It is easier to find good loads for the 6.5-284 than the 6.5-06 in my experience. If the 6.5-06 was as accurate as the 284 case, you would hear mention of it in BR and F class but you don't.
For hunting rifles, there is no practical difference though. I would not build a 6.5-284 on a short action. Period. My short action 6.5 is a 260AI. It shoots great and is only 100 fps short of the 284 case.
Bull$hit on that. Like I said earlier, if this was true, the F-class and 1000 YD BR guys would use it. It is much easier to get the low ES needed for 1000 yd work with the shorter fatter case. Barrel life is exactly the same for both cartridges. I have a buddy who is a full-time gunsmith. I was recently in his shop and looking at his records. Barrel life is even. He has built over 100 6.5-284s and 6.5-06s. He had reams of targets with data on them. There is nothing wrong with the 6.5-06 for hunting. I don't think it would be competitive at 1000 yds.
I shot 1000 YD BR for 6 years with a 6.5-284. I shot against a lot of them. I never once, in 6 years, saw a 6.5-06 at a match and never saw one listed in the record list when perusing Precision shooter each month.
Ron used Norma brass for his 6.5-06 and Lapua for the 6.5-284 mostly. He built them on both short and long but with his latest reamer, he only builds them on long actions.
All this BR stuff has very little to do with a hunting rifle. I only bring it up because others have tried to refute it. I would not feel the least bit handicapped with a 6.5-06 but would probably go the AI route should I ever feel inclined to do one.
A Wyatts box in a short action will barely let you seat the longer bullets out enough to keep the ogive out of the case. I wouldn't build one for that reason. The 260AI is much smarter in a short action. Ron has been building a bunch of these the past 2-3 years and is impressed.
Wow.. really... I have/had both. Both were extremely easy to get to shoot.
Most of the reason is brass. Lapua makes good brass.. br guys went with it.
Also in BR guys were shooting the SA and the 284. Shorter stiffer action meant better accuracy. (which I think is questionable )
They are using single shot actions too. A whole nuther world.
IN the end the 6.5-06 will do everything and anything as easily as the 6.5X284. And because by design give you better barrel life. You just need a long action
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