284 vs 6.5x284 for elk and deer

[ttfreestyle]

I am building a strictly hunting rifle, 24 inch heavy sporter barrel. It will be for elk and deer at a range of 500 maximum. I am building it on a long action savage and using a stockade stock hoping to keep it at 10 pounds or less scope included. Barrel life is not a great concern and I handload . These are my two choices I am down to as I have brass dies etc for these calibers. Any info appreciated. Thanks

 

[Alex Wheeler]

In my opinion the 284 wins everywhere but recoil.

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

For elk, the 7mm will be the safer bet at those distances for wind-bucking ability and energy delivery.

 

[Preacher]

+1 for the 7..... But a 6.5 will surely put a Elk in the truck.....

 

[FeMan]

+2 for the .284

 

[Rustystud]

If you are going to use a Savage long action, why not do it in .280 Remington or .280AI will fit right into the existing bottom metal. Same or better ballistics.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Jay Christopherson]

If you are going to use a Savage long action, why not do it in .280 Remington or .280AI will fit right into the existing bottom metal. Same or better ballistics.
Nat Lambeth

I'll second this suggestion - another benefit for the .280 Remington is that if you are hunting in the middle of nowhere and need ammo, your odds of finding factory ammo in .280 Remington are a lot higher than finding .284 Win or 6.5x284. I recently built a .280 Remington - recoil is on par with a .270Win so it's easy to shoot and it's been very accurate. The Barnes 7MM LRX bullets shoot pretty well and do a number on deer and elk... The Lee dies are pretty reasonable (about $30) and are capable of producing really good ammo.

 

[Nomad47]

If you are going to use a Savage long action, why not do it in .280 Remington or .280AI will fit right into the existing bottom metal. Same or better ballistics.
Nat Lambeth

Why not? Because the OP said he already had brass & dies for the two 284 choices.

 

[expiper]

I would go with .284 win,,,,there is no substitute for weight when hunting elk,,,,and for deer there is none better than a .270 with 130 gr bullets and the .284 with 140 bullets duplicates that,,,Roger

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have ran the ballistics on both 280 rem and 284, both with bullets seated long, and got better ballistics with the 284.

 

[James EPS]

I built a 284 bench gun although being a improved version I fell in love with it, so I built myself a midrange hunting rifle. Now here in pennsylvania im just using it on whitetails but it has given several deer dirt naps with no problems. The 7mm selection of bullets are great, nice heavy high bc choices and if you want speed the 140gr will get you there.

Long story short, im with most others the 284 gets my vote.

James

 

[ShootDots]

Remember one VERY important concept. It is not "pure ballistics" that kills an animal cleanly. It is 1.) tissue destruction and 2.) blood loss. Ergo, the .284 bore is but 20K larger in diameter, however, the "wound channel" is CONSIDERABLY larger and the larger the diameter of the bullet, the wound channel goes up exponentially, all else being the same. Think of it this way, a 458Win and it's cousins the 458 Lott etc. are "dangerous game STOPPERS"! They are not the fastest cruisers out there, however, a .45 caliber expanding round displaces A LOT of tissue and releases A LOT of energy to the animal>>>stopping it quickly! An Elk is a large animal and you want as much tissue destruction as you can obtain. With the calibers you are entertaining, there is NO QUESTION which should be used. The .7mm bore will do considerably more damage to the animal than a 6.5mm bullet will. They are BOTH shot from the same cartridge case and will give similar "ballistic performance" >>> but that 7mm bullet will outstrip the 6.5 bullet on terminal performance IN THE ANIMAL which is where it counts!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I know there are alot of guys out there that think a .243 is enough for elk. Elk absolutely amaze me with how tough they are. A friend of mine shot a cow last year with his 300 rum. About 100 yds. Perfect shot, took out both lungs and the top of the heart, it still ran 100 yds. They are tough.

 

[ttfreestyle]

284 it is, Thanks for all the replys. Ordering a barrel in the morning!

 

[mr45man]

284 it is, Thanks for all the replys. Ordering a barrel in the morning!

Good choice! Killed a lot of big game with one.
Glad you did not read the thread about how great the 223 is for deer/elk
John H.

 

[ttfreestyle]

284 it is, Thanks for all the replys. Ordering a barrel in the morning!

Good choice! Killed a lot of big game with one.
Glad you did not read the thread about how great the 223 is for deer/elk
John H.

Ummmm I do love my 223 but I will give the 284 the nod!