elgin noveske built me a 14.5" 6arc
a noveske building a noveske
i had spent a bunch of time with Walter Sobchak Security LLC shooting varmints out in Wyoming and those boys brought out their 6 arc guns. they were impressive pieces of machinery. both of the noveske flavor and both making consistent hits out to 1,000 yards. for 12.5” and 14.5” guns…that’s some serious firepower. there aren’t a lot of guns at that barrel length making repeatable shots out to 1k.
so i did what any sporting enthusiast would do. i whipped out my credit card and bought a 14.5” noveske barrel knowing i was headed up to noveske in december. i hit up jeff shortly after and he ensured me that we could stick that bad boy into an upper receiver.
elgin pulled into noveske hq at the same time i did, ready to get to building a sick gun. i was pretty set on building a complete gen 3 upper around this barrel and elgin wasted no time scrounging for parts. in fact, it seemed like multiple people rallied together in my search for gen 3 parts.
there ain’t nothing more frustrating than watching an experienced builder with all the right tools get it done. every step just whizzes by for a guy like elgin. like a true professional, the pin goes into the gas block with ease, the grease gets put onto the barrel nut perfectly, it takes no time at all to time the muzzle device. it’s in stark contrast to how i build an ar-15. losing pins, using my thighs to hold the reciever, shit being crooked the first time every time. you know the drill.
there’s also somethin’ sweet about knowing that a noveske built…your noveske. keepin’ it in the family, ya know.
so why 6 arc? well let me preface this by saying that i’m an amateur. the long range world is rather new to me. i’m not a ballistics expert and i don’t intend on being one. i have a 10.5” 300 blackout that is my do-it-all package. i can hunt plenty of game with it. it can swap between supers / subs with ease and kill many critters with either. it’s also small and easy to travel with.
however, there is one area where 6 arc shines and 300 blackout falls behind…for now. there aren’t a ton of great supersonic loads out there. i’ve watched Walter nail targets at 950 yds with his pissin’ hot loads, but i can’t buy those at the shop. i can buy 108gr Hornady Match online and get 1,000 yard performance all day. that’s not to diss 300 blackout. it’s my favorite but the fudds who make ammo have got to figure it the fuck out. one day i think 300 blackout will have factory options that get the job done, but for now they are relatively expensive and scarce.
6 arc rounds the gas gun arsenal out a little bit. plus…i love fiddling around with this stuff.
i’ll probably change this gun a good bit so i won’t spend much time laying out the build. atlas bipod, silencerco velos, nightforce nx8, yatta yatta. i’ll most likely swap the optic out because it isn’t mine, i’ll add a peq-15/light as well as an acro (maybe a PB-3.)
a low back pressure can like the Velos 556 LBP is pretty much mandatory on 6 arc. your receiver doesn’t end up as dirty and if you reload your brass it is a little cleaner. from what i can tell, 6 arc seems to run rather dirty. i’m biased as i work at silencerco, however the Velos does a great job at alleviating some problems with 6 arc.
so, that’s that. the gun shot great. i’ll group it at some point. i got the data i need for my dope and i was able to stretch it out to 650 yds that day. easy day for a noveske rifle. once i figure out a build out i like, i’ll make a follow up article about what i’m seeing with 6 arc.