Powder Valley is pleased to announce that the Hornady 6mm ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge) is being released for commercial sale. Originally developed for the Department of Defense for the AR-15 platform, 6mm ARC ammunition and reloading components promise the highest level of performance in the field or at the range. Whether you’re a match shooter, a varmint hunter, or concerned with personal protection, you’ll find these cartridges offer the perfect combination of consistency, shootability, and power. Known for accuracy and low recoil, the 6mm ARC is a versatile match not only for the AR-15 but also short or micro action bolt guns.
Here’s a breakdown of the commercially-available ARC 6mm line from Hornady.
6mm ARC Ammunition
Hornady offers three product lines for 6mm ARC ammunition. Though they’re all excellent all-around cartridges, each is designed with a specific use in mind:
- 6mm ARC 108gr ELD® Match™ Ammunition: Premium match shooting rounds. Extremely Low Drag Match ammo is engineered for accuracy, they feature a patented HeatShield tip, and are manufactured with stringent quality control to ensure consistency with every trigger pull.
- 6mm ARC 105gr BTHP Match™ Black™ Ammunition: These 105 grain boat tail hollow point rounds are optimized for personal defense. Proudly made in the USA, they offer low recoil and impressive stopping power.
- 6mm ARC 103 gr ELD-X® Precision Hunter® Ammunition: Available in the fall of 2020, these Extremely Low Drag match-accurate hunting bullets provide devastating terminal performance at conventional and extended (400+ yard) ranges. Heat Shield® tip technology provides advanced aerodynamic efficiency.
6mm ARC Brass
Reloaders know how important high-quality brass is to the overall performance of your ammunition. If you’re looking for AR-15 reloading supplies, Hornady 6mm ARC Unprimed Brass Cases should be high on the list of must-have components. Hornady 6mm ARC brass are produced in small lots to meet strict quality standards. High concentricity and uniform wall thickness mean consistent pressures, velocity, and accuracy.
6mm ARC Bullets
Bullets from the above ammunition selection are also sold as individual components. This lets you customize the performance of the Hornady advanced rifle cartridge by using a different type of powder or primers. It’s also a great way to save money if you like the performance of Hornady ammunition. Here’s a breakdown of the bullet selection.
- Hornady .243 / 6mm 108 grain ELD-M (Extremely Low Drag Match) bullets: A great choice for match shooters of all skill levels, these bullets feature a high ballistic coefficient. A comparable design from another manufacturer would be Berger .243 / 6mm 109 grain long range hybrid target bullets.
- Hornady .243 / 6mm 105 grain Hollow Point Boat Tail Match bullets: The bullet from Hornady’s 6mm ARC BLACK ammunition, this mid-weight AR bullet is designed for maximum expansion on impact.
- Hornady .243 / 6mm 103 grain ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag Hunting) bullets: These bullets offer high ballistic coefficients and consistent, controlled expansion at all conventional hunting distances plus extended ranges.
Die Sets
The gear you use to assemble your ammunition is almost as important as the reloading components you choose. The Hornady Series III Two-Die 6mm ARC Die Set (.243) is designed to make spindle adjustments a breeze, and won’t wear out, even with a lifetime of normal use. Produce your own ammo that meets your exact needs with die sets from Hornady. Powder Valley is your destination for Hornady 6mm ARC cartridge reloading components, and ready to fire ammunition. Shop the full Hornady line at the lowest possible prices today.
*The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Powder Valley, as this article was written in collaboration with an external research partner.
I want to reload 58 grain v-max for the 6mm ARC, to be used in an AR-15. Any suggestions? I currently have a 16″ barrel chambered for the 6×45, and want to rechamber to the 6mm ARC. The barrel is a 1/10 twist.
Most experts are recommending at least an 18″ barrel with a rifle length gas tube. Some say barrel length
+ 1″ on the tube. The twist should be 1/7.5 for the best accuracy and bullet stability. A 1/10 is too slow a twist rate.
PS: Hornady has load data on their site for bolt and gas guns. Best ballistics come from 100 gr – 108 gr bullets.
Lance,
I am not sure that would be a good thing. The 6mm ARC is designed for the longer high BC bullets making use of a twist rate of 1:7.7″ give or take. A 1:10″ twist rate would leave too much on table for this round.
There are many barrels out there reasonably priced. I think a better option would be to save your 6/45 barrel and just buy a 6mm ARC chambered barrel. Who knows, one day you might want to jump up into the 90 -110gr bullet weights where this cartridge really shines and with heavy bullets the 1:10″ twist rate won’t work well for you. You can then get this new barrel in the length that you want or think you want.
Just my opinion. Have fun!
Rechambering 1-10 twist barrel is a waste of time. I have 3, 6 MM ARC rifles. Best accuracy rifle +1″ with a 1-7.5 twist Proof Research stainless barrel, all barrels are 18″ and 1 inaccurate 1-7 twist BA barrel for fire forming. The Proof barrel shoots 55 grain to 115 grain accurately. It was so good I purchased another. The 6mm ARC is best with heavier bullets, I use light bullets for fire forming cases. I like l08 gr. To 115 gr. the heavies, the best…that’s what is was designed for high BC long range bullets…might as well use a .223 if your shooting Iight 55 to 68 grain bullets as they have poor BC for short range or short range varminting.