Opionions on the 284 Shehane for 1000yd BR

[jp]

I am thinking on the 284 Shehane for the 1000yd BR matches.
Does any one shoot this caliber and what loads should I start with? I know there are lots of great calibers for this. But I want more barrel life than some of those give. And I am thinking about a Shehane ST1000 stock, any comments on stock or caliber choice will be apreciated...

thanks

 

[TonyR]

I think the 284 Shehane is an excellent choice. I have about 1000 rounds through mine and I have found accuracy to be excellent including the fireforming loads. It works well with a variety of powders and it is possible to achieve high velocity with accuracy without extreme pressures. It is a lttle early to tell about barrel life.

 

[Rust]

Well, it is a fine 1,000 yard cartridge and the only flaw is fire forming the cases at the expense of barrel life, unless...

1. You have an inexpensive Savage with a cheap barrel chambered with the same reamer. The same rifle can be used with several different barrels to fire form various chamberings.

2. You have hydraulic forming dies. Haven't personally seen them or used them and thus will leave any recommendation to those who have in fact used them.

If I were to go to 7mm, I'd use a straight .284 with a no turn neck with about .004' clearance for the neck and throated long to keep the bearing surface of the bullet above the neck shoulder junction,the area of the donut), a 1.5 degree leade, Lapua brass necked up and just go with it.

As a thought on the reamer, buy your own. I'd recommend having your reamer ground to work dimensionally with Redding dies,or the dies of your choice). Dave Kiff ground mine to work with Redding dies and the dies just resize the brass enough rather than excessively.

 

[taylor]

i have a 284 shehane and its very accurate with superb verticle spreads at 1000yds,as for fireforming i fireform on fullpower loads that i had worked up and i cant tell the difference in accuracy
Grant

 

[jp]

Taylor, Thanks. What action and barrel are you using? And what powder and primers are you using? I have put in the orders for the components to build one, but it will be about 6 months down the road to being complete, due to the barrel being on a 4-6 month waiting list. And do you agree that the Edgewood mini gator is the bag for the 1000yd ?

Anyone out there with views on this can comment and
thanks for your help in advance

 

[JHardy]

JP:

IMHO, the 284 Shehane is the best balanced long range round there is -- bar none. I have shot more of this chambering,maybe) than anyone else, and it has proven better than I ever expected. Here is why:

You have to shoot a 30 Cal magnum with a 240 grain bullet to equal the performance of most 7mm chamberings with the 180 Berger VLD. With the 284 Shehane, you have .308 bolt face, medium action, Lapua brass, less powder than the 7 mags, great accuracy and ballistics even while fire forming, shoots inside the 6.5 AND the straight 284, the 300 WSM, and the 300 Win Mag with less recoil, twice the competitive barrel life of the 6.5x284, an EASY 2950 to 2975 in 105 degree heat,H4831SC) with no pressure signs, can run 3000 plus with N560 and RL-17, which is right there with the 7mm WSM etc.

And, congrats to Grant. I believe he placed 3rd in the F-Class Open division of the World Championships -- shooting a 284 Shehane. I also think the first 10 places were 7mm chamberings.

What is not to love about the 284 Shehane -- a no brainer for long range -- F-Class or Prone or 1000 yd BR. Yep, you have to have your dies made -- big deal. Al Warner, Jim Carstensen, Gre-Tan, etc. can help you with that.

Hello, Hello -- can you hear me now? The 7mm is knocking at the door and EVERYONE our team has to shoot against internationally has opened the door.

Favor Center,
Jim Hardy

 

[taylor]

Hey Jim thanks
yes i came third in world champs,your right jim everyone in the top 10 were all using 7wsm of some sort,
i use cci br2 primmers h4831 sc powder 56.5 grn and pointed 180 grn bergers,i have to thank jim hardy for putting me onto the caliber,it has awsome accuracy i am getting 2930-2950fps with spreads in the 3-5
Grant Taylor
scotland

 

[taylor]

Hey jp
i forgot to answer you fully i use a BAT M round action and bartlein 32 finished barrel,i use a precision rifle and tool f-class stock same as charles ballards on gun of the week on 6mmbr,never used a tracker so cant help you their
but i believe i have a killer combination between caliber, barrel,action and the stock is to die for
Grant Taylor
Scotland

 

[JHardy]

Hey Jim thanks
yes i came third in world champs,your right jim everyone in the top 10 were all using 7wsm of some sort,
i use cci br2 primmers h4831 sc powder 56.5 grn and pointed 180 grn bergers,i have to thank jim hardy for putting me onto the caliber,it has awsome accuracy i am getting 2930-2950fps with spreads in the 3-5
Grant Taylor
scotland

Grant:

It is interesting that our match loads are so close. Yours is 56.5 and mine is 57.0 of H4831SC. The beauty of this chambering is that you can find a node that really hammers -- without any pressure. There are other nodes up the line a bit, but you found no reason to shoot there -- neither did I. But, it is nice to know that you can really pump it up on the fps if you have to.

As to your accomplishment with the 284 Shehane, I can sing long and hard about that. What a great job you have done. It is a funny thing that when you have an individual performance worthy of praise, the shooter must be humble. But when your friends do well, I can scream and shout. In that regard, you 'cowboyed' up as we say in the South, and you EARNED it.

