6.5 284 in a short action?

[MrK.]

From another forum:

The 6.5 284 can be built on a short action, but the short length pushes the bullets so far back into the case that you may as well be shooting a 260 rem. Almost all are built on a long action

How much truth is there to this?

 

[Dubya]

I don't believe that to be true.
The Sierra Loading Book shows the O.A.L. on a 142 MK at 2.910
,apparently for magazine) and my O.A.L. on my short action is 2.970. It depends on the throat length of your chamber.
Check with a good gunsmith.
Gary.

 

[gebhardt02]

Also depends on the application of the rifle. If you are single loading only for 1K matches or such, why try to load the round to fit in the mag? I think several people use a SA citing it to be a bit stiffer, but single load each round. In a repeater though, yes they would have to fit in the mag well so the chamber should be cut to accomodate.

Geb

 

[Cochran]

My 6.5x284 Rem SA is on its third barrel as well. My rounds are long seated but I can eject a loaded round. I use an external bolt stop that my gunsmith makes. It allows the bolt to travel farther to the rear and the case head is inside the rear bridge when the bullet clears the port. The case will stick sideways out of the port and a little push forward drops the cartridge out.
The bolt stop was originally designed to fit the holes in an XP-100 action. It can be positioned anywhere with two small holes drilled in the action and one of them tapped for the mounting screw.

Jeff

 

[MrK.]

Thanks for the responses guys. I should probably give more info. I am looking to get a rifle built for deer/ varmints first then paper punching second. I picked up a 700 short action from Brownells a few years ago and had it trued up. The gunsmith said it was the best action he had worked with. I picked up a new take-off Remington factory varmint laminated stock from a marine sniper who went with something tactical. I had several new take-off Remington .308 win PSS barrels and varmint wt barrels. I sold them on ebay but was going to get one screwed on my SA 700 and chamber it for .300WSM. Changed my mind and am selling the last one on ebay now,well almost the last one. I wanted something a little better suited to East Texas sized whitetails, coyotes and feral hogs. I also wanted to be the top winner in the 300 yard who buys the beer matches. This got me settled on a 6.5 X 284 26in,8.5 twist)fluted stainless Krieger barrel in Remington varmint contour with a 1/4 in Callahan recoil lug and a Shilen standard trigger I have laying around somewhere. I more than likely will be shooting 120 grain bullets but have 3 boxes of Sierra 140gr gamekings I need to shoot up. I will be taking the action to the gunsmith in the next couple of weeks. Thats my story as to why I am on this forum. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gebhardt02]

Sounds to me like you got things figured out. Loading the 120's you should be able to get them in the mag pretty easily and I think the 8.5 twist would be just fine for that weight. Now you just gotta figure out which powder.

Geb