6,5x284 at 2400 rds

[Roe]

My barrel still lives. Will be interesting to see how many shots it'll take before dying.

I don't have BR precision, but still "sufficient" accuracy - the high shot is just as much aiming error and cheek pressure as the rifle.

 

[Greyfox]

It will be very interesting to see how many rounds you end up getting out of your barrel. You are at twice the typical expectation. I am sure you have experienced, the reputation of the 6.5-284 as a barrel burner persists. Being an avid user of this cartridge, I firmly believe this reputation was overblown by the competitive shooters and the life of this barrel differs little from many, and better than some of cartridges that deliver comparable ballistic performance. I have a couple of 6.5-284's but one in particular is a bone stock Savage LRH that I luckily won at an egg shoot a few years back. I decided to carefull track the accuracy vs number of rounds and am currently at 600. I clean with Boreteck every 50-100 rounds nothing fancy. The top photo was after some break in when I first got it, the bottom about 2 weeks ago after 600 rounds. I'll keep tracking it.

 

[BrentM]

My stock 6.5-284 savage barrel was sitting at 1700 rounds before I lost count. Probably around 1750 and it is the rifle my brother used at the Vortex Challenge last year. When we set it up on a new action I was hoping for 1MOA or better and it consistently shot .5 MOA for him. My local smith said the throat was worn down and needed a set back. I will set this one back and rechamber for the berger 140 and put it on another action I am working on.

 

[Roe]

I am sure you have experienced, the reputation of the 6.5-284 as a barrel burner persists. Being an avid user of this cartridge, I firmly believe this reputation was overblown by the competitive shooters and the life of this barrel differs little from many, and better than some of cartridges that deliver comparable ballistic performance.

Very well said, I fully agree!
I will likely do some 200 rds batches for this barrel now and see what happens with the accuracy.

 

[CRaTxn]

I think part of the reason Roe's 6.5x284 barrel is lasting so long [ > 2400 rounds ] is the proprietary nitriding that Blaser does on all R93 barrels [ now R8 also ]. Roe you probably know a lot more about this than my surmise...do you think this factor important to the discussion ?
A second factor is the low OAT the rifle is shot in. Roe is in Norway and is not afraid of cold weather to go out and shoot as long as the day is long enough to give a few daylight hours. These are my assumptions for temps but I would guess many of his trips to the range are 20*F or more cooler than US shooters.
Thirdly, I read his LongrangeBlog weekly and my impression is that since he also shoots the 6.5x55...he is not as crazy about pushing his reloads for the last bit of velocity out of his rifle as us US shooters.
It all adds up.
I post these not to act like a know-it-all but to get his response to clarify.

 

[Roe]

I have tried to find some reference in literature regarding the Blaser production method, to see if there is an explanation there. I was explained by gunsmith/ inventor Hakan Spuhr that he suspected the steel treatment from Blaser was a significant contributing factor.

I'm not sure about the reloads. Compared to US load data (win chambers and short cartridge OAL) I am higher than all published data. Compared to European load data (norma chamber, long cartridge OAL) I am approaching max.

Compared to Greyfox's data, we seem to be pretty much in line. I use the same .292 bushing, same primer. I stopped approximately at the same charge weight with H4831SC and I use H1000 instead of his Retumbo, but same load.

Not sure if air temperature has any significant effect. I have been told that large variations in steel temperature will wear a barrel faster (micro crack) than keeping it at a more stable temperature.

 

[Chopperguy]

I had near 4000 rounds through my 6.5x284 Blaser R93 Match barrel when I sold it mo=ving to the R8 platform.

The guy I sold it to has put another 2500 rounds down the pipe. It may not be the .4-.6" accuracy I got from it, but he's still VERY happy with it's Performance.

Don't know what they do, but it does work and shoot better than anything I've ever owned.

 

[Biebs]

I just had a Blaser barrel in 338 Win Mag rechambered to 338 RUM. Good to hear it should last a while.

 

[jonthomps]

Great video and awesome shooting. I almost pulled the trigger on a 6.5x284 before settling on a 6.5 SAUM. Great round and Lapua brass!

 

[CRaTxn]

I think BIEBS has attacked his Blaser barrel at its most vulnerable point...the throat.
His "improved chamber" reamer surely went deep enough to cut through their bore treatment and it is the throat that "shoots out" first. Somethings are better left alone.

When you have a Blaser barrel that lasts > 3x the use life of a standard barrel...their initial cost just may be justified...especially, IF you give some value to the hassles of buying, shipping and insuring, chambering, fitting, new load workup and the travel to gunsmiths & range, lost hunts because of the weapon being in the shop.

 

[COBrad]

I had near 4000 rounds through my 6.5x284 Blaser R93 Match barrel when I sold it mo=ving to the R8 platform.

The guy I sold it to has put another 2500 rounds down the pipe. It may not be the .4-.6" accuracy I got from it, but he's still VERY happy with it's Performance.

Don't know what they do, but it does work and shoot better than anything I've ever owned.

I have had zero experience with Blaser. Is this a normal level of accuracy from these rifles?

 

[Roe]

I have had zero experience with Blaser. Is this a normal level of accuracy from these rifles?

Yes. Every barrel I've had has done 0.3 to 0.5 MOA.
I currently have 6 or 7 barrels.

There was one exception and I returned the barrel for a new.

 

[Chopperguy]

^^^

Exactly my experience with many more barrels of R93 & R8 calibers since 1995.

Only exception is I have never had an accuracy problem with any barrel. I have heard of a couple such issues. Owners did receive new barrels as a resolution to the problems.

To answer another question above - The barrel finishing, hardening (just ank and gunsmith that has worked on a barrel) and cold hammer forging of barrel & CHAMBER (no chamber cutting here) all add to the longevity of the barrels.

 

[Greyfox]

Question for Roe.

For the 6.5-284 Norma Blaser chambering, if you have this info available,what is the COAL of a 140 Berger VLD when loaded to the lands?

Thanks,
Art