Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 284 Winchester Thoughts

The 6.5-284 and 284 make good sense to me on the medium length actions that allow for OAL's of 3.1 to 3.4 inches. The user should be able to work with the high-BC projectiles and not fret ogives dipping into case mouths. I could see doing an LR-style rifle on a Ruger action, with its 3.35" mag box.

I think so too.

My .284 has a scant 2.8 mag box yet still delivers excellent accuracy with 140 gr. TSX bullets. I don't have a reason to move to a heavier bullet and am very happy with this set up. I've killed a handfull of elk with the 140 TSX and all but one bullet has passed completely through.

The kindly people at Berger gave me a sample of their 140 VLDs and they load with the oligive below the case mouth and shoot even more accurately than the TSX.

I agree it would be nice to have a 3.1" mag box but it doesn't seem necessary... in my rifle.

I added a Wyatts box to my Remington. It works just fine with
Berger 140 VLD's loaded out to 2.970

I'm beginning to think the "long" boxes for short action cartridges are a long run for a very short slide, maybe not for 1000 yard competitors but for sporting rifles. Considering that you get what, at most several grains additional case volume at the 4-to-one rule, gives you very little more velocity.

And R17 looks like it can get you there without the trouble. My box mag is 2.95"; my cartridge OAL is 2.92".

A few more tenths on a mag box may let a fella run the long-nose bullets if need be, without having to have a super-short throat that eats powder capacity when combined with the long projectiles. Flexibility ain't a bad thing. I'd pull back another .4" on a bolt handle for the ability to run the gamut.

It's not at all about speed.

It's all about ogive.

SU and JPro-

..which is why I mentioned long range competition where the extreme BCs matter.

Gottcha.

I got in here kinda late I guess. The 284 Win and its offspring have always had a big place in my life.
I also have a Win 100 Carbine in 284 Win. The stock has NO checkering. I suspect, someone just liked checkering and had it added.
I have a couple of 284 children. One is a 6mm-284,another is the 6.5-284 and my favorite, the 35-284. All will shoot MOA groups, at least mine do.
I think one of the biggest reasons the 284 failed to get any respect was ALL the authors in the rags always had to comment with "the 284 seems like a great cartridge, BUT, it has a rebated head" Back then there was ALWAYS some comment about a rebated head as though it was a BAD thing. I think magazines somehow convinced folks that a rebated head was something to fear or be leary of. No one EVER explained what a rebated head was about, how much more brass there is in the head and why it was a bad thing. They simply left it up to the public to decide, and they did, the 284 was doomed.
It was a cartridge we had that was available long before the rebated head ones we have today. It could give 06 length ballistics out of a "short" cartridge.
A quick example: I was test firing my 35-284 at a now closed range in Tucson next to a guy that had a chronograph. He was shooting a boomer too. When it was time to check targets, he asked what I was shooting, I told him and he was interested as he was shooting a 35 Whelen Imp. Later on, he asked if I had chronoed the loads, I said no, I didn't have a chrono. He offered me the chance to shoot over his. I shot and read the tape from his Oheler, I was getting 2700 fps with 225 gr bullets. I was amazed and pleased. Oh ya, the guy was Gary Sitton. That was the beginning of a friendship until he was taken from us. RIP Bear

To me if I wanted more speed, I would have got a 7mm Remington Mag. over the 284 WIN. I agree thats its all about the BC and sectional densinty! I will always use a heavier bullet over a light one! The extra throating in my Mauser lets me seat bullets out "til Tuesday, and the magazine in my rifle accomadates the long cartridges! I have been shooting this round when everyone else said get a 7mm Remington Mag. I started out with a 93 Mauser in 7x57, loaded it like it should have been, and slayed deer!

Having been there at the time I can comment on the rebated rim issue. It got attention because of the history of rebated rim designs on some of the English cartridges, in particular the .425 Westley-Richards. This cartridge-rifle combination was known to be a poor feeder, and contemporary authors did not differentiate between the cartridge design and the lower quality rifles frequently used.

