Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The 6.5-284..Why the Heck is it not gettin more Luv?

I see that quite a few manuf. chamber rifles for it in their target/varmint lines.
It has always struck me as a real good hunting round I would snap one up in a minute if someone would chamber it in a decent hunting rifle.
Brass and components are readily available. i'm sure someone could be talked into loading ammo for it.(Hornady?)
Awesome balance of ballistics, performance and accuracy in a compact package!
So whats not to like?

It gets a lot of respect--from real rifle loonies.

It has been around for a while both as a wildcat and a factory round, but the average hunter/shooter doesn't see the "signficant" ballistic advantages the rifle loony sees over, say, a .270.

Plus, even the rifle loonies have never been able to decide whether it works best in a short (2.8") or long (3.4") magazine. In fact there is even a distinction between the two rounds. The short one is called the 6.5/.284 Winchester, the long one the 6.5/.284 Norma.

Plus, 6.5mm rounds have never sold very well in North America. Simple fact of life.

The folks who really want the 6.5x284 expect phenomenal accuracy. They aren't going to get that with the factory rifles out there. As a hunting round, it really has nothing on the .270 like John said (I can't believe I just admitted that!)

the reason why is basically the same as what mule deer said, as a hunting round its not all that impressive at normal big game ranges say 300 yards and closer, the high bc bullets really start to shine beyond 500 yards, most guys who shoot at those kinds or ranges are rifle loonies

Cooper has been building rifles chambered for it for some time, Nosler and Norma offer ammo and components.

That said the other posters are right. I`ve one and don`t see much from it I can`t do with a 260 or 6.5x55 at hunting ranges. I get ~ 150 mfps more from it then the others in same lenght barrels.
The cartridge also is known as a barrel burner like it`s bigger sib the 264 Win Mag, which is likely a strike against it for most. When the ranges get longer, it shines nicely though.....

Looney here,



Average is boring!




We can also say the 270 really has nothing on the 6.5x284 Winchester, the shorter version, in the shorter action.

What takes a 270 win with 61 grains I can do with 58 grains and 22" of barrel in the 6.5x284.
Not that were picking a looney nit here.

They're both dead even out to 500 yards even though the 270 starts out 100 fps faster.

Past 500 the 6.5 rules.

The 6.5x284 will also match anything the 280 AI can put together as well and I don't see the 7 WSM as having any real hunting advantage on it, at 500 there is only 3" of difference between the two rounds.

My 700 Ti 6.5x284 weighs in at 5 lbs dry and 6 lbs with scope and rings.

If you want a short action, shorter barreled light mountain rifle that will match 270 and 280 AI ballistics the 6.5x284 will do it.

If you're just an average hunter the 6.5x284 is not for you. It probably outstrips your skill level.



As far as being a barrel burner, if you're an F class shooter sending 1,200 rounds down range in a season that might be a concern. Hunting it's not.

Its is perfect ballistic cast off.

Stuck between the grand 270 and the "hot" 25-06.

Not to mention the 7-08 for short actions.

Besides, its a 6.5.

They don't sell here.

BMT

Well said Su35 and others. Just depends on what you want or can do? cheers NC

Dennis nailed it as usual....I looked through the new Winchester 2009 catalog at the calibers offered and saw no 6.5-284 is offered.Matter of fact there are NO 6.5s at all..I think.

The cartridge COULD get a big boost if more reasonably priced rifles were available, but you don't see them..Like Dennis says, users of the cartridge guys like SU35 want extreme accuracy,and custom this or that,so factory guns won't cut it,and out to 500 yards,average stiffs like me are doing fine with a 270 and enough scope......

OTOH, I want one because I am tired of my target shooting buddies tell me how ridiculously accurate it is at 600-1000.I figure it can't hurt to have that much precision at your disposal...

+1! As JO'C said, "Hunting and shooting is all about fun & games." Can't see the fun in a 'me-too' cartridge like the 270Win, - even though I'm ashamed to confess I own a few and use them regularly - no matter how practical. A 6.5-284, even if only ballistically equivalent to the old 270Win, is the ultimate expression of dyed-in-the-wool rifle loony individuality - what's not to like about that?

or just "bad" at range estimation in the field.

"Ah took this here mooley at 600, Ah reckon..."

Hey, I am not smirking, just got something in my eye.

... and the guide always agrees - " ... at least 600, yes sir!!"

Thats right, Sir. Here he came down the shoot, bumbiddy bumbiddy bum... We could see he was a dandy. 600, at least.

What is the 6.5x284's role? For long range shooting (targets) it is great, but few responsible hunters take shots (or have any business taking shots) of 400+ yards. For under 400 yards, there are other cartridges (270, 7mm, 30 cal.) that do the job very well.

From a manufacturer's point-of-view, there is no need to just add another chambering that needs to be inventoried (costly).

djs: Maybe so,but look how many there are already that do the same things! There is so much ballistic overlap that it would not hurt a thing to offer a 6.5 284 in a factory format,like,say a M70 Coyote Light,for guys that want one.It might not shoot like a Bartlein barreled custom, but I bet it would do OK,and would give the cartridge a well deserved boost.

I know I'd be tempted to get one and play with it because even though I have absolutely no problem with "common",the cartridge is so well-proven in long range precision that it would be interesting to play with...besides I find it infinately more interesting than that paragon of boredom,the cold bucket of water in any ballistic conversation,that "get me outta here before I start snoring" ,the melatonin of the rifled tube...........................the 308

My mistake exactly, a new .308 in a Ruger International, which I will probably sell after messing with it for 6 months....and get what I wanted in the first place..

Bob now I have mentioned the .308 you need to get off of here and get some sleep...

6.5x284 is the cartridge to beat at 1K yards for a target shooter, at least in prone competition. It's a barrel burning SOB that has nothing on any decent hunting cartridge at 500 yards and under.
The brass is expensive and my barrels were replaced in less than 1000 rounds and usually at 800. When and if I ever get to competing again, I'll go with the 30 cal.

If the 284win case had been designed as having a 2.0" length, it would have been huge.

Yeah, as huge as 2 inches will ever get.

I cannot help but commenting on some of the comments. Yes, the 6.5/.284 is the darling of real rifle loonies, the kind of shooters who simply cannot stand using a boring old .270, so use something "different."

However, so many of my friends and acquaintances have a 6.5/.284 that it has become the boring old .270 of the not-sot-secret Society of Rifle Loonies. It just might be time to come up with something different from the boring old 6.5/.284....

The only purpose of the 6.5x284 was to shoot very long high-BC match bullets of the type used for minimizing wind deflection at 600 and 1000 yards.

No comparable match bullets were made in .257, .277, or .284. They were and are made in .308 but to get the same wind deflection abilities as a 142 grain 6.5 bullet you would need a 230 grain .308 bullet of the same shape and velocity. That's a major PITA for recoil and other reasons, which is why most .308 match bullets are 155 to 200 grains, which aren't as good and still recoil a lot.

A 6.5-06 would work as well in this regard as a 6.5-284. The latter, though, follows the "short fat" philosophy which gives a a slight accuracy advantage. This is why the 6.5-284 is popular for 1000-yard target shooting. Bear in mind that for 1000 yard target shooting, you don't care about foot pounds of energy, the target never moves, you always know the range exactly (it's the same as the last time you shot), and you get two sighter shots.

None of this has anything to do with hunting and there are many good hunting bullets in .257, .270, .284, .308, etc. That's why the 6.5-284 offers little if any difference for hunting.