Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Bad news----good news

Bad: I recently purchased a couple hundred mixed and new Win 284 brass to build 6.5-284.

I annealed it all, then crushed the shoulders on the first round into the press.

I figured I would buy a Lee collet neck sizer to fix the problem. But this item appears to be not available in this size. I have a note in to LEE CS.

Good news- Google led me to ammo-seek which took me to Raven Rocks Precision. Norma brand 6.5-284 at $1.00 ea. I have 200 coming.

Maybe Lee will help me out and I can salvage the 284 brass as well.

I use a couple of Hornady Universal Neck sizing dies in different calibers.

They work for the times that the Lee Collect neck sizing dies won't.

I've got about 6 of them in different bore sizes.. but bought mine when they were under $20. I think the price is about double that now. Guess I've had them longer than I thought.

Like for forming brass for my 6 x 45, ( that I'm playing with a lot.).

I first anneal the brass when changing from 223.
Then take out the primer.
Next is using a Redding Body die for 223 on the body, bumping the shoulder back to factory specs.
Then the Hornady 6mm Neck sizing die. ( I lube the neck on the inside, by squirting spray lube on a Q Tip first)
Then chamfer the neck, and ready to load, after putting in the primer.

They are a handy die to have around. Got them in 20 cal, to 30 cal, and inbetween that.

Thanks Seafire. I will look into the Hornady sizers.

I have sized a bunch of Win 284 Win brass down to 6.5mm with no problems at all using
RCBS 6.5x284 dies.
I did have problems stepping down from 284 to 6mmx284 years back, but used 25cal intermediate die and
then 6mm. That also worked fine. I only us RCBS dies.

I have not annealed brass for a coons age. I size my brass full length to just clear for head space
for the gun I am loading for. Have had brass last for 20 firings in some guns with this process.

Another path to salvaging that brass is running it through you or a friends 284 die a couple of times to work harden the shoulder again.
F01

My 6.5 die is a bushing die. That may be the issue as there is little taper on the bottom of the bushing.

I have a 270WSM fl die set inbound. I found it cheap enough on fleabay last night. The body is plenty wide enough to accommodate 284 brass and short enough to capture all of the neck. And my Son in Law owns a rifle in that cartridge.

We will see.

There are differences in 6.5 X 284 dies, brass and chambers. Use the one that fits took me a lot of money to figure that one out.

It is a new chamber in 6.5 Norma with brand new RCBS dies labeled likewise.

Annealed too soft is my bet.

Concentration on the neck, 750 degrees and immediately out of the fire, zero soak time.

WW 284 brass has different dimensions than Norma

When I've had shoulders tending to collapse after annealing, during bullet seating, I was able to eliminate it with just a quick wipe of imperial on the base of the bullet when seating. It worked...

After a trip through a FL sizer, and fireforming in the chamber it is the same.

Success!

The 284 brass is .321" out of the box.
the RCBS FL 270 WSM die with no neck expander takes it to .300".
The RCBS neck bushing die takes it to .290"

Then I will screw the barrel onto the receiver, set the headspace, and see if I need to touch the brass with the body die.