hey guys help me out here i got a rem.700 in 6.5x55 swede, what im trying to figure out is just how much of a differance 6.5x284 is than the swede? im gonna get a good barrel,trigger,stock etc. for the swede but that got me to thinking why not covert to the 284. this is gonna be a deer/hog gun mostly but i would still to have the abilty to shoot up to a 1000yds. i do reload but finding load data for the 6.5x55 in a mordern action is a pain in the butt! im gonna be shooting 140s.any help would be appericated gun)
Load data for most of the 6.5's is crappy, to put it mildly. The exceptions that come to mind are 6.5 Creedmoor and .260 Remington. I started with the 6.5x55, moved up to the 6.5-284, then up to .264 Win Mag. The 6.5-284 offers very little over a 6.5x55 that is loaded to its potential in a modern rifle.
My advice to you is to stay with the Swede, use Lapua brass and Berger 140's (or Hornady AMAX's), and buy a copy of Quickload (along with a good chronograph) to assist you with load development. If you re-barrel, be sure to go with an 8 twist and, at least, a 26" barrel.
If you really want more speed, skip the 6.5-284 and go with a bigger case. I am much happier with my .264 Win Mag. Realize, though, that barrel life in the 6.5's tends to fall off quickly as case capacity goes up. You can mitigate that, somewhat, by developing reduced loads for the Win Mag.
If you intend to shoot your rifle a lot, you may be better served to stay with a mid-sized case, such as the Swede. For general use, my 6.5x55 gets the nod. My .264 Win Mag comes out to play when I feel the extra horsepower and speed is called for. It is not a plinking rifle.
If you won't find any appropriate load here, you never will. But as always, so please take nothing for given and work up your own "ladder".
