6ARC or 6.5 Grendel?

[SD guy]

Regarding the 400 primers, they can work with lower pressure loads. The thinner cup is prone to primer piercing on the higher pressure loads. Defiantly, closer to my last choice when loading for higher pressure, bolt action loads. If you give them a try, I would not load many without observing performance first.

With the 400 primers, a potential piercing problem could arise working up a load in cool weather. Then experiencing piercing issues when shooting at higher pressure on a hot day.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

Regarding the 400 primers, they can work with lower pressure loads. The thinner cup is prone to primer piercing on the higher pressure loads. Defiantly, closer to my last choice when loading for higher pressure, bolt action loads. If you give them a try, I would not load many without observing performance first.

With the 400 primers, a potential piercing problem could arise working up a load in cool weather. Then experiencing piercing issues when shooting at higher pressure on a hot day.

Well I should be good on the cold part at least. Living in Southeast Texas, our winters last about 38 minutes, then it's back to miserable. Seriously though, I generally don't push pressures very much. I feel like it's hard on brass. And with the cost of Alpha and Lapua brass these days, you gotta baby em.

 

[SD guy]

Then I anticipate those 400's will treat you fine with gas gun pressures. Being from South Dakota I have a hard time relating to the Idea that a high of 85 deg may be considered cool weather.

 

[SteveOak]

Have you looked at 6mm ARC Gas & Bolt gun load data?

Not sure what your point is.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

Our league shoots for 10 weeks, each week a different target at a different length range. This groups top 5 shooters have been shooting and competing much longer than I have and are much more accomplished. Yet I was able to out score each of them at least once over the course of the last season.

Two of these shooters have won this league each of the 5 years I have been shooting it. One has won it 3 consecutive years. One is shooting a Dasher and the other is shooting a BRA. Both also have more money invested in their optics than I have in this whole gun.

https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/shooting-a-local-league.4143606/ here is a link to some of the targets I completed last season with the 6ARC.

That's pretty impressive brother, I must say. And to do that on a Savage budget build. Very impressive indeed. I've actually looked at the Savage 110's. That may be my next gun once I get this Howa lined out.

Honestly, those kind of competitions interest me. But to my knowledge, there's no clubs around here that put any competitions like that on. I know the one gun range that's like 6 minutes from the house for certain doesn't.

And how do you like that Athalon scope? I'm guessing for those kinda competitions, that second focal plane scope is more useful. I've heard good things about Athalon scopes for the price point. I've never owned any of their scopes, although I do own a pair of their binoculars and for the money, they're pretty good. What's really crazy is my cost on that scope is like $335. Can't beat that price with a stick

 

[SD guy]

Suppose I disagree, regarding only reason to choose either cartridge. For myself, I was looking for a deer hunting cartridge with a bit flatter performance in terms of a Mini action CZ 527 for a walk about hunting rifle. Then I wanted to shoot a long for caliber hunting bullet. The cartridges that you happen to offer are a no-go with the bolt action configuration I was seeking to utilize.

With the CZ 527 bolt action rifle & the bolt action load data, Spinning up a barrel chambered with the 6mm ARC was a rather easy choice for that scenario.

 

[603Country]

I have a Grendel AR and a Tikka in 260. The Grendel is for hogs and the 260 is for deer. I just don’t see the logic in a 6.5 Grendel bolt gun. Hogs are shot inside 150 yards. The 260 is good out to 300 yards easily.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

I have a Grendel AR and a Tikka in 260. The Grendel is for hogs and the 260 is for deer. I just don’t see the logic in a 6.5 Grendel bolt gun. Hogs are shot inside 150 yards. The 260 is good out to 300 yards easily.

This isn't being built as a hunting gun, I have plenty of those. This is strictly for killing paper.

 

[SD guy]

This isn't being built as a hunting gun, I have plenty of those. This is strictly for killing paper.

