6.5-284 Norma
- Thread starter RyanG
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Kevin Thomas
Well-Known Member
RyanG,
Great cartridge, and a terrfic 1,000 yard round. Plenty of good barrels out there, just depends on what you prefer. Cut or buttoned? Length is up to you, and depends more on what you'll be using it for. As far as twist, assuming you're looking at the 139-142 grain bullets, a 1x8" to a 1x8.7" will take care of your needs.
Great cartridge, and a terrfic 1,000 yard round. Plenty of good barrels out there, just depends on what you prefer. Cut or buttoned? Length is up to you, and depends more on what you'll be using it for. As far as twist, assuming you're looking at the 139-142 grain bullets, a 1x8" to a 1x8.7" will take care of your needs.
Guess I should have provided a little more information here, sorry. Mostly I will be shooting targets with it. I mostly hunt with a long bow, but there may be a time that I want to hunt with it. I was thinking a 1 in 8 twist exactly for the Berger 140's with a 26 to 28 inch barrel. Am I too far off here.... and since this is my first "custom" rifle are there major difference between barrel makers regarding quality?
Ryan
Ryan
Kevin Thomas
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, huge differences. Barrel making is quite an art form, as well as a science, but basically it comes down to the care/knowledge of the operator. Buttoned barrels are faster and easier to make and can turn out a very fine product. Depends on the maker as to how it's drilled, if it's reamed (not all do this), how well the bore is lubed before drawing the button through, and whether the button is allowed to determine the twist (as most are) or there's a mechanical fix applied to help define the twist. Some will anneal their blanks to soften them before drilling, while others leave the barrels hard throughout the process. All kinds of different ways to skin a cat, if you see what I'm getting at.
Cut rifled barrels are a great deal more labor intensive and take much longer to make. The deliver more uniform twist rates, but again this requires a knowledgable and conscientious operator. Cut barrels generally need to be lapped, where most buttoned barrels don't get this treatment. Adds another little variable to the mix. There's also the question of the barrel steel quality, which the maker generally has little or no control over. He specifies what the material is to be, but it's the smelter who has to keep that correct. There's a whole lot more to it than this, but you get the idea.
Either process can turn out very good barrels, and they can both turn out crap. Stick with the makers who're providing a lot of barrels to the competitive crowd, and you'll likely get a good one. Go to the cheap side and buy a $59 barrel, and you've got . . . a $59 barrel. Don't expect them to shoot the same, 'cause they won't.
Cut rifled barrels are a great deal more labor intensive and take much longer to make. The deliver more uniform twist rates, but again this requires a knowledgable and conscientious operator. Cut barrels generally need to be lapped, where most buttoned barrels don't get this treatment. Adds another little variable to the mix. There's also the question of the barrel steel quality, which the maker generally has little or no control over. He specifies what the material is to be, but it's the smelter who has to keep that correct. There's a whole lot more to it than this, but you get the idea.
Either process can turn out very good barrels, and they can both turn out crap. Stick with the makers who're providing a lot of barrels to the competitive crowd, and you'll likely get a good one. Go to the cheap side and buy a $59 barrel, and you've got . . . a $59 barrel. Don't expect them to shoot the same, 'cause they won't.
jhibbard24
Well-Known Member
i shoot a 6.5-.284 and they are awesome. I use Kreiger barrels and now they offer the canted lands which i personally think will help with cleaning and velocities. Kreiger barrels seem to be winning more shoots that any other brands. They are single cut rifling. Price differences between different manufacturers is very little difference. I have a 1-9 twist and shoot 140 Bergers at 2980fps. Accurate and effective for killing. Dumped a whitetail doe at 1007 yd and lots of stuff in between. One down fall about this round is barrel life if you shoot a lot. i have aroumd 950 rnds down the tube and my throat has erroded more and more. I've actually had to adjust my load charge and seating depth a little to accomadate for the throat. I am considering salt bath nitriding all my new barrels from here on out in order to increase barrel life and increase veloccities. there are some good threads on this and a good one happening right now about 'Barrel hardness' that talks more about this process.
jhibbard24
Well-Known Member
i shoot a 26" barrel and honestly i think you'd be just fine with a 24" if you wanted a little shorter/handier rifle.
rscott5028
Well-Known Member
Get ready for a 6 month wait if you're particular and need a barrel custom ordered.
Otherwise, you might talk to your smith. He may have what you need, or be able to locate it.
Otherwise, you might talk to your smith. He may have what you need, or be able to locate it.
backwoods83
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 8, 2011
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- 3,414
6.5x284 is a claimed barrel smoker, but its all in how its treated. If I were picking an all purpose barrel for that cal I would stick with a cut rifled barrel kreiger 5 groove or brux 4 groove heavy contour fluted with a 8.5 twist finished at 26" you can run the heavier bullets at higher velocities without over spinning them.
krieger- 15 weeks and worth every minute.
rscott5028
Well-Known Member
The best things in life are worth the wait.
I've seen 15-25 week estimates from different makers. Most of them have some inventory on hand. But, there's usually a reason why it's still in their inventory. Not that the quality isn't there. ...slow twist or something.
So, make sure you know what you want and don't settle for something that isn't quite right.
Some smiths and outfits like Bruno's stock a decent selection.
I thank you all for the input! I truly dont mind the wait. I have to wait at least 8 weeks for my stock to come from H-S Precision anyway. I was looking at the Shilin.... I believe that I spelled that correctly.... But I might look around a little more. I am pretty excited about getting this rifle together. I first and only custom rifle.....
