Any good gas gun 6ARC loads?

[fatelvis]

Now that 6ARC has been around for a little bit, I was wondering if anyone has stumbled onto any good loads to use in the AR platform. Can I twist your arm for some hints?

 

[SD guy]

I don't shoot a gas gun though, I am aware barrel length's vary widely on gas guns. Barrel length may make significant difference in what load your system likes.

 

[fatelvis]

I have a 20” barrel.

 

[DonB]

Here are a couple 100 yd 3 shot groups I shot while load testing. Powder is LeverRevolution with CCI BR4 primers. Tried Tac, Varget also and got decent accuracy, around 1” or better but Lever has been the best for me.

20” Ballistic Advantage barrel

 

[fatelvis]

Both groups with Sierra’s 107 bullet?

 

[280ai]

Lever or ar-comp with 103-108 bullets are tack drivers

 

[DonB]

Both groups with Sierra’s 107 bullet?

No the top group is 87 Sierra.

 

[MrK.]

I am having good luck with CFE223 and 90gn Sierra TGKs and CCI400 primers, Reformed Starline Grendel brass. Averaging about 2925 fps with 31.1 gn powder.

 

[fatelvis]

I am having good luck with CFE223 and 90gn Sierra TGKs and CCI400 primers, Reformed Starline Grendel brass. Averaging about 2925 fps with 31.1 gn powder.

Is this in an AR? What length barrel?

 

[MrK.]

AR-15 with a 20in Ballistic Advantage barrel. This was yesterday..

 

[padom]

22" Craddock Rock Creek 6ARC AR15

85 SMK / AR Comp

https://imgur.com/KeGv1ix

 

[bucweet]

 

[fatelvis]

Any new loads that raised your eyebrows?

 

[CSLR grandpa]

I’ve shot LeverRev., CFE 223., 107 Sierras, 90 Bergers, 88 and 87 Bergers very good. You get your Frequent Flyers and the brass gets beat up pretty bad with a gas gun.

Enjoyable and fun to shoot I plan on trying it on rodent soon! I revisited the seating depth in November-good not to far off from where I was, next is to shoot 107 SMK’s with CFE 223 and 88 Bergers FB Varmints (seating depth). Target was 140 yards.
CSLR grandpa

 

[DHD]

Any new loads that raised your eyebrows?

I have great luck with a CFE223 load in 3 separate gas guns. It is slightly higher than the Hornady gas gun and Hodgdon book max so I won't list the exact load. The velocity listed below is right in line with expectations. I was looking for accuracy, not speed, but each .2 I added, accuracy improved. I stopped where I did because it was good enough and as it gets hot here, I figured there was no point in pushing it.

Either reformed Lapua or Starline brass (preference to the Lapua slightly), 450 primer, Berger 105 or 108 BT, .020" off, and a .241" 21st Century expander. High single digit sd's (7 to 9 across many 5 shot groups), 2570 fps in 20" Proof and 2470 in 16" Proof, and the bullets land very close to each other.

The other rifle is a 21" (not mine), but shoots more or less the same.

I have had very good luck with N550 too, especially with 90 and 95 grain bullets. The loads are not as fast as CFE223 can push them, but more consistently accurate. My experience with N550 in the ARC is similar to my experience using XBR8208. It gets peaky quick, so caution is recommended. I worked up to my charges as very little data can be found using this powder.

These are my loads, weighed charges on my lab scale, and shot out of my rifles so careful.

 

[Raptor]

Mine is a 18" Proof barrel AR. I use LVR in mine with the 87 Bergers. I honestly don't feel the ARC has the horsepower to push the heavy bullets to gain the advantage of the higher BCs they offer. The first group is at 300yd. These are just a few samples of groups doing my load testing. It is a solid .5 gun or under. I use factory brass and Starline brass in it. IMR8208 shot well in mine but was slower than the LVR and was really hard to find...

 

[fatelvis]

So the consensus I'm coming to, is that CFE223 and LVR are the two best by FAR! And on a lesser note, 87 and 90 grain bullets seem to favored over the heavier bullets. Thank you for your input Guys!

 

[padom]

So the consensus I'm coming to, is that CFE223 and LVR are the two best by FAR! And on a lesser note, 87 and 90 grain bullets seem to favored over the heavier bullets. Thank you for your input Guys!

Not in my testing. AR Comp was better in every way.

I saw huge temp swings and crazy SD's testing 85/87gr pills between 35-85F.

Single digit SD's and stupid accuracy and temp stability with AR Comp has me solely using it over CFE223 and Lever..

 

[David Milisock]

Mine is a 18" Proof barrel AR. I use LVR in mine with the 87 Bergers. I honestly don't feel the ARC has the horsepower to push the heavy bullets to gain the advantage of the higher BCs they offer. The first group is at 300yd. These are just a few samples of groups doing my load testing. It is a solid .5 gun or under. I use factory brass and Starline brass in it. IMR8208 shot well in mine but was slower than the LVR and was really hard to find...

I believe you're correct in an AR, the 52,000 PSI limit of the 6 ARC has velocity restrictions. With that said it was designed for man sized targets and in that sized target works fine in my 16" out to 800 and I've seen guys with 18" to 20" barrels work out to 1,000 with the same target size requirements.

I personally scope and load mine with 103 ELD X for 300 to 400 yard maximum on medium game.

 

[DHD]

So the consensus I'm coming to, is that CFE223 and LVR are the two best by FAR! And on a lesser note, 87 and 90 grain bullets seem to favored over the heavier bullets. Thank you for your input Guys!

I would make an educated guess that more people load the 6mmARC with CFE223 and/or Lever. I enjoy the accuracy and consistency of CFE, but deep down I am an extruded kind of guy. I have gotten very good accuracy with Varget but I am just not willing to give up the extra velocity. That's just me.

N550 is slower by +/- 50-60 fps, but accuracy and consistency is up there.

I have never even bought a pound of AR Comp so I have that amount of experience with it. When it was available and not ridiculous I was using other powders for what I was shooting then.

I have at least 12 pounds of H4895 and I keep thinking about it. Probably won't try it, but....

I probably experiment too much.