6.5 x 284 Reamer Questions

[Jonny]

Looking to chamber a barrel in 6.5 x 284, any recommendations for a reamer? We'd be using 139 Grain Lapua Scenars and would want a tight neck. Have been looking at Clymer reamers and noticed that there are reamers listed for both 6.5 x 284 Lapua and 6.5 x 284 Norma. Anyone able to explain the difference? Is it to do with the the difference in the brass if any?

Look forward to any advice you can give.

Thanks,

Jonny

 

[TRECustom]

Jonny, I have only barreled up one 6.5 x .284 and I used a Clymer reamer in the Norma chambering. I also bought a throater to lengthen the throat for some big bullet, long O.A.L. dummy rounds that the owner furnished. Sorry I don't know the difference in the Lapua. I do know that the Norma is not a tight neck, but that rifle is a Shilen #7 select match on a Mk X Mauser action in an Accurate Innovations Targeter stock and shoots like a laser; consistent sub 1/2 moa. If you're building a benchrest gun, that's not near good enough, but for anything else it'll outshoot the shooter. It took me awhile to decide to reply because I didn't know much. There are guys on this site who know this cartridge and maybe one will jump in. If not, call Clymer about the difference, and about a tight-neck reamer.

If it was my project, I would call Dave Manson at,810) 953-0732. He finds time to talk to you.

Good luck, Tom

 

[Jonny]

Thanks for that. Some food for thought.

 

[Preacher]

Nothing against Clymer, but when I need a good competition grade reamer I call Dave Kiff at PT&G..

 

[rcw3]

Johnny

The attached reamer should be about what you are looking for. This has been used for chambering quite a few 6.5 x 284 1000 yard F-Class and Prone Target rifles, and it works well with Lapua brass and the free bore is good for Lapua 139's, Sierra 142's, Berger 140's, etc. We skim neck turn the brass for this, usually to somewhere around .2935" loaded.

I kept the radius at the junction of the neck and shoulder on the smaller side to avoid overwork of the brass there by most commercial sizing dies because a lot of the commercial resize dies have almost no radius in that location.

In my experience I would avoid Norma brass, for no other reason than a number of shooters,me included) have found it to be on the soft side and does not handle pressure as well as the Lapua brass.

One of the last times I spoke with JGS, they were keeping this reamer as a standard item in their inventory for 6.5 x 284 long range shooters. Get a reamer with a replaceable floating pilot - like the JGS.

Robert Whitley