I am thinking about getting a 6.5 x 2 84. I was wondering about the availability and price of the brass. Just wondering if I can take .284 brass and size it down to the 6.5? Or do I have to buy 6.5 x 2 84 brass? If so who all makes the 6.5 x 2 84 brass? And what is the price compared to the .284? Or should I go .260?( not preffered). Sorry if this is a repeat but I'm somewhat new to the reloading forum( not reloading)
1) With everyone running out and buying up everything that is available right now, the brass may not be readily available although if you look around you can still find a little - just dont try to buy 2000 rounds of the same lot number, aint going to happen.
2) Price is high. I shoot only Lapua in my F-class open rifle and its around $1.50 per round. You can find other brass that is a little less expensive but I have had the best experience with the Lapua. Norma is good but it is soft, primer pockets get loose after a few firings (my experience).
3) You can run the Winchester 284 brass through the 6.5x284 dies and use that but I choose not to. It is less expensive and if you are not as concerned with close brass tolerances like I am then you may choose that way to save money.
4) Powder Valley lists Winchester 284 for $326 for 500 pieces and they list Lapua 6.5x284 for $115.18 for 100 pieces which would total $575.90 for 500 pieces.
In conclusion, I would not even entertain the idea of another caliber (260) if I already had it in my mind that I didnt prefer that cartridge. One of the problems is the fact that the 6.5x284 has a rebated rim and it is the cause of some feeding problems in a hunting rifle. In single shot rifles (target) this never causes a problem as the rifle is fed one cartridge at a time. Gunsmiths work around this problem and usually are able to fix any feed problems you may encounter trying to feed out of a magazine. If you build the rifle on a short action you also need to keep in mind that you will be limited on the OAL of your load if you intend to use the magazine. I built one for hunting on a long action and can load the rounds as long as I want them with no problems with long OAL rounds.
I hope this helps some as I tried to answer all your questions but if you have more questions, pm me your phone number and I will try to answer any other questions you may have. Good luck, BK
