Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .284 Winchester Vs. 7mm-08

I have custom 23" .284 barrel on a Rem LH SA so the magazine limits me to .2.95". My cartridge OAL is 2.93" with the 140-gr TTSX so it protrudes down into the case about a third of it's length. But with R17 I got 3150 fps then backed down to 3075 fps. Off a bi-pod, I shot a 1.31" group with this bullet at 400 yds.

The even longer 150-gr TSX gets to 2950-3000 fps withe same powder. The oft repeated and dreaded "the bullet protrudes down into the cartridge case due to magazine restrictions in a short action," makes no difference in this case. Pun intended.

A Friendly observation:

At least it requires 'compression' of powder charges.

I have SEEN bullets squeezed back out....

Jwall, I agree with you. But I had this rifle built with portability being the main priority and maybe I have a particularly "fast" barrel; anyway, I am very happy with it as it's very accurate too.

Anyway, I have nothing against the 7-08, but the .284, even in a short action out-7-08s the 7-08.

George -

IF, if the 284 W was more popular and ammo/brass were readily available there would be NO choice between the 2 for me.

Having just entered the 284 W world, one who have to be determined to over come those 2 obstacles. I AM.

I have nothing against the 7-08/7mm Mauser but I REALLY like faster bullets. You only have to use 'bullets' capable of performing at higher vel. NO criticism implied toward anyone but some don't understand proper bullet performance.

I really like my Pre-64/Krieger 6.5-284. But, it's a LA, not a SA. Tweaking an action, LA or SA, to feed the fatter .284 case takes some smith work.

6.5-284 Lapua brass is super quality and could be easily opened up to .284. That's what I'd do.

But, if I was building a .284, I'd probably want a LA. And, with my LA, I'd lean toward building a .280AI...

I once had a 7-08. Nice gun, but it eventually went down the road, traded for a more interesting piece. And, I can't even remember what that was, would have to research my records...

DF

DF, I originally wanted this rifle to be chambered in 7 SAUM which I was enamored with but Lex Webernick of Rifles Inc., refused; said nothing but feeding problems with it. However, he said the .284 is no problem at all. So far with this rifle, he has been proven right as far as the .284 is concerned.

My M-70 6.5-284 feeds slick, but had some work, including machining the follower to accommodate the fatter round.

What's your thinking on SA/LA for the .284? I know there are aftermarket mag. set ups for more bullet room.

DF

Everything else being equal (pressures, magazine and barrel length, etc.) the .284 is capable of about 4% faster velocities. This means the same bullet in the 7mm-08 getting 3000 fps will get around 3120 in the .284.

Comparing claims by different handloaders about potential velocities doesn't mean much. Handloaders who get magic velocities with a .284 are also likely to get magic velocities with a 7mm-08.

There you go-- talking 4%

albeit 3120 fps makes me smile



I not ready yet to shoot my 284 and it's the first one I've ever had, but always wanted.

I have NO intention of 'hot rodding' it.

3000-3100 fps with accuracy will make me quite happy.

Even if I could get 3000 with the 7-08, it' not a 284 case. Some people like pink, others purple.

I build 284's on SA Remingtons for my boys when they were old enough to hunt. The load we used was 55 grains of RL-19 and a 145 grain Speer Hot Cor. Boys are all grown and on their own now and they have moved on to different cartridges. In the last six months or so I sold over 1000 rounds of new WW 284 brass I had stashed on the campfire classifieds. I don't recall the velocity but the load data is still printed on the plastic ammo boxes. I fit each rifle with a 24 inch Shilen barrel.

What he said!

I have felt that the 284 ceased to be relevant, except as the parent case for a number of wildcats, when the 7mm SAUM and 7mm WSM were introduced.

Unless you handload, the 284 is nothing more than an expensive 308. If you don't believe it, look at the Winchester/Olin velocity tables and compare the 150 grain 284 to the 150 grain 308.

The only 7mm SAUMs that I've shot have been a Remington Seven and a 700, both feed fine. My Remington Seven and 700 SA in 25-284 and 6.5-284 feed fine, but I swapped to the SAUM magazine boxes in the hope that they would feed even better. My Winchester/USRA 70 Fwt in 6.5-284 is a LA, a rechambered 6.5x55, and it has always fed fine without any change to the rails.

You gotta remember, there's SAAMI pressure, then there's Campfire pressure...

DF

Do magic velocities also translate to magic pressures?

Is there much gain to to a 7-08AI on a current 7-08 gun? Related question, how does the 7-08AI compare to the 284win?

DF NOTE MD's 'valid' comparison; I agree with BOTH of ya!

Where HAVE you been? the last 30 yrs?
150 gr in 284 AINT the same as 150 gr in 308 ? SHEESH !!

Yeah, I know that in a LONG action the 284 doesn't gain anything over 270/280, understood.

And in SHORT actions the 7-08 is running on the rear bumper of the 284. I don't like looking up tail pipes!!

NO other cartridge has the panache of a 284 Win. That's my opinion and that's all that matters to ME.

IIRC a 7-08AI runs like a vanilla 280.

I did some work with 200-gr bullets in 300 Win mag in the eighties with a custom throat in the barrel and Rem 700 action with plenty of magazine room; this allowed me to seat the Sierra 200-gr bullet's base just to the neck-case juncture and found very little velocity advantage by gaining that small amount of case capacity compared to 200's protruding down into the case. This was comparing loads in the same rifle before and after the throat was lengthened.

With this 284 I expect the same would be true. I think it's been an issue that has often been raised but the advantages are minimal especially for a guy who just wants to hunt game. The advantage of a shorter action is increased "stiffness" and lighter weight even if not much.

I had no intentions of hot rodding this cartridge. But I was a little deceived maybe with R17 as I kept working up looking for the traditional pressure signs -- flattened primers with cratering, ejector marks, stiff bolt lifts, etc., until I got to 3200 fps with the long 140-gr TTSX. I thought then this is just too fast so I worked down to 3050-3075 fps with great accuracy. I've read that some of the traditional signs occur long after high pressure is reached but it seems intuitive to me that even with R17 (or any powder) high pressures should result in a stiff bolt lift which I never experienced with these loads.