Then if you by chance were to consider building a rifle, the 6 BR would likely be even better. Inside of 400 yards the 6ppc would likely be better as well. If 22 cal was not off the table, the 22 ARC may be rather satisfying as well.

 

[Rob01]

The 6ARC will do everything he wants and shoot out well past 400 yards.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

Then if you by chance were to consider building a rifle, the 6 BR would likely be even better. Inside of 400 yards the 6ppc would likely be better as well. If 22 cal was not off the table, the 22 ARC may be rather satisfying as well.

Actually it is my intention to custom build a rifle perhaps the first part of next year. Between two deer leases and an outfitter hunt in Missouri coming up in November. If I was to even remotely hint about a custom build this year, my wife would have an aneurysm. But it is being planned though. There's just so many decisions to make between action, barrel, caliber, gunsmith, etc. I was looking at a Defiance action perhaps with either a Brux or Criterion barrel either chambered in 6BR, 6GT or 6 Dasher. Was kinda looking at the 6 Dasher pretty hard, but it's still kinda early. I enjoy shooting farther out than I do close, if that makes any sense.

And I have kicked around the idea of a 22 ARC as well. Not exactly sure what I would do with that other than kill more paper. Although there has been a couple of coyotes that have been hanging around one of my feeders that needs to go away.

 

[SD guy]

Ceeping mama happy should be first & formost

 

[Rob01]

Actually it is my intention to custom build a rifle perhaps the first part of next year. Between two deer leases and an outfitter hunt in Missouri coming up in November. If I was to even remotely hint about a custom build this year, my wife would have an aneurysm. But it is being planned though. There's just so many decisions to make between action, barrel, caliber, gunsmith, etc. I was looking at a Defiance action perhaps with either a Brux or Criterion barrel either chambered in 6BR, 6GT or 6 Dasher. Was kinda looking at the 6 Dasher pretty hard, but it's still kinda early. I enjoy shooting farther out than I do close, if that makes any sense.

And I have kicked around the idea of a 22 ARC as well. Not exactly sure what I would do with that other than kill more paper. Although there has been a couple of coyotes that have been hanging around one of my feeders that needs to go away.

Look at the Zermatt Origin action as it’s an excellent action at only $900 and you can change the bolt faces for $125. That allows you to have multiple calibers on one set up so no buying more scopes and sticks and triggers. You can have a .223, 6 ARC, 6 Dasher , .308 etc all on one set up.

You can screw on prefit barrels at home with a barrel vise and action wrench. Pic below is my barrel vise and changing a barrel. If you can screw a bolt into a nut then you can do it. I would never again buy an action that will not take shouldered prefit barrels.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

Ceeping mama happy should be first & formost

Oh yeah.. if 24 years of marriage hasn't done anything else, it's made me house broke.

 

[Oso]

MDT TIMBR stock looks like great option.

 

[KMW 1954]

Honestly, those kind of competitions interest me. But to my knowledge, there's no clubs around here that put any competitions like that on. I know the one gun range that's like 6 minutes from the house for certain doesn't.

And how do you like that Athalon scope? I'm guessing for those kinda competitions, that second focal plane scope is more useful. I've heard good things about Athalon scopes for the price point.

1st, thanks for the kind words!

This league we shoot is a private organization and is not affiliated with the range in any fashion. There are normally about 20 members and the only thing the range does id provide the venue and collect range fees. All rules, schedules and targets are set by us, the members. It can easily be set up anywhere. Just need a venue and then someone to step up and manage it. We have two meeting per year, one at the beginning to collect fees and hand out target packets and one at the end to award money and plaques and to discuss league business for the next year and suggest changes. This is all done word of mouth.

The Athlon scope, I find works beautifully for this. All targets are shot at fixed known ranges and the fine reticle with 1/8"click adjustments pays dividends on these small sized bulls we normally shoot at. At this time I know of 6 others that are now using this scope at the range I shoot and 4 of them are league members.

