6.5X284 Load Data

[CaptnC]

Have barrel coming, should be here next Tuesday...I've never loaded for this one so I'm going to pick you guys brain! Also have Lapua brass coming as well...

Favorite powder, bullet, primer and what magical powder charge you are using to get your FPS?

I tried the "Search" feature with no real luck...Thanks guys!

 

[JLT]

RL-26 will get you some serious speed in the 6.5-284 case. I load 54.0 gr. of RL-26 behind a 140 gr., Lapua brass, Sellier & Bellot LRM and it comfortably clocks ~ 3,050 fps. I settled on this charge as it delivers the accuracy I was looking for. This load is not near maximum in my rifle but you should work up to that in yours.

RL-23 is another good option. It will deliver plenty of velocity, though not as much as RL-26, and it is not temperature sensitive.

The Alliant powders allow one to shoot a higher node than would otherwise be possible without stressing the brass. H4831SC or H4831 are 'standards' for the case and deliver excellent accuracy, although the Alliant powders produce significantly higher velocities.

As for bullets, the 140 gr. Berger Hybrid is tough to beat in most barrels. I've had good success with the Barnes 140 gr. BTHP match bullet and the Nosler 140 gr. RDF as well. I'm itching to do a work-up with the new Sierra 150 gr. MK - this bullet at 3,000 fps + (should be easily achievable with RL-26) would be quite useful on windy days.

 

[waterdog]

R-26 sounds very interesting. I have been using R-17 with 130 VLD’s in my 6.5-284. It is accurate, but I am very interested in trying R-26.
Thanks for the information.

 

[CaptnC]

Thanks guys...I will have to see if I can get my hands on some R-26...I've heard some good reports for some other calibers using it...calibers I happen to load for.

 

[johnfred1965]

I'm shooting H4831sc under the first bullet I tried, the 139 Scenar. Both have been extremely accurate. I would say, with that powder, the Sierra 142, Hornady ELD-m, Berger hybrid, would all shoot well. Primer wise, I was using Federal gold medal match, but due to their scarcity, the CCI BR's work too.

 

[Willie]

I have a couple of 6.5-284s.
#1. 26" 4 groove Kreiger #4/ 1:8.5t
54.7 gr RL-26/2.414" cbto/.020 jump/140 HVLDs/2960 fps/210m

#2. 26" 5r Bartlein 3b/1:8t
57.5 gr Retumbo/2.415 cbto/.020"
jump/2965 fps/210m/140 hvld

Both chambers cut with same reamer. Both shoot sub 10 fps ES, 5 shot groups. Lapua brass turned to.014" for .296 neck, annealed every firing. 1/4 to 1/2 moa to 600 yds. I backed off a bit from max, to hopefully save some barrel life, cause I sure like to shoot 'em.

 

[josh shrum]

I have a couple of 6.5-284s.
#1. 26" 4 groove Kreiger #4/ 1:8.5t
54.7 gr RL-26/2.414" cbto/.020 jump/140 HVLDs/2960 fps/210m

#2. 26" 5r Bartlein 3b/1:8t
57.5 gr Retumbo/2.415 cbto/.020"
jump/2965 fps/210m/140 hvld

Both chambers cut with same reamer. Both shoot sub 10 fps ES, 5 shot groups. Lapua brass turned to.014" for .296 neck, annealed every firing. 1/4 to 1/2 moa to 600 yds. I backed off a bit from max, to hopefully save some barrel life, cause I sure like to shoot 'em.

What kind of brass life are you seeing with that reamer and turning your brass to .o14? I am in a similar situation and just curious as to what I can expect if I anneal every time.

Thanks
Josh

 

[JLT]

What kind of brass life are you seeing with that reamer and turning your brass to .o14? I am in a similar situation and just curious as to what I can expect if I anneal every time.

Thanks
Josh

If you anneal after every firing and your sizing die is set up properly, 100 pieces of brass should last as long as the barrel if you don't get aggressive with pressure.

