Christensen Arms' 6mm ARC Modern Precision Rifle

The Christensen Arms MPR chambered in the 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge is a feature-packed, versatile, easy-shooting rifle that fits into many different roles.

March 13, 2024 By Cody Eardley

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I parked at the trailhead around midnight and slept in the back of my truck. The next morning, I hiked to our glassing point in the dark. The pink November sunrise revealed a nice whitetail buck chasing does 100-yards below me by the river. I ranged it, settled in behind my Christensen Arms Modern Precision Rifle (MPR), and squeezed the trigger. The 6mm ARC sent a 108-grain Hornady ELD-M across the western prairie. I watched it impact right behind the buck’s front leg. It humped up, took a couple of bounds, then toppled over in the fresh snow.

The 6mm ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge) is at the forefront of modern cartridge design. It was created by Hornady to maximize the long-range potential of the AR-15. It is light recoiling, flat shooting, and has chamber and throat dimensions designed for accuracy. The ARC propels small, .243-inch diameter bullets with high ballistic coefficients (BC) from a modest powder charge, making it an excellent bolt gun cartridge for PRS matches, hunting, and general shooting. Barrel life is four to five times that of the 6mm Creedmoor. One of the main advantages of the 6mm ARC is that it produces so little recoil that a shooter can watch their bullet impact and then make adjustments. I have never been more effective on steel from 600 to 1,000 yards than I was shooting this rifle.

These long, high-BC bullets have high sectional densities, so they penetrate deeply and are deadly on game. Between the MPR and my AR-15, I used the 6mm ARC this fall to take a six-point bull elk, a four-point mule deer, an eight-point whitetail buck, and a couple of antelope. Penetration and tissue and organ destruction were severe on everything I shot. I have had great success with Christensen Arms rifles over the years. They’ve all been reliable, well built, and accurate. When I saw that they were chambering their MPR in 6mm ARC, I ordered one for testing. Christensen Arms also offers an MPR with a longer, heavier, all-steel barrel designed specifically for PRS matches. Christensen Arms builds their own barrels in their factory in Gunnison, Utah. It’s a process that produces accurate, stiff, and good-looking barrels. The process starts with 416 stainless bar stock that is cut to length, drilled, and rifled. The blank is then baked at high temperatures in an oven to remove any stresses induced during manufacture. The stainless blank is then wrapped in carbon fiber, which adds rigidity without adding much weight.

christiansen-arms-6mm-arc-rifle-03 — The MPR accepts AICS-pattern magazines.

The 6mm ARC barrel on this MPR is 16-inches long, threaded 5/8-24, has a 1:7.5-inch twist, and is finished off with a three-chamber muzzlebrake. A suppressor looks and performs great on this barrel. Quality control is strict and effective at Christensen Arms, and all barrels are hand polished and borescoped before they are allowed to move on in production. The Model 14 is Christensen’s flagship action. It has several upgrades over a standard Remington 700 but shares compatibility with its trigger pattern and optic mount interface. The action is machined from stainless steel, deburred, then finished with a slick and good-looking nitride finish. Christensen Arms installs a flat-faced TriggerTech trigger that is perfect for breaking the shot on small, distant targets. The MPR feeds from AICS-pattern magazines, and the 6mm ARC version ships with a 10-round magazine made by the long-range masters at MDT.

The Modern Precision Rifle’s 7075 billet aluminum chassis is one of the best in the industry. Both the 14-inch carbon-fiber handguard and height-adjustable cheek riser are built with Christensen Arms’ new Flash Forged carbon-fiber Technology (FFT). Chopped carbon fiber is set in resin to produce a light, stiff, and strong part. It’s a zero-waste process that is effective and looks good. The MPR chassis folds at a hinge just behind the grip, and a powerful magnet holds it closed until deployed. It ships with a black Magpul Slim Line grip that can be easily swapped out for personal preference. I chose the Tungsten Cerakote finish, but black and Desert Brown are available.

christiansen-arms-6mm-arc-rifle-04 — Carbon fiber used throughout the MPR adds rigidity without extra weight.

Leupold’s VX5-HD 3-15x44mm scope is feature rich but not so large as to be cumbersome and overwhelm the gun. It has a great magnification range for shooting steel and game. Its Custom Dial System (CDS) turret is easy to use, incorporates a zero-stop and zero-lock, and each scope ships with a coupon for a free custom cut turret from Leupold’s custom shop. My scope has an Impact-29 reticle that is effective for wind calls and holdovers without dialing. This scope performed well in desert dust, mountain snow, and from up close to however far I wanted to shoot. I mounted it on the Christensen Arms 20-MOA rail with Zeiss low-height machined rings.

Hornady’s 6mm ARC factory ammunition is affordable and accurate. Since the AR-15 has a max pressure threshold of 52,000 psi, factory ammo is loaded to this standard. Hornady publishes reloading data for bolt guns that increases pressure to 62,000 psi. I was careful not to shoot any bolt gun loads in my AR. Hornady offers three factory loads for the 6mm ARC. Their 108-grain ELD-M and 105-grain BTHP are tailored for shooting targets, long-range steel, and general shooting. Both are accurate and have similar trajectories out to 500 yards. The 108-grain ELD-M load expanded perfectly and left a small mushroom under the hide on the far side of my broadside whitetail buck.

Hornady’s ELD-X bullet is specifically tailored for hunting big game. I reloaded and shot a bunch of them with excellent performance on everything from elk to milk jugs at 500 yards. I also loaded up some 58-grain Hornady V-MAX bullets that were devastating on prairie dogs. For hunting at distances under 350 yards, Hornady’s 80-grain CX copper bullet is a great choice to ensure deep penetration. The MPR strikes a fine balance between shootabilty and portability. With the Leupold optic, it weighs 9.5 pounds. Paired with the low-recoiling 6mm ARC cartridge, it makes for a gun that is light enough to carry as you walk the ridges searching for targets but can settle down and be rock solid for the long shots. Fifty-round afternoon sessions didn’t beat me up, and the small, efficient powder charge let me shoot at a cadence that would have melted the barrels of larger chamberings. I hit a 15-inch plate at 700 yards with the wind gusting hard because I could see my impacts and make the necessary corrections — a big benefit over something like a .300 Win. Mag. Christensen Arms’ Modern Precision Rifle chambered in 6mm ARC is fun to shoot. It’s accurate, compact, and beautifully machined. With its low muzzle blast, nonexistent recoil, and long barrel life, the 6mm ARC is a shooter’s dream. It was enjoyable to dive into the nuances of this cartridge and see what American ingenuity and manufacturing can produce.