284 Shehane suggestions needed

ill start off with a Thanks in Advance,

bullet advice? im thinking 190 bergers
reamer neck and freebore? i will be necking up 6,5x 284 norma brass (got smokin deal on 2000 rds)

I have an Mcmillan XIT with a Bat M action

John Hiller

 

Not sure if there would be any advantage using the 190s vs the 180s in the 284 regardless of using the improved version or not. It may boil down to accuracy because the gain in bc may not make up for the loss in velocity. It's gonna be more of a which bullet gives the best accuracy.

 

Contact Manson Reamers.

Dave will talk you through this.

They did a great job on my .284 Shehane reamer.

 

I had good luck jumping the 180 hybrids running em pretty fast in a 1-9 twist with .220 fb. But this was before the 184 and 190s came out so I never compared them.

 

A .225-.235 fb will serve you well with all the 180 class bullets, and I’m pretty sure the 190 Berger’s as well. I haven’t had the chance to shoot them as of yet, but am cautiously optimistic out of my Shehane.
Lloyd

 

I'd honestly start with 180/184s in the Shehane. There are a couple of guys out there playing with the 190s but I think you'll be sacrificing brass life to drive 190s at a speed where the BC trumps the 180/184s. Happy to be proven wrong though!

 

I will respectfully disagree with those above. If I were starting new with a Shehane, no doubt I would start with the 190g Berger LRHT. These bullets come pointed from the factory and the BC improvement is real.

In JBM, if you start the 184g bullet at 2820 fps (typical node) your drop/drift for 1000 yards for a 10mph cross wind is 26.5/5.4 MOA, at 2870 fps (another node) your numbers are 25.4/5.3 MOA. The 190s only need 2700 fps for the following numbers 28.3/5.3 MOA.

So the drift in 10mph cross wind for the 190s is the same as the 184s going 170 fps slower.

I know for a fact that the 190s are easy to get to 2720 fps in a straight .284 without pressure and great precision.

Time will tell if they will have the precision of the 180g Hybrid, which is the standard in the 7mm for long range Fclass in 7mm diameter.

 

My .225” fb puts the bearing surface of a 190gr LRHT completely within the neck by about 10 thou’. Close but ok. After a couple of hundred rounds it’s just fine. Consider a .240”.

Robin

 

I'd go with the 180/184's with at least a 220+fb......start off with something that is known to work.

 

Sounds like your that guy that needed to be the tie breaker. I've never run heavier than the 180 class in my 284s. Kinda figured they'd be close with slower velocities but a higher bc number. It's a trade off especially when the 180s do so well. I think you'll be real close on wind using both. Certainly the heavier bullet will do better in wind even at equal numbers but I believe the 180 class bullet to be superior in the 284 cartridge for the 600/1000. Just my opinion.

 

I agree with the above. I have 3- 284 Shehanes and I shoot the 180s , I know my loads and spend my time practicing and learning to read the wind and condition better, also getting in valuable prone time and I believe that will trump all in the end. No spending money on the newest bullets and gadgets and burning up barrels only to find out, you still need to learn to read the wind.

 

I always thought that too....until I was pulling Fowler's target when he shot 200-23x at 600yds at Palo Alto in significantly changing wind values. If I recall correctly Jim was shooting 184's. He was dropping most of them within a 50cent piece area in the upper left quadrant of the x-ring. I have not got the 190's to group as well as the 184's yet.

 

So I am gathering a .318 no turn neck and .240 freebore shooting 180 or 184`s ?

Thanks again All

John

 

I consider the 180/183/184 to be in the 180s group of bullets. I think they've been the mainstay for the 284s.

 

Who shoots 180's out of a .284 Shehane at 2820 fps...might as well be shooting a straight .284? IMO, 2820 fps for the 180 out of a Shehane is about 100 fps too low.

 

When I use to shoot the 180 class bullets in my 284, I contemplated improving the cartridge but instead did some research on the Reloader 17 powder and gave it a shot before re-chambering and fire forming etc. The results were better than I hoped. Being a non competitor and using my rifles more to hunt and shoot steel at the longest ranges I can find in my home area, I didn't need tons of accuracy but wanted .5-.75 moa. Also I didn't want pressure and a premature barrel burning powder. I heard both were the case with the RE17. Well, 1500 rounds later and zero pressure signs, it's my go to powder for the 180 class bullets. My load was 180 JLKs, 54.9 grains RE17, COAL 3.182. Velocity 3073. ES 4/ SD 2.2. Broughton 30" bbl.
Today I've all but abandoned the 180s for the 160 class bullets and shooting the SA 284. At 3000 fps using RE17 with 162s, I'm as happy as I can be with this rifle. If I shot competition, I'd be using the LA 284 shooting the 184s.

 

Rl17 can make great speeds and great groups but be careful to develop your load in the conditions you’re going to be shooting in. Temperature change can turn a hot load into a dangerous load real quick with that powder

 

My experience with it has been good so far. I don't shoot it in summer weather but typically winter, spring and fall. Haven't notice much sensitivity from those temp ranges either. At least not for what I use the gun for. I understand that temp spikes up can make issues. Even when I shoot in warmer temps or in the sun, the ammo is in a cooler. Typically if I'm running long strings of fire, I'll cool the chamber/barrel when it gets on the warm side. So far so good at this point.

 

No turn...go higher on neck clearance. Consider .319 or even .320. On average, Norma brass seems to be around 0.0155. So, (0.0155 * 2) + .284 + 0.005 clearance = 0.320". More doesn't hurt. Less means you have to turn brass.

For freebore, T&V on a JGS reamer print, I would recommend .251". This would be good for 180s and 184s. For the 190s, I have no experience with them, but I would consider not doing 190s. Yes, better BC, but the juice might not be worth the squeeze if you consider having to shoot it at slower speeds and that might make you equal with the 180s in the end. IMO, you need to move to the magnums to get the most out of the 190+ gr bullets. The 180s and 184s are already proven in the 284 shehane and there is plenty of load data to show nodes in a 32" barrel, out in the ether. Plus, the 190s could possibly need a longer freebore. I know the 195s did and I scrapped that project because I didn't want to mess with extending my freebore to shoot them and they had to run in the low 2700s.

 

Guess 2730 out of a Shehane with a 180 was way to slow lol those slower nodes have always held a significantly tighter vertical for me at 1000. I’ve sped up to 2790 with 184’s but just got some 190’s to try.