Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Need some information from the guys who know 6x284

Hello i just picked up my first wildcat rifle. I have all ways been fascinated with the round. Im a 6mm junkie as it is so thats what drew me to it. The 6x284 i have found quit a bit of information on the cal with making brass for it. I know you can size down 284 winchester brass to make the 6x284 what im wanting to know is how you guys are making your brass,what brass are ya useing to make the 6x284. And can i use 6.5x284 lapua brass for my rifle? Any and all information would sure help me out. Thank you for your time.

I've made a couple thousand 284 wildcat cases, all with Winchester/Olin 284 parents cases and a little Imperial Wax.

JEff

6.5x284 lapua brass works fine. Just run it through a 6mmx284 die. I have used bushing dies to form them but have not seen a lot of difference just running them down in one step.

Interesting that you should have these questions. I just went through this very problem the last few weeks.

I started with some 6.5-284 Norma brass and had issues. It might have been some poorly annealed necks or I caused a major hardening of the necks with the wrong die. Based on the fact that it might be Norma's fault and 284 Win brass is hard to comeby, start with Lapua brass. Lapua brass appears to have the best quality of the three.


Here is what I learned:

I would caution you on using a factory FL die to size down the necks. The FL dies can size the necks far smaller than is necessary, then the sizer ball opens up the neck for proper neck tension. This overworking of the brass MIGHT cause workhardening and result in some very difficult bullet seating, improper neck tension and resultant poor bullet release. End result is high SD and poor group size.

Here are some specs:

Norma and Lapua 6.5-284 brass necks start out from the factory at approx. .290" OD. If you use Hornady's FL die to size down to 6mm the neck of the FL die is .264", Redding's standard FL die is .268". I asked both companies why such a huge reduction. Their answer is to be sure that anyone's brass would be properly sized. I find this to be very strange. All the brass available (284 Win, 6.5-284 Norma and Lapua) as the parent case have thick neck walls and don't need that kind of reduction. Unless you turn your necks the dimensions on these two FL dies IMO are just plain wrong. I USED THE HORNADY DIES WITH THE NORMA BRASS and I believe it caused work hardening of the necks. Seating a bullet was unbelieveably hard as was pulling a bullet. I noticed wide velocities and only fair group size.

I did more research recently before I decided to scrap the Norma brass and purchase Lapua brass.

Redding's suggestion on forming the brass:

Use their 6mm-284 form die if you are going to size down 284 win brass. I have this die and it will reduce the 284 win brass neck OD to .295". It won't work with either 6.5-284 brass.

The next step with 284 win or the first sizing step with 6.5-284 brass, according to Redding is to use the seater die from their two pc FL/seater standard die set. The neck of the seater die is larger than the FL die's neck.

The third step is to use Redding's FL die.

After hearing that this is the best that could be done, I decided to make my own form die!! I took a worn out .264 win mag barrel, using the thicker shank I machined a die body. I then ran my 6mm-284 reamer inside. The result is a die that after a tiny bit of polishing reduces the necks to .277" (the PTG reamer has a .276" neck)

I then used a Redding S bushing die to reduce the necks to their final dimension with a .272 bushing. This bushing creates approx a .0015" difference between the unloaded and loaded brass. I suppose a .271 or maybe a .270 bushing could be used if someone wanted more tension. The extra thickness of the brass's neck (.015") is sufficient to hold a bullet with the .272 bushing.

So....if you have the reamer IMO you ought to get your gunsmith to make you a proper forming die.

I am not certain it would work but maybe you could use a series of bushings to work down to the finalized dimension. Redding said it wouldn't work and I am not sure why.

I still don't know if I ruined the norma brass with that Hornady die or it was a bad batch of brass. It was sufficient incentive to come up with a better approach.

I would imagine others will chime in with their experience and say they had no problems with their FL die overworking the brass. I have no idea what RCBS's die will do.

All I can say is that the new brass has what I'd call normal neck tension. Bullets seat or pull with ease.

Want to buy my Hornady dies CHEAP? <grin>

Good luck, let us know how things turn out.

No problems at all starting with Winchester 284 brass. Use your seater die for the first pass, then FL die to finish. If case necks are too thick and your 6mm expander ball pulls harder than you want on the way out of the case, simply outside turn a couple thou off the neck.
Your gunsmith will know the I.D. of the chamber neck. If needed you can turn your necks to make things work.

Thanks for all the information so far guys i really appreciate it greatly. One of the issues is i dont have the reamer. I traded for the gun and the guy i got it from dont reload. His friend dose the loading for him so hes not sure about some of the questions i had. Thats why im here is to learn as much as i can. It started out like standing in a dark room with no light. But im starting to see a little better now so that you. My other issue is i can not find 284 winchester brass any where. So im probally going to try the 6.5x284 lapua brass. The guy did know he didnt have to turn the necks using the 284 win brass. The rifle Has a shilen match barrel and was installed by shilen. Not sure how long ago though.

JJ, I have 88, 85gr Barnes XLC's for 6mm.. The would be BADAZZ in the 6-284! If you have any .257 bullets to trade, let me know.. I am in Eldo every couple days..

I found that in my custom chambers brass made from WW 284 cases was too thick after forming and I had to turn them which is a PITA that I prefer to aviod. Starting with 6.5x285 brass eliminated this problem. Size and go, which is how I like it. Been a wildcatter for a long time but have lost my enthusiasm now for multi step case forming.

