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284 Winchester, what's your favorite loads?
- Thread starter Heather
- Start date
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Start at 49 grains of IMR4350 or 50 grains H4350 with a 160 Sierra Gameking, standard LRP in WW brass. OAL right at 2.800. I prefer H4350 due to the temp stability but IMR4350 works great too. Anything from the 140-160 bullets are where the M88 and M100 really shine in my opinion. The 154 Hornady flat base and the Speer 150 flat base are also great choices.
As a 284 owner and handloader since the early 80s I could share plenty of loads. The problem is the rifle your friend intends to use. This autoloader will not be able to use bolt action load data. The loads would have to be mild to prevent issues.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news. IMO your friend might want to reconsider shooting this rifle.
I did some reading I want to share with you:
In 1990, Winchester issued a recall for this rifle due to a tendency for the firing pin to break due to use and metal fatigue and become lodged in the breech bolt face, causing the rifle to fire with the action not fully locked, leading to possible catastrophic failure and risk of severe injury or death to the shooter. Winchester offered to do repairs on the gun free of charge.
Several threads mention the firing pin issue.
SERIOUS STUFF:
"I bought my Winchester in 308 in late 1968 used and liked it well enough but I didn't hand load then. It was the second rifle I have ever owned, I told my brother who was close to being released from Military service about it and he told me if I found another to buy it for him. I did just that and 5 months later after he was released and shooting the rifle one Saturday morning and it blew. I was able to find 172 pieces of it two biggest pieces were the stock and about half the barrel.
Scared the crap out of me so I took it to a gun shop where my brothers was bought and had helped us all thru the Winchester mess with the blown rifle and traded it off.
Winchester tried to say it was the off brand ammo brother had been using but we know different today it was the bad firing pin and the round he was single feeding with out the mag went off when he released the bolt. Never the less they settled the case with brother. Brother did recover from his wounds, but can tell the stormy weather is coming today
Here is some information I got from reading part of the 11 page Winchester 100 recall thread you might find informative.
https://www.shootersforum.com/warning-notices-recalls/1662-winchester-model-100-recall.html
Call the special Winchester Model 100 Recall number at 1-800-852-5734. When you finally get through, and it took me about 1/2 a day, they can tell you over the phone if the repair has been done. Have your serial number ready and that's all you need.
Winchester also HIGHLY RECOMMENDS that the rifle not be fired if you are not sure if the recall was performed. Total cost to the consumer is the UPS or FED-EX"
link to thread:
https://www.shootersforum.com/threads/284-winchester.178761/
=====================
another thread:
I will tell you that the best bet is not to load near the top loads in a Model 100. I have a 308 and a 284 carbine, I love them both, but these typically are not target guns. They are fine for deer etc., just don't expect MOA accuracy out of one, unless of course you are one of the few lucky ones. I have settled on a few loads that give me around 1 1/2" +/- groups. I think that is about the best most of these guns will do, some not that good. Certainly, good enough for deer hunting though. Have a ball with the gun.
================
another thread:
In addition to the above, be sure to try reloading a dummy round with standard dies before loading up a bunch of live ammo. MOST autoloaders and pumps like to have Small Diameter (SD) resizing die cases for best functioning/chambering.
=================
another thread:
Please be aware that the Model 100 has a defective firing pin that should be replaced before shooting it.
.284 will not be easy to find and there are currently no rifles being made in that caliber.
I urge you NOT to alter that rifle in any way. Collectors will pay premiums for odd guns and that is one of them.
===============================
The prevailing feeling on the net: The rifle has collector value in 284 Win. Several recommended not using it. But I understand for nostalgia purposes the owner might want to use it anyway.
I went to guns international and found some of the 100s in 284 Win are selling for up to $1900!
===============
I figure you also know that the brass has to be sized to be able to auto feed properly. Any once fired cases may require sizing by a small base die.
