6.5 -284

sikadog

Well-Known Member
I was trying some rounds today on the range in my newly rebarreled` 6.5-284 as I have a lot of Ramshot Magnum I thought I would give it a try as the above rifle is surposed to be a barrel burner I thought I would try not to get it too hot.
I had loaded 20 rounds 5 x 57grn 5 x 58grn 5 x 59grn and 5 x 60grn.
After a rough zero shooting 10 x 140grn smk's I set about trying to get a group without getting the rifle hot.
The 57grn load soot halfway down the case
The 58grn sooty necks.
The 59grn were perfect
The 60grn showing ejector marks on the case head.
And I could not get the rifle hot after 20 rounds the mod was hot but not the barrel so now I have somewhere to start.
I have managed to get it to shoot slightly less than a 3" group at 200yds which I dont think is bad after 31 rounds 1 round was the proof round.
I cleaned the barrel after 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 round and there was no amount of copper in the barrel.
 
I was using 50 grains of H4831SC with a 140 A-max in mine , but when testing with Viht N160 i had the same results when working the load as in sooty cases.
I had some Viht left so in the early days of having the rifle thought i would try this powder / but H4831SC was a clean and accurate powder for me!!
Heres a pic of my results when using N160 in the 6.5-284!!
 
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My 6.5 06 is a slightly diff cartridge but it can hold a little more powder, I havent use ramshot but have used h4831sc,50grs if it and it felt hot, chronying showed the 140gr hybrid was doing 2935fps, backed it off to 48.5grs it feels better at 2850 odd fps
 
I use n160 behind the 142gr smks, absalutely demon, maxload of 50.2gr shot ok but felt too hot, ive slowed them down a bit at a time til I was happy with them, they run at 2850fps like a dream, they shot well at 48.8,48.2 but as we all know flat out hyper velocities dont get the best accuracy, I can hit a 3 inch vbull fairly regulary at 1000yds :D, not as often as I like but I can pepper the 12 inch scoring ring prone, was considering the 6.5x284 for next rebarrel but will probaly stick with 06
 
I was shooting Hornady 129grn sst
Ramshot are doing testing of the 6.5-284 at the moment the results will be ready at the end of the month.
I have a tub of H4831 in the office but I like to do something differant to push the bounderies.
I allready have a 6.5x55 so there is no point loading slower loads I needed a flatter shooting rifle.
 
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Berger data for 130gr vld showed a maxload of 57.5gr of ramshot so for 140 grainer I would of said your loads were a bit hot, I will check my sierra data in a mo but not sure ramshot is on there, by the wayif anybody goes down the 6.5 06 route dont go by listed data as its way out as I found, I was exceeding data velocities 4grs down
 
Just checked nosler data for 140gr head and maxload was 50grs with ramshot hunter, no data for magnum nor in sierra data, cant connect to hodgdon at the mo
 
The maximum load for 120grn with Magnum on Ramshots loading data is 64grn.
How you would get 64grns in the case is a mistery as 60grns comes to the bottom of the neck.
So I did some caculation and came up with a max load of 60grns and then went back from there.
The calculations were with all Ramshot powders as the bullet size goes up by 10grns the powder charge drops about 4grns.
So I started at 57grns and went up.
I should have said flatter shooting.
 
what length is your barrel? you might want to try a faster powder than magnum. h4350 is pretty much "the" powder for 6.5-284. the slower powders are fine in tubes of 30" and longer but i'd be going faster in shorter tubes. i realise 4350 is unobtanium at the moment, but vit 150 or 550 or reloader 17 are options that are available.

i'd be looking for better than 3" at 200 yards if you want to be competitive at 1000yards. 1/2" and es in the low teens would be more what i'd be after....

happy shooting anyway.

d
 
I have been using 56gr of vit n165 with 120 gr nosler bt @ 2950fts with 24 " barrel.very accurate round with really good es.
also shoot the same load with bergar 130 gr vld 2920fts.also very accurate load.
i had trouble with vit 160 at 50 gr could not get velocity above 2750fts and started getting tight cases and heavy extractor marks on head of cases.
did not want to use vit 550 as its a hot powder in potential what can be throat burning round.
bob
 
My barrel is 26" as its a stalking rifle not a target rifle.
I have H4350 on the shelf and H4831 but I like Ramshot powders my Sweed loves Magnum shooting 120grn Sierras the last stag I shot at 220yds did not complain.
You are correct 3" at 200 is not good but (When) the rifle is shot in and the tosser behind it gets his eye in it will get better, at the moment I am happy.
The only other problem is that the rifle was a 30-06 and does not want to load from the mag with the fat cases but (The man) will sort that this week.
 
I think I was running 46.5g of H4350 with 120's before it became unobtainium.

Reloader 19 is a little slower and Vit 550 a little faster but both worked well when I tried them.

If your running 120's in the 284 your wasting its potential - better choice of bullet would be 130 - 140 grainers.. (in my opinion)

Ive run a 284 for ten years or so by the way (barrel number 3)

Bullet of choice is 130 TSX using Vit 160, though I am tempted to return to 140's as the Barnes are not easy to acquire at the moment.
 
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I think I was running 46.5g of H4350 with 120's before it became unobtainium.

Reloader 19 is a little slower and Vit 550 a little faster but both worked well when I tried them.

If your running 120's in the 284 your wasting its potential - better choice of bullet would be 130 - 140 grainers.. (in my opinion)

Ive run a 284 for ten years or so by the way (barrel number 3)

Bullet of choice is 130 TSX using Vit 160, though I am tempted to return to 140's as the Barnes are not easy to acquire at the moment.
When I first started using this cal I was using 140gr vld hunting but stopped when I started having straight through shots with no expansion. And I agree this cal is wasted with 120 gr I just need to find a reliable expanding bullet in 130/140gr but with 120gr nosler bt hunting I do seem to get very good kills even at good ranges
bob
 
cool

my load is 49grains of 4350 behind a 140gr amax 10thou off the jam and a 210match primer. it's pretty/very hot and needs backed off probably about a grain or so now the throat has cracked a little after 250 or so rounds. it's my stalking rifle but I occasionally use it for targets.
 
I have a large selection of bullets for this rifle 100 nbt, 120 sgk, 129 sst, Hornady interlock in 129,140 and 160 and Nosler140bt's and some 140amax coming shortly.
So if I cant get something to shoot out of that lot I will buy a catapult.
 
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