6.5 x .284

[gkempf]

Tell me about this caliber. Guys are telling me that they can get
130gr. Bullets over 3000fps. What have you shot with one and what bullet do you use. How does it com pair to a .260. Thanks

 

[C.O. Shooter]

I shoot a 6.5-284, love it. There are many threads here on the subject! A quick search in the top right hand corner of the site will produce hours of reading: 6.5 - 284 - Google Search

I started two threads related to my build and current shooting progress! They can be found in my signature!

 

[roninflag]

58.7 grain of mrp-2 , 130 norma match= 3123. from the norma manual.

 

[stomp442]

6.5-284 is a great caliber. I have had 140's up and over 3000fps but the cases didn't last long and the accuracy opened up. 2950 seems to be a great sweet spot for the 140's with excellent accuracy and performance. I don't shoot anything less than 140 grains since they provide the best performance at long range. The 6.5-284 gives you about 150fps advantage over the .260 Remington but at a cost of about 8 grains more powder and more barrel wear. The .260 Ackley Improved is my preferred 6.5 chambering as it can push the same 140's to the same 2950 fps without using as much powder.

 

[Wachsmann]

The 6.5 is aswome with mild recoil and great ballistics out of 140 and 130 grain bergers. Also the 2950 does seem to be a sweet spot for as case life and I think my gun is also shooting really good around the same velocity. If you get a savage long range hunter there are plenty of guys that has developed loads for them. There is a large thread on here about just that thing. I actually have the 116 SS in a flutted 24 inch barrel rifle savage. It just a tad bit slower than the LRH. I used to think it was the slowest 6.5x284 ever built but then I used some retumbo and got those 140 bergers moving. Most of the guns have been a solid 1/2 MOA rifles that everyone has developed loads for. My best group was about .75 to .6 at 200 yards. But this is when I was running them (140's) a little slower. I'm having to prefect my load again since I lost my loading notebook. But its all good fun. Honestly I shoot my 6.5 more than any other rifle I own. I just like to shoot it. It also fun busting rocks at 500 and 600 yards. Not really long but it's a start.

 

[tobehunted]

My boy has a 6.5x284 and his 130 gr bergers are coming out at 2920 with imr 7828 . The recoil is SO LIGHT ! I had it over 3000 in load development but got the best accuracy - 4shot clover at 100yds right at 2920 fps. Its taken antelope deer and elk , proper shot placement with the 130 grainers do kill elk

 

[ramrod79]

I shoot one that I had custom built 140 berger at 2966 it really trumps the 260 in performance wise but the 260 will have better barrel life . I am surprised grey fox has not chimed in yet but he has shot quite a bit of game with his 6.5 284s at some great distances . This is a great caliber with mild recoil not sure the recoil is much greater than my old 260 .

 

[Greyfox]

Tell me about this caliber. Guys are telling me that they can get
130gr. Bullets over 3000fps. What have you shot with one and what bullet do you use. How does it com pair to a .260. Thanks

You should get 2975-3025FPS and 1000 foot ponds of energy at 1000 yards with 140grVLD's with Retumbo from a 24/26" barrel. I also shoot the 260 in competition. It's a nice round, but 2800FPS is pushing it at the same barrel lengths. My 6.5x284 rifles shoot better than .5MOA to +1000 yards, it's easy to load, and Lapua brass gives me 8+ reloads/case. My Cooper 520 is going on it's sixth hunting season and has a few dozen mulies, whitetails, and antelope to 998 yards; coyotes, well beyond that. I see no difference in killing effectiveness compared to my 30's on medium game to 1000 yards. Interestingly, I haven't changed my scope zero more then a click or two for elevation or windage over this period and it's still nuts with 600+ rounds through it with zero throat erosion. The round is maligned for it's excessive barrel wear, but at 100 rounds/year for my hunting/rock busting, I expect to see 10-12 years of exceptional performance....from a hunting rifle.

 

[BigSky112]

I shoot a 6.5x284 Savage weather warrior, great gun that shoots Retumbo & 140 Berger VLD very well. 2825 for speed and a .251 3 shot group.

 

[Wachsmann]

I think I might better get me some barrels lined up. I probably shoot about 500 to 700 rounds a year since I've had mine. I been through 3/4 of a box of lapua brass with 10 reloads on each. I will say 10 is the extreme max with full length sizing them. I had a few show a little powder mark down at the webbing of the case. Not recommended. I also had some of the cases necks get really thick that I was seeing chambering issues. Had to pull bullets on some of these cases. So I gathered all my brass that I new that had 9 reloads on them and tossed them into the junk pile. I have about 25 left with another box of 20 from HSM that I'm working through now that has about 3 reloads already on them. So I think I'm over 1000 rounds down the pipe. I just love shooting this gun. But right now I'm back at the drawing board. I lost my reloading note book and I had shot all my rounds so I did not have any thing to go off of. I switched over to retumbo and was trying to get the 142 ABLR's to shoot. So far not much luck unless I run them around 2880 to 2900 fps. I've went back to working on the bergers for now. Hopefully I can get it tuned up before October. If not I also have my 300 RUM. Honestly If I only had one gun I could keep out of the rest that I have it would be my 6.5.

 

[johnhhernan]

There have been times I have shot a ragged hole with 6.5N I wish I could duplicate that everytime but it it doesnt, it will definitely shoot a .25 moa all the time and that's with Lapua brass, federal 210M, 51.7 grains of H4831SC, ogive seating depth is 3.533. I have trimmed the brass to 2.158".
I do not turn necks.
I have separated them by measuring the bearing surface and weighing them.
On Sunday 9/6 I shot 4 shots at 550 yds, I could only see one hole so I thought I that the bull once and the others were flyers, this wasn't the case it had shot 1 ragged hole. Man I'm telling you I was on cloud nine. Yesterday shooting I was back to .25"to .38" . So needless to say I love this rifle and will never get rid of my 65 sanford, that's what I call it cuz it was pieced together with all kinds of different parts. Just like sanford and son. YOU DUMMY LAMONT