6 ARC

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Johnny's Reloading Bench on youtube has an entire in depth series on reloading for it. He's entertaining and a fellow KY boy. Give it a watch:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=6+arc+johnnys+reloading+bench

Not sure what he has to say that hasn't been said. Simply put, stay under 52,000psi! Also, they marketed it as a long range cartridge...Maybe some people think so because it's about as close as there is from an AR15 but I wouldn't consider it a good long range cartridge and particuarly at 52KPSI. The cartridge is best with light bullets..ala, 6PPC but people are simply trying to make the best of something in an AR15 platform that was never a good long range choice. Like virtually every comparison of cartridges, boiler room makes heavy for caliber bullets shine. A 6ARC lacks enough boiler room to be at its best with heavies. Yes, it might still be near the best from that rifle but it's just way down the list of viable 1000 yard cartridges. It just is, but it led people down the road of pushing it harder and harder until the platform showed its weakness. Personally, I think it'd make a lot of people smile from ear to ear at the right pressures with lighter bullets and at shorter ranges, with good bbls and well set up AR's. But again, the platform shows its weaknesses. It's still probably the best semi-auto rifle in terms of accuracy out there but you have to respect that it's not a bolt gun and it's not a 6 Dasher or similar either. If I were gonna play with one seriously, I'd look at 90-95gr bullets and at 600 yard stuff, but that just me. I think it'd shine best with still lighter bullets but of course, they don't shine well consistently, even at 600.

It's a good tool though and I don't want to seem like I'm bashing the round nor the rifle. They are both very good but by nature, I think we ask more of a good thing than it's intended for at times.

That's just my two cents and I'm not looking for a debate. Everything I've said has been proven over and over. Just use it in its wheelhouse and appreciate it for what it's really best at and keep the pressures down in that rifle platform or live with the possibilities and potential danger of lugs breaking. Otherwise, at best, you're still well behind a 6br bolt rifle in performance. Now remember this, I'm a huge fan of the 6 Grendel at short range with bullets up to 80gr and from bolt actions that let that puppy scream. Just a different animal at 70kpsi than at 52K but don't try that in an AR and I'm not recommending it in any rifle. As always, work up and stop before seeing pressure.

 

[gjcamacho]

I have both 224 Valkyrie and 2 6mm ARC AR 15 rifles. I don't have blown primers or sheared off lugs problem ...never had a blown primer in the 224 and never sheared of a bolt lug yet. So take your pick just be reasonable with the reloading guidelines. I have a 6.5 twist in the Valkyrie and shoot 80 gr, 88 eldm & 95 gr SMK, If I shoot light bullets I go with the 223. The 6 mm ARC was first bought as a complete upper from Brownells the only way to get started when it first came out. But the Areo Upper with a Ballistics Advantage barrrel shot 2.5" groups at 100 yds. Put a 6mm ARC together with a Proof Research barrel and it shot the same match ammo into .5" on the first 5 shot group, on the same day as I shot a 2.5" group with the BA barrel....ordered another Proof barrel as soon as I got home to replace the BA barrel. ..Stainless steel no carbon wrap crap for me...so I have 2, 6mm ARC s.
The 224 Valkyrie was a little hard to dial in too but not as bad as the first ARC barrel, that never, which is on the shelf. It liked centering the bolt carrier as an accuracy step more than any cartridge I've tried, a huge improvement. I don't shoot light bullets in either cartridge, for the 6 ARC it's 108 eldm, 108 Berger, 110 Sierra MK, and 107 SMK, very few 105s and nothing lower. So bottom line, both work, but I prefer the 6mm ARC in the AR platform, probably because of the accuracy with the Proof barrels makes it easy to shoot good groups. If ya want bolt gun performance, Use a bolt gun...don't push the thin AR bolts to the breaking point, and don't expect 24" barrel velocities out of your 18" AR and blow primers trying to achieve thise velocities..and you won't have problems either. If I go with the bolt gun I choose nether, and move up to the 6mm Dasher. That's my experience and opinion it...and I don't buy complete uppers anymore..only 1 in 3 shot decent.

Hi, can you give more detail on the BA barrel? I recently assembled an upper using a 20" SS barrel . Only have shot 80 rounds through it an my best so far is a bit over an inch, part of it i blame me with trigger pull. Also you are the only one who I have found that wrote about a BA barrel in 6ARC. Thank you.

 

[Bill K]

Thought they took off or banned Johnny's reloading bench.

 

[Retired shooter]

Just looked. Johnny's reloading bench still on You Tube

Have a great weekend

 

[Ray123]

Hi, can you give more detail on the BA barrel? I recently assembled an upper using a 20" SS barrel . Only have shot 80 rounds through it an my best so far is a bit over an inch, part of it i blame me with trigger pull. Also you are the only one who I have found that wrote about a BA barrel in 6ARC. Thank you.

