Developing 6.5x284 142gr SMK loads for new Savage F Class rifle….

[Red Dog Leader]

Recently picked up F class in 6.5x284. Shot 120 rounds of Nosler MG 140’s for the brass.
Will start off reloading SMK 142.

Spent some time this morning getting some COAL/CBTO numbers. Did 50 tests…
AVG COAL was 2.913. AVG CBTO was 2.229 using Sinclair nut. Also smoked the bullet and nut was right on the smoke line.

Reason I ask is I found this thread below from 04/2013 and is the opposite of what I’m seeing in MY rifle…

“Bought new Savage f/class 6.5x284 and not having alot of luck getting it shooting. With smk 142 or berger 140 grain hybrid to get bullets to touch lands there is no bearing surface in the case . I either have jump to much or not have much bullet in case. Does anyone else have one of these and could you let me know what is your length to lands is with these 2 bullets. SMK is 3.220 to lands and berger is 3.270 to lands.”

I used a split case neck with just enough tension to hold bullet, chamber, extract carefully and measure.

Either my method is off, (been doing this way for years with .308, .223 and 6.5CM) or Savage has shortened the freebore some?

Anybody else getting these numbers on newer F Class Savage with SMK 142?

Thanks, Red

 

[JFrank]

Recently picked up F class in 6.5x284. Shot 120 rounds of Nosler MG 140’s for the brass.
Will start off reloading SMK 142.

Spent some time this morning getting some COAL/CBTO numbers. Did 50 tests…
AVG COAL was 2.913. AVG CBTO was 2.229 using Sinclair nut. Also smoked the bullet and nut was right on the smoke line.

Reason I ask is I found this thread below from 04/2013 and is the opposite of what I’m seeing in MY rifle…

“Bought new Savage f/class 6.5x284 and not having alot of luck getting it shooting. With smk 142 or berger 140 grain hybrid to get bullets to touch lands there is no bearing surface in the case . I either have jump to much or not have much bullet in case. Does anyone else have one of these and could you let me know what is your length to lands is with these 2 bullets. SMK is 3.220 to lands and berger is 3.270 to lands.”

I used a split case neck with just enough tension to hold bullet, chamber, extract carefully and measure.

Either my method is off, (been doing this way for years with .308, .223 and 6.5CM) or Savage has shortened the freebore some?

Anybody else getting these numbers on newer F Class Savage with SMK 142?

Thanks, Red

Maybe a typo

 

[memilanuk]

I don't have a factory 6.5-284 barrel handy, but they did have pretty long freebore when I was shooting one. I believe the S142MK has a longer bearing surface than the B140 Hybrid, but I'm not surprised that it still came up short of the lands - I know I did with B140VLDs back in the day.

I ended up using the method described here to work out a viable seating depth for my rifle. The surprise was *how far* they ended up jumping, and *how well* they shot once I seated them out that far.

 

[Peebles24]

I read somewhere that a few years back savage was having some trouble with really long throats. My 6.5cm lrp did not have a throat problem.

 

[Olspark]

A friend of mine had one of those and couldn’t get Berger or Sierra to shoot good enough for him. His long freebore liked the 140 Amax though.

 

[jmatters]

...
I ended up using the method described here to work out a viable seating depth for my rifle. The surprise was *how far* they ended up jumping, and *how well* they shot once I seated them out that far.

I wound up shooting some old ammo that was about 0.60" off the lands just to get trigger time in a match, and dang if all 5 142 SMK's didn't go into .965" (at 600 yds.)

 

[nmkid]

I wound up shooting some old ammo that was about 0.60" off the lands just to get trigger time in a match, and dang if all 5 142 SMK's didn't go into .965" (at 600 yds.)

Man that is amazing! What are you shooting?

 

[HillBilly98]

I ran the same rig for a while for non match informal shooting. I do not compete. When I do shoot I want accuracy non the less.

I was shooting 142MK over 50.3 grins of 4831sc. It was a good load when temp was cool. At 95 or 100 degres it would open up from half moa on average maybe more towards the 6s to over an inch at 100 yards. I chased my tail on it. I dont recall how far off the lands but it had a really long throat. I don’t use any of the tools to find the lands. I need to invest in one. I made a case by opening up the inside of the neck with a dermal tool to snugly hold the bullet and closed the bolt. Seated a smoked bullet in another case just a little longer than the first col. I progressively seated it in a few thousands at a time until no marks showed.

Long process and when you figure the wasted time and cases the tool would pay for itself pretty fast. A poor man has poor ways lol (speaking for myself here).

If I remember I can look at my notes to see how far off the lands shot best in the hotter and colder temperatures.

I know you were not asking for all of this info but remembering how I struggled I hope it helps you. I could never get it to stay consistent so I bought a prechambered shilen select match 260 from northland. It shoots very well for my needs. It will normally do half moa or a little better but that’s about the extent of my abilities squeezing bags with my gear. The longest shoots I can get off at our range is 750. I can hit the small plates at that range most of the time if I can make the wind calls. My hit percentage was considerably lower with the factor tube.

 

[Red Dog Leader]

Appreciate all the replies ...

 

[jmatters]

Man that is amazing! What are you shooting?

That was 6.5x284, 48.48 gr of H4350, BR2 primer, Lapua brass, a slightly undersized neck reamer that requires turning to about 0.0135 wall. 28", 8 twist Kreiger, Barnard S action.
Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then...

 

[Savgeguy71]

To be honest I had no trouble getting my Savage 6.5x284 fclass to shoot at all. 140 bergers were jam seated bout .005 into the lands and H4831ssc was the load I shot first match with and took first place. 210M primers and 50.5 (in my rifle) but I also used Stan Pate's approach with tuning the action screws and it does make a difference ! If im not mistaken , I was 30 on front screw , 27 on middle screw and 30 on back screw. Rifle was stress free pillar bedded before action tuning was done. H1000 shot very well and I'm quite sure my loads shot mid to high .2's at 100 yards consistently.