Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6 mm ARC (bolt action rifles only) with .243 | 85gr | Barnes TSX BT bullet and 55 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon H335, Hodgdon H322 and Somchem S321.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 86% | 52,402 psi | 85% | 2710 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2015ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 52,417 psi | 85% | 2792 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 98% | 54,723 psi | 88% | 2851 fps | 99% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,045 psi | 65% | 2664 fps | 99.3% |
| Accurate 2520ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 51,561 psi | 83% | 2844 fps | 98.3% |
| Accurate 4064ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,260 psi | 60% | 2625 fps | 96.5% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 92% | 53,069 psi | 86% | 2723 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 92% | 53,563 psi | 86% | 2733 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 92% | 55,956 psi | 90% | 2808 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 94% | 54,897 psi | 89% | 2877 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 51,517 psi | 83% | 2802 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,747 psi | 79% | 2825 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 98% | 55,564 psi | 90% | 2959 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 96% | 52,881 psi | 85% | 2818 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 90% | 54,433 psi | 88% | 2776 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 94% | 54,578 psi | 88% | 2759 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon Benchmarkᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 54,882 psi | 89% | 2808 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,994 psi | 79% | 2822 fps | 96.8% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 96% | 52,257 psi | 84% | 2838 fps | 99.5% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 96% | 53,722 psi | 87% | 2864 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 55,332 psi | 89% | 2776 fps | 99.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,010 psi | 52% | 1673 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,818 psi | 74% | 2799 fps | 99.4% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 54,549 psi | 88% | 2792 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 54,882 psi | 89% | 2726 fps | 100% |
| IMR 8208 XBRᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 51,517 psi | 83% | 2802 fps | 96.6% |
| Lovex D073.4 | <<locked>> | 90% | 52,199 psi | 84% | 2822 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 98% | 55,071 psi | 89% | 2854 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex D073.6ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,498 psi | 73% | 2759 fps | 97.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 86% | 53,330 psi | 86% | 2674 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 92% | 53,214 psi | 86% | 2802 fps | 100% |
| Norma 202ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 46,876 psi | 76% | 2756 fps | 98.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,952 psi | 52% | 1716 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 86% | 55,259 psi | 89% | 2766 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 98% | 55,535 psi | 90% | 2867 fps | 98.6% |
| Rottweil R 901ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 50,807 psi | 82% | 2789 fps | 98.5% |
| Shooters World AR Plus | <<locked>> | 90% | 52,199 psi | 84% | 2822 fps | 98.2% |
| Shooters World Match Rifleᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,498 psi | 73% | 2759 fps | 97.2% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 94% | 53,476 psi | 86% | 2785 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 53,809 psi | 87% | 2523 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 94% | 55,317 psi | 89% | 2881 fps | 99.2% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 96% | 54,534 psi | 88% | 2835 fps | 99.9% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 50,836 psi | 82% | 2723 fps | 98.6% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,567 psi | 65% | 2566 fps | 97.7% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 98% | 53,026 psi | 86% | 2851 fps | 97.2% |
| Somchem S335ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 49,052 psi | 79% | 2720 fps | 99% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 55,564 psi | 90% | 2615 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 92% | 55,985 psi | 90% | 2756 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 98% | 53,911 psi | 87% | 2769 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 49,937 psi | 81% | 2723 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,655 psi | 67% | 2677 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N140ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,150 psi | 71% | 2684 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori N530ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 52,315 psi | 84% | 2805 fps | 96.7% |
| Vihtavuori N540ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,714 psi | 69% | 2671 fps | 97.1% |
| Winchester 748ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 50,299 psi | 81% | 2844 fps | 97.3% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,743 psi | 69% | 2559 fps | 99.8% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,601 psi | 45% | 2306 fps | 95.3% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,868 psi | 58% | 2523 fps | 95% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 88% | 26,136 psi | 42% | 2343 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,493 psi | 62% | 2615 fps | 95.4% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 98% | 34,490 psi | 56% | 2562 fps | 95.6% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,608 psi | 59% | 2431 fps | 96.9% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,305 psi | 63% | 2487 fps | 95.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,421 psi | 62% | 2536 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,852 psi | 55% | 2490 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 96% | 45,716 psi | 74% | 2707 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,353 psi | 41% | 2310 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 94% | 48,443 psi | 78% | 2844 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,053 psi | 52% | 2431 fps | 98.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,726 psi | 64% | 2539 fps | 99.7% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,679 psi | 56% | 2415 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,018 psi | 69% | 2612 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,264 psi | 68% | 2703 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon H322 | 21.9 gr | 82% | 33,011 psi | 53% | 2470 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon H335 | 24 gr | 84% | 35,665 psi | 58% | 2536 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,437 psi | 65% | 2523 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,467 psi | 38% | 1496 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 88% | 31,154 psi | 50% | 2480 fps | 95.6% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,127 psi | 55% | 2438 fps | 99.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 46,050 psi | 74% | 2598 fps | 100% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 96% | 45,716 psi | 74% | 2707 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex D073.4 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,030 psi | 63% | 2589 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,307 psi | 67% | 2631 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,015 psi | 63% | 2641 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,976 psi | 73% | 2552 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,940 psi | 58% | 2507 fps | 99.4% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,187 psi | 58% | 2552 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,134 psi | 37% | 1526 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,556 psi | 73% | 2625 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,089 psi | 65% | 2605 fps | 95.4% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,724 psi | 61% | 2549 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World AR Plus | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,030 psi | 63% | 2589 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,015 psi | 63% | 2641 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 92% | 49,676 psi | 80% | 2726 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,713 psi | 67% | 2359 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,448 psi | 59% | 2546 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,561 psi | 53% | 2431 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,260 psi | 60% | 2484 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,765 psi | 54% | 2425 fps | 95.7% |
| Somchem S321 | 26.5 gr | 92% | 43,149 psi | 70% | 2684 fps | 95% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,547 psi | 54% | 2425 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 52,156 psi | 84% | 2572 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,595 psi | 62% | 2500 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,705 psi | 50% | 2346 fps | 97.4% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 82% | 28,340 psi | 46% | 2297 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,471 psi | 46% | 2382 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,214 psi | 55% | 2480 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 96% | 45,585 psi | 74% | 2697 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 96% | 37,405 psi | 60% | 2566 fps | 95.6% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 96% | 44,063 psi | 71% | 2736 fps | 95.9% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 55 powders for 6 mm ARC (bolt action rifles only) loaded with the .243 | 85gr | Barnes TSX BT. Alliant Power Pro 1200-R delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,959 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,673 fps to 2,959 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 55 of the 55 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (427 MPa), the top charges use 52–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 85.0 gr projectile in 0.243" calls for a 1:9.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2015, Accurate 2495, Accurate 2520 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Hodgdon H335, Hodgdon H322, Somchem S321 rank at the top here: for 6 mm ARC (bolt action rifles only) with the .243 | 85gr | Barnes TSX BT they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.