I had a 6.5/284 on a Mauser action, that allowed me to utilize the longer magazine box. Someone else really wanted the rifle so it went away. I also had and still have a 6.5/06 and it shoots just as well, and both are great deer rifle cartridges. I sure wouldn't pass one up if the right deal came around. I also sold my model 70 264-win mag as I seemed to reach for the 6.5/06 when I wanted to go hunting. I even sold my model 70 in 270 as it just seemed to gather dust. The 6.5/284 is a fine cartridge, I favor a long action for it.
Thinking about a 6.5x284
- Thread starter gkempf
- Start date
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VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Long Action only for the 6.5-284 cartridge unless shooting real light for caliber bullets.
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
Medium is perfect but limited options , so go long.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
Mine is set up for 153.5-156gn Bergers. When I can stomach it I'm going to get the 500-pack of Peterson cases, that should last me 2-3 barrels.
Alberta Boy
Member
Running 140 gr. VLD Hunters at 2960 with Retumbo and a 24" barrel. Accuracy is incredible, easy to load for and Lapua Brass is tough to beat. I've killed numerous moose, whitetails and bears in Canada with a 6.5x284 in the last 10 years and it has become the rifle I grab first over 300 Win and 7LRM. Barrel life may be a concern if you run it hot but as a hunting rifle I can't see why you can't get 1000 rounds sub 1/2 MOA and up to 2000 rounds under 1 MOA. All components are tough to find so don't let that scare you.
Brad Norman
Active Member
My Son Rick and I both hunt with rifles chambered in 6.5-284. Pronghorns, big Mule Deer and Elk are no problem with this cartridge. I built Rick's on a 700 action with an X-Caliber 7.5 twist barrel in an MDT chassis and mine's a pretty-much stock Savage 110 with an 8 twist. Both shoot very well and I've found them easy to develop loads for. This is definitely a handloader's cartridge. I don't believe I've ever seen a box of factory ammo.
I still have some 140 A-Max's for my rifle, but of course those have been discontinued. My Son has cleanly killed three nice Elk with his, including an incredible one-shot "bang flop" at 702 yards this year. We don't prefer to shoot game that far, but there were a bunch of Elk in a giant bowl with no practical way to sneak closer. We'd been practicing a lot, out to 1,200 last Summer and this Spring, and 702 was a very comfortable shot for him. He's pushing the 147 ELD-M just a smidge under 3,000 fps using RL-16. I thought RL-16 might be too fast, as I use H4831SC in my rifle, but it drives tacks and gives great velocities in his gun without excessive pressure.
As others have said, the cartridge is light recoiling, especially through a suppressor, and retains its accuracy, velocity and energy for clean decisive kills. Rick also carries a magazine full of with 155-grain Lapua Megas for shots under 200, as we're not confident the ELD-M would perform as well up close. We've been amazed at the great terminal performance of the old A-Max and the ELD-M past 200 yards. With the heavily-constructed Lapua bullet (2850 fps using H1000) point of impact is very close to the ELD-M's zero at 200, so he never needs to mess with his scope settings.
There are LOTS of good caliber choices out there but we've not found any better for the western hunting we do. Best of luck to you Sir!
I still have some 140 A-Max's for my rifle, but of course those have been discontinued. My Son has cleanly killed three nice Elk with his, including an incredible one-shot "bang flop" at 702 yards this year. We don't prefer to shoot game that far, but there were a bunch of Elk in a giant bowl with no practical way to sneak closer. We'd been practicing a lot, out to 1,200 last Summer and this Spring, and 702 was a very comfortable shot for him. He's pushing the 147 ELD-M just a smidge under 3,000 fps using RL-16. I thought RL-16 might be too fast, as I use H4831SC in my rifle, but it drives tacks and gives great velocities in his gun without excessive pressure.
As others have said, the cartridge is light recoiling, especially through a suppressor, and retains its accuracy, velocity and energy for clean decisive kills. Rick also carries a magazine full of with 155-grain Lapua Megas for shots under 200, as we're not confident the ELD-M would perform as well up close. We've been amazed at the great terminal performance of the old A-Max and the ELD-M past 200 yards. With the heavily-constructed Lapua bullet (2850 fps using H1000) point of impact is very close to the ELD-M's zero at 200, so he never needs to mess with his scope settings.
There are LOTS of good caliber choices out there but we've not found any better for the western hunting we do. Best of luck to you Sir!
I've owned three and they all shot well, but I sold one and rechambered another on a long action to the 6.5 Wby RPM. My last one is on a Rem 700 SA and its short magazine (even after going through the expense of lengthening it) is my only real complaint. Its a wonderful cartridge, but really needs a medium length action to reap its full potential. Since you included elk, the 6.5-06 or AI are such wonderful rounds, with easily obtainable brass, so that would be my pick. The new RPM would be a good choice for standard long actions, if you are willing to endure the pain and cost of obtaining brass and dies. It hasn't been that big of a deal for me, thanks to friends that found brass for me. That thing really smacks steel, but I haven't taken game with it yet. I wouldn't recommend the 6.5 CM for elk, but the real darlings these days are the whole family of short magnums, especially the 6.5 PRC. I have a ton of 6.5-284 brass and have taken game with it, but these days the PRC goes hunting and the 6.5-284 just goes to the range and takes up space in the safe.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Never tried a medium action. Think I will eventually. I think it has a niche in the rifle community for sure. May even for the 6.5-284. I built a 284 in a SA. If i would have thought about it, I'd have used a Wyatt's Baney Box and had my smith fit it to my action. Could have loaded to 3.1" rather than only 2.98".
I own two - A Savage 110 with a factory barrel, only mod is I added an APA brake, and my son's hunting rifle, another Savage that was a pawn shop deal that got a Shaw barrel, and a Boyd's AT1 stock. The factory gun is my go to rifle for deer and antelope with 143 ELDXs - very accurate with clean kills out to 400. A little less happy with the Shaw barrel- about 1.7 -2 MOA with the same bullets, but the boy has taken a beautiful deer and an antelope with that gun, both dropped in their shadows. I have been very happy with the 6.5x 284. Brass is durable, and usually available, bullet selection is excellent, I'm using H4831sc, but I have also used VV N165 when it was available. Overall, this cartridge does what I need it to do.
Mine was a REM 700 action with a varmit class Rock Creek barrel and it shoot several one expanded hole groups which gave me great confidence in taking multiple blacktail, whitetail, and muley deer. I say was, because a friend saw it in action and had to have it worse than I had to keep it. Fortunately I have my 6.5 Gibbs to fall back on, and that's actually not falling back at all. Another vote for going for it!
gkempf
Well-Known Member
That is true rifle porn right there!!!
gkempf
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
I use the 140 Amax with great results in deer. They've been my go too bullet for 15 years. Wound up buying 2000 of them and the same number or 162 Amax bullets. Turns out the 140 ELDM is the same bullet in everyway. Plenty of those out there.
Hawkeye Pierce
Well-Known Member
So you're set with a long action? If you are interested in a short action I built a 260 terminator and got equal and better performance in a short action. And switching to something else and have the die set just sitting around.
But since you reload, it's only money, build what you want to try.
