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

Roland,
Sorry about that.
I did read what you said.
I should have posted more and explained myself better.
Must have been in a hurry or something...

When someone is contemplating a hunting rifle for big game in a specific cartridge like the 6.5-284, I do not think it is fair to compare the barrel life of a rifle that is going to be used for hunting big game with one that is being used in BR comps.

BR comps involve a lot of back to back shooting or rapid shooting.

Whereas hunting and the practice for hunting does not typically.
I am not counting pd shooting here, only big game.

Most hunters never wear out a 6.5-284 barrel.
Even if they did, it would be a small price to pay to have a new tube chambered up compared to the costs surrounding hunting.
For the ones who did wear out a barrel I would be impressed that they are practicing that much to be proficient in the LR game.

Ovis,
I have had great performance from the A-Max's as well in both 6.5 and in 7mm on antelope.
Barrel length is a personal choice.
Do your research and get what you want.
I use relatively short tubes compared to the majority of guys here.

love mine i used a 270 win for about 14 years but switched to the 6.5 after having one built it is an awsome caliber and i find i cant leave it home . i uses rl17 51.5gr 140gr accubond lapua brass 2988fps

XP hunter & others I tried 140 A Max instead of the usual 140 gr Hornady Interlock in my 6.5 X 284. A Max in my experience require more powder to reach velocity. Not in my 6.5 X 284 it
was 150 fps faster pulled the rest! Do you have to drop the load
much or at all with the A Max? IMR 7828 around 52 gr with Lapua
brass & 140 gr Hornady Interlock works very well in my rifle.

Gents,

Thank you all for the input... you have been very helpful!

Thanks again!

O_C

I have always used H-4350 (faster the 7828) with mine whether with the 140's or the 130. I treat every barrel differently and let it tell me what it likes and work for the accurate load.

This is an interesting cartridge. Yesterday at the range there was an old-timer with a custom target rifle he'd built himself, chambered in it.

Guy was 89 years old. Asked me to tell him when the RO gave commands, since he couldn't hear them.

He was shooting 142 moly-coated SMKs at 2,850. He had a paper target at 500 meters, and sent a few downrange. There was a little wind too. He brought his target back, and was pissed because of the flyer that opened up his group to .5 MOA.

Hope I'm shooting like that at 89.

Very true words and I agree 100%.

Shot a nice group this morning with a load of Scenar 123's and 62.0 RS Magnum for 3,200 mv.

20.5 at 1000 at about 1,900 fps

24" barrel.

watched a friend take a bull at 645yrds with his 6.5x284 berger 140 gr. This is a very popular chambering in this part of the country. 6.5 is just good no matter how you look at it. my wife shoots a 260 we love it.

Heck, I hope I'm shooting like that at 52! or ever!!!

Bob, eventually you're going to get tired of lugging that thing around, and then you should call me and I'll take it off your hands and give it a good home.

A Big time amen to that (I'm 52 as well..)

Dober

Haha! we'll see....

Brown showed up a bit ago with some 108's.

I'm out the door to test them out.

Also had some 156 Norma Oryx show up as well and I hope someone here can supply me with some load data for those bullets.

Oryx, for a bear in the bush you might say.

If'n my .260 ever shows I'll be ordering some 123's as well.

Dober

Mark, I just shot some 123's at the range today out of my Crusader .260 and my lightweight .260....I'll post pics if the targets.

Messing around with seating depth and tweaking the powder charge. The top two targs are my lightweight .260, the bottom is the heavy GAP Crusader. This is the first time I've shot 123's out of the heavy rifle...kinda pleased to walk up on that one.

Any rifle chambered to shoot 6.5 is a winner!

Gee, why did you have to post those target picture, I need to go shooting.

Nice shooting, those 6.5, 123 work great.

I'm hoping to get some reports on how those 123gr Scenars do on game. They should be a very nice option in my .260 for pronghorn and mule deer and whitetails in big alfalfa fields!

What would you fella's with a lot of experiance with the 6.5X284 say is the optimum barrel lenght for a hunting rig? I have two one has a 22" and the other a 24" barrel. Seems the BR guys like them longer. My 22" barrel rifle is about ready for a new barrel and was thinking about trying a 26" barrel on it.

While I've never owned a 6.5/284 I've been around the 6.5/06 a ton load and for me I like 23" on it.

Dober