Again, I have no regrets about going this route with the 6ARC for doing this. Trust me I also took a lot of grief/guff from people for going this route. Since then a lot of them have gone quiet!

As for the cartridge and loads, The 6PPC and the 6 ARC are the same case and nearly the same case as the 6.5Grendel. I have Grendel brass that has been sized down to shoot in my ARC. Difference between the ARC and PPC is freebore and barrel twist rate. As to the ARC and the 6BR/BRA. No one I am shooting against is loading the BR to max pressure and I am able to load the same 105gr bullet to within 25-50FPS as they are loading.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

Look at the Zermatt Origin action as it’s an excellent action at only $900 and you can change the bolt faces for $125. That allows you to have multiple calibers on one set up so no buying more scopes and sticks and triggers. You can have a .223, 6 ARC, 6 Dasher , .308 etc all on one set up.

You can screw on prefit barrels at home with a barrel vise and action wrench. Pic below is my barrel vise and changing a barrel. If you can screw a bolt into a nut then you can do it. I would never again buy an action that will not take shouldered prefit barrels.

View attachment 1694818

I actually have heard of the Zermatt Origin action, although just in passing. God knows the price sounds awesome. And I do have a barrel vice, although my action wrenches are for Remington 700's. But that's not a biggie. I do like that modularity concept of just swapping out barrels and bolts. That's a good idea. Thanks!

 

[KMW 1954]

I do like that modularity concept of just swapping out barrels and bolts. That's a good idea. Thanks!

For may Savage action I now have a bolt head for the 223, ARC/Grendel family and a bolt head for the 308 family of cases that covers a very wide array of cartridges.

My Savage model 11 has been a 223, 243 and 6ARC. It was originally purchased to become a 6BRA.

 

[TxBowHunter409]

1st, thanks for the kind words!

This league we shoot is a private organization and is not affiliated with the range in any fashion. There are normally about 20 members and the only thing the range does id provide the venue and collect range fees. All rules, schedules and targets are set by us, the members. It can easily be set up anywhere. Just need a venue and then someone to step up and manage it. We have two meeting per year, one at the beginning to collect fees and hand out target packets and one at the end to award money and plaques and to discuss league business for the next year and suggest changes. This is all done word of mouth.

The Athlon scope, I find works beautifully for this. All targets are shot at fixed known ranges and the fine reticle with 1/8"click adjustments pays dividends on these small sized bulls we normally shoot at. At this time I know of 6 others that are now using this scope at the range I shoot and 4 of them are league members.

Again, I have no regrets about going this route with the 6ARC for doing this. Trust me I also took a lot of grief/guff from people for going this route. Since then a lot of them have gone quiet!

As for the cartridge and loads, The 6PPC and the 6 ARC are the same case and nearly the same case as the 6.5Grendel. I have Grendel brass that has been sized down to shoot in my ARC. Difference between the ARC and PPC is freebore and barrel twist rate. As to the ARC and the 6BR/BRA. No one I am shooting against is loading the BR to max pressure and I am able to load the same 105gr bullet to within 25-50FPS as they are loading.

Your league sounds like a good setup. I might have to do a little more in-depth digging around for something similar in my general area. I was thinking that it would need to be sanctioned by the range. Apparently that's not the case.

As far as the Athalon scope goes, I'm sold. It's currently out of stock at my distributor that I use, but I have have it in my favorites so I'll get notified when one comes available. For the price point, it's not a huge gamble.

And I'm not real concerned about the flack from others about the 6ARC. I pretty much do what works best for me. If someone doesn't like the caliber, then don't buy one. They need to do what works best for them.

And I'm guessing the 105 grain bullet you're shooting is the Berger Hybrid Target? If you don't mind me asking, what powder are you using?

 

[KMW 1954]

Yes, Berger 105 Hybrid over 27.7gr of Leverevolution with Starline brass through a Shilen 28" 4groove 7.5 twist no brake.