I got a used Savage 6.5-284 last year. It is NOT the LRH. It's a 111, has a blued 22" barrel and a Tupperware stock, came with a lower end Nikon scope mounted from the factory. Previous owner had camo painted stock and taped a range card to it, rifle had very little sign of being used. No scratches, no dings. $500.00 shipped for the lot.
Former owner included a Hornady full length 2 die set, a few dozen 1X Nosler brass and a couple of boxes of his reloaded ammo, also some 6.5 120gr and 140gr sierras.
Rifle was not too accurate with factory scope and his loads... Some of his loads were 120 gr., built with OAL suitable for a short action, bullets WAY off the throat. They patterned, rather than grouped at 200 yards. His 140 gr. loads were a bit better, but well over 1" @ 100 yards.
Factory scope was cranked nearly to the end of adjustment to zero, crosshairs did no appear centered! It did not track accurately.
Got a dead nuts one piece mount and a better scope on it, bore sited the new scope and started loading.
RL22 and 120 gr. Barnes TTSX for starters. Got it zeroed @ 100, checked drop @ 200 & 300. it was opening of deer season so I quit playing with seating & powder weight when I got 3 shots into 1" @ 100. Shot 1 deer, cleaned the rifle and put it away, got busy with work.
This fall... Tried out some loads with H4831 SC, and went hunting again. Took another deer. The Barnes TTSX bullets terminal effects are odd. The damage inside these animals looked more like a core drill had been run through the deer than anything else, but both deer dropped in their tracks, so I can't complain about performance.
Having played with the outfit a bit now, I am wanting to replace the flimsy, flexible plastic stock- It is free floated, but only if you rest the rifle stock on a bag, or on a front sling swivel mounted bipod- If you use a sling properly to brace the rifle, or even place your off hand on top of scope while using bipod, stock will touch the barrel and accuracy goes out the window.
I also want to wring out the hand loads, it is hunting accurate for deer out to 300 yards, but nowhere near the performance claimed by others here.
I have a LOT of the Barnes 120 TTSX on hand, and a few hundred Speer and other bullets in 120, 140 and 146 gr. (I also load for 6.5x55 Swede). H4831, H4350, RL22 and RL17 on hand, along with others that might be applicable. Everyone else is running longer barrels than this Savage came with, anyone have suggestions on getting velocity out of such a short for caliber barrel?!
Any thoughts on what is available for a stiff, light weight stock- Probably in Kevlar. This is intended to be a hunting rifle, not a varmint or bench rest rig. I usually stand hunt near farm fields where there are potentially shots from 50 yards to 450+, and generally like to have a folding bipod mounted. But I DO want to be able to walk if needed, without having my arms fall off...
