Considering 6mm x .284 vs. 6mm-06

8x68s

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Messages
1,351
Location
Salem, Oregon
I have a commercial Mauser, CRF barreled action in 30-06. I intend to swap out the .30 cal. pencil barrel and I am trying to decide between 6mm x 284 and 6mm-06 for a rebarreling, the intent being a light, flat shooting mountain rifle.

In a rifle with a magazine intended for the '06 cartridge, is the .284 case going to present feeding problems? I'm considering the .284 for the ability to seat heavy bullets long. Does the '06 provide the same opportunity without having to use a special throat reamer?

I'd like to hear from those who have experience with these two cartridges. Thanks!
 
I don't have either of those....but i do have a couple 65284...
Loading 142lrabs in front....in a la Remington...
One loaded at 3.100" the other at 3.120"....there is considerable room in front of those tips to the mag wall.... 0530201653.jpgthere is a full half an inch from the tip to the
mag wall.....
Can't imagine a 6x284 needing that much space....
I would think a sa would suffice....
 
Both are not especially efficient as they are overbore. A 6.5-06 with a heavy bullet twist makes more sense for a hunting rifle. OR you could just sell it and buy a 6.5 PRC which is the best hunting 6.5.
 
Probably the first thing to do is try a 6mm-284 round to see how it feeds.

Have had several 6mm-284s on SAs. Using your LA even a 115 gr bullet seated with boat tail transition even with shoulder you will have lots of room in the magazine.

As to efficiency who cares? Barrel life will be right at 1000 rounds but with a 105's velocity close to 3500 from a 26" barrel. It will perform.

Be sure to have a reamer with specs for you requirements. Get at least a 8 twist or if you intend to use any 115s a 7.5 twist.

I use 6.5-284 Lapua brass necked down. Fed 210. The necks are turned. Currently using RL-33 with 105 Berger for velocity of 3465 from a 26" barrel. At my usual deer hunting elevation of 4250 ft the wind drift in 10 mph crosswind at 500 yds is 8.3" with retained velocity of 2808 fps and 1838 ft/lb of energy.

Certain a 6mm-06 owner will add to this discussion.
 
Probably the first thing to do is try a 6mm-284 round to see how it feeds.

Have had several 6mm-284s on SAs. Using your LA even a 115 gr bullet seated with boat tail transition even with shoulder you will have lots of room in the magazine.

As to efficiency who cares? Barrel life will be right at 1000 rounds but with a 105's velocity close to 3500 from a 26" barrel. It will perform.

Be sure to have a reamer with specs for you requirements. Get at least a 8 twist or if you intend to use any 115s a 7.5 twist.

I use 6.5-284 Lapua brass necked down. Fed 210. The necks are turned. Currently using RL-33 with 105 Berger for velocity of 3465 from a 26" barrel. At my usual deer hunting elevation of 4250 ft the wind drift in 10 mph crosswind at 500 yds is 8.3" with retained velocity of 2808 fps and 1838 ft/lb of energy.

Certain a 6mm-06 owner will add to this discussion.
Thanks AZShooter!! Are you using the Norma or Winchester version? I haven't been able to find a cartridge drawing of the 6-284. Is the shoulder in the same location as the 6.5? Does the the angle of the shoulder change or do you just end up with a shorter neck? Whose dies are you using for reloading? Sorry for the flurry of questions but I am leaning toward the 284 and there's not a lot of info out there.

Handsome dog, by the way! Drahthaar?
 
I have a commercial Mauser, CRF barreled action in 30-06. I intend to swap out the .30 cal. pencil barrel and I am trying to decide between 6mm x 284 and 6mm-06 for a rebarreling, the intent being a light, flat shooting mountain rifle.

In a rifle with a magazine intended for the '06 cartridge, is the .284 case going to present feeding problems? I'm considering the .284 for the ability to seat heavy bullets long. Does the '06 provide the same opportunity without having to use a special throat reamer?

I'd like to hear from those who have experience with these two cartridges. Thanks!


I've been in and around the 6/06 since the early 90's. Ran thru two barrels myself on chucks, yotes and big game. I did most all my work pre VLD. My first barrel went 1700 rounds, of which probably 1651 rounds were in the field. The second barrel went close to 2500 before I gave up on it.

The 6/06 is a joy to work with, user friendly, easy to form 25/06 brass to it (I used Rem Nickle for the visual safety) and it feeds like a champ! The last part I can't say about the 6/284, I imagine out of a straight line clip it'd be just fine though but out of a Mauser and 700's it fed like crap and I won't abide that!

From my experience even though the 6/284 is one sexy beast I wouldn't go down that road.

Either way you go, the big 6's are incredible and now with the VLD's available you're golden. I mainly used the 70 and 95 NBT"s.

I'd say take your pick and get after it:)
 
thanks dogz! As I mentioned I am 1st interested in the 6-284 but I will test a copy of a 6.5-284 case and feed it to see how it works or doesn't before I make a decision. What part of SW MT are you at? I did early deer and elk last year in Idaho @ Nez Perce Pass & Twin Lakes...
 
fill the magazine with 4 rounds or whatever it holds and feed them slow and fast and see how it goes. I did a lot of predator work with mine and I wanted it to feed like greased lightning
 
I currently have two 6mm-284s. A 24" barreled sporter with a rechambered Rem 243 shooting 55 gr ballistic tips at 4100 fps. The other is a 15 lb 30" 1 in 7.5 twist Bartlein 5R that I wore out.. I cut off 4" from chamber end and rechambered it. (doing my own work) Shoots once again. It was the one I quoted velocities about in other post.

Use 284 Win brass in the sporter and Lapua 6.5-284 brass in the heavier rifle. If shoulder angle changed it wasn't noticed.

Yes dog is a GWP. I have two from same sire and dam three years apart, a female and a male. The pic shows my female Asa at one year old, she was slim then now she is a muscled chunky girl. She is best mearns quail dog I have owned since I began owning them over 30 years ago.

Should you get to the point where you are going to make the 6-284 PM me I'll share load data and save you a bunch of time and barrel life.

Ross
 
I have a 6mm284W Rem 700 with a 30" barrel. 100 yd groups are in the .2's with Hornady 87 gr bullets. A 2 oz trigger makes this strictly a prairie dog gun. Have never had a feeding problem. After necking down Win 284 brass found neck thickness was .022+ & uneven, so had to neck turn with Sinclair tool.
 
Top