284 questions

[Hoier]

Ok, I shot my first fclass match last weekend and am thinking "building" a rifle for it. So is what I want to start with is a Savage that has been timed or whatever SSS calls it with his 2oz trigger and a Stockade stock. Right now it has a wore out 6br barrel on it.

So my questions are:

Can I be competitive with a CBI 30" 284?

What kind if velocities can I get with say a 180 Hybrid?

Is this round accurate enough to be shot as a heavy gun in br?

Thank you

 

[Erik Cortina]

The dominating barrels in F-Class are Krieger, Brux, and Bartlein, which are all cut rifling barrels.

You can expect about 2,830-2,850 fps from a 284 Winchester.

284 Win. can be very accurate and I would consider it a competitive HG caliber.

 

[dragman]

go for it. while some of the cut rifle barrels can be better it should still be very competitive and the 284 can be pushed to almost 3000fps with the Hybrid and at that kind of speed it helps in the wind quite a bit.

 

[Erik Cortina]

go for it. while some of the cut rifle barrels can be better it should still be very competitive and the 284 can be pushed to almost 3000fps with the Hybrid and at that kind of speed it helps in the wind quite a bit.

YOU CAN NOT PUSH 180's in a 284 Winchester SAFELY!!! DO NOT TRY IT!!!

 

[dragman]

I said almost, and I have had a couple of them one a savage one a BAT that did just that with no problem. Both had Krieger barrel 30" 9 twist barrels both tight necks and they shot well. 180 hybrids coated in tungston. Have no pressure problems getting them over 2950. 3000 is a hard stretch but not impossible with the correct combination of stuff and powders. (JUST MY OPINION)

 

[Hoier]

Thanks guys, I guess the speed part can be different with barrels. I kicked butt with my 6br but it was also at 600 and I know at 1k I'd get spanked. Br is still my baby so I can't afford to build another full blown custom rifle. Plus I know the cons of my Savage for br and don't think they are in fclass.

 

[Erik Cortina]

I said almost, and I have had a couple of them one a savage one a BAT that did just that with no problem. Both had Krieger barrel 30" 9 twist barrels both tight necks and they shot well. 180 hybrids coated in tungston. Have no pressure problems getting them over 2950. 3000 is a hard stretch but not impossible with the correct combination of stuff and powders. (JUST MY OPINION)

Your first post said nothing about coating the bullets, so it implies naked bullets, which is not a good idea. If you can do it great, but if anyone wants to get that much speed they need to get a short magnum in order to do it safely.

 

[Lapua40X]

YOU CAN NOT PUSH 180's in a 284 Winchester SAFELY!!! DO NOT TRY IT!!!

Hey, Erik, I get the impression you have some sensible .284 Winchester experience. I'm currently building one but am having a lot of bad luck finding good reload data that includes 180 grain bullets. I favor Berger's and have focused on the 180 grain Berger Hybrid Target pills. Got any suggestions on where to dig for some comprehensive data that isn't just a reloading experimenter's dream load?

 

[flatlander]

I'm in Erik's corner where speeds with the 284 are concerned. I've got four 284 barrels for three rifles, two 28" bbls, and two 30" hvy Palmas. The 2 30" bbls are fitted to a LA700 & BAT 3LL, and the highest velocities I've recorded out of either with moly'd 180 VLDs were around 2850fps - and that's with RL17.

Based on some of the claims for velocity in the 284 I've seen here & on other sites, I used to think I had a bunch of slow barrels & maybe a defective chrono. Checked my CED M2 against a buddy's magnetospeed a few weeks ago, and got results consistently 5-6fps slower than his MS, so I'm confident my chrono's good. I do wonder how many of the guys who're talking about getting 100fps more than I do are using Lapua brass exclusively - all I know is that pushing WW brass any harder than I do results in loose primer pockets quickly. Given how hard it is to find WW284, I'll settle for loads that let it last a little longer, thank you.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Lapua40X, PM sent.

 

[dooley]

does anyone really believe that by pushing this cartridge 100fps over the norm which is 2840-2850fps + 180gr hybrids you will get better accuracy, better to learn to read the wind and get better case life. dooley

 

[dragman]

does anyone really believe that by pushing this cartridge 100fps over the norm which is 2840-2850fps + 180gr hybrids you will get better accuracy, better to learn to read the wind and get better case life. dooley

I go where the accuracy takes me. If a gun likes to be pushed as long as I don't have a sticky bolt or bad pockets I will shoot it where it wants. I am by no means the best but I do pretty well work myself.

 

[Lbart]

Hoier,
Listen to Eric. A good number of knowledgeable competitors at the FCN & FCWC in August found out just how their "accuracy" loads faired once the heat got up and they were shooting 17 to 30 shots one after another as fast as the target would go up and down. Not to mention what happens if it rains and the cases get wet.

Too many shooters try to get every last fps out of their loads and sooner or later they pay for it. Most of the better competitive shooters use "relatively" mild loads, but those that give the best consistent accuracy. It is always best to keep in mind the 10 ring is widest from 3 to 9 o'clock. One of my go to rifles is a 284 Shehane and my loads are still in the velocity range Eric mentioned. In fact my best accuracy is while fire forming at around 2800 fps with 180 Berger Hybrids. Shoots little knots at 1k. I have won a good number of major championships doing just that.

Welcome to F-Class,
Larry Bartholome

 

[Hoier]

Thanks Larry and everyone else.

 

[338 Mollett]

Your are getting good advise, those numbers 2800 to 2850 fps are out of strong actions also !

 

[Erik Cortina]

Your are getting good advise, those numbers 2800 to 2850 fps are out of strong actions also !

And long barrels also. 30" - 32"

 

[Hoier]

I plan on running a 30".

 

[BAT man]

2800 out of my .284 with the 180 vld and hybrid requires a bit of pressure. I ran that load at the snipers hide cup this year. Temps over the three days were from 40-75 degrees. I had no issues with bolt lift but the primer pockets did dialate a bit. Had the forecast predicted 80 degrees or higher i would have backed off a grain. The barrel is a 26" bartlein 1-8 heavy palma.

 

[Romulus]

I have a 30" bbl in a "semi custom" Remington and get 2815-2860 with 4831sc. I have gotten higher velocities (2950+) with some Viht powder but I never got good ES so I dumped it.

 

[dragman]

Im with you on the 4831SC. I used that for a while shot great but only ran it around 2820 maybe that is the biggest difference in the speed discrepency. I also only run 30-31" barrels.