Light bullets
Many varmint-oriented loads use light bullets designed for rapid expansion. Their high muzzle velocity should not be confused with the behavior of a heavier match or hunting bullet.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · COMPACT RIFLE CARTRIDGE
6mm ARC
Advanced Rifle Cartridge is a compact 6mm centerfire with dedicated hunting and match factory ammunition. It uses a different case from 6mm Creedmoor.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 2.135–2.260 in
54.229–57.404 mm - Case length · max
- 1.490 in
37.846 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.2433 in
6.180 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.441 in
11.201 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Compact rifle cartridge
- Bullet specification
- 0.2433 in / 6.180 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 6 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 80–110 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
6mm ARC is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 6 mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
6mm ARC, 6mm Creedmoor, and .243 Winchester are separate cartridges despite sharing a nominal bullet diameter.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
Hornady publicly introduced the 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge on June 3, 2020. The company said a specialized Department of Defense group had already tested, selected and fielded it for a multipurpose rifle program. Ballistician Jayden Quinlan described the development question as how to gain more performance within the physical limits of the AR-15 system.
That platform constraint shaped the project: the cartridge had to accommodate contemporary long 6 mm bullets without requiring the larger rifle envelope associated with .308-length ammunition. Hornady’s initial commercial lineup covered three uses, with a 105-grain BTHP BLACK load, a 108-grain ELD Match load and a 103-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter load announced for later that year. Its history therefore combines a specific government development program with an intentionally broad sporting launch. It was not simply a metric rename of the .223 Remington, nor a smaller version of the much larger 6mm Creedmoor case.
Historical sources: Hornady: original June 2020 announcement and developer’s account ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Longer bullets
Streamlined match bullets can retain velocity differently downrange. Bullet length, construction, rifling twist, and magazine constraints are product-specific; grain weight alone does not describe them.
Specialty construction
Monolithic, bonded, tipped, and subsonic products are distinct load types when offered. A match label describes a target role and does not automatically establish a hunting application.
In the cited 6mm ARC examples, bullet weights are 80, 90, 103, 105, 110 grains. These are the weights actually present in this source selection, not a claim that every possible loading is listed.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
From the factory catalog
80 grains
3,020 fps
ELD-VT®
90 grains
2,975 fps
CX®
103 grains
2,800 fps
ELD-X®
Compare all 6 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady81603 | 80 gr 5.18 g | ELD-VT® | 3,020 fps 920 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| Hornady81612 | 90 gr 5.83 g | CX® | 2,975 fps 907 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| Hornady81602 | 103 gr 6.67 g | ELD-X® | 2,800 fps 853 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| Hornady81604 | 105 gr 6.80 g | BTHP | 2,750 fps 838 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| FederalAE6ARC1 | 110 gr 7.13 g | TMJ | 2,600 fps 792 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
| FederalF6ARCTFS2 | 110 gr 7.13 g | FUSION TIPPED | 2,600 fps 792 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
6mm ARC: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 80 gr Hornady ELD-VT® | Hornady | 0: 3020; 100: 2788; 200: 2569; 300: 2359; 400: 2160; 500: 1970 |
| 90 gr Hornady CX® | Hornady | 0: 2975; 100: 2746; 200: 2529; 300: 2322; 400: 2125; 500: 1937 |
| 103 gr Hornady ELD-X® | Hornady | 0: 2800; 100: 2623; 200: 2452; 300: 2288; 400: 2130; 500: 1979 |
| 105 gr Hornady BTHP | Hornady | 0: 2750; 100: 2580; 200: 2417; 300: 2260; 400: 2108; 500: 1963 |
| 110 gr Federal TMJ | Federal | 0: 2600; 100: 2403; 200: 2214; 300: 2034; 400: 1862; 500: 1702 |
| 110 gr Federal FUSION TIPPED | Federal | 0: 2600; 100: 2426; 200: 2259; 300: 2099; 400: 1944; 500: 1798 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is 6mm ARC?
Advanced Rifle Cartridge is a compact 6mm centerfire with dedicated hunting and match factory ammunition. It uses a different case from 6mm Creedmoor.
What diameter does 6mm ARC use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.2433 inches (6.180 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
6mm ARC, 6mm Creedmoor, and .243 Winchester are separate cartridges despite sharing a nominal bullet diameter.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
The downrange view uses the exact manufacturer catalog records shown in the source table. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values use linear interpolation between the displayed source points. Calculated energy uses the listed bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 44 ↗
- Hornady: 6mm ARC ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗
- Hornady: original June 2020 announcement and developer’s account ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.