Yeah!
One other thing I've found interesting about the recent turn of this thread, initiated by dmsbandit and his sudden interest in the 6.5/.284, is a post from him last year about shortening the barrel on a Marlin .308:
"I never even fired the gun before the barrel was cut back, so I have no idea how much velocity I lost with the 4" of barrel with this gun. Some guns are faster than others so I might have lost 100fps or 300fps with the 150s. But as you and I are well aware, it isn't velocity that kills, it's placement of the projectile that does the killing."
I have my own notions about velocity, having used various smokeless-powder big game rifles with muzzle velocities anywhere from 1800 to 3700 fps, but our friend bandit is apparently VERY ambivalent about it, depending on which day he's posting.
You're taking things out of context JB. The 308 which you quote me on was built for hunting locally where ranges are never more than 200-250yds. If someone is hunting doing more hunting at 200-500yds than at ranges under 200yds, then velocity does matter because placing the projectile becomes easier.
I doubt anyone would buy a 6.5x284 to only shoot 200yds at game, but I know a lot of them do buy it to shoot game out to 500yds and matches out to 1000yds. In those applications the Swede and the 260, as fine as they are [I own 4 of them], come in behind the 6.5x284 for putting projectiles on targets [alive or paper] at long ranges.
As far as my "sudden interest" in the 6.5x284, it isn't sudden. I own 3 different 284 rifles that I've had built, and love the case design. I also am a huge fan of the 6.5x55 and 260Rem. I believe them to be the ideal deer cartridges and express that point to any and all looking for a deer gun. With my interest in the 6.5 calibers and the 284 case and cartridge, it's natural to like the 6.5x284 cartridge too.