I skim turn the necks (thickness ends up around .014" - loaded round measures .292"), anneal after every firing and I bump just enough to allow for the slightest resistance on chambering. I have 9 cycles on one group of 50 cases and they are in fine shape - not even close to being done.

 

[josh shrum]

If you anneal after every firing and your sizing die is set up properly, 100 pieces of brass should last as long as the barrel if you don't get aggressive with pressure.

I skim turn the necks (thickness ends up around .014" - loaded round measures .292"), anneal after every firing and I bump just enough to allow for the slightest resistance on chambering. I have 9 cycles on one group of 50 cases and they are in fine shape - not even close to being done.

much appreciated!

Josh

 

[4xforfun]

I wonder if RL 26/23 would have been around 10 - 15 years ago, they would have replaced H4831 in 1k BR.

 

[jpmimproved]

Seems from what I have read, a touch over 51 Gr of H4831sc works well in the 140 Gr bullets. My 6.5-284 settled in at 51.3 gr with 140 hybrids .030” off the lands. Lapua brass, CCI 250s.

 

[Willie]

What kind of brass life are you seeing with that reamer and turning your brass to .o14? I am in a similar situation and just curious as to what I can expect if I anneal every time.

Thanks
Josh

7 firings on 1 rifle and 8 on the other, still have snug primer pockets. I did lose a few cases from a batch I really tried to push over 3K.

On the RL-26, it seems great until the temperature gets into the high eighties, then the pressure spikes. Have not seen that with the Retumbo.

 

[JLT]

7 firings on 1 rifle and 8 on the other, still have snug primer pockets. I did lose a few cases from a batch I really tried to push over 3K.

On the RL-26, it seems great until the temperature gets into the high eighties, then the pressure spikes. Have not seen that with the Retumbo.

Retumbo's problem seems to be on the other end of the temperature scale. It gets weird when the temperature drops below 10 degrees F. Pressure can be unpredictable when it's very cold and I don't use it for that reason.

As for RL-26's temperature sensitivity, I've had no problems adjusting for it in hot weather. It's behavior is predictable in my experience. If you take a load developed in cooler weather and shoot it when it's 90, you might find yourself out of your node. If your cool weather load is at the red line, yes, you might encounter problems but that's the case with most powders (even some of the Extreme line). Checking my chronograph data, it looks like .45 - .55 fps/degree F is about right for RL-26. I'll look through it more thoroughly and see if I can find some strings fired with the ambient temperature over 90 and I'll report back.

 

[duecedriver]

@JLT looks like a thread revival is due..

I got a second hand 6.5-284 with a remage sporter profile barrel 26" on long action..

tried R26 and 140 RDF and was very pleased with the results 54 grains also looked like a sweet spot .010 off the lands .. ~3050 at 75deg. and great accuracy.. shot a .25" 3 shot group and 53.8-54-54.2 shot a 3 shot group with 54*54.2 touching and max spread just under half inch..

this rifle was purchased to make a long action long range match gun for elr or high wind matches and intended on ordering another barrel from the same mfg in a 26" varmint profile.. melonited was recommended by the mfg to get some addl barrel life out of it.

the new barrel is giving me issues.. won't group and its not burning the R-26 very well.. lots of soot and unburned kernels.. a ladder from 53 to 56.5 nets me 2910 to 3118 and no 2 bullets closer than a 1/2" to each other.. its all over the place..

it was 150fps slower load for load from the old barrel and 1.5 addl grains were needed to get back to 3050.. about 55.5.

.2 grains on the old barrel would net 25-35fps increases and in this new barrel .5 is needed.

I send the barrel back and they tell me everything is in spec but the measurements they gave me for bore and groove dimensions are almost a half thou oversized...

I am guessing with the RDF bullet which is slower than AMAX bullets in the old barrel ( i think they are min diameter) and a slightly oversized bore coupled with the reduced friction of melonite I think I am screwed with this powder bullet combo...

thinking of trying 147 hornady.. can anyone tell me if the hornady eld bullets are a little on the oversized dimension .. like .2642?

