The other day I watched a couple of older YouTube videos of Ron Spomer shooting his NULA .284 Win. That got my curiosity up, so I went to Barnes' online load data and poked around a bit. From everything I've read or heard, Winchester developed the .284 to compete with the .270, but utilizing a short action instead of a long one so the cartridge could be chambered in the 88 and 100. I suppose the same can be said for the .280 Rem as well since .284 ballistics are often compared to it too.

But here's what has me scratching my head: looking at Barnes' 7-08 data, it looks like many of the 7-08 loads equal or exceed the .284 loads (albeit generally with different powders) but utilize 8 to 10 less powder grains to do so. So are the Barnes .284 loads light or are the 7-08 loads heavy? What am I missing?

Just curious.

Most all book load data for the 284 Win is on the wimpy side. Win took a great idea
and nearly killed it by putting it in short actions and the 88 and 100.
Loaded up properly and in a longer action (Mauser or 30-06) it is quite effective....
at least in my humble opinion. So are its wildcats.

The 7-08 is one fine round also. Punches over its weight.

Well, if it isn’t put in a short action, it doesn’t seem like a great idea at all. In a long action, I’d rather have a the 06 length case.

google the article barsness did on it i think he takes it up to where it shines

I have a semi-custom short-action bolt gun in 284 and love it. It has a Wyatt box so I can get an OAL of 2.92” with a 140-gr TTSX, greater than the nominal SAAMI 2.80”. 23” barrel. After much experimenting, I landed on the above bullet on top of R17 for an easy 3100 fps, and ~ .7 MOA at 400 yds. It truly equals the 270 in what can be made a very light rig.

Loaded to equal pressures, the 284 will always outrun the 7-08, also a good cartridge, about like the ‘06 will the 308. It’s truly shines when housed in a good bolt gun, and doesn’t need a long action IMO.

This one

https://www.handloadermagazine.com/284-winchester

It can shine it the NULA/Forbes 3.00 ? length action. I have one in 284 and don't run it hard, probably not even in warm 708 speed but I don't shoot it way out there.

As always, a great article by John Barsness.
I still personally think the 284 Win is ultra cool considering when it was born and how it performs.

The Kimber platform would be perfect with a 284 win but as I understand the action doesn't have enough meat to make it work safely. I also toyed with the idea of re-abarreling a Kimber LA in plain Jane 280 but did not do so. Also evaluated a 7x57 and decided it was same-same as the 7-08 despite the slight increase in case capacity.

So acquired a Kimber 270 to replicate all the above. It should arrive tomorrow.

What is it about the Kimber action that makes it unsafe with the .284?

If anything it's diameter, or actually the lack thereof. The Kimber action is set up for the 308 case head size and so is pretty slim.

I forgot about that but have heard the same thing.
30+ years ago I acquired a used ULA in 284. It was built on a M700 SA. I liked it except for the feeding, it fed reliably but it was like shifting a fencepost in a bucket of gravel--my one objection to every bolt gun 284 I've ran ammo through.

Thanks, Mathman. But doesn't Kimber chamber a couple of the WSM cartridges?

The Kimber 84M is DAINTY,compared to the Whizzum 8400 receivers. Different animals. Hint.

I've had/have lotsa 6-284's,25-284's and 284's and they can do some nice things. Never had feed/function woes in any of 'em,whether 600,Seven or 700,in ADL,BDL and AICS DBM. Hint.

Bullets matter wayyyyyyyy more than headstamps and the 284's undoing is it's case length,which precludes good bullets in S/A's. A 284Win with schit bullets,pales to a 7-08 with good ones. Hint.

An 84M wearing 8" RPM in 7 Kreed with 180's at 2600fps,would be sensational. Hint.............

1000 words. Hint.






The Whizzum case is shorter than the 284Win case and in the 8400 7 Whizzum,180 ELDM's are simply fhuqking SENSATIONAL. Hint.............

Ah, got it. Thanks, ‘Stick

Thanks for the pictures, 'Stick. I can definitely see the differences in bolt diameter.

It is a nice round in a savage 99, more potential in a bolt rifle. I load the 120 Barnes.

My ULA 284 from 1988 shoots 140 TTSX's at 3000fps using R-26. Very accurate and puts Elk down nicely.

I like my 2, 284’s. I also admit, not a whole lot different than the 7mm-08. The 284 was almost a WSM before we had a WSM.