6.5x284 win

[JOWEL]

We just finished building a custom 6.5x284 win, we shot a 3 shot group that measured .236"CC, there's a lot of talking about shooting that group at 100yds, there`s a member of our club that says that all groups must be shot at 200yds to evaluate correctly the potential of the rifle.
I have always shot groups at 100, but after 20 years I make myself the question why?
I would appreciate all the feedback about the pros and cons and WHY do we evaluate a rifle at 100.
thank you.-

[Artpro]

The 100 yard 1/4 moa group that you mention, is nothing to sneeze at. However, the 6.5x284 is thought of as a 1000 yard competition cartridge (with the right bullets).
A rifle/cartridge/bullet combo should be evaluated at the distance(s) that it is expected to be used at. Some bullets that shoot bugholes at 100 yards won't group worth a darn at 600 or 800 yards, when shot from the same weapon.
My 2 cents worth.
Art

[shadowdrak]

There are some competition rifles out there with a handload combination that may just group around a 1/4-1/2 MOA out to a 100 yards or group even larger. But then, at 200-300 yards, these rifles group around 1/4-1/2 MOA or so. The reason for this, is that some bullets/powder combination haven't stabilized yet at the 100 yard mark, but by the 200-300 yard mark, the bullet has stabilized. It's a little more common in big bores than in little bores, but can happen to either one. You just have to think that these LR shooters are not looking for a 100 yard rifle, but for a tack-driver at several hundred yards.

[eshell]

I don't disagree with the posts above, but, to me, the real reason to test at longer ranges is that once a rifle is accurate enough to go less than 3/8 to 1/4 MOA at 100 yards, you can't tell a lot shooting that close, and ammo becomes the limiting factor.

In my own 6.5-284, I had load with H4831SC and 142 SMKs that shot 1/4" to 3/8" groups at 100 yards with regularity, most closer to 1/4". When I got further out, it started shooting vertical groups as a result of ammo (primer) problems and high extreme spreads. At 200 yards or more, these problems become much more apparent. Changing primers gave me slightly larger groups at 100 yards (more often 3/8"), but *much* smaller groups at 800, 900 and 1,000, where the rifle gets the most use.

[gun_rat82]

I do most of my 6.5x284 load development at 400yds. I've found I can normally fine-tune loads far better and at that range you can see any vertical spreading issues from sd and es spreads and I can spot the bullet holes in the target in most light conditions. I life in a pretty windy area so it allows me to test how true the BC's are on bullets also. Not to mention less distance travelling back and forth than at 1000+yds!