I don't have a caliper that is accurate beyond a thou

any other thoughts welcome

the barrel maker has been great with the customer support so far.. and after taking 2 days to measure all the dimensions .. they are going to load some index loads and put the barrel in their test action/fixture. Should I press them to make a barrel where the bore dia is more in the .264 and not .2644 dimensions?

thanks

 

[nmkid]

I have a 6-284 that I have never been able to find a accuracy node with. Just yesterday I made up my mind to go ahead and, "use" the barrel up and re-barrel to 6.5-284. So, this thread was brought back to life just in time for me to gather some fresh info.

 

[Bart B.]

http://www.6mmbr.com/SixFive284.html

Good stuff.

 

[Bart B.]

Should I press them to make a barrel where the bore dia is more in the .264 and not .2644 dimensions?

Do you mean. .264 groove and .256 bore?

Yes, groove diameter should be a few ten-thousandths smaller than bullet diameter. Bore not so important.

 

[duecedriver]

most mfg of 6.5 barrels usually list their spec for bore and groove at .264 bore and .256 for lands

my barrel measured .2644 and .2564 so almost a half thou wider than most bullet diameters.. allowing blow-by and not supporting the bullet firmly on its way down the barrel

 

[JLT]

most mfg of 6.5 barrels usually list their spec for bore and groove at .264 bore and .256 for lands

my barrel measured .2644 and .2564 so almost a half thou wider than most bullet diameters.. allowing blow-by and not supporting the bullet firmly on its way down the barrel

Deuce, I don't have any 147s on hand but I did take the micrometer to a few 6.5 bullets:

Berger 140 gr. Target Hybrid - .2641", avg of 5
Barnes 140 gr. Match Burner - .2642", avg of 5
Hornady 140 gr. BTHP Match - .2642", avg of 5
Hornady 140 gr. ELD-M - .2641"(+), avg of 5
Nosler 140 gr. RDF - .2638", avg of 5

The last warrants additional mention. The ELD-Ms all measured between the indices for .2461" and .2462". I'm not big on artificial precision, so I thought I'd mention the observation. The Bergers, Noslers and the Barnes (an under-rated bullet, IMO) all measured as close to identical as my tired old eyes can discern. The Hornady BTHP Match varied .0001" in either direction from the average.

I'm not sure if any of this will be useful to you. The Barnes match bullets are very consistent (at least the lot I have on hand) and are significantly larger in diameter than the RDFs. Perhaps they'll work in your new barrel. Sorry to hear about the results with your replacement barrel.

 

[Bart B.]

most mfg of 6.5 barrels usually list their spec for bore and groove at .264 bore and .256 for lands

my barrel measured .2644 and .2564 so almost a half thou wider than most bullet diameters.. allowing blow-by and not supporting the bullet firmly on its way down the barrel

I doubt there is significant blow-by as 99%+ of under size bullets upset to groove diameters upon entering the chamber's angled throat. Usually unbalancing them enough to degrade accuracy.

There was a study decades ago comparing barrel erosion of 30 caliber service rifles with .3080" groove diameters shooting .3085" diameter bullets and .3075" diameter ones. Possibly when tests were done in the mid 1920's at Daytona Beach developing bullets for long range machine guns. Bore erosion was equal but larger bullets shot more accurate. That's the reason arsenal 30 caliber 174 grain FMJBT match bullets are. 3085" to .3086" diameter to be larger than maximum spec NM barrel groove diameter.

Best example of mismatch of skinny bullet to fat groove barrel was when Great Britain and commonwealth countries switched out their 174 grain 303 ammo for 147 grain 7,62 NATO ammo. Their arsenal rifles used in fullbore matches then had .308" groove diameters and shot the .307" diameter M80 bullet in washtub size groups. They had custom barrels made with .3065" groove diameters and then those undersize arsenal bullets shot pie plate size groups. Kreiger and Border makes such barrels for NATO ammo issued for Commonwealth fullbore matches