Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting 6.5x284 Match results/Loads Part II

I improved on my scores from last month. Today I shot 7 1/8, 6 5/16, and then 10 5/16. Groups were mostly horizontal, and it was windy. Groups #1 and #3 both had one shot dropping low. My agg was 7.92". That was good for #4 out of 16 shooters. My score was 136-1X, which was good for second place. In my relay, I was first in score and second in agg. (Last match, my agg was 9.479, my score 133-1X, and my best group 8.75".)

My load is better than I thought. It was unchanged from the last match: 51 grains of H4831SC with the bullets seated to the lands. Velocity is about 2850 to 2875 fps, depending. Extreme spreads usually run around 20.

I think the 1.5 oz Jewell trigger was a big key. I also think shooting technique will carry me further than load development right now, though I will continue to tweak the load. I will try the VLD chamfer. I may mess agin with seating depth, but I am not sure I want to bed under the chamber anymore...........

Right now I am using a Bald Eagle front rest with a Protektor rear bag. I have benn a "bag squeezer". I think I need to change over to a fixed rear rest and use the front rest for fine tuning. I don't think I am able to consistently hold the rifle dead steady when I squeeze the bag. I am trying to fabricate a rear rest for nest match. Basically, it will be a fixed front rest with a #1 bag attached to a heavy piece of aluminum or steel, and have three legs in it.

BTW, I shot my first group with the scope set on 22X and the second and third groups with it set at 18X.

Sounds like a really fun outing. I am looking to purchase glass before long and with your scope magnification set so far below its upper level, I don`t know whether to get something in the 32 or 42 range or get something that tops out at 22 to 25. I shot my 5R today @100 got smaller groups with a powder that gave ES @ 51. But .2 larger group had an ES of 8.5. Thats a gimme. I got a new turner on the way, and a 6.5 expander mandrel. I will need glass, rings to finish off my 6.5/284. I will try out a Shilen 1.5 to 6 oz trigger to start out with. I have Sierra 142`s and Lapua 139 to play with. The Russian primers are a done deal, got a case of 5000 on the way. I hope they are good uns. I feel you are again on the right track to get over the bag squeezing and replace the rest with a working model. You`ll be "da man" in short order.

Tim,

I think a Leu 8.5x25x50 would be a good choice, though if a 6.5x20 was on sale I'd get that.

Which turner are you getting?

I am going to try the Stiller. I called them about how adjustable they were, and I believe Jerry said about a 5 to 10 degree turn to the top was .0002" in adjustment. I also had inquired about getting on the list for thier new clone Remington 700 action. I had never received conformation, it looks like I`m already on the list, as I asked about why I never heard back, he looked at the list and I am already on it.

Blaine, I could never get consistant groups as a bag squeezer. My front rest has a windage top, I use the screw on the rear leg for fine verticle adjustment. The key is to have your front and rear bags aligned so that the rifle tracks on the target in recoil. I shot free recoil last year with my .223, it's a given to shoot free recoil with my 6PPC.

Good to see your goups continue to improve! There are days for me that when I try to hold off for wind I guess wrong, the bullet goes exactly into my aiming point <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Tim,not sure about the 6.5-284,but the Russian Primers are a perfect match for the WLR's in my 6.5 Heaton's and 300wsm's....I can shoot them mix'ed in a 10 round record string and can't tell which is which.....

BoydHeaton, do you get lower ES with Winchester LR over Fed 210M`s ? I`d sure like to start out with the best possible combination of components.

Yes I do.E.S.'s are about cut in half with the wlr's ..You might also wanna look at the CCI BR4 primer ...

Will do, thanks much for the help, I have some great equipment coming, I hate thinking I`m the weak link, but thats just how it is. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Boyd,

Have you ever tried WLRs in a 6.5x284?

Blaine

Blaine,

Glad to hear of you improving, but hate to see another bag squeezer get away from the technique. I agree you should be more consistant, but it sure is easy to tweak your POA.

Blaine, I have used both the WLRM and the WLR use the WLR's exclusivly, now.
Catnthehat

Well, after describing my ocassional dropped shot to the guy at Krieger, I decided to bed about 1.75" in front of the recoil lug. The bedding is curing as we speak. The guy at Krieger agreed that a fully free-floated LV barrel on a 700 puts a lot of stress on the action and could cause what I am seeing.

So for the next range trip:

- Use VLD chamfer and see if that makes bullet seating more consistent
- Try proven load (two 5-shot groups) with new bedding
- Try increasing bullet seating depth .005" further into lands
- Try proven load with WLRs

That will take 30 rounds. I will not use my match brass--it's 15 record group cases and 10 sighters of a known quantity. I will use some 50 rounds of once fired brass after I turn the necks to the proper thickness. Also, my fouler/gong rounds are going to be some new brass I need to fireform. I just need to get them all prepped.

BTW, the throat moved about .003" last match. The guy at Krieger says that's how it usually goes. No throat movement for a while, then a couple thousandths all of a sudden.

If you are having inconsistent seating, this may be the "dropped shot" culprit. I know you have tried different bushings, but is your chamber tight necked? You may have already mentioned this, just catch me up, as I have a reason for asking. If your chamber is not TN, and you are using bushing dies, and are basically "cleaning them up" without turning to a specific thickness, you need to be using an expander ball that came with the S-Type dies. Neck tension or "grip" on the bullet is very inconsistent and this shows up when seating the projectile, some will soft seat and others will feel fine, but inconsistent. Some argue the expander induces runout and it does, but you must choose between the lesser of 2 evils. I would not mention this except I thought somewhere you said your chamber wasn`t a TN chamber. If I`ve gone way out in left field forgive me, just trying to give any input possibe to help your situation, I will be asking for help soon as my rifle gets here, I`m positive.

Tim,

I pretty much fixed the inconsistent seating by turning about .001" off the neck, AFTER expanding them on a Sinclair expander mandrel. Before, I was getting as much as .010" difference in seating depth with the initial setting on the seater die--that will make a difference through the chrono and on paper. After turning like I described, that was reduced to .002 to .003" difference, and I don't see that as a big factor. I am just trying to fine tune it some more.

The expander ball is too large to get the neck tension this rifle likes. If I turn down the expander ball to get it where the bushing is determining the OD of the neck, then the expander isn't doing anything.

My chamber is about .295".

Oh, I have the bedding finished, it turned out pretty good.