.223 AND 6mm ARC advice

Watch_this71 · Monday at 3:00 PM

My grandfather always said it’s better to need and not have…

But in this case, do I need a 20 inch .223 AND and 18 inch 6 ARC? I know that 223 is common and that there’s a lot of ammo out there for it. but from what I’ve read 6 mm arc pretty much does it all.

Thoughts?

db2000 · Monday at 3:23 PM

Is this for an AR? If so, definitely you need a 6ARC upper in addition!
Seriously though. Don’t get rid of a .223. The 6ARC is awesome and fun to shoot. If you can add it, do it.

oldrifleman · Monday at 3:25 PM

I think you asking the wrong group, we are not know for our restraint

Watch_this71 · Monday at 3:26 PM

db2000 said:
Is this for an AR? If so, definitely you need a 6ARC upper in addition!
Seriously though. Don’t get rid of a .223. The 6ARC is awesome and fun to shoot. If you can add it, do it.

Yup. Both are ARs

WeR0206 · Monday at 6:31 PM

oldrifleman said:
I think you asking the wrong group, we are not know for our restraint

You nailed it with this post. I just said to myself the other day no more upper builds for a while. One day later I come across a criterion 416R nitrided hybrid 223 wylde on sale (blem) and couldn’t resist buying it. Of course getting a new upper receiver, bcg, handguard, gas block, etc also happened

Dogtown · Monday at 7:12 PM

All I can say is that today I shoot 6ARC more often than .223, for some anecdotal info.

padom · Monday at 7:17 PM

I would never recommend getting rid of a 223 to get a 6arc or getting a 6arc instead of a 223..

But I will absolutely say get a 6arc either upper to slap on your 223 or a complete 6 arc.

Everyone should have a 223 AR. But after that, 6arc is stupid accurate and effective at longer distances with heavier bullets.

alamo5000 · Monday at 7:29 PM

6 ARC and 223 are a perfect AR combo.

223 does 223 stuff and is very common and available. Plus it's cheaper to shoot.

6 ARC fills the '308' role but in a small platform. It can easily reach out so there is no real gap in performance (distance wise).

Plus almost everything is interchangeable between the two. Just buy a few extra bolts for the ARC and you can pretty much cannibalize parts if ever needed.

In the context of prepping or SHTF planning I don't know if you have any better options in my opinion.

WeR0206 · Monday at 7:34 PM

padom said:
I would never recommend getting rid of a 223 to get a 6arc or getting a 6arc instead of a 223..

But I will absolutely say get a 6arc either upper to slap on your 223 or a complete 6 arc.

Everyone should have a 223 AR. But after that, 6arc is stupid accurate and effective at longer distances with heavier bullets.

This is pretty much my approach as well. Volume wise I shoot 223 more b/c components for reloading are cheaper but I enjoy shooting 6 ARC more. Most folks probably have a nitrided or chrome lined 223/556 barrel so you can shoot the hell out of those before they start to go down hill vs 6 ARC a lot of barrels are raw SS and wouldn't last nearly as long (plus you are burning a little more powder in the ARC cases than 223). There are a few nitrided 416 6 ARC barrels out there but they are few and far between.

There's probably a 2x difference in barrel life between 223 chrome lined vs 6 arc raw SS (10-15K vs. 5-8K) so I would factor this in re: how often you shoot one vs. the other.

You can of course shoot 6 ARC up close but in general they have different use cases as @alamo5000 pointed out. I'd say 500 and in shoot the 223 and when you need to go out further bust out the ARC or if the wind is crazy I'd lean on the ARC more.

db2000 · Monday at 7:43 PM

I tend to just shoot whatever I’m doing load development for at the time. This never gets old if you just keep building more guns and/or trying new bullets!

Watch_this71 · Monday at 9:32 PM

Honestly, I have a 16 inch and an 11 inch SBR already. I found a 20 inch barrel in the back of my closet and I heard "build me" in the back of my mind.

Far be it for me to not listen to the little voice in my head...

oldrifleman · Monday at 9:57 PM

Watch_this71 said:
Honestly, I have a 16 inch and an 11 inch SBR already. I found a 20 inch barrel in the back of my closet and I heard "build me" in the back of my mind.

Far be it for me to not listen to the little voice in my head...

Now that is what we like to hear in the Hide! Give the man Cigar and a single malt.

mkollman74 · Monday at 10:36 PM

What is this "need" of which you speak...

oldrifleman · Monday at 11:11 PM

mkollman74 said:
What is this "need" of which you speak...

It is the word you use when your spouse asks about this charge on the Visa bill I think.

Chaos Walker · Tuesday at 2:05 PM

I'm in this camp as well.
I'm abandoning 5.56 and putting it in the back.
But moving forward with 6.5 grendel.
I have a 20 inch currently. But collecting parts for an 11 sbr.