The BA barrel says on the side of it : 6MM ARC 1-7 416 R SS T1503 and it's 18". Mine did not group well a 3 shot group could get close to one inch, but that was not the norm...but shoot 5 shots and it would open up 2 to 2.5 inches. Kept the gun as is ...ordered a Proof Research barrel 18" 7.5 twist SS from Midway about $500, assembled another AR 15...took them to the range together on the same day...Shot the BA gun with match ammo 5 shot group 2.5" about usual...next shot the gun with the Proof Research barrel, same match ammo, 108 gr eldm it's first 5 shots no barrel break in, went into half inch. Same Areo Components in both guns same tork on the barrel.
So went home and Midway still had 1 18" ARC Proof SS barrel left. So I ordered it and assembled it with the same components that was on the BA barreled upper. It even shot slightly better than the first Proof Research...I don't just assemble..but check out the parts and sometimes face the reciever face square ... most Areo parts are pretty good. I wax the reciever and glue in the barrel with high temperature sleeve locktite. Then drill and tap the carrier for centering pads, and machine down to fit the particular rifle. Always torque to 60 ft/lbs, works the best for me. Change out all triggers to 3 lb after market. Use a borescope to check out all barrels...look for burrs in the drilled gas port area.
These AR with premium barrels will shoot 5 shot groups in .3" .4" &.5" with a fair number of bullets. And 10 shots in .75" enough to keep you interested.
I have shot handloads from 55 Nosler to 115 DTAC in both 6mm ARC Proff barrels. My opinion if I want to shoot light bullets go to the 223, but they are fun. For serious shooting I like 105 to 115 grain bullets in my 6mm ARCs.
I use only resized 6.5 grendel brass and Starline basic which is too much work alot of sizing and annealing required, but I did 250 of them. Grendel brass is easy and have 1200 of them.
On the 105 to 115 I use Leverevolution powder, 29.4 grs is good area with most of these bullets. Run some Lever at 29.0 gr to 29.4 gr and 108 Bergers for below .5" 5 shot groups, and 108 ELDM. My Max top accuracy load is 30 gr of Lever and 108 ELDM about 2640 fps. 2.288" COAL feeds out of 6.5 metal mags cheap Stoner 2.3" & C products I believe. This is .3 over Max for gas gun in Hornady manual...so be careful, Do not push the gas gun they have thin grendel bolts.
And the 6 mm ARC is good at 2575 to 2650 fps with those high BC bullets. Also ran 6.5 Stabal in the ARC in an experiment got to 2650, but don't remember the accuracy or S/D in the load and was highly compressed if I remember correctly...I must not have been impressed, will have to try it again, as it had good velocity. But for me Leverevolution is the best 6mm ARC powder for the heavy bullets, 29.4 gr 2.288" 108 Berger or Hornady ELD-M good BC and a good place to look for accuracy, plus low S/D in velocity...just what ya want for long range in an AR 15 platform.

 

[GetReal]

If thread author still looking for info, I have a fair anount of data on semi auto in 20" and 12.5" barrewls.

 

[GetReal]

I broke a bolt by seating into the lands (basic over pressure...I know that now )


Mines a gas gun. No blown primers. (Using Grendel fireformed 6.5 and Starline. I'll bet the blown primers are from Hornady brass, which would barely hold a primer on my first reload with it) I've found good laods with both 90 Berger Target and 105 Berger Hybrids. Both repeatable under half moa. 20" Bartlein bbl is getting me 2640 suppressed in a fairly light load.

I got 224V but its a bolt gun.

Of course, Starline came out with some good 6 ARC brass. Of course, Hornady brass is junk.

Also got a 12.5" 6 arc. Its been a little mre difficult to find a good laod there. DIdn't like the 90 Bergers or 75 V-max (I don't know what I keep trying to get Hornady bullets to perform.) Loaded up a ladder test of 70 Nosler BT's to try next.

 

[The boogalorian]

I recently got my ar- arc straightened out. Turns out the upper I was using appears to be out of spec. The gas key had more room to move back and forth in the upper than a hotdog in a hallway. This excessive slop allowed the gas key to strike the gas tube, slow down the bolt and stop the bolt from going into full battery. This caused light primer strikes and poor functioning of the rifle. Having little experience with ar’s I chased my tail changing spring and bolt weights trying to get it to function correctly, but to no avail. Changed the upper/lower/handgaurd and now it shoots and functions better. Thinking that the bolts that I broke were caused by the round/ bolt not being in full battery when fired. Only time will tell. Can’t wait to shoot to distance now. Sierra 107’s going 2530 fps out of a 22” Craddack Precision with varget and 205m’s.