Ideas on loads for 6.5-284?

[taylorjones20]

I have a Savage LRH 6.5-284 that I am going to start loading for hunting. About all I hunt is whitetails. Does anyone have any loads that have worked well for you? I would like to be able to have good groups out to at least 700 yards.


I also have a FNAR .308 that I would like to get a load for. It shoots match ammo good but I had someone load some rounds for me and it shoots horrible. He said I would have to use a special die because it's a semi auto...?

Any help on these two guns would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[roninflag]

out of a Remington 6.5-284. 49.5 h-4350, 120 ballistic tip or 123 scenar. .030 off. lapua brass; 210. awesome.

 

[roninflag]

for the 308 varget , and a 155 scenar .030 off ; lapua brass, 210m.

 

[Wachsmann]

Just fyi...there is an extensive info on the 6.5x284 load development for the gun in question if you use the search feature. It may have been one of the largest running post on this form for a while. Use the search function to find the thread. Also quick and dirty Retumbo will probably produce the most speed with most people loading around 57 to 58 grains fed 210 match primer with a 140 berger. I forgot the length but some where between 25thousands to 125 thousands off the lands. Lots of other powders are also good like RL25, 7828, H4831, H1000, and H4350 or the IMR 4350, or 4831. Also Hybrid 100V will work as well. Personal experience the faster burning powders produce less speed as much as 100fps slower. The retumbo load get around 2950ish give or take 50fps for load and gun.

 

[engineer40]

I have a Savage LRH 6.5-284 that I am going to start loading for hunting. About all I hunt is whitetails. Does anyone have any loads that have worked well for you? I would like to be able to have good groups out to at least 700 yards.


I also have a FNAR .308 that I would like to get a load for. It shoots match ammo good but I had someone load some rounds for me and it shoots horrible. He said I would have to use a special die because it's a semi auto...?

Any help on these two guns would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

When you say the 308 shoots horrible, do you mean accuracy is horrible?

From your wording, it sounds like you will not be doing the reloading yourself?

The "special" dies he mentioned may be small base dies. You may or may not need to use them. Not all semi auto rifles need to use small base dies.

 

[WeiserBucks]

My 6.5x284 loves 57 grains of Retumbo , Lapua brass , CCI BR2 primers and 140 VLD,s .025 off the lands . Good for sub 1/2" groups at 2975 FPS , ES of 6 . Several other powders produced great accuracy at 100 yds , but the ES was unacceptable.

 

[taylorjones20]

When you say the 308 shoots horrible, do you mean accuracy is horrible?

From your wording, it sounds like you will not be doing the reloading yourself?

The "special" dies he mentioned may be small base dies. You may or may not need to use them. Not all semi auto rifles need to use small base dies.

The grouping of the 308 was horrible even at 100 yards with the loads that a guy made for me.

I have reloading equipment arriving tomorrow so I will begin doing my own, not relying on someone else.

 

[FearNoWind]

Taylor,
Difference in barrel lengths, rate of erosion, relaltive seating depth, neck tension, and countless other factors will affect the performance of how your rifle performs with any load; and the performance in your rifle will be unlike performance in mine. If you're looking for a place to start go to your reloading manual and work up a load that suits your rifle. If you looked at Quickload data you'd understand more clearly what I'm talking about here. Avoid loading your ammo based on load data from other shooters. That's only waste a lot of ammo supplies and, in the end, you still have to do your own homework.

 

[Greyfox]

My Savage LRH in 6.5x284 shoots .25MOA with two loads, both using Lapua brass neck sized to .292", and Berger 140 VLD Hunting bullets seated to .075'" off the lands.

-Retumbo 57gr, Federal 215M primer. 3000FPS.
-H4831sc 53gr, Federal 210M primer, 2950FPS

Both loads give ES of less then 12FPS and 25MOA. Finding the seating depth sweet spot for the Berger VLD makes a big difference in load performance!

 

[hydehunter]

my Cooper 22 shoots 3/8 groups with 47.0 of Rl19 Fed 210m primer and 143 Hor eldx at 2750fps, with this gun I can't even get close to 29-3000fps as others claim

 

[SteveBurton]

My rifle with a 26" barrel likes the following load.

Lapua Brass
Berger 140 VLD seated 0.010" off the lands
53 grains of H4831sc
Fed 215M primer

This produces 2950 fps and .25MOA groups.

 

[6.5x284norma]

I am at 52gr of H4831sc at 2865fps out of 26" Cooper well under 1/2" inch groups at a 100yds with 140 VLD's

 

[taylorjones20]

There's a local guy that has set up quite of few of these guns and his load data is:
Nosler Brass
Berger 140 VLD hunting
52 Grains H4831SC
CCI magnum primers

I loaded a few of these and 2 holes were touching and one 1/4" right (could've been me I suppose) @100 yards. The gun only has 23 shots through it so I would say that it's not broke in yet.

It shot, 2798, 2799, and 2811 FPS.

I ended up with a COAL of 3.125"

Does this seem like a good starting point? Should I load some more of these and just shoot it?

Thanks for everyone's help. You all are awesome!

 

[6.5x284norma]

Yeah that is good, now you can play with the charge and see if it changes accuracy go up by small increments, and tweak the seating depth, just remember to change one thing at time. Good luck you will love the caliber.