Watch_this71 · Tuesday at 2:53 PM

oldrifleman said:
Now that is what we like to hear in the Hide! Give the man Cigar and a single malt.

Can you make it a coke (sober 18 years)?

padom · Tuesday at 4:02 PM

oldrifleman said:
It is the word you use when your spouse asks about this charge on the Visa bill I think.

The first rule about gun purchases, we dont speak about gun purchases. lol

Dogtown · Tuesday at 4:04 PM

WeR0206 · Tuesday at 4:15 PM

padom said:
The first rule about gun purchases, we dont speak about gun purchases. lol

The hard part is explaining why the fedex/ups guy is stopping by everyother day to drop off so many packages

Bantam1 · Tuesday at 4:17 PM

WeR0206 said:
The hard part is explaining why the fedex/ups guy is stopping by everyother day to drop off so many packages

You're just helping to keep them in shape. Tell them to thank you for it.

david walter · Tuesday at 4:20 PM

I have a bunch of 223s, and multiple 22LR, and 6 ARC and 300 HAMR uppers.

Just one upper? That’s crazy talk.

Just one of each? Even crazier!

oldrifleman · Tuesday at 5:22 PM

padom said:
The first rule about gun purchases, we dont speak about gun purchases. lol

david walter said:
I have a bunch of 223s, and multiple 22LR, and 6 ARC and 300 HAMR uppers.

Just one upper? That’s crazy talk.

Just one of each? Even crazier!

1 is 0, 2 is 1, 3 is 2 or at least that was what the gun shop said when I said I only had 1. And after all who am I to argue with “Experts”

padom · Tuesday at 5:32 PM

WeR0206 said:
The hard part is explaining why the fedex/ups guy is stopping by everyother day to drop off so many packages

The perks of owning a business. Boxes delivered daily in mass....

jwhjwh54 · Tuesday at 5:51 PM

I didn't really read this thread but I'm going with 14.5 556 and 12.5 6 arc. yes i know.. it should be 12.5 556 and 14.5 6 arc but i'm a dumbass and impulse bought stuff instead of thinking

WeR0206 · Tuesday at 7:33 PM

jwhjwh54 said:
I didn't really read this thread but I'm going with 14.5 556 and 12.5 6 arc. yes i know.. it should be 12.5 556 and 14.5 6 arc but i'm a dumbass and impulse bought stuff instead of thinking

It happens to the best of us

Cal97c · 2025-10-15T15:32:51-0400

.243 is my favorite 6mm-ish cartridge. I haven’t shot any of these newer rounds, though- they may be great.

For a “little bit bigger than .223” variant, though, 6.5G is a sweet spot for me. I like the projectile selection, and it seems to work great for my intended purpose.

Cal97c · 2025-10-15T15:33:53-0400

.243 is my favorite 6mm-ish cartridge. I haven’t shot any of these newer rounds, though- they may be great.

For a “little bit bigger than .223” variant, though, 6.5G is a sweet spot for me. I like the projectile selection, and it seems to work great for my intended purpose.

Bluedog82 · 2025-10-15T16:29:29-0400

I’d say if you have an 18” 6 ARC (and I do), the longest 5.56 gun you’d need is a 16”. Whether in an SPR or Recce setup, you can shoot to 5-600 pretty easily and do it cheaper. The ARC takes care of everything 600-1000 or so.

Watch_this71 · 2025-10-15T21:44:20-0400

Bluedog82 said:
I’d say if you have an 18” 6 ARC (and I do), the longest 5.56 gun you’d need is a 16”. Whether in an SPR or Recce setup, you can shoot to 5-600 pretty easily and do it cheaper. The ARC takes care of everything 600-1000 or so.

Not the first time I've heard this.

MO Fugga · 2025-10-15T21:56:43-0400

Chaos Walker said:
I'm in this camp as well.
I'm abandoning 5.56 and putting it in the back.
But moving forward with 6.5 grendel.
I have a 20 inch currently. But collecting parts for an 11 sbr.

Me too. Can't decide on 6 or grendel.

Chaos Walker · 2025-10-15T22:16:54-0400

MO Fugga said:
Me too. Can't decide on 6 or grendel.

Originally the fight for me was 6mm max and 6.5 grendel.
Rebarreling my current 20.

Being that im in a communist state that places hate to ship to. After emailing and waiting on the current 1 supplier of 6mm max to respond, after weeks of no response. I just went forward with the grendel.

Shame too. I was looking forward to 6mm max. Because of 5.56 bolt usage.

WeR0206 · 2025-10-15T23:23:14-0400

Chaos Walker said:
waiting on the current 1 supplier of 6mm max

Haah! SOLGW?

Chaos Walker · 2025-10-15T23:25:49-0400

WeR0206 said:
Haah! SOLGW?

Nah.
Bc precision i think it was. The actual creator of the round.
Solgw just partnered with them to try and get it off the ground as far as I know.

.223 AND 6mm ARC advice

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