It's a 14.5" and I was seeing 2470 with 108's last time I ran the chrono, fingers crossed it'll touch 2500 as it speeds up. I've taken this year's buck at 130 (heart shot) and a female Aoudad at 113 (neck shot) with the 108's. I have been really impressed with the killing performance of the ELD-M, DRT both times.

What handguard is that? I like the full length arca when it’s built in. I do not like bolt on arca especially on a rifle that will be held.

I’ve killed a lot of animals with ELDM bullets. 147gr, 140gr, 168gr, and 108gr. They all perform well.

 

[BurtG]

What handguard is that? I like the full length arca when it’s built in. I do not like bolt on arca especially on a rifle that will be held.

I’ve killed a lot of animals with ELDM bullets. 147gr, 140gr, 168gr, and 108gr. They all perform well.

Sgt of arms is what you seek. Uses enhanced upper so less poi shift

 

[Tex68w]

What handguard is that? I like the full length arca when it’s built in. I do not like bolt on arca especially on a rifle that will be held.

I’ve killed a lot of animals with ELDM bullets. 147gr, 140gr, 168gr, and 108gr. They all perform well.

Yes, the ELD-M's get it done quite nicely and I don't have to swap between target and hunting loads which is a bonus.

That's a factory LMT MRP-L MLOK rifle, so it has the full monolithic upper. The ARCA rail is made by D. Wilson, he offers them for the 13.25" rail seen here and the 11.5" Specwar length rail as well as for the LMT MWS large frame guns.

 

[M4guru]

What handguard is that? I like the full length arca when it’s built in. I do not like bolt on arca especially on a rifle that will be held.

I’ve killed a lot of animals with ELDM bullets. 147gr, 140gr, 168gr, and 108gr. They all perform well.

Those are D. Wilson ARCA M-LOK rails for the LMT MRP. You can get them for the URX MLOK hand guards and MWS also.

LMT MRP ARCA Rail Adapters-LMT MRP-ARCA

www.dwilsonmfg.com

 

[rlsmith1]

Off the top of my head around 2000fps. 6mm ARC is going to have a longer barrel life between the two. Depends very much on use-case but we've got guys that have shot 6mm ARC as high as 7-8k rounds and are still happy with accuracy. I've shot 6mm ARC match barrels to 4500-5000 a few times now and pull them because I'm scared, not because they stopped shooting. I haven't shot out a 22 ARC barrel yet but I'd guess maybe a 20-30% hit in barrel life just going off of bore area. Either way it's going to be a pile of dead animals if you use it primarily for hunting.

Is the 2000fps confirmed for the 80 ELD VT?

Curious about the 100 ELD VT as well as the 103 ELD X and 108 ELD M. Thanks!

 

[Ledzep]

Is the 2000fps confirmed for the 80 ELD VT?

Curious about the 100 ELD VT as well as the 103 ELD X and 108 ELD M. Thanks!

Between 2000 and 2100 you'll start getting probabilities of expansion depending on yaw at target. All of the VT's are pretty much in the same boat there. ELD-X and ELD-M will both open very reliably at 1700-1800fps, sometimes a little slower depending on twist, caliber, etc.

Impact velocity much over 2500fps with an ELD-M usually means complete expansion down the shank of the bullet. ELD-X is usually solid (will hold together) to 2900-3000fps but it will vary a little bit on the bullet. Many are specifically designed for particular cartridges that limit top-end or bottom-end envelopes.

 

[Wade]

I've run an 18" 6 arc for a couple of years and added an 18" 22 arc this year. In my experience, the bullet choice makes about as much difference as the cartridge. Both have been very accurate and forgiving. I have mostly run 103 ELD-X in the 6 and 75 ELD-M in the .22. I like the .22 as a hunting/knock around gun, and the 6 for longer steel along with hunting. I could see running 88s in the .22 or 80s in the 6 and they basically swap roles.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

I have a friend that just built a 6mm ARC and it is impressive. That said, my mid-range gasser is a 6.5G and I won't be selling mine to invest in anything currently on the market.
The task picks the tool, and I have been super happy with my 6.5Gs, though I care less about ringing steel and punching paper and more about dropping things in their tracks.

