Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 6.5-284... Long Range medium game... your thoughts?

I am thinking about building a 6.5-284 long range deer/sheep/antelope rifle. What is your guys experinece with this round for medium game hunting? What bullets do you like? Powder? Difficult to load for? Barrel length? Talk to me... Ovis_Chaser

I think it's the most overachieving, best long range, light recoiling cartridge out there.

It's my favorite hunting cartridge.

I like anything Scenar and Berger for shooting.
RL17 & H4831 SC rule so far for powder.
I have Scenar 108's on order to try out .478 BC at 3,400 perhaps?
That should be flat enough for antelope.

24" minimum for barrel. Long actions do work best though I've used it in short.

I just built this one on a 700 Ti, (formally 270)
Scope is a Leupold Mark 2 6 lbs 10 oz as is

H-4350 with 130 Bergers.
It will work great

I've only used one once...it was a buddy's and I borrowed it to take a pronghorn at 400 yards with one shot, the only time I ever fired the rifle. Bullet was a 120gr Ballistic Tip.

I've seen him kill lots of stuff with it. Most impressive was a huge 6x6 bull elk at 435 yards that dropped so hard it bounced when hit by the little 125gr Partition. So, yeah, it'll take "medium" game just fine.

His sporter was built on a 700 action (short) with 25" Lilja barrel twisted 1:8.5".

I agree with SU35....one of the best hunting cartridges you'll ever use, and with today's bullets, better than ever. If I was a hard-core handloader, it'd be about all I'd shoot.

I'd really love to see what the 123gr Lapua Scenar could do in that case. I'd also bet the 120gr TTSX or 120/130gr TSX would be elk killers, extraordinaire, as well.

Thanks guys for the input... this round sounds very impressive! Are cases hard to get, or do you form them from 284 brass? I do reload, so that is not a problem.

I was thinking of a 24" barrel on a 700 action, HS Precision stock and topping it off with the new Leica 3.5-14 riflescope.

SU35: Thats a dandy looking rig! Thnaks for sharing!

Seattlesetters: Yes, good bullets put in the right spot do wonders! <wink>

I appricate you guys input!

O_C

Buy Lapua 6.5-284 brass-Usually not hard to get

Lapua and Norma both make brass for the 6.5-284. Norma semi-legitimized the cartridge by putting their name on it.

Just my opinion, but if you're not spinning a turret with this cartridge you're only utilizing
50% of it's ability. Think 1000 yards.

Buy your brass based on what reamer was used to chamber your rifle. 6.5 X 284 is slighlty different than 6.5 X 284 (Norma)

Have some Lapua brass for sale, Win 284 brass a much better fit in my rifle. Expensive lesson!

i have two. awesome.

6.5x284 is a great little cartridge. I shoot this caliper in one of my F Class rifles. Couple if things to be aware of with this cartridge. In a hunting rifle this is not a deal killer but still is something to know about, Barrel life in the 6.5x284 "Can" be very short. I have a friend shooting one and his Lilja barrel lasted 600 rounds, most shooters in there competition guns are getting double that but it can be a problem if you shoot it a lot. My 6.5x284 wears a Hart barrel and while it is almost new I check it a lot. Also Bullet selection, be aware that some of the 6.5 bullets are for competition only and planly state so on the package, they are just not tough enough to use on game as they are meant for punching holes at 1,000 yds or so.

RS

I also have two. One is a Savage action custom set up for LR prairie dog shots - and I hit one at 1,153 yards. The other a Cooper 22 sporter - that smacked an antelope at 435 yards for its previous owner; I hit a p-dog at 411 yards using its Leupold CDS dial.

Great cartridge. Both rifles prefer Lapua brass, while expensive, I can use right out of the box. Its dimensional uniformity is amazing.

On barrel life...if the 6.5-284 is washing barrels at 600 rounds, then the 264Win Mag is only good for 300 rounds or so?

Mine have lasted a lot longer than 600 (Krieger, Douglas, and McGowen).

Come on guys xphunter and jesse jaymes, If either of you will take the time to read my post I said

"Most shooters in there competition guns are getting double that but it can be a problem if you shoot it a lot."

I believe that getting 600 rounds out of a barrel is very short barrel life, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Take a little time and read some information, easily obtained and very common information at that. The 6.5 X 284 is a notorious Barrel Burner. This is common knowledge amongst competitors in F Class paticularly but in Competition period. Hasn't stopped anyone from using it, I sure Do. My post was simply a heads up for anyone considering using the 6.5 X 284..........

PS jesse jaymes, I didn't know we were talking about the 264Win Mag. Never owned one, never shot one, and NEVER ever made a comment about one. but if you say 300 rounds thats cool with me.....

Roland

If you take a look at the load data on the web site link below you will see why the 264 WM is my choice and still low recoil and the 85gr HP is smokin out my Shilen 30" barrel 3900+ fps.




http://www.hodgdon.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html

I don't have either, that's why I asked. I will have to stick to my plans for .260 Rem in order to have it last 2 seasons.

Amen to that and he does.

You should start your own 264 thread.

This one is about 6.5-284's.