Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Good 6mm ARC Loads

Cartridge has been around a while now, anyone have some good loads that they want to share?

Not the fastest but a guy I shoot with uses 25.7grs Varget and 105 hpbt Hornadys in Hornady brass. It’s running way below MOA every trip out. He shot a 7 shot group of 6.3” at 600yds and if he would have stopped at 6 shots he was at 3.4” for 6 shots. He’s shooting the Savage tactical with the 18” barrel.

I am loading 103 eld-x and 105 bthp over LeverEvo right at Hornady’s max load for gas guns. Generally shoots under an inch at 100 yards. This is a bit more accurate than the factory loaded ammo. I need to chrono this load again, but I think it was in 2550 fps range.

A2520 was very accurate, but at the lower end of load data and only 2420 fps.

I am shooting an AR with a 18” Proof Stainless.

Loads right at max for the Gas Guns has been about where I have ended up for my bolt gun with several powders. Going higher usually ends up with heavily compressed loads and/or pressure signs. Have several loads that will put 5 into a bit over an inch in my Howa Mini Sporter but still looking for a 'bug hole' load.

Have you found that LVR stinks when shot? Had the wind in my face for a few shots a week ago and that stuff had a nasty odor.

I don't know about LVR, but I did share the range with a guy shooting some Eastern Bloc rifle in 7.62×54mmR. It smelled like the Rooskies put dried cow manure in with the powder charges.

All my experience has been in 22" bolt action offerings. Savage Axis is my least favorite of the 3 & was purchased for fire forming brass.

Howa Mini is my other factory rifle. Well not quite a factory rifle, as this was a barreled action that has been stocked with the Stocky's VG stock & upgraded to the JO bottom metal (CZ527 Mag version)

Then my favorite, the CZ 527 with the Pacnor barrel.

All 3 rifles do well though none did that well with factory ammo for me. My 1st Hunting load was a 108 grain Elite Hunter over 29.4 gr of LVR. And no i do not recall that LVR was a stinky powder. well under a MOA load. Performance did fine with a 254 yard high shoulder hit putting my largest deer ever, down in instintanious fashion.

following season my new hunting load was the 87 gr Absolute hunter over IMR 8208XBR. Two does were put down in very efficient fashion.

This last season was a 90 grain CX type offering over CFE 223. Two does were taken again in very clean fashion.

Maybe too late, but I was loading 6arc in a howa mini and could reach the lands with even lite bullets. Even 55gr blitz, 55gr v-max but not 55gr nos bt. Didn't leave much grip on the bullet but they would reach. No I didn't load them like that. Loaded from the 55s up to 87 with good accuracy from all weights. Used A2230 & benchmark. Just checked my books & can't find the records anywhere ??? Fun cartridge but the howa was rt hand & im left handed & just couldn't get used to it. If I found a left cz 527 I'd build one in a heart beat & throw away my 223s, well maybe not but it would work for anything from small varmints to deer & since I don't hunt Moose anymore I'd only need one gun, well maybe not. GWPGUY. 🐾👣🐾👣🇨🇦

I’m loading mine for coyote hunting so I’ve been using the 87gr VMAX. 31.4gr of Lever, 2.140 OAL, and CCI 450s in factory Hornady brass. Gives me 2840fps out of a 20” gas gun. SD 6, ES 12 and .575 group for 5 shots.

With a 16" Faxon barrel and 58g vmax I was able to work my way up to 3260fps with the just below the max load from Hornady using AA2230. Shoots sub inch which is pretty good from what I consider a budget barrel

All the powders are stinky when I am shooting an AR suppressed. Also, some folks complain about LvrEvo being dirty, but again, they are all dirty with a can.

58 grain vmax over ramshot x-terminator works well in my gun.

87gr V-Max, 28.0 LEVERevolution, CCI 450, Hornady Brass, 2.160 (.020 Off Lands) in my Howa Mini - finally stumbled onto a load that is producing <1/2" 3 shot groups. 2575fps Need to load up a few more to verify but looks very promising. 28.5 of the same looked good also with just a slightly larger group then 29.0 to 30.5 blew up to ~1 1/2"+.

Mag primers were quite a bit better than 205M's

FWIW: At right around 30gr I am getting lightly compressed loads. Not sure I could even get the 32.3gr max load from Hornady to fit in the case.

Seems that I have to be at the low end of the loading data from Hornady to get decent accuracy and not have pressure signs. Upper end loads (and factory ammo) are very hot in my rifle (stiff bolt lift, brass swipes, ejector marks on brass). I have been starting about midway in the load data and going up, with this rifle I think I'll start over (with other bullet weights) at the very bottom of the bolt gun data and work up from there. Accuracy is my priority, dinging a steel plate out to 5-600 yards - doubt I'll ever hunt anything bigger than a coyote with 6ARC so max velocities really don't matter to me. Will keep exploring other loads, bullets, etc but it is nice to finally have a bench mark load for what the rifle is capable of.