The rebated rim .284 Win got the same knock without a lot of evidence originally, although I saw some examples that would only feed if everything went just so. Sort of like the .300 WSM and its early teething pains with gunsmiths learning how to ensure feeding. Only with the .284 the damage was done and there was insufficient good news (or sales) to reverse things.

jim

I've owned and loaded for 7-08s, 7 wsms, and the 284 win. For me, the 284 win is just about perfect. Plenty of gas to not feel marginally gunned for elk, and light and handy with very little recoil. Mine is a Win 70 (3.1" box) that started life as a 7-08, and still has the factory barrel (24"). I've added an Edge stock and with a nice new Nikon 2-8X32 scope and Talleys it weighs 7-6. I am using 56 gr I-4350 and getting 3070ish fps with 140 gr TTSX consistently under MOA. I used that load to take a nice 9 pointer here in MO at 225 yds last fall and will be using the same load this fall for a NM elk hunt. I really like the cartridge, does all I think I'll ever ask one to do. It would have been nice if it had made it as a bolt action factory offering.

I think nowadays the 284 Win will most likely die a slow painful death before too long. I love the cartridge, but it was lambasted when it was young and never got past the rumors and slander.
I have read many articles and statements that a 7mm-08 will do anything a 284 can. Well, unchallenged, many believe that. All I can say is that if you know much about guns you would probably tend to agree that the 284 with a powder capacity of the 30-06 certainly ought to do a little better than a cartridge of the same diameter based on a 308.
Anyhow, it really doesn't matter any longer as no one is chambering the round other than custom or semi custom.
There are LOTS of great cartridges that fall into the same area, in fact the list is almost endless.
I guess I am most amazed the 45-70 is still around LOL

This thread sure grew since yesterday!

SU35: the barrel is 23". It is a 7 Rem Mag takeoff rechambered to 284.

Yes I tried the 168 Berger VLD and also the 162 A-max.

Max velocity with H4350 for these two was 2840 and 2900 respectively.

With RL-17:

168 VLD
53 gr 2816
54 gr 2867
55 gr 2940
56 gr 2984
57 gr 3018
58 gr 3078

The best accuracy, which wasn't that good, was with 56 and 56.5 gr.

162 A-max:

56 gr 3038
57 gr 3070
58 gr 3120
59 gr 3150

This bullet didn't shoot well either. Best accuracy was with 58 grs.

------------------------
Other bullets:

150 Nos BT:


57 gr 3100 most accurate
57.5 gr 3120
58 gr 3145
58.5 gr 3175


140 Nos BT:
58 gr 3250
58.5 gr 3275
59 gr 3300
59.5 showed pressure

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I disagree with your assessment Clif on the death of 284 brass. The 6.5-284 helped AND now that the unaltered 284 is beginning to shine in the 1000 yd game it should be around for our lifetime.

Here are a couple:
http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek088.html
http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek053.html

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Have not heard it mentioned yet. I sectioned a 284 and a 300 win mag, both were win brass. The web of the 284 was thicker.

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A friend of mine just put together a 28" heavy 284 on a long action Rem. He is still in the process of dialing in the 180 Berger VLDs (non moly) with RL-17. 53 grs is max in this package. He is working with 52 grs and changing seating depths. Velocities are running just below 2900 fps.

Pic from Thursday. This rifle is loving max loads of H4350 under a 140 accubond. Action length and throat allow me to seat out to 2.975. Target was shot by my son and he called the 3rd shot low. Still a .65 group. The 284 is about perfect in this ULA for high country hunting.

I like that dark, muted color scheme on that NULA.

The .284 isn't magic but when you can give it a package that weighs under 6 lbs. (minus cartridges in the mag and a sling) and that will boot a 140 to 3100 or a 150 to 3000 it is what it is which is pretty good. The fact that you can do the same with a handful of other cartridges is besides the point.





If I draw a sheep tag next year and if I can convince my then 61 year-old body (Lord-willing) it can live on side hills and thin air, this will be my rifle.

Very nice rifles.

Weighing less than 6 lbs and shooting 160's to 3,000 out of
23" barrels.

I find the 284 an amazing round. Probably the perfect mountain rifle.

I'm done with 270's and 280's.

AZshooter, What twist are you running?

If Winchester would make one based on their new Model 70, it would be great! Not holding my breath though.
bludog

Bluedog, no kidding!

Produce one in the FW and offer loaded ammo using Noslers 150 grain partition.

I would be a buyer.