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6mm ARC brass from 6.5 Grendel

Riesel

Gold $$ Contributor
I have some Starline 6.5 Grendel brass headed my way that I plan to use on my 6 ARC project. I will need to prep the brass to 6 ARC specs and plan to do it in the following steps: #1 size new brass on 6 ARC full length die.
#2 trim to the correct length and chamfer both inside and out. #3 neck turn on 6mm mandrel to a consistent
neck size. #4 Check primer pockets and clean up for uniformity. I had been using old scrap 6.5 Grendel for load development and it was a challenge. Comments are welcomed
 
Thanks for the reply. 6mm ARC brass is nowhere to be found, heck, it takes some looking just to find Grendel Brass
 
All 1250 rds of my 6mm ARC are 250 pcs Starline Basic and 1000 Starline 6.5 Grendel. Never owner a piece of brass that was head stamped 6mm ARC. Both Proof barreled AR 15s shoot small groups with this brass....5 shots into less than a half inch common place with match bullets and Leverevolution... tried an assembled upper from Areo Precision when the ARC first came out as it was the only entry 6mm ARC game available from Brownells...it was a terrible shooter 2.5" 5 shot groups at 100yds with match loads. Bought one of two Proof Research barrels at Midway...assembled a new AR with the Proof barrel first 5 shots of match ammo went into 1/2" against the 2.5" group shot with the same match ammo in both rifles on the same day. Went home and ordered that last ARC Proof barrel from Midway to replace the one in the Areo upper...it's also a good shooter slighter better than the first.
Don't push the velocities in the 6 ARC AR as the Grendel bolt is weak... almost shocking, as there is no metal left in it,...but it still fits the orginal AR platform. mine shoot well at close to AR book top charges. And it's a good, accurate round for the intended purpose in the AR... but I'll choose the 6 Dasher over it any day in a bolt gun...and why I have both...two of my favorites along with all my #1 favorite my abnormal 308 Winchester's, get the most use. Then, load some 45-90 for the 86.
 
Kinda apples and oranges, a bolt gun dasher vs an ar15 ARC, unless you've got both in bolt guns. Still, the dasher does have a fair amount more horsepower.
Just my preference...if I'm carrying an AR-15 I'd prefer the 6 ARC ...if I'm carrying a bolt gun I prefer the 6 Dasher...and that's exactly what I have, I feel it's a better fit for me. But your preference could be much different or even reverse of mine and that's fine. I'm a fan of both calibers and that's how I put them to use, for me.
 
I started with Alexander Arms Grendel brass. I used a 6mm ARC Collet Die to squeeze the 6.5 necks down to 6mm. (You have to give the cases a bit of a twist to get the neck started correctly into the collet. Other wise you will crumple the shoulder). Then I sized with a Wilson full-sizer die using a 0.265 bushing. After that I trimmed the brass. I didn't run into any need to turn the necks. Brass now feeds just fine in my Ballistic Advantage barrel and chamber.
 
I have some Starline 6.5 Grendel brass headed my way that I plan to use on my 6 ARC project. I will need to prep the brass to 6 ARC specs and plan to do it in the following steps: #1 size new brass on 6 ARC full length die.
#2 trim to the correct length and chamfer both inside and out. #3 neck turn on 6mm mandrel to a consistent
neck size. #4 Check primer pockets and clean up for uniformity. I had been using old scrap 6.5 Grendel for load development and it was a challenge. Comments are welcomed
Riesel, I'm new to the forum and sorta new to reloading. I've been reloading for 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor bolts. I just built a 6mm ARC Gas gun - Aero upper and lower, 20" Proof barrel - JP Bolt. I have 200 rounds of Hornady ELDM ARC that I will start with, but I've read different things about how long the Hornady primer pockets last. I read 3 loads, I've read 9 loads. At some point the primer pockets will go. I've got a beat on some Lapua 6.5 Grendel. Its expensive and I don't want to ruin it. What 6 ARC full length sizer are you using? Could you, or would it be wise to use a Wilson FL bushing sizer for the job of taking the neck from 6.5 to 6? And after the resizing how much neck tension are you using? Thanks
 

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