 

[rlsmith1]

Between 2000 and 2100 you'll start getting probabilities of expansion depending on yaw at target. All of the VT's are pretty much in the same boat there. ELD-X and ELD-M will both open very reliably at 1700-1800fps, sometimes a little slower depending on twist, caliber, etc.

Impact velocity much over 2500fps with an ELD-M usually means complete expansion down the shank of the bullet. ELD-X is usually solid (will hold together) to 2900-3000fps but it will vary a little bit on the bullet. Many are specifically designed for particular cartridges that limit top-end or bottom-end envelopes.

Interesting the M and X will expand further than the VT, but the VT is still good to well past MPBR for the 6 ARC and shoots quite a bit flatter. Thanks for the info!

 

[LRRPF52]

There's no contest between 22 ARC and 6 ARC at distance if you're judging by elevation and wind. I made this decision years ago when I was looking at a 6mmAR Turbo. All of Whitleys MV were with long 24" barrels and even then he was struggling for speed. With high BC long .224 bullets the 22ARC outruns the 6. As far as energy and hunting, I'd go 6.5 Grendel every time.

And with lighter bullets in Grendel, you can smoke all of them for speed for shooting stuff within 400yds.

Even 12” Grendel with lighter bullets shows some crazy velocities.

80gr will do 3040fps from a 12” Grendel.

The High Performance Intermediate Cartridges in the AR-15 make 20” 5.56 kinda pointless.

 

[232593]

my first thing to try would be the Geissele 6Arc mags. Same case head, similar body taper, so should fit and feed well

Appreciate that. Have you ran them? What bullets did you run them with?

 

[padfoot 37]

I went 6 arc and would do it again. I actually sold my 18” and kept the 14.7”

Companies like AAC making 6 arc ammo make it reasonable to shoot without going $1 / pull

do you know anything about them doing 6 arc? ive tried to battle their chatbot to get a request in to a real person for them to make some but I the chatbot is too dumb for me to win. love their 6.5cm and mk262clone ammo but what I really want is 6mm arc ammo that's better and/or cheeper than hornadys...

 

[rlsmith1]

do you know anything about them doing 6 arc? ive tried to battle their chatbot to get a request in to a real person for them to make some but I the chatbot is too dumb for me to win. love their 6.5cm and mk262clone ammo but what I really want is 6mm arc ammo that's better and/or cheeper than hornadys...

I don't know, I think one of their guys is active on AR15 or Reddit? Sounds like the 6 ARC and 6.5G share the same production line so once the 6.5G is adequately loaded they will jump into 6 ARC. I'm hopeful they load their Sabre in a 75gr or 80gr variation

 

[Jonny_]

do you know anything about them doing 6 arc? ive tried to battle their chatbot to get a request in to a real person for them to make some but I the chatbot is too dumb for me to win. love their 6.5cm and mk262clone ammo but what I really want is 6mm arc ammo that's better and/or cheeper than hornadys...

6 arc - AR15.COM

Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear.

www.ar15.com

I haven't seen a firm date but it is supposed to follow 6.5G. Hopefully not too far in the future.

 

[BravoSector1]

If you aren't caliber restricted (like I am in Idaho) I'd give the 22ARC or 22 Creedmoor a chance. I do like my 6mm ARC so far and it will debut on a late season white tail hunt in Nebraska.

 

[Memberberries]

My next AR will be a 6mm ARC. I've got 223, 257 ocelot(basically 25 tcu), 6.5G, and 6.8 spc all in the safe already. All are good for meat, none of them are really good for reaching out and I want an AR to take to PRS matches. I think either would work though

 

[Hummerdawg]

I have a 6mm Grendel and a 22arc identical setups 24” barrel. Wind is basically the same 22 arc a touch flatter but that doesn’t make for much of a difference. I built the 22 arc hoping to run the factory 88’s they do 2850 ish but in my gun I have an issue with it knocking the plastic tips off causing a multitude of malfunction issue so now I am back to loading for it as well