Rifle · SAAMI
.22 ARC
Hornady's AR-15 compatible .22 caliber cartridge that rivals .22-250 Remington from a semi-automatic platform.
- Caliber
- 0.2244″ · 5.7 mm
- Introduced
- 2024
- Case
- Rebated
- Parent
- 6.5 Grendel
- Primary use
- Hunting, Varmint, Competition
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 2024
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Hornady
- Manufacturer
- Hornady / Barrett
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 34.6 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:7
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rebated
- Max pressure
- 52,000 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 800 yd
- Max range
- 4050 yd
- Recoil
- 5.2–6 ft·lb
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .22 ARC. Parent case: 6.5 Grendel.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.70 | 0.224 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.43 | 0.253 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 10.92 | 0.430 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 30° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.22 | 0.442 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 11.20 | 0.441 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.50 | 0.059 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 5.62 | 0.221 | ≈ |
| Case length | 38.74 | 1.525 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 57.40 | 2.260 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .22 ARC is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Lineage
Necked down to .22 cal.
History
Introduced by Hornady in 2024 using the 6.5 Grendel case necked to .22 caliber, with design cues from the 6mm ARC. The larger case compared to 5.56mm allows heavier, higher-BC bullets while maintaining AR-15 magazine and bolt compatibility. Targets varmint hunters and long-range paper shooters who want .22-250 performance from a semi-auto.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .22 ARC use?
- .22 ARC typically uses a 1:7 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .22 ARC?
- .22 ARC uses a 0.2244″ (5.7 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .22 ARC still in production?
- .22 ARC is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .22 ARC used for?
- .22 ARC is primarily used for hunting, varmint, competition.
- What is .22 ARC based on?
- .22 ARC is derived from the 6.5 Grendel case.
Sources & provenance
- Standard SAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawings archived
- Standard SAAMI — SAAMI Announces Acceptance of Two New Cartridges (22 ARC, 22 Creedmoor) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics
- Manufacturer Hornady — 22 ARC 75 gr ELD Match Hornady Black (Item #81541) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — 22 ARC 80 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter (Item #81544) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — 22 ARC 88 gr ELD Match (Item #81543) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — Hornady Ballistic Coefficient data page — 7mm 175 gr ELD-X · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — 22 ARC 62 gr ELD-VT V-Match (Item #81542) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Secondary Testing 22 ARC — Shooting Illustrated / NRA (6.5 Grendel is the referenced parent; itself descended from 7.62x39mm/.220 Russian) · parent_cartridge
- Secondary .22 ARC — Wikipedia (parent case listed as 6.5mm Grendel; sourced to Hornady) · parent_cartridge
- Secondary 22 ARC Review — Outdoor Life ("traces lineage through the 6.5 Grendel, the parent case for both ARCs"; "necking down the 6.5 Grendel to .22-caliber") · parent_cartridge
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 22 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
