284 win (Short Action) freebore

[284winner]

284win SA build leaves my freebore at .220. Planning on using 162 Amax. My OAL has to be at 2.975 max to feed from my mags properly. Loaded at 3.060, the bullet is in the lands. At 2.975 my jump will be .085. Is that too much jump for the Amax ? Typically I've gone .050-060 with Amax but never that much. Input please.

 

[SheepDog]

It should produce good hunting groups at least. My 3006, an old 03A3 has a lot more jump to the lands than that and it still shoots 3/4" groups. I have to use the right powder and play with it a bit but it does shoot consistently accurate groups.

 

[284winner]

.5 groups is what I'm hoping for. It is a hunting rifle but accuracy is still very important. I will take it on Ohio ground hog shoots so 5" groups at 800 is necessary. Just trying to find out if that Amax is tolerant of a jump close to .100. I'd rather not take an 1/8 " off the chamber end and set the chamber back .130 if I don't have too. I have read that a .090 freebore is more come with short actions with 162 Amax bullets.

 

[ericskennard]

.220 freebore is a little long but will work. Let me relate a test to try that I was taught the gurus at Berger. When testing VLD bullets, they recommend trying just touching, .010" jammed, then .020" jammed, Then 020 jump, .030" jump, .040 jump, and then .120" jump. That is not a typo. I have tested a couple rifles that would no longer group worth a darn. One was a 6mmBR. The bullet would fall out of the case when I tried to get it to touch the lands. Yup, the throat was a little worn. Well the rifle shot really well and the owner got about 600 more rounds out of it before it died totally.

So moral of the story is, I would jump it more than you are talking. Try the .120" If you see a lot of vertical, than make them longer.

 

[284winner]

.220 freebore is a little long but will work. Let me relate a test to try that I was taught the gurus at Berger. When testing VLD bullets, they recommend trying just touching, .010" jammed, then .020" jammed, Then 020 jump, .030" jump, .040 jump, and then .120" jump. That is not a typo. I have tested a couple rifles that would no longer group worth a darn. One was a 6mmBR. The bullet would fall out of the case when I tried to get it to touch the lands. Yup, the throat was a little worn. Well the rifle shot really well and the owner got about 600 more rounds out of it before it died totally.

So moral of the story is, I would jump it more than you are talking. Try the .120" If you see a lot of vertical, than make them longer.

I've read Berger's loading recommendation and plan on using it. My hopes are that the Amax WILL tolerate the jump and no further work will need to be done. I've read some info on the Amax jumping .150 and being very accurate for a 284. The most I'd have to jump is .100 but .085 is as low as I can go and fit the rounds in the mag. Thanks

 

[dkhunt14]

I've read Berger's loading recommendation and plan on using it. My hopes are that the Amax WILL tolerate the jump and no further work will need to be done. I've read some info on the Amax jumping .150 and being very accurate for a 284. The most I'd have to jump is .100 but .085 is as low as I can go and fit the rounds in the mag. Thanks

For groundhog hunting you could load longer and single feed. I use all single shot actions for my guns. I find it no slower to feed from a box of shells. At distance you usually have time. I prefer the greater accuracy and shoot from a bench. A bipod would also work with the shells sitting beside gun. Matt

 

[284winner]

For groundhog hunting you could load longer and single feed. I use all single shot actions for my guns. Matt

I have a long action 284 win already. Really no need to use this one for that purpose. I built this gun to use as a short action with lighter bullets for mag fed platform. The freebore is long story but a mistake to put it in short version. Planned on a .090 freebore but things didn't go as planned. Trying to work it out now. I'll get out to the range real soon.

 

[FeMan]

If it helps, my 300WSM shoots bug holes with 0.250" jump with the Barnes 165 TSX. I haven't tried the ELD-X's in it but I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try.

 

[284winner]

If it helps, my 300WSM shoots bug holes with 0.250" jump with the Barnes 165 TSX. I haven't tried the ELD-X's in it but I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try.

Wow. That does help. Gives me quite a bit of confidence. .250 eh ? Is it a Weatherby ?

 

[FeMan]

Wow. That does help. Gives me quite a bit of confidence. .250 eh ? Is it a Weatherby ?

Its a Tikka T3 and like yours, it is very limited by magazine length.

My custom 7 STW shoots both Berger 168 hunting VLDs as well as Barnes 150 TSX with a jump of over 0.100". My STW was also limited by magazine length and I tried for years to get it to shoot Bergers. One day I noticed I hadn't tried H1000 so I loaded up 5 rounds. It shot under 1/4MOA! The best I could do with Retumbo and IMR7828 was just under 2 MOA.

I have since invested in a Wyatt's extend mag box and now can hit the lands. I am not sure how much the Wyatt's can help the short action but you might want to try that or DBM with AI mags. I have done the DBM/AI conversion in a few short actions and got a lot longer magazine out of it. Can't recall the gain but it was probably enough to get you to the lands. HTH.

 

[284winner]

Its a Tikka T3 and like yours, it is very limited by magazine length.

My custom 7 STW shoots both Berger 168 hunting VLDs as well as Barnes 150 TSX with a jump of over 0.100". My STW was also limited by magazine length and I tried for years to get it to shoot Bergers. One day I noticed I hadn't tried H1000 so I loaded up 5 rounds. It shot under 1/4MOA! The best I could do with Retumbo and IMR7828 was just under 2 MOA.

I have since invested in a Wyatt's extend mag box and now can hit the lands. I am not sure how much the Wyatt's can help the short action but you might want to try that or DBM with AI mags. I have done the DBM/AI conversion in a few short actions and got a lot longer magazine out of it. Can't recall the gain but it was probably enough to get you to the lands. HTH.

I have a few accurate mags with coal of almost 3". Loaded rounds at 2.975. To touch the lands, I'd need to be 3.060.

 

[IndianaMatt]

I am getting ready to build a .284 Win in a short action and these are my exact worries. I was hoping for internal box mag and have been looking at Wyatt’s and the PTG Bainey mags.
I was under the impression that in order to use the longer mags I would have to remove material from my action and that really turns me off.
I’m curious about your build, could you give some more info on it?
Thanks
Matt

 

[Zero333]

I have a Savage 111 I've used for hunting deer and the most accurate load in that rifle is 130gr TTSX jumping around 1/4"
It's a factory load I got boxes of it for very cheap so why bother reloading for it. It clocks at 3,550 fps from it's 24" barrel.

I think long jumps can be accurate but the Barnes TTSX bullets do seem to love jumping miles at very high speeds.

I have never loaded standard cup n core bullets with very long jumps because I don't have any rifles with long freebore that force me to do it. But if the diameter of the freebore is not too big I can't see why a long jump couldn't be accurate.

 

[JBT47]

I’ve jumped 208 Amax’s And 178 Amax’s Over .100 in a long throated .300 Win Mag. Both bullets shot surprisingly good group despite the long jump.

 

[284winner]

I’ve jumped 208 Amax’s And 178 Amax’s Over .100 in a long throated .300 Win Mag. Both bullets shot surprisingly good group despite the long jump.

Gotta love them Amax bullets. Jump or jam. Don't matter, they'll take it anyway you give it too em !!!

 

[JBT47]

I loved the Amax’s...especially for hunting.