Hornady announces 22 ARC (22 Grendel)

[LRRPF52]

[video=youtube_share;cBO6t47LmVw]https://youtu.be/cBO6t47LmVw?feature=shared[/video]

[Zeneffect]

This might just what I'm looking for. Once you are at 80gr and above the bc gets really really good in .224 projectile selection, and this should provide enough case capacity to make magic happen.

[BluntForceTrauma]

The 22 ARC case is longer than the 6mm ARC case, and I'm wondering if it's longer than a Grendel case? Eagerly waiting to see the SAAMI print!

Hornady says they made the case to properly seat their long .224 bullet with minimal intrusion into the neck/shoulder juncture with a 2.260 COAL. I wonder what the specs are?

[biodsl]

The 22 ARC case is longer than the 6mm ARC case, and I'm wondering if it's longer than a Grendel case? Eagerly waiting to see the SAAMI print!

Snagged from Sniper's Hide. Case apparently is 1.525

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[Zeneffect]

Dear god.... please make me rich so I can shoot many many rounds. Thank you.

[BluntForceTrauma]

Snagged from Sniper's Hide. Case apparently is 1.525

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Thanks, if I remember, SAAMI max length for 65G is 1.520, so just .005 longer.

[Old Bob]

I'm wondering what the case body length to the datum line is. That seems to be a more important measurement to someone who may want to convert either 6.5 Grendel or 6mm ARC brass to 22 ARC. If the body length is the same as 6 ARC, that would pretty much be a no go because of the short case length. After resizing their necks, I suppose you could fix their body length by fire-forming them but that would be a royal PITA. And they'd still be too short.

I'm also wondering how available will 22 ARC brass be. From experience with 6 ARC, any reloading at first will be with once fired brass or resized brass with .441" heads.

[BlogSarge]

Dear god.... please make me rich so I can shoot many many rounds. Thank you.

Amen!

[LRRPF52]

I'm wondering what the case body length to the datum line is. That seems to be a more important measurement to someone who may want to convert either 6.5 Grendel or 6mm ARC brass to 22 ARC. If the body length is the same as 6 ARC, that would pretty much be a no go because of the short case length. After resizing their necks, I suppose you could fix their body length by fire-forming them but that would be a royal PITA. And they'd still be too short.

I'm also wondering how available will 22 ARC brass be. From experience with 6 ARC, any reloading at first will be with once fired brass or resized brass with .441" heads.

It’s longer than 6mm ARC because the .224 ogives aren’t as long. More case capacity than ARC.

[Old Bob]

It’s longer than 6mm ARC because the .224 ogives aren’t as long. More case capacity than ARC.

That makes sense. Has their been any speculation whether these new bullets will be appropriate for 22 Nosler or 22 Valkyrie? I ask because I have a never used 22 Nosler AR barrel. I was gonna build a 22 Nosler AR but changed my mind & built my Grendel instead after I read some less than stellar reviews of 22 Nosler accuracy.

[LRRPF52]

22 Nosler case is too long, like a .223 Rem but with more powder capacity. It can’t use any of the new, longer ogive bullets.

[A.D.D. AR]

Hornady said they should have load data on their website by the first of the year. And would add 22 ARC to their ballistic apps.

[Bob R]

Nothing much posted on this in a while. Here we are in 2024.
I managed to come up with Three Box's of Hornady Black Box 75 ELD Ammunition.
I also called Saturn and I have a 20", Rifle Gas, .750 Gas Fixture Size, 5/8-24 Muzzle Thread Barrel in the mail. I was a little surprised at the 5/8-24 Muzzle Thread on a .224 Barrel. I am pretty sure this will not end up being an Ultra Lite build.

I have been doing a lot of research on the 22 ARC the last month or so. From what I understand the 22 ARC is a 22 Grendel. It is a full length 6.5 Grendel necked down. Brass for the 22 ARC can be made the old fashioned way, by necking down 6.5 Grendel. A little searching will result in information on making 22 Grendel Brass from 6.5 Grendel. I would wait at this point to find Hornady Loaded Ammunition. If my local Gunsmith got some in, Midway, and other sources should be getting ammunition in shortly. Hornady Reloading Dies are already out.

Doing the math, buying new Hornady Brass (When it gets on the shelf), Bullets, Primers, and Powder is very close to the cost of buying Hornady Loaded Ammunition. Until Starline gets brass out, buying loaded ammunition for brass is not that bad a way to get a 22 ARC up and running.

I will know for sure shortly what it will do. Trying to do an Apples to Apples comparison about the only bullet in common (With Load Data) would be the 80 Grain ELD-M. Which would have to be single loaded in an 5.56 AR15. Running Numbers to convert published (24") 22 ARC Load Data to 20 Inch Barrel Numbers. My research indicates that the 22 ARC will push 80 Grain ELD-M Bullets 200 fps faster than single loaded rounds in an 5.56. That does not sound like much, until you start looking at numbers down range. That 200 fps is knocking lots of MOA off dialing the scope up. It is also Magazine Fed, Not a Single Shot.

Getting away from Apples to Apples. The 22 ARC will Magazine Feed lots of HIGH BC Bullets that will not Magazine Feed in a 5.56. The NEW Hornady 62 ELD-VT bullet is a very good example. This should be about as good a Coyote bullet as you can get. I have seen this bullet, and it does look good. My plan so far is to run 80 grain Berger VLD and 80 grain A-Max bullets in it for a few years. I have a very good supply of 80 grain bullets on hand for my 223 Remington 600 yard F Class rifle.

