New Gunwerks 6.5-284 Norma

I had a new Gunwerks 6.5-284 Norma built last year and very happy with the rifle so far. I had originally purchased the gun for deer hunting and was fortunate to be able to harvest two nice bucks last year with perfect performance from the rifle and ammo combination.

We are taking some of our clients on an elk hunt next year and I wanted to know what everyone's opinion is on this caliber for elk. I am currently shooting the 140 Grain Berger VLD's at 3,059 FPS and will be hunting elk at elevation 5,000 ft approx. I spoke to Gunwerks about this and they were very honest in saying they have killed a lot of elk with this caliber and I should be good out to 1,000 yards. When I asked if I needed to stay off the shoulder, they told me to shoot directly in the shoulder. This sort of surprised me since I always shot deer in the shoulder but thought that might be risky with such a big animal.

I completely trust what they are telling me but since I've never elk hunted before, I wanted to get some other opinions before I go on this trip. If needed, I could get another rifle built in maybe the 7MM LRM or 28 Nosler but I really like the 6.5.

Any help with experience on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Your 6.5 is perfect for deer/antelope sized game. If you're wanting something for dedicated large game at longer ranges, step up to a 30 cal. 7mm is good, but honestly it doesn't deliver that big an advantage over the 6.5s. 300 win mag and up, the 30 nosler is a fantastic case design, 300 rum is just more of a good thing, however I feel the 30 nosler strikes the best balance of barrel life, performance, readily available components. The 300 win is no slouch either, throated properly with adg brass, it'll push 215s as fast the 7mm lrm will push 180s. The 28 nosler with 180/195 is a laser, however expect 1k rounds barrel life taking care of it. The only disadvantage of the bigger 30s is recoil, but rifle design and component selection makes a difference here. My 300 norma imp has a proof carbon barrel, manners eh1 carbon stock, kelblys action, weighs just under 10# with a large heavy optic. I have a 5 port brake and it's mild recoil. However take that brake off and the 89gr powder and 230 bullet puts a beating on you.

Should do the trick, I killed a bull two years ago with the 143 eld-x of my 6.5 creedmoor with a lung shot at 177 yards and he didnt last long. A 140 berger VLD at that speed should do the trick. Might look into the 156 berger EOL bullet too. Make a great shot and if needed, a follow up shot. Wont be a problem.

My calculator says at 1000 yards that load will have 1086 ft*lbs and be traveling 1869fps. That can kill anything if it hits right, but it seems a bit slow for my tastes. However, Berger says 1800fps will open the VLDs, so I'm sure you could make it work. It that case shooting through the shoulder might be a good plan for long shots to help the bullet expand.

You might want to aim a bit farther back if one steps out in front of you at 30 yards.

Aim for the crease tight behind the shoulder. This gives you some leeway on your windage to both sides. Keep it halfway up or so, and you'll have a dead Bull on your hands!

Thank you for the information. I probably won't shoot an elk at 1k but it's good to know that the numbers work out to that distance. Appreciate the info.

I'll start off by saying I love 6.5-284. That being said I wouldn't call it a 1000 yard elk cartridge. It "can" get it done but there are far better options. 300 win mag is probably the most popular cartridge choice for elk to that range and the bullet of choice for most would be the Berger 215 hybrid loaded with H-1000 powder. I personally would probably only run a 6.5-284 out to around 600 on elk, but if I was going for elk the 6.5 would be staying home and I would be bringing one of my 300 win mag's, 340 Weatherby or 338 lapua. If your set on running the 6.5-284 especially at longer ranges definitely consider stepping up to the 156 Berger's. That's my take.

I have been shooting that cartridge for many years. I shot my last bull with the 143 ELD-X last November. DRT and bullet exited (250 yards). I have shot a lot of stuff at long range with it too. I would say it is a very marginal 1000 yard elk cartridge. I wouldn't believe anything GW tells you. They are selling stuff. You need to go shoot it and decide for yourself. I have personally fired more than 4000 rounds of 6.5-284 in the past 10 years. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what it can and can't do.

If you want a 1000 yard elk cartridge, you will be better served by a big 7mm. I have seen a number of elk killed at 1000 yards (ish) by the 180 Berger in all its flavors. This is a much better elk round. If you shoot a bull at 1000 yards, you will get almost NO bullet expansion. Unless you hit the CNS, you will probably have a long tracking job.

The gunsmith that introduced me to lr hunting and shooting said "shoot the biggest caliber you can accurately shoot". Varies for all, but an elk is obviously a very tough animal. No such thing as overkill.

Note: my biggest bull took 3 shots in the boiler room (338 edge 300gr smk) 2 lung shots and one clipped heart. 671, 650 and 631. Had a new respect after that.

I appreciate all of the honest advise and what everyone is saying makes sense on both sides. I am sure the 6.5 will work but under my circumstances which will be needing to make the most out of any possible opportunity since I don't get to elk hunt everyday And don't live in elk country, I will be better off bringing something larger. I pretty much knew this deep down but wanted to see what others had to say.

I have a 6.5 x 284 in a Fierce rifle and it is a tack driver. I shoot the 140 Grain Berger Elite Hunters in it but only at 2750fps. I have taken numerous animals with the rifle all with no issues out to just under 600 yards. Largest was the Kudu bull in my emoji taken at 408 yards. Not quite as large as a mature bull elk on the hoof but they are as large as a good sized cow elk or young bull. No issues. Making a kill shot at a thousand yards is a big undertaking even if you are an accomplished shooter and IMO might be a stretch for this combo, not that it wont do the trick if you put it in the boiler room but as a lot of guys on here have already said more always seems to be better when it comes to the larger animals. I also have a Gunwerks rifle, but in 7mm LRM, and it packs quite a bit more punch than the 6.5 x 284 and would probably be a better choice for long range elk, IMO as would the 28 Nosler. It all comes down to what you are comfortable and confident with. The ballistics say the bullet should works just fine, it will all come down to whether or not you can place it in the right spot for a kill shot. The 6.5 x 284 is a great caliber, good luck with the new rifle and good luck with the hunt. Let us know how you make out.

Will not sugar coat this. I have no use for light calibers when hunting elk. I respect the quick clean kill of something that starts with a 30 caliber and goes up from there. It is not hard to build a rifle that will be accurate and light enough to carry in the field. If you are recoil sensitive there are numerous muzzle brakes out there that will tame any of the big 30's to almost a 25-06 type of recoil.
I believe that the boys at Gunwerks can shoot at a 1000 yards all day because they probably do shoot at a 1000 yards EVERY day. Because we see lots of "1000" yard shots on the internet that are successful we are led to believe that it is just a regular,easy thing to do. I would wager that for every successful long shot that is posted there are multiple shots that miss entirely and unfortunately, more that injure and maim the animals that are never recovered and not shown on the internet. If you do not practice at that range from field positions on a very regular basis, please refrain from that shot. You owe to the elk.

I have had 7 6.5-284's and have a ton of faith in them. I run 3000-3100 depending the barrel and bullet combo. You should still be over 1800 FPS and have over 1000 lbs which is more then enough with proper placement. Berger suggests the shoulder hit as it hammers the insides due the fragmentation design of the bullet. Now, personally, I feel like 1k is pushing the limits of the cartridge and the shooter. That's a poke in field conditions and mountain terrain. I would have zero issue inside 800 and 5-700 is a chip shot for that rifle. If you decide to change the barrel I'd consider a 280ai and run a 180 at 2900-2950.