“Faster and faster until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” This quote by Hunter S. Thompson is a metaphor for life, but I see it having a real application in the world of ballistics. Handloaders have spent decades tinkering and measuring, trying to find the perfect cartridge. In almost all cases it is a matter of chasing speed. Some rounds in particular have seen more than their fair share of modifications. These are generally in the .223-size frame. The newest round entering the ring in search of the title is none other than the 22 ARC.

RISE Armament Watchman XR 22 ARC

Developed by Hornady, the 22 ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge) brings exceptional power and performance, built into a compact cartridge that fits into your AR-15, but is equally at home in a bolt action. By utilizing the new 62-grain ELD-VT bullet, the 22 ARC brings extraordinary performance, that rivals the 22-250, to the AR-15 platform. As with any new round, the ammunition manufacturer hopes that a firearms company will rise to the occasion and build a gun to highlight the new round. In the case of the 22 ARC, RISE Armament has heard the call and responded. Their offering to run this new round is the Watchman XR 22 ARC.

The XR 22 ARC was built around the Hornady round and is meant for pure accuracy. It has applications in extended-range shooting for hunting varmints, whitetails, and antelope, as well as Precision Rifle Series (PRS) competitions and tactical/law enforcement.  

All the individual components of a precision-centered rifle must be built for the task and RISE understands this. The Watchman XR 22 ARC uses RISE’s ICONIC Independent two-stage trigger that offers a 1-pound first stage and a 2-pound second stage. It has a very crisp break and a short, clean reset. Barrel-wise, RISE went with an 18-inch 416R stainless steel, fluted, button-rifled, air-gauged and tested barrel. It has a 1:7 twist and is a perfect fit for the 22 ARC. 

Feature-Rich for Long-Range Shooting

While it may seem cliché to say, the Watchman XR 22 ARC is feature-rich. It has the RISE ambidextrous charging handle, ambi safety, with long and short paddle, captured detent, and a Magpul PRS Lite stock. The rifle is also equipped with a free-floating, skeletonized aluminum handguard, which includes a full-length 12 o’clock Picatinny rail, M-LOK slots, and four threaded steel sling swivel QD inserts, providing versatile mounting options for accessories. This is a new handguard for RISE and is 60-percent stronger than anything they have made in the past.  

A patent-pending lock attachment contributes to maintaining the rifle’s zero. One specific feature that I like is the trigger guard, which opens easily for use with gloves. Push a pin and the trigger guard simply hinges out of the way. Lastly, the gas block is pinned in place. If you have ever been on extended shooting sessions, you know that the heat that builds up can melt the Loctite off. 

After I sent a request, RISE Armament was kind enough to send a rifle out for me to test drive. First impressions of the gun out of the box were very positive. The coating on the gun is perfect, and the gray/black mix gave it a good look. Fit on the gun was everything I was used to when getting guns from RISe. The upper and lower were snug and the gun had no rattle of twist. A few dry presses on the trigger were in order, and I was quickly reminded just how nice the RISE triggers are. With the rifle in hand, it was time to take it out to the range. The gun is all about precision, so I mounted two items to help me get the most out of it.

Optics & Ammo

Optics wise I mounted the Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18×44. This solid FFP scope is designed to fill the gap between tactical mid- and long-range shooting. I also knew that I would be shooting on an “unknown distance” range, so a rangefinder would make the day better. Here I stuck with Vortex and mounted their Impact 4000 Ballistic Rail Mounted laser range finder. I mounted it on top of the scope using a diving board rail. These two together would certainly help me get the most out of the rifle and ammunition. Speaking of ammunition, I would be shooting Hornady 75-grain ELD Match.

A quick side note here on this ammunition. As a writer, I have solid relationships with all the ammunition companies. They have all been more than generous in providing ammunition to support my testing. Hornady, however, seems to always step up and go above and beyond. With the 22 ARC being a new round, demand is off the charts. Because they knew this article was time-sensitive, they went to the production floor and secured me several boxes of what are called “blems.” These are rounds that do not pass the final inspection. The ammunition is perfectly fine, but there may be a spot on the case or other purely cosmetic issue. Rare is the day that this ammo ever be seen outside the factory, but Hornady was committed to helping me complete this piece. With that, a huge tip of the hat to the team at Hornady.

Rounds Downrange

Range day would be on a toasty Arizona morning in early June. I quickly zeroed the gun at 100 yards and then began running it out around the targets on the range. Then I shot from both a bench as well as on a Kopfjaer K800 carbon-fiber tripod with their Reaper grip. I was correct in thinking the Impact 4000 would be helpful. I only had a few hundred rounds and did not want to waste any ammo on chasing targets at estimated distances. Performance wise, the rifle ran well. The round is certainly fast. It has a muzzle velocity of 3,075 fps and only drops 6.2 inches at 300 yards.

The RISe Watchman XR 22 ARC is an excellent rifle for this new round. The gun is certainly more than the sum of its parts. The combination of an excellent trigger, solid fitting, and great barrel make this rifle a winner. In a bit of a backward way, I decided to test the rifle for groups at the end of the range session. I was curious how some extra carbon and Arizona desert dust would affect the performance. After letting the gun cool completely down, I shot three, three-round groups from a bench in a very slow-fire fashion. I then took a few minutes to once again let the barrel cool. What I discovered was that the rifle did not care if it was slightly dirty. My largest group was .72-inch and my best of the three was an impressive .59-inch.

Final Thoughts

I touched on the applications of this rifle above and stick to them. The 22 ARC is not a snappy round and mixed with the eight-pound rifle, recoil and muzzle rise are minimal. This is a coyote slayer as much as it is a competition rifle in my opinion. RISE has once again risen to the challenge and gave us a rifle that is the epitome of performance.

For more info, visit risearmament.com.

RISE Armament Watchman XR 22 ARC Specifications

• Calibers: 22 ARC or 6mm ARC
• Barrel: 18-inch 416R stainless steel, fluted, button-rifled, air-gauged and tested
• Twist: 1:7
• Gas System: Rifle-length
• Trigger: ICONIC Independent Two-Stage Trigger
• Charging handle: RISE ambidextrous charging handle
• Safety selector: RISE ambi safety, with long and short paddle, captured detent
• BCG: Premium BCG with 9310 bolt, black nitride finish
• Receivers: Forged aluminum
• Stock: Magpul PRS Lite
• Grip: Magpul MOE+
• Handguard Length: 15.25 inches
• Overall Length: 37.25 inches
• Weight: 8 pounds
• Finish: Custom Cerakote finish
• Colors: Slate Gray/Black or Patriot Brown/Black
• MSRP: $2,099