I am looking forward to getting it up and running. More to come on the Build.

Bob R

[Zeneffect]

I'm playing the multi-month waiting game for my Craddock 22 arc barrel

Hopefully by the time it arrives there will be more than just hornady dies available on the market.

Bob, you can get the 80gr eldm to mag length in .223? I been single feeding mine as they are pretty long and never considered that they could be seated to mag length. That extra 200fps is over 100ftlbs difference of energy at 550 yards. Now consider, what if both had a similar coal so single feed everything. 300fps? 400fps?

The way I see it, this is the 22 grendel i wanted and the valkyrie I threw away because it sucked. I'm looking forward to this cartridge and am happy about my decision to not 6arc.

[biodsl]

The way I see it, this is the 22 grendel i wanted and the valkyrie I threw away because it sucked. I'm looking forward to this cartridge and am happy about my decision to not 6arc.

Pretty funny about the Valkyrie. A total face-plant.

There's a lot of versatility in owning these two cartridges; the 22ARC and Grendel. Everything from prairie dogs to elk.

[Casswick]

So they fixed the 224 Valkyrie?

[Bob R]

I called Saturn Tuesday afternoon and ordered the 22 ARC Barrel. It is a 20 Inch Barrel, .750 at the Gas Fixture, with Rifle Length Gas, and a 5/8-24 Muzzle Thread.
I was totally shocked when it was delivered today (Thursday). FedEx must still have shipping expedited from Christmas. I have had Midway orders that were not processed and shipped that fast, let alone being delivered.

I had a Sportsman's Club Election Meeting this evening. I am still Club President . So I did not start on the rebuild yet. I may start on it after work Friday, so that I can shoot it this Weekend.

THE PLAN

I plan to tear down my 204 Ruger AR15, and rebuild it into a 22 ARC. I just got done doing a face lift on the 204, swapping Scopes, Bases, Handguards, Butt Stock, Grip, and the Gas Fixture. I built the 204 Ruger using a 24" White Oak Barrel In 2007.
The Upper & Lower are a Matched Set from Rock River.
Pretty sure the Bolt, Lower Parts, and Charging Handle are also Rock River.
It has a Jewel Trigger.
It has a MagPul MOE Fixed Stock and MOE Grip.
It has a Seekens Precision .750 Adjustable Gas Fixture.
The Forend is a Geissele Automatics MK4 x 13.5
The Charging Handle has the Original Large Badger Latch.
Badger Picatinny Conversion for the Harris Benchrest Notch Leg Swivel Bipod, which has a Pod Loc.
Leupold MK AR 30mm Cantilever Scope Base.
SWFA 20X Fixed Power Super Sniper Scope.
30mm Anti Cant Device that mounts over the scope tube.
I plan to just swap out the 204 Ruger Barrel with Rifle Gas and the Bolt for the 22 ARC Barrel and Bolt reusing most all of the original parts.
I have a new 5/8-24 A2 Flash Hider and 5/8 Shim set ready to install.
I have 60 rounds of Hornady Black Box 75 grain ELD Ammunition to get it up and running.
I should have my Hornady Two Die Set in hand this coming Monday. I would prefer Redding or RCBS Dies, but I guess I will see how well I like Hornady Dies as my options are limited at the moment.

I have a CustomARDustCover.com Dust Cover ordered marked 22 ARC in small print on the Right Panel Inside as well as Outside. I just ordered it Wednesday, so it will probably be next week before it shows up. I have the same style on all of my AR15's.

The reason for the Badger Picatinny Conversion of the Harris Bipod. The Geissele MK IV x 13.5 M-Loc Handguard comes to the front edge of the Seekins Adjustable Gas Fixture, so I can access the Gas Adjustment Screw as well as the Lock Screw with the Handguard in place. The MK IV x 13.5 Handguard has a Picatinny Rail Section on the forward Three Inches. It being a 13.5 Inch Length, it is a little on the short side to start with. All of my other rifle length AR's have 15 Inch Handguards with M-Loc Bipod Studs as far forward as possible. I want to mount the Harris Bipod as far forward on the 13.5 inch handguard as possible. The Badger Bipod Conversion was the most solid option available to accomplish this.

With luck the weather will cooperate this weekend allowing me to get a Zero with the 75 grain ELD-M Ammunition and to Chronograph the factory ammunition through a 20 Inch Barrel and see what it will really do in a real AR15. Hornady's listed Velocity Numbers are using a 24" Test Barrel. I expect to get numbers a solid 100 FPS slower than the advertised velocity numbers through the 20" Saturn Barrel.

More to come.

Bob R

[Bob R]

The 22 ARC is pretty much together. Still waiting on the 22 ARC Marked Dust Cover. Also I am leaving the Saturn Barrel in the White until I am happy with it.
I had a great day to shoot after Church Sunday (01-07-2024) however the wife had other plans for my afternoon. The Weather has not been good for Shooting or Chrono graphing since, and looks to not improve for several more days.
I will get to shoot it sooner or later.

Bob R

[Bevo]

Anyone know the length of the 62gr ELD-VT bullet?

EDIT: Found the answer elsewhere... 1.055"

[SDguy]

Hornady said they should have load data on their website by the first of the year. And would add 22 ARC to their ballistic apps.

How is this coming along?