284 Win. and RL 17

[Pharmjack]

I am new to this Board and a fairly new Reloader. However I have reloaded my 284 with RL 15 and H4831SC with good results. I am curious about the RL 17 but can not find any load data listed. What I have read sugest that you can get close to 3000ft/s with a 180 gr bullet. Although my 284 is built with a short action my magazine with allow me to get an OAL of a little over 3.11.
Any sugestions would be welcome to this newcomer

 

[lancloft]

My 284 is also a short action but i am limited to 2.8 oal by my magazine. I have tried rel 17 with 120-154 gr bullets and did get a velocity boost over other combos and had single digit extreme spreads but 2 moa accuracy. www.6mmbr.com has some good info on rel17 and the 284. Hopefully you get better accuracy than i did.

 

[Pharmjack]

Thanks for the comeback.
I looked up your reference.
I may have to try the new load. Work my way up slowly.

 

[AZShooter]

IMO H4350 has been the best choice for the 284 win until Rl-17 came along. H4831 is a bit too slow and RL-15 is a bit too fast.

My 284 is a 23" sporter weight bolt action. OAL is a tad more useful at 3.050". My gunsmith extended my M77 Ruger's magazine for around $75.

Moly coated 150 nos bt easily got to 3000 and I used it year round even in 90 degree temps. It was capable of more but that seemed like a good spot to stop.

Max loaded moly coated 160 accubond obtained 3050 fps but it was pretty much a cool weather load.

Both loads were under 1/2 MOA.

If you look around the net you will find that many say the amount of powder to use will just about be identical to H4350 amounts. Start low and work up.

FYI RL-17 works very well in the 6mm rem and 338 RCM too.

 

[Buttermilk]

I had excellent results in my 284 Win using RL17 and a Berger 168 VLD.

15" bbl (handgun) velocity of 2554 FPS. Just over 1/2 MOA at 200 yds.

My chamber allowed for a 3.2" OAL.

I'd have to check my data book to see what I loaded up to.

Regards,

Rog

 

[Pharmjack]

I may have to try some 4350. I do have a can. I have been using H4831SC and Reloder 15 as a friend had recommended those. I have been getting pretty good accuracy 1 moa but a little better is my aim. Thanks for the comeback. From Tucson huh, My son lives near phoenix. I always thought Redding was HOT can't compare to Phoenix. Tucson is a little more reasonable. Nice this time of year anyway. I can see why you might have to watch your max loads in the summer.

 

[TOM H]

Here something from 6br site

.284 Win Tactical Hunter

When you start seeing 180gr bullet @ 3000fps in the 284 that velocity comes from 30" long barrel.

I have 27" long barrel on my 284 and that does help with the velocity and I'm using R-17 in that rifle and 280AI.

Well good luck

 

[Bud Martin]

Be very careful when you use some of the listed loads for r17 you find on the net, my 284 is at the very maximum load at 52 grains with a 150 grn nosler bullet, 53.5 will blow a primer everytime. I have seen loads posted MUCH more than that with a 180 berger and in my rifle that would put the bolt right through your forehead.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Unless you have a very long barrel, I don't see you getting 3000 FPS with the 180s. RL17 is a very high velocity powder for sure but it is not that fast.

I have run 168 grain bullets in the 308 at 2950 in a 26" barrel with RL17. Pressure signs were also starting to show up. Now I realize the 284 case has more volume than the 308 but does not mean equal bullet weight will go faster in the 284 case. Equal bullet weight and equal barrel length, they have about the same velocity potential. All else being equal, larger bores have higher velocity capabilities. The added volume of the 284 gets offset by the bore diameter. If you look at the Hodgdon's reloading center you will find the for the 168 grain bullets in equal barrel lengths, the 284's top load (2830 FPS) is only 2 FPS faster than the 308's top load of 2828 FPS. Once you get to the 175 grain bullets the 308 is actually 30 FPS faster than the 284's top load. You could probably get close to 3000 FPS with the 168 but not the 180s. Not trying to say the 308 is better, just using this to show a more apples to apples comparison for my real world experience with RL17. If 2950 FPS was getting too hot for my 168/308 load, 3000 FPS for a 168/284 load is probably going to be too hot. The 180's are going to be on fire.

There was a guy at 6mmbr that was getting 3000 out of this combo but he was usuing a 31-1/2" barrel to do it. He also was using a '5C' barrel which some claim to generate less friction. Also, many target shooters over there run very hot loads at that. A normal hutning rifle is not going to safely push the 180's to 3000 FPS.

 

[TOM H]

Here something from 6br site on 284 and 180gr bullets


Record-Setting .284 Win F-Classer

 

[Pharmjack]

Thanks for the reference. It is exciting to see some of this info on the poor old 284.
I have had my 284 since 1970 when I built it on a Herter's BSA action and one of the Herter's roll over cheekpiece. I glass bedded the action. at the time I had not heard of pillar bedding. It has always been my favorite rifle. Maybe because of the time and effort I took in making it up.
However, at the time I was happy with factory ammo giving me 1-2" moa. Shooting all of my game within about 300 yds. Then I took up archery and mainly bow hunted for over 30 years. There I tried to get shots of 30 yds or so. A long way from Longrange Hunting territory. Then a couple of years ago I took a fall and severly broke my right leg. I now have a couple of plates and a whole bunch of pins. Anyway, I thought that as I am now almost 70 years of age that climbing trees and putting up a half dozen tree stands a year was probably not that awful smart.
So now I have made a new interest in rifle hunting and in particular longe range hunting. With that I also could see that it would probably be benificial to lower that moa number with hand loads.
Anyway that is where I am at and it does my heart good to see the renewed interest in what I have always thought was a fantastic caliber.

 

[TOM H]

Thanks for the reference. It is exciting to see some of this info on the poor old 284.
I have had my 284 since 1970 when I built it on a Herter's BSA action and one of the Herter's roll over cheekpiece. I glass bedded the action. at the time I had not heard of pillar bedding. It has always been my favorite rifle. Maybe because of the time and effort I took in making it up.
However, at the time I was happy with factory ammo giving me 1-2" moa. Shooting all of my game within about 300 yds. Then I took up archery and mainly bow hunted for over 30 years. There I tried to get shots of 30 yds or so. A long way from Longrange Hunting territory. Then a couple of years ago I took a fall and severly broke my right leg. I now have a couple of plates and a whole bunch of pins. Anyway, I thought that as I am now almost 70 years of age that climbing trees and putting up a half dozen tree stands a year was probably not that awful smart.
So now I have made a new interest in rifle hunting and in particular longe range hunting. With that I also could see that it would probably be benificial to lower that moa number with hand loads.
Anyway that is where I am at and it does my heart good to see the renewed interest in what I have always thought was a fantastic caliber.

Small world, I was born Oakland,Ca 70yrs ago. My first custom was build 1968 by gunsmith/worked for telephone co also from Redding by the name of Levi Jones he lived out east by the college at the time and he passed away last Dec.

I hunted with Levi and his pack of dogs and he's the one that got me interested in LR before it was fashionable. I think of him every time I get up around timberline here. Well good luck

 

[Pharmjack]

I'm afraid I didn't know Levi. I do know a couple of Jones' in Redding. Patrick and Marshall they own a gun shop called Jones' Fort. I don't know if they are related. There are a lot of Jones's around.