The relatively new 22 Advanced Rifle Cartridge (22 ARC) and 6mm ARC were designed to be accurate and fast, and deliver outstanding long-range performance.

We'll compare the 22 ARC vs. 6mm ARC in terms of real-world performance, including their recoil, trajectory, and suitability for hunting and defense, so you can decide which Advanced Rifle Cartridge better suits your needs.

22 ARC vs. 6mm ARC
 

Hornady used the 6.5 Grendel as the parent cartridge when designing both the 22 ARC and 6mm ARC, so we should expect many similarities between them in design and performance.

Upon its release in 2024, the .22-caliber 22 ARC was billed as accurate, fast, and flat shooting. As to whether hunters (or the rest of the market) will widely embrace this cartridge remains to be seen. One might expect varmint hunters to trade in their .22-250 Remington rifles for 22 ARC rifles based on ballistics alone, but that would ignore how devoted most hunters are to their
favorite rounds.

Hornady released the slightly older 6mm ARC in 2020. Like the 22 ARC, it is a flat-shooting, low-recoil cartridge designed for the AR-15. The 6mm ARC is ideal for long-range target practice and some hunting situations. Hornady intended for it to overtake the 5.56 NATO, but that likely won't happen despite the 6mm ARC outperforming it in most situations.

Pros and Cons



6mm ARC vs 22 ARC Specs



Ballistics Comparison: Velocity, Energy, and Bullet Drop

22 ARC Ballistics Table



Note: The information below comes from ammunition manufacturers. Actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load. When manufacturer ballistic data were unavailable, ballistics were calculated by Ammo.com: America's #1 Source for Discount Ammo Online.

Read the full breakdown: https://ammo.com/comparison/22-arc-vs-6mm-arc