With the 80-90 gr Barnes bullets of various generations, made some fun bangflops on deer and with 55gr varmnt bullets was able to get past 4,000fps by a good margin and REALLY wallop the rodents and such. Fun stuff, there.

The picture I would like to shoe you but which was taken before digital camera's were in use is of a buck mule deer hit by an original Barnes X bluuet, moly'ed and travelling at likely over 3500fps whe it hit him in th ribcage. Purple and severly bruised rib muscle from the brisket to the withers! His whole right side, at the ENTRANCE point of the bullet was purple and a mess. Love a good bangflop and this was certainly one. Velocity is a killer.

Predict you will like this round.

The first thing I'd do is make a chamber cast to determine neck dimension.

Because my 6-284's were all based on W-W brass, before Lapua, and a .268 tight neck besides. I found I had best luck turning a couple thou off the 284 necks first, and then necking down in a regular full length die, then a final neck turn to fit.

I haven't tried Lapua in any of mine yet, but see no reason it won't get you there easier, if they fit your chamber.

deerhunterjj,
After having several 6x284's the first thing I would do is find a gunsmith that has a borescope and check the throat. the 6x284 is a barrel burner !!!!!!!!!
If the throat is toast (I'm betting it is) then have a gunsmith cut off an inch or two and re-chamber it, then you will know the chamber dimensions. also have him check the twist rate so you know what bullet's you can shoot (hopefully it is a 1-8" so you can shoot 95-107gr VLD type bullet's).

As for brass the Lapua6.5x284 is THE brass to use...........

I started with 284 Win cases and went to 6.5 and then to .25 and then to .244. Still I had problem with the case neck folding because of the 35 degree shoulder angle. Sold it and tried 6/06 which was much more workable. Used 25/06 cases.

Alot of good information thanks guys. I did get an email back from lapua and they told me the same thing as several of you said. Lapua is the way to go. Less of a hassle to saize down and so on. The measurments he gave me just above the extractor grove is the .001 smaller in dia then the 264 winchester. reason i wanted the measurments is so fourms on the net say the laupa brass will not work because its the same size as the 6.5x284 norma. which is .005 bigger then the 284win brass. so if the chamber was cut to the win specs then the norma brass wont work and neither would the laupa brass but thats not the case because the laupa is just a fine hair smaller in dia then the win brass.
In other words yes you guys are right on the lapua brass is the way to go. so thats what im going to try. The rifle i have on the way has 150 to 160 rds shoot threw it. I have read they are burnners but i take really good care of my stuff so it wont be heated up and it will be kept clean. I may run moly to get a little help with the issue havent decided yet.

RinB when the time comes to rebarrel i may take a look at the 6-06 just kind of depends on how this 6x284 treats me.

Love the idea of Moly. Use it myself in all of my fast stuff.

for deer and other medium to big game, you can't beat Barnes stuff partly due to the speeds you will be running. TTSX + Moly = happy hunting grounds. Please do report back.

PS Every 100 rounds or so, run some black powder gel in your barrel, letting it sit in the throat area overnight. Hard powder fouling is to blame most of the time when a barrel is thought to be burned out in the throat area if copper fouling has not dome it which the Moly will largely solve. Black powder gel is the best way I have found to rid yourself of this blight.

I acquired a 6x284 in similar manner. Shot it some. Barrel was near shot out and too short. Gun was FN made for Browning 1950s.
----Changed to 6.5x284 and will stay there.

I bought a RCBS die set. Included a .25 sizer and trim die.
I only used 284Win brass.
Making the step to .25 was a hassle and had some fallout.

I found the step to 6.5mm was a better step and brass friendly when changed barrels to that caliber.
I have a 284, and found once fired in 284 brass downsized easier for me.

My RCBS dies for "6mm-284" are available, but not sure what they are worth. Probably will keep before "give" them away, but will entertain reasonable offer if someone interested.

I tried some Lapua 6.5x284 brass, but not satisfied with it. I am sticking to Win 284 brass for my 284 and 6.5x284. Get it 500 rounds at a time and been satisfied with it.

JMHO
Tim

Get Lee to make you up a collet die. You won't have any trouble sizing down in one step (from 6.5) to whatever inside diameter that you asked them to give you. It also does not work harden the brass over time.

I recived the rifle today guys. Barrel from the eye looks like new. I dont have a bore scope but the rifleings look very sharp and deep at the end of the muzzle. Dont look like its been shot much at all. wish it had a 26inch tube instead of the 24 incher. But for what im going to do with it i think she will work great. Its going to be my coyote calling rig. Will use it for a few crow popins and little paper punching but it wont see a dog town or any rapid firings nothing like that. Leaning towards pushing 87gr bergers 87gr vlds for some wind cutting ballistics. Any way thank ya all for the quick post and keep the info coming i need all the help i can get. If something is going to go wrong it will be with me.

what powder would you guys suggest useing for the best accuracy/vol combo? using a 87gr vld.

87 VMax is quite the bullet for varmints in the wind.

Are you unable to run the 105 AMax due to COAL?

I'd start with 7828.....

It will be a little bit before the dies get here and the brass, So just trying to get an idea what i need to order for powder to try. I think i have a little 7828. I need to check the twist rate he though it was a 1:10 but i havent check it yet