An in-depth look at 22 ARC ballistics – including muzzle velocity, energy and bullet drop data for the top loads available to American shooters and hunters.
In the not-too-distant past, fans of the AR platform were limited to a handful of rounds. Essentially, it was the .223 Remington for the AR-15 and the .308 Winchester for the AR-10. There was a smattering of unique cartridges and wildcat rounds, but overall people were limited to these two primary options.
How things have changed.
Thanks to creative designs from gun manufacturers and innovative engineering from ammunition companies, AR users now have a swarm of choices.
The list keeps growing. New to the scene is the .22 Advanced Rifle Cartridge, best known as the “.22 ARC.” (Called the “two-two arc” or “twenty-two arc.”) This round, released by Hornady, threads new bullet technology into the AR platform, with an expressed goal of achieving the performance of a .22-250 Remington from an AR-15.
Based on the 6.5 Grendel, designers created the .22 ARC by necking down the case and adding low-drag .224-caliber bullets, the standard for varmint and target shooting ammunition.
Does it achieve its goal? To find out, we can look at available manufacturer data. But first, let’s look at the dimensions and market conditions for this round…
22 ARC Ballistic Chart
| Ballistic Coefficient | Sectional Density | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammo | Barrel Length | Muzzle | 100 yards | 200 yards | 300 yards | 400 yards | 500 yards | Muzzle (ft-lbs) | 100 yards | 200 yards | 300 yards | 400 yards | 500 yards | Muzzle | 100 yards | 200 yards | 300 yards | 400 yards | 500 yards | G1 | G7 | |
| Hornady 62 Grain ELD-VT | 24" | 3,300 | 3,044 | 2,803 | 2,574 | 2,357 | 2,150 | 1,499 | 1,275 | 1,081 | 912 | 765 | 636 | -1.5 | 0 | 5.6 | 16.4 | 33.5 | 0.395 | 0.177 | ||
| Hornady 70 Grain - CX | 24" | 3,125 | 2,877 | 2,643 | 2,421 | 2,209 | 2,008 | 1,518 | 1,287 | 1,086 | 911 | 759 | 627 | -1.5 | 0 | 6.3 | 18.6 | 38.1 | 0.392 | |||
| Hornady 75 Grain ELD Match Black | 24" | 3,075 | 2,868 | 2,672 | 2,483 | 2,302 | 2,129 | 1,575 | 1,370 | 1,189 | 1,027 | 883 | 755 | -1.5 | 0 | 6.2 | 18.1 | 36.6 | 0.467 | |||
| Hornady 88 Grain ELD Match | 24" | 2,820 | 2,652 | 2,491 | 2,335 | 2,185 | 2,040 | 1,554 | 1,375 | 1,212 | 1,066 | 933 | 813 | -1.5 | 0 | 7.3 | 21.1 | 42.1 | 0.545 | 0.251 | ||
Real-World Velocity Testing
The manufacturer provided ballistic data is certainly useful but we also like to see what factory loads produce in the field on our own. We took our Ruger American Gen II rifle with a 20″ barrel to the range. It’s another data point for shooters and, potentially, a more realistic one compared to the 24″ barrel used in Hornady’s manufacturer data.
As we’d expect, the rounds were slower from the shorter barrel. See our 5-shot series data in the photos below for Hornady’s 62 grain V-MATCH, 75 grain ELD, and 88 grain ELD loads.
Velocity Insights
The .22 ARC has excellent speed and will easily compete with other popular .22-caliber rifle cartridges, especially in the AR platform. The round was made to mimic the performance of a .22-250, one of the fastest commercial rounds on the market. For velocity, it almost matches the .22-250, which has speeds of 3,500 to nearly 4,500 fps, but it appears most comparable to the .223 Remington, which hovers around 3,000 to 3,500 fps.
Energy Insights
With muzzle energies hovering around 1,500 ft-lbs, the .22 ARC has enough power for a wide variety of game. It also maintains roughly 1,000 ft-lbs of force to 300 yards, making it a fully-capable moderate-range hunting cartridge for medium-sized animals.
While the .22 ARC may not be as fast as the .22-250, its energy stats are similar. In fact, it appears to maintain excellent power downrange, thanks, we can assume, to the heavier, longer bullets.
It may not overwhelm users with power (it is, after all, a .22-caliber round), but the cartridge can hold its own among the most popular AR-15 rounds.
Trajectory
One of the most impressive aspects of the .22 ARC is the trajectory. While not considered a long-range round, for an AR-platform cartridge it delivers a fairly flat trajectory. The 62-grain ELD-VT is particularly impressive, only dropping 16.4 inches between 200 and 400 yards. This should give AR users plenty of distance at the range or in the field.
.22 ARC: Physical Specs
| Parent case | 6.5 Grendel |
|---|---|
| Primer | Centerfire |
| Bullet diameter | 0.224 inches |
| Rim diameter | .441 inches |
| Case length | 1.525 inches |
| Overall length | 2.06 inches |
| Typical firearm | AR-15 platform and bolt-action |
The .22 ARC Ammo and Rifle Availability
The .22 ARC is a young cartridge, so options are currently limited for both ammunition and available firearms.
While you may not find .22 ARC rifle ammo in the stores, you can order online. Various manufacturers, including special small-scale companies, are currently producing .22 ARC firearms. Rise Armament and CMMG are making ready-for-the-range rifles chambered in the .22 ARC. Owners of an AR-15 rifle, hoping to adopt the round, can also modify their current firearm with a new barrel, bolt, and magazine.
The main player for ammo is Hornady, the only major manufacturer with a .22 ARC offering as of 2025. Small-batch and custom-order shops, such as the Copper Creek Cartridge Company, can produce the round, but major producers like Federal, Remington, and Winchester have not yet adopted the .22 ARC.
Hornady, however, has five options ranging from 62 to 88 grains. These rounds are marketed towards target and varmint shooting, with one option, the 80-grain ELD-X, marketed as a deer-hunting round.
Why Choose the .22 ARC?
The .22 ARC may not be the most powerful, fast, or versatile round on the market, but it has a clear niche and could be popular for many years. If you have an AR-15 rifle and want to make the switch to a flatter shooting or more powerful cartridge, the .22 ARC could be the right choice. It’s a well-balanced cartridge with exceptional power and consistent accuracy, and it all comes in a compact load fired from the country’s most popular rifle platform.
This round has the potential for deer hunting as well. Hornady currently advertises the 80-grain ELD-X cartridge, from their Precision Hunter product line, as a round for deer and medium-sized game. Within 200 yards, it likely has the energy and ballistic performance to harvest animals up to 300 pounds.
Whether you are looking for a first-time varmint gun or simply want a new element for target shooting, you should give serious consideration to the .22 ARC, which has the ballistic performance to match most of the top cartridges on the market.
Whether you adopt the .22 ARC or stick with one of the classic AR loads, you’ll find reliable rounds at affordable prices from ammotogo.com. Visit our site and place your order today!