Help with 6.5-284

[skiutah02]

Trying a new caliber. After my "fun" necking down straight 284 to 6.5 (described in another post ), now have some cases to fireform and test loads. Picked up a Sav 6.5 take off a few months ago and have it on my PTA now.

Now the help. I'm going to test 142 smks with 210m, and imr435. Starting 0.010 jammed. Holy cow are the lands way out there! My Hornady gauge shows 2.656 to lands giving 3.254 coal! Bullet has about 1/4 in of bearing surface in neck with base of bullet at neck/shoulder junct. I did shoot two into ground just to see if everything would be ok (i.e. headspace and pressure), but now wondering if I should jump these to get more bullet into case. Anyone with a typical coal for this round? Any thoughts?

 

[ShootDots]

I went thru 2 / 6.5 x 284 barrels and I learned a thing or 2... If you are going to shoot the heavies (139-142 class bullets) use H1000 powder. I was shooting a 140 Hybrid seated 10K off the lands on top of 54.7grs of H1000. I was getting 3030f.p.s. and extremely good accuracy. One of my shooting buds loaded H1000 with the 140 Hybrids to 55.5grs and was getting right at 3050 in his rifle. The main reason you want to use this powder, is you will get about 1400-1600 round barrel life span.. Additionally, at those loads, the primer pockets never loosened up.. That is a HUGE plus in this round..

 

[Patch700]

That coal is very possible , I have an old 6.5x284 factory pull off that was never set back and at 800 rnds a 130 vld could not be made to reach the lands.

When it was retired I don't recall the bto numbers but with 140 A max's they were 3.218 give or take.

The long throat combined with the proper powders as mentioned earlier are what makes this round excel.. Imr 4350 wouldn't be my first choice .

 

[K redden]

Hodgdon h4831sc was my go to powder ,just throwing that out there

 

[ShootDots]

Hodgdon h4831sc was my go to powder ,just throwing that out there

H4831 is an EXCELLENT powder! However, if you are not adept at reading even mild reports of pressure, you will loosen the primer pockets.. Having said that, H4831 will give enviable results in the accuracy department..

 

[DLFant]

I just finished going thru the process with a savage in 65.284, made my brass from reg 284 win brass. used Berger 140's 52.9gr of 4831 got under 1/2 moa 3005 fps found my accuracy node .005 off the lands. It shot under the 1/2 moa out to 722 yards. also shot at 1204 yards and had 7 hits out of 10 on a 9inch by 12 inch gong.

 

[Peterbilt2007]

4831 SC or 4831?

 

[skiutah02]

Appreciate the replies and they will be useful going forward, but i am committed to imr4350 because i accidently purchased 10lbs of it.

My question is really about lands and coal.

The other powder options are good to know about going forward, but just playing around with this barrel to get a feel. Thanks, Drew

 

[dkhunt14]

You really can't judge off somebody else's coal because barrel dimensions and freebore changes this. A quarter inch in the case is plenty to shoot with. All the match shooters I knew used H4350 so the powder should be OK. Move them from 10 in to 120 off and see where it shoots best. Load 3 to 5 at 10 in and then touch and go 40 off. 80 off and 120 off. Look for a place where it shoots best and fine tune. Matt

 

[effendude]

Drew,
I had a Savage barrel that was throated so long, I couldn't keep the bullets in the case if I attempted to be close to the lands. Sierra bullets are very jump tolerant. Load up 3 rounds of several different overall lengths and see which works the best on paper. Run the best length and don't worry about length anymore.

I never ran 4350 though it will probably work, just be careful as it is a little fast for the 140 class bullets. I used 4831SC for several years and have now switched to Retumbo in my 6.5-284 hunting rifle. 57 grains shoots both 140 Partitions and 140 VLDs into the same hole at 100 yards and the Partitions are a minute lower than the VLDs at 600. That combo worked great in Africa last year as well as Alaska the last two years.

The target will tell you what the barrel likes, remember it is not a race for speed.

Scott

 

[DLFant]

Peterbuilt it is regular 4831 not sc

 

[Peterbilt2007]

Thanks. I've had luck both.