.22 ARC

Will the ARC do anything I can't now with either my fast twist 223 or my 22-250 with a much faster (twist barrel) that I do not have No. However, in the AR platform it fills a niche so enjoy.
It will make you cooler
Men will want to be you
Women will want to be with you

birds will sing, sun will shine on your back

its known as the "New Rifle" effect

everyone needs a new rifle
 
I have just taken possession of what may be the first .22 ARC in Scotland, and probably one of quite a small handful in the UK.

It’s a remarkable thing. No brass yet available, so @Edinburgh Rifles made some from 6.5 Grendel cases, and then did some educated guesswork based on 22BR loads to come up with a load. Below was the VERY FIRST GROUP I shot at 100m. 52gr eldm bullet, from a 22” Pendragon 1:7 barrel.

[The apparent flier to the right of the target was from the initial shots at 50 to get it roughly zeroed. The main group by my thumb is 3 shots. I can’t shoot any better than that].
Yes but that groups just random dispersion 😂
You taught me that😉
 
Yes but that groups just random dispersion 😂
You taught me that😉
Sort of.

You’re absolutely right in that 3 shots provides limited information about the overall accuracy of the gun, and tells you nothing at all about whether the particular charge is more or less accurate than any other.

However, it does provide SOME information about the range of accuracy that the gun sits within. The probability of a single 3 shot group returning touching holes declines markedly as the absolute accuracy of the gun decreases.

So if the very first group you shoot returns touching holes, it is very unlikely that you have a gun with absolute accuracy of worse than about 1.25 MOA (I can model it in a bit when I have time).

To work out more precisely how accurate the gun is, I’d obviously need to shoot more - around 20 rounds at this charge for a ‘good enough’ estimate.
 
So here you go. This is how the accuracy of the gun affects the probability of shooting a single group with touching holes. I simulated 1000 groups at each accuracy level. For a true 1MOA gun, about 40% of groups should be touching (in .22 calibre).View attachment 428888
I have no doubt it’s going to be a banger.
Just pulling your leg.
Very cool calibre.
Did you say what its intended use is?
I’m assuming foxes?
 
I have no doubt it’s going to be a banger.
Just pulling your leg.
Very cool calibre.
Did you say what its intended use is?
I’m assuming foxes?
Oh I know you were pulling my leg! Sadly, I just can’t resist these sorts of statistical questions. They force me to really think it through, and by simulating the patterns, it helps me understand things better.

As for use: night shooting roe deer with a thermal scope.

I wanted something that minimised the effect range estimation errors, was as quiet as possible, had low enough recoil that there was no loss of sight picture, and was future proof against any lead ban (so needed a fast twist barrel).

I think it’s likely to become my primary roe gun.
 
Clearly the 22ARC is a very efficient cartridge that ticks all the boxes @Mungo is looking for. To get sort of performance out of that little case is impressive. I’ve recently gone down the 22 Creedmoor route for what will be my main foxing rifle with very promising early results. Of course .22-250 and .243 will not be obsolete and will retain a loyal following for the foreseeable future but the ballistics and capabilities of these modern cartridges are just a bit better.
 
22 creed uses 30% more powder
Doesn’t produce 30% more of anything on paper from what I can see

More space allows you more room to stoke it up and squeeze the juice out of it but I would like to see some real world barrel lengths and velocities with European powders

22 creed, 22-250/22-250ai, 22 middlestead all use between 35-45gr of powder for MVs of around 34-3600 from 55-60gr bulllets
Be interested to see the recoil index on similar weight class rifle
 
22 creed uses 30% more powder
Doesn’t produce 30% more of anything on paper from what I can see

More space allows you more room to stoke it up and squeeze the juice out of it but I would like to see some real world barrel lengths and velocities with European powders

22 creed, 22-250/22-250ai, 22 middlestead all use between 35-45gr of powder for MVs of around 34-3600 from 55-60gr bulllets
Be interested to see the recoil index on similar weight class rifle
I take your point Ed, it’s the law of diminishing returns. However with a 22 Creedmoor with an 8 twist I have 30% more powder and >30% more bullet weight so can send a high BC bullet like a 62gr ELD VT or 75gr ELDM at 22-250 velocities with all the advantages that brings in terms of trajectory, reduced wind drift and more energy on target.
 
I take your point Ed, it’s the law of diminishing returns. However with a 22 Creedmoor with an 8 twist I have 30% more powder and >30% more bullet weight so can send a high BC bullet like a 62gr ELD VT or 75gr ELDM at 22-250 velocities with all the advantages that brings in terms of trajectory, reduced wind drift and more energy on target.

point being the 22-250 velocities are less than the ARC

Arc has a 1:7" barrel, it can shoot 88gr
If a 22" barrel pushes 52gr at 3660fps without even getting close to the pressure limits it can be assumed the 80-88gr ELDM
will be exiting at circa at close to if not over 3000fps (Hornady confirms this from factory ammo)
75s at well over 3000
62s at 3400

22 Creedmoor 24" test barrel - Hornady data puts 80gr ELDM at 3300fps
knock two inches of barrel and circa 200fps and you are back down at the above 22" 22 ARC level velocity except using 30% more powder.....

You might be able to shovel more in to the Creed but as you say its a diminishing return
Still not enough to justify the increased powder at 120 quid a kilo......
 
You might be able to shovel more in to the Creed but as you say its a diminishing return
Still not enough to justify the increased powder at 120 quid a kilo......

Or the extra muzzle blast/noise/recoil.

My son shot the ARC and said it felt much the same as shooting a .22lr standard velocity unmoderated. His first ever shot on any centrefire - smacked a 3” gong dead centre at 100m.
 
Shorter action (see above)
Designed for a much faster twist (the one above is a 1:7" ) specifically for 80-88gr bullets
Much more efficient, Less Powder so more potential
Never produced a 22-250 round that was so fast with so little powder
You are looking at 5gr more at least to get close, it will be a compressed load and you will be closer to 3400 with 34-35gr of powder
With a 52 gr?
 
There are a few reasons for wanting an ARC, outrunning a 250 or Creed isn't on that list.
Many here, including myself have nowhere near Big Reds velo claims in real life.
.02
 
There are a few reasons for wanting an ARC, outrunning a 250 or Creed isn't on that list.
Many here, including myself have nowhere near Big Reds velo claims in real life.
.02
Have you read the whole thread?

I’m getting speeds that really aren’t far off those for a third less powder.
 
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