If used for deer, I would consider the 120 nosler ballistic tip or any of the cup and core 140s. The original factory load used a 150 cup and core bullet.
I agree with HSmithTX that H4350 may be the best powder.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news. IMO your friend might want to reconsider shooting this rifle.
I did some reading I want to share with you:
In 1990, Winchester issued a recall for this rifle due to a tendency for the firing pin to break due to use and metal fatigue and become lodged in the breech bolt face, causing the rifle to fire with the action not fully locked, leading to possible catastrophic failure and risk of severe injury or death to the shooter. Winchester offered to do repairs on the gun free of charge.
Several threads mention the firing pin issue.
SERIOUS STUFF:
"I bought my Winchester in 308 in late 1968 used and liked it well enough but I didn't hand load then. It was the second rifle I have ever owned, I told my brother who was close to being released from Military service about it and he told me if I found another to buy it for him. I did just that and 5 months later after he was released and shooting the rifle one Saturday morning and it blew. I was able to find 172 pieces of it two biggest pieces were the stock and about half the barrel.
Scared the crap out of me so I took it to a gun shop where my brothers was bought and had helped us all thru the Winchester mess with the blown rifle and traded it off.
Winchester tried to say it was the off brand ammo brother had been using but we know different today it was the bad firing pin and the round he was single feeding with out the mag went off when he released the bolt. Never the less they settled the case with brother. Brother did recover from his wounds, but can tell the stormy weather is coming today
Here is some information I got from reading part of the 11 page Winchester 100 recall thread you might find informative.
https://www.shootersforum.com/warning-notices-recalls/1662-winchester-model-100-recall.html
Call the special Winchester Model 100 Recall number at 1-800-852-5734. When you finally get through, and it took me about 1/2 a day, they can tell you over the phone if the repair has been done. Have your serial number ready and that's all you need.
Winchester also HIGHLY RECOMMENDS that the rifle not be fired if you are not sure if the recall was performed. Total cost to the consumer is the UPS or FED-EX"
link to thread:
https://www.shootersforum.com/threads/284-winchester.178761/
=====================
another thread:
I will tell you that the best bet is not to load near the top loads in a Model 100. I have a 308 and a 284 carbine, I love them both, but these typically are not target guns. They are fine for deer etc., just don't expect MOA accuracy out of one, unless of course you are one of the few lucky ones. I have settled on a few loads that give me around 1 1/2" +/- groups. I think that is about the best most of these guns will do, some not that good. Certainly, good enough for deer hunting though. Have a ball with the gun.
================
another thread:
In addition to the above, be sure to try reloading a dummy round with standard dies before loading up a bunch of live ammo. MOST autoloaders and pumps like to have Small Diameter (SD) resizing die cases for best functioning/chambering.
=================
another thread:
Please be aware that the Model 100 has a defective firing pin that should be replaced before shooting it.
.284 will not be easy to find and there are currently no rifles being made in that caliber.
I urge you NOT to alter that rifle in any way. Collectors will pay premiums for odd guns and that is one of them.
===============================
The prevailing feeling on the net: The rifle has collector value in 284 Win. Several recommended not using it. But I understand for nostalgia purposes the owner might want to use it anyway.
I went to guns international and found some of the 100s in 284 Win are selling for up to $1900!
===============
I figure you also know that the brass has to be sized to be able to auto feed properly. Any once fired cases may require sizing by a small base die.
If used for deer, I would consider the 120 nosler ballistic tip or any of the cup and core 140s. The original factory load used a 150 cup and core bullet.
I agree with HSmithTX that H4350 may be the best powder.
Last edited:
Seabeeken
Well-Known Member
IMR-4166 shoots .012" with 120 HH
N-540 shoots .167" with 101 HH
The 284 is naturally accurate and hard to make it shoot bad.
N-540 shoots .167" with 101 HH
The 284 is naturally accurate and hard to make it shoot bad.
I thought I saw something with recalls, I'm going to send this over to him
