Help me build a 6ARC rifle for a new sport - Bike-athalon

[newageroman]

pls disregard std stereotypes for cyclist or bicyclist etc..

OK, so last year I started combining roadbiking and shooting into one event. This has always been a by myself 10mile 1 way run over the mountain across town to the bougie indoor range to shoot groups and then ride back again but I'm looking to try other runs/ranges. I try to combine my time and groups for total scoring. I have run the Ruger 9mmPCC with lightweight handloaded shock case rounds, a couple of custom CZ pistols and the Ruger Black Grand Mamba 16" 22 pistol. More on that ridiculousness here:

So the Ruger PCC kind of cheats as a rifle IMO. I've put rounds on steel at 100+ with it and it does fine for the indoor range that is 25yds but I want a setup that I could take to other outdoor ranges 100yd+ ranges. So I'm looking at rifles to fit the niche. I was an early adopter of 6ARC and have kkkks of starline cases for those so I am leaning to that caliber. I would also kind of like a bolt action. I *did* look at the rifles that the olympic competitors use in the skiing event (seeing as how I'm just replacing the skis with a roadbike or gravel bike). From memory they run custom 22s. I want something I can reload for as a caliber. Also as most of these routes (currently) are along public roads, I don't want to be flagging around a rifle barrel on my back, so something that folds or breaks down is a huge plus. I'm also looking to possibly start deer/coyote hunting with a setup like this as well.

So I'm looking at

• howa mini action : https://www.howausa.com/rifles/mini-excl-lite/ <-- seems like a really great option
• Wingman Elude chassis and howa barreled mini action
• build a short pencil lightweight upper for my 6ARC target rifle (this seems redundant as the biggest advantage would be barrel length ((vs my current 20" 6ARC)) - I looked at a carbon barrel and about choked at the $$$ so that's out. This could be built quickly and cheaply in general.
• just find an old .223/.243 and slap it in a folding stock, possibly re-barrel it or if its a .243 can I just have the chamber reamed to a 6ARC?
• build or buy a 16" bolt action pistol in 6ARC

Ok, so that's what's been on my mind lately. I didn't spend much $ or time on guns last year due to vehicle stuff but this year hoping to get more range time.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Neat concept.

To answer your 243 to 6 ARC question regarding just rechambering the barrel.
The answer is no. The bolt face is a different diameter. Also, the 243 is much longer and larger in diameter than the 6 ARC.
You would have to have a different bolt face and cut the entire chamber off and have the barrel reworked, providing there is enough diameter to do that.
I'd recommend just buying a Howa mini in 6 ARC. Cut the barrel to your desired length.

 

[newageroman]

yeah, you guys are right about the 243. I try to take scraps from other and polish them to turd status but that might not be the best route for this activity.
But hold on.. a new entrant has appeared - I have asked them if I can get a 6ARC barrel we will see what they say.

https://darkmountainarms.com/stowaway-rifle/

Besides that I think I'm gonna pass on the bolt gun with folding stock theme in general. I don't want an SBR and even folding it would be a stretch to get it into a backpack or a bag under the seat tube.
Backup plan will most likely just build a lightweight AR upper (slickside poverty pony) and split it for the carry with a 16" pencil barrel.

 

[newageroman]

Cheap Lightweight upper has begun.
I need a front sight that can thread on the end under the thread protector or some type of lightweight gasblock sight. I'm not really up on the old type A2 style site. I have a holosun green dot or a 16x scope I can put on it but I want some other low profile light weight iron sight option as well.
My fallback will be a flat piece of alum or steel with a hole for the barrel and then 2 small ears and a front post sawed/filed into the top. I figure I will need ~1" tall so it could even be removable if I had a wrench for the thread protector. This is for 25-100yds. If I could find a way to put a height adjustable front sight that would be better. A folding height adjustable front sight on the muzzle would be the best.

• Unfinished poverty pony upper
• blue Dychem
• Faxxon 16" barrel
• low profile peep rear sight.
• no gas block, gas tube, or handguard - gas vents out top - no biggie
• wondering how lightweight of a buffer I can run if I don't have any gas - single shot only.

Will be running my current lower for now but I'm really wanting to build a dedicated lightweight lower now.

 

[newageroman]

I made a long aluminum flat front sight that went under the thread protector. It was about 2" long, I put a small divot in it to boresight it. It was way too short. On top of that the low profile rear sight was too low to get a cheekweld so so I trashed it and put a clip on Holosun for now. I like the thought of using the Gas block to mount a front sight to but I want it to be optional so looking at gas blocks with pic rails and then just ad a pic rail front globe sight.

More research and other options:

• Is there a way to get the CMMG Dissent in just he upper(where I build everything else)? I really like that design where the recoil springs are above the bolt. Or a BRN 180 upper only?
• Bufferless bolt with an adjustable GB to run a 16" AR ? I'm wondering how robust and dependable the bufferless bolts are. The springs on them look like my Ruger Mk 2 22 pistol.