Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.5x284 with 3" mag box

Would you get one?

Factory ammo is 2.8, but I see a lot of guys are loading around the 3.2" range. Would a guy be limiting himself too much if he were to get one with a 3" mag box and a 22" or 23" barrel?

Depends upon how the barrel is throated, IMO. The 6.5x284 Norma, standardized with CIP, has a max COAL of 82mm/3.228". I only have 1 rifle chambered for that cartridge, but it has a plenty-long throat for shooting 140-grain super-pointy bullets that long or longer.

Since the 284 Winchester was built for short actions, the older wildcat 6.5x284s were often throated for that action length, too.

Western Powder has a small amount of data for the 6.5x284 'Winchester' (the short-action wildcat), and a moderately larger amount of data for the 6.5x284 Norma. You might check out their latest load manual, to make some comparisons. You can download their latest data magazine at accuratepowder.com or ramshot.com

I'm giving mild consideration to either a 6.5x284 or a 284 Win on a short action myself. It wouldn't be my ideal combo, but according to Western's data a person doesn't give up too much with a 3" mag box (2.90 - 2.95-ish COAL?).

****EDIT: Note that Western loaded their 6.5x284 wildcat data to higher pressure than the 6.5x284 Norma allows. I mention this only for completeness in terms of a person's review of the comparative data.

No, I'd go .260AI instead.

AI?


You got any brass you'd part with?

No, 3.1" action length at least would not build one again, short barrel life and fussy IMHO.

Hornady is coming out with a new 6.5 cartridge looks interesting.

Yep. Bit more speed, no trimming, can neck size with a LCD several times before bumping the shoulder back.

I don't, but I usually get Lapua .308 brass from Clay and neck them down with a false shoulder for maximum case life.

The 6.5x284N has a far better home in a long action

^^^ This ^^^

DAMHIKT

And if you're going to that much trouble, might as well make it a 6.5-06 or AI.

+2

LA gives more options for COAL using long bullets.

DF

I had a 6.5x284 built on a 700 Ti SA and added a Wyatts box. It's kinda of an in-betweener, between the Win and the Norma version.

It shot great, speed was there, same as if in a long action.

I really liked it a lot and killed mule deer and elk with it.

It started developing problems with loading from the magazine, becoming inconsistent.

For that reason, I pulled the barrel. It's now a 260 Ackley.

I also built one on a 700 Ti LA, again, shot wonderful, brass is available, one less step in load development over the 06 case.

But, to do it over again....I would neck down 270s to 6.5.

I'm not a fan of the 6.5-06 strictly because of its 17.5° shoulder

I was originally thinking about having a Nula built in 6.5x284, but I wanted a model 20. I guess a guy could have still done it, but not only would the 3" mag box limit me, the fact I would also need at least a 24" barrel to burn up the powder, I think the model 24 would be a much better fit for a 6.5x284.

So then I was thinking 260rem or maybe 260ai, but now I'm even thinking a 7-08 might be the better choice. I want it for paper, coyotes, deer, elk, and moose. My wife is playing around with the idea of shooting and maybe hunting, I've also got a young son who will be getting into shooting in the next few years so I want something a bit lighter on recoil. The 260rem started to sound good but then I figured since I have about 1000 .284 bullets on hand already I'm thinking the 7-08 is the answer.

It's too bad, the 6.5x284 sounds like a really fun gun, but the 3" mag box and 22" barrel in the model 20 are kind of ruling it out, I'm going to pass on that cartridge for this one.

6.5 x 68

Nice little round

260AI for me. Ordered dies, brass, and bullets yesterday. Sending rifle off next week.

I already have a Nula 280ai, but it's a model 24, that's why I want to keep it in a short action with a 22" or shorter barrel and have a model 20.

Yes, exactly what I'm doing....

Ah, I see. I thought I read 280ai, now I see you have 260ai, got it.

I was considering the 260ai, but after talking with Melvin, he said the gain in the performance from what he's experienced, isn't a whole lot over the regular 260 rem. If Lapua or Nosler offered factory brass in 260ai I would most likely go that route, I'm not really too crazy about fire forming brass. This rifle won't be the one I use for hunting wide open spaces, mainly still hunting elk and whitetail, paper, and if I happen to pass by a coyote.

Yes, any speed gained isn't that big a deal to me. I like less trimming. I had Mr. Forbes rebarrel one to 243AI a while back and I've killed as many deer with forming loads as I have with formed loads so forming isn't a tough job, but I understand if someone just prefers non-AI'd.

My Norma loads are seated at 3.004" with 140 Bergers.
Running 2975 in a 26" barrel.