6mm ARC Howa Mini Bolt Gun

[UTGrad]

Has the 6mm ARC caught on over in the UK? It’s getting really popular here in the States, even in bolt action configuration. It was designed for the AR platform, but can be loaded to higher pressures in a bolt gun. Also my Howa has a 1:7.5 twist so I can shoot the 108 grain ELDMs.

Needless to say, I’m 3/3 this season on deer with my 22” barrel Howa Mini. 250, 501 and 250 yards. Long barrel life, light recoil, cheap to load, very effective on deer sized game.








501 yards, dialed 11 MOA and dropped this doe. She’s just above the reticle.



Big bodied buck shot at 250 yards. Dead in 20 yards.




6 ARC next to .30-06 case.

 

[scotch_egg]

The 6mm ARC isn’t making waves over here. It has peaked my interest as I have had a couple of 6mmbr rifles in the past. Before it was adopted in the mainstream and factory options for magazine feeding were made available.

The 6mm ARC is certainly effective on your deer and a recent episode of Texas Plinking had an attendee hit a 1 MOA plate at 1000 yards within 10 shots with no sighters which is no mean feet, especially with a semi auto.

I’m not sure the 6mm ARC will really catch on over here as the .243 is still the standard round that works. It will hit harder, shoot flatter and recoil isn’t really an issue. Even the 6mm creedmoor hasn’t found any traction over here.

 

[UTGrad]

The 6mm ARC isn’t making waves over here. It has peaked my interest as I have had a couple of 6mmbr rifles in the past. Before it was adopted in the mainstream and factory options for magazine feeding were made available.

The 6mm ARC is certainly effective on your deer and a recent episode of Texas Plinking had an attendee hit a 1 MOA plate at 1000 yards within 10 shots with no sighters which is no mean feet, especially with a semi auto.

I’m not sure the 6mm ARC will really catch on over here as the .243 is still the standard round that works. It will hit harder, shoot flatter and recoil isn’t really an issue. Even the 6mm creedmoor hasn’t found any traction over here.

243 is certainly flatter. If I were to go 243, I’d get a 1:8 twist and load heavies.

6 ARC has double the barrel life and recoil a tad bit more than a .223. It still packs a wallop with 108 ELDMs or other heavy for caliber projectiles.

 

[Essexsussex]

Hi UT grad. We just aren’t allowed as many guns over here as you are! And to change from a 243 to another calibre would (usually) require selling or disposing of the 243 and then asking licensing for a new permission to buy the desired rifle. Even selling a used rifle isn’t easy as the demand isn’t there.

When 243 is decent then alternatives are just difficult to get on your license it makes other 6mm-ish chamberings low down the list of things people will spend time chasing.

Bet it’s great though!

 

[long_range_rob]

Unfortunately the HSE want to canned in 6mm’s over here now so 6.5’s are a better prospect tbh

 

[coldboremiracle]

We just aren’t allowed as many guns over here as you are! And to change from a 243 to another calibre would (usually) require selling or disposing of the 243 and then asking licensing for a new permission to buy the desired rifle. Even selling a used rifle isn’t easy as the demand isn’t there.

Thats awful. I transferred 5 guns just today. Your comment makes great sense though, I suppose rebarreling .243's is a good business over there?

 

[Essexsussex]

Thats awful. I transferred 5 guns just today. Your comment makes great sense though, I suppose rebarreling .243's is a good business over there?

Well, it would be if a re barrel was cheaper!! To rebarrel to another calibre you need a variation as well…

In fairness we can get the guns we reasonably need - just not always the guns we want. That isn’t always bad for a hoarder like me!

 

[Rusty Gate]

6BRX caught my eye. Had ARC Ballistics make the reamers for it & impressed with accuracy, using 105 RDF. Stretch it out in the new year.

 

[scotch_egg]

6BRX caught my eye. Had ARC Ballistics make the reamers for it & impressed with accuracy, using 105 RDF. Stretch it out in the new year.

Standard 6mmbr has a larger case capacity than the 6 ARC and there would have been no case forming.

The 6 ARC in a small action such as the Howa would make a lovely roe rifle. The fact is uses over 10gr less powder than a .243.

There is some good data on this thread on snipershide. A lot of semi auto data but plenty of bolt actions in the mix with varying barrel lengths. With the one that stood out for me being a 22” barrel with 87gr V-max at 3050fps.

Replace the v-max with an 80gr copper load and it would make an ideal roe rifle in England.

I can see more people having separate fox rifles in .22 cf following the 6mm lead ban in the coming years. So a light weight low recoiling 6mm will be more enticing. So there maybe hope for the ARC. It’s certainly effective on the larger American deer species.

 

[coldboremiracle]

So a light weight low recoiling 6mm will be more enticing. So there maybe hope for the ARC. It’s certainly effective on the larger American deer species.

Haven't shot any big deer with it yet, but based on the damage I've seen, I think you are quite right.

 

[Rusty Gate]

Standard 6mmbr has a larger case capacity than the 6 ARC and there would have been no case forming.

The 6 ARC in a small action such as the Howa would make a lovely roe rifle. The fact is uses over 10gr less powder than a .243.

There is some good data on this thread on snipershide. A lot of semi auto data but plenty of bolt actions in the mix with varying barrel lengths. With the one that stood out for me being a 22” barrel with 87gr V-max at 3050fps.

Replace the v-max with an 80gr copper load and it would make an ideal roe rifle in England.

I can see more people having separate fox rifles in .22 cf following the 6mm lead ban in the coming years. So a light weight low recoiling 6mm will be more enticing. So there maybe hope for the ARC. It’s certainly effective on the larger American deer species.

33gn of RS62 for one hole, chrono in Jan now but expecting the plus side of 2800

 

[6pt-sika]

If you put a 6mm PPC case a 6mm ARC case and a 6.5 Grendel case side by side there is little if any difference so in practical application they’re the same . I have nothing against any of them and actually like the Grendel for deer having owned three of them , had a couple PPC’s that I liked and used them mostly for paper punching . The ARC I had thoughts of getting an upper for the AR but never did

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

I have been running a 6.5 Grendel for six months
6mm version is interesting but I am struggling to get past this one

So far shot 4 of the UK species (only Fallow and CWD missing)
95gr VMax doing 2750 out of a 19" barrel from 27gr N133 seems utterly unexplainable and so ridiculously efficient it counterweights my lack of interest in getting an electric car!

have run it out to 600m on steel and it is absurdly accurate
Not sure I would see the benefit from dropping to 6mm
Hornady ammo in 100gr ELD-VT is also readily available

Next itch is a subsonic load with 160gr RN Hornady softpoints!