Favor Center,
Jim Hardy

 

[taylor]

Hey Jim
thanks for your compliments much appreciated,i have a freind that has a 284 shehane he tryed my load and its a hammer also as you said load for the velocity thats accurate 2930-2970fps
the accuracy is the key to this chambering
again thanks Jim
Grant Taylor

 

[Flybuster]

So the major selling points for the 284 Shehane over the Winchester are: Less pressure at 2900fps and reduced bolt lift resistance,less bag disturbance).

Is there a major pressure problem using the 180s in the 284Win at the high 2800s? The standard .284Win is less than optimum case capacity for the 180 grain bullets?

I would like to be able to have a year round load with good velocity and not change loads throughout the year because pressure spikes from temperature. If the shehane does that over the standard it would be worth the investment cost in dies.

Tanner

 

[JHardy]

Tanner:

The straight .284 is a great round. If you are not shooting in competition at 1000 yards, I would not even bother with the Shehane -- no real purpose to go that route. A perfect example is Charles Ballard. He has set records and won the Nationals with his .284 Straight. Not too much motivation for Charlie to change a thing as his gun hammers.

In short, the 284 Shehane is better than the straight in every way except for the fire form to reach the final case dims and the custom dies needed for the Shehane. But, depending on the shooting discipline you are engaged in, the difference between the straight and the Shehane may be difference without a distinction. BTW, my fire form load for the Shehane is 54 grains of H4831SC, and it shoots great during fire forming as you are only blowing out the body taper and not the shoulder -- an easy fire form.

Bottom line: Not much reason to go with the .284 Shehane if you are not eaten up with one of 1000 yard games where score is the criteria for the Gold.

Good luck,
Jim Hardy

 

[Flybuster]

Jim, agreed, its just impressive to read what Ballard has done with the .284Win. His ability to read conditions must be phenomenal, and with a ballistically Superior caliber he's unstoppable until more convert to 7mm. I have a feeling more F-Class shooters will now convert after FCWC's results, many of the Brits used 7mm.

If the Scottish ever come back to Portland PNW International Champs I will need to be ready for them too.

I have everything except dies, so I will look further into the Shehane for my next 1000 yard chambering.

Fireforming loads are simply full strength standard Winchester loads, accuracy good enough for matches. Price of ammo is a huge concern when it comes to fireforming, so it will be done at matches.

Thanks, Tanner

 

[JHardy]

Tanner:

It sounds like you have a plan. As for Charlie Ballard, he leaves nothing unturned. He has a great kit and a chambering that will do the job. He also points it real well and knows when to shoot and when to stop. Charlie shoots great because he has worked hard to develop a total shooting package. What makes it even better is that Charlie is one of the many 'good guys' in the sport.

Jim

 

[AlanPF]

Grant,

Great shooting at the FCWC.

Jim,

You have pioneered a great long range chambering - congratulations. Can I ask for your advice on dies for FL resizing the 284 Shehane? Is there a 6.5-284 Shehane Redding body die that can have the neck reamed out? I would probably do the seater and neck sizer with Wilson die blanks and my own reamer.

Thanks for any help.

Alan

 

[JHardy]

Alan:

Thanks for the kind words, but I asked my friend Bill Shehane for his permission to have a reamer cut for the '284 Shehane.' I believe there were a couple of other shooters going that way out West on their 1000 yd BR guns. So, probably no origin thought here. I just figured that a .284 version of the 6.5x284 Shehane would be a very balanced 7mm with just enough extra punch over the straight 284 to get me where I wanted to be in the long range prone game. I was correct.

The problem with the 284 Shehane is that it cuts the wind so well that it will actually make you a weaker wind reader if you are not careful! I am currently shooting my Palma gun exclusively with 155 class bullets in an effort to learn that chambering prior to the Camp Butner leg of the U.S. Palma Team Tryouts in November. In fact, I will be shooting my Palma gun all the way through the long range events at Camp Perry this year,not the Shehane). Bottom line, I can take no credit for the chambering. I just knew a good thing when I saw it.

I had previously shot a 6.5x284 Shehane in one of my Heavy 1000 yd. BR guns using a Redding die. I figured I could just use that die with the correct bushing for the 284 Shehane. WRONG. The Redding die can be modified by a good smith for the 284 Shehane. I decided to go with custom dies from Jim Carstensen,JLC). Great dies.

You could also have one of the big super custom dies made by Al Warner. I am having Al do that for me as we speak. 6mmBR.com has a great article and review of the Warner die on this site.

Both Al Warner and Jim Carstensen are very timely with their work. However, on custom dies you always have the delay because of the necessary heat treat. Nonetheless, the JLC and Warner dies are top shelf product by top shelf craftsmen.

Favor Center,
Jim Hardy

 

[o2fish]

284 Shehane

????? Case Prep your Virgin Lupua brass first OR Fireform and then prep.Comments Please.

Scott

 

[TonyR]

I use a 0.310 loaded neck with a 0.313 chamber neck so I expand to 0.284, turn the necks to 0.013 per side, clean up the primer pockets and flashholes, fireform, and trim to length. It is not clear to me what I gain by trimming the necks because the untrimmed fireforming loads have been as good or better vertical precision as the trimmed full power loads.

 

[taylor]

flybuster i made my own dies,wilson seater and newlon full length sizer,
i fully prep my brass first,then fireform on full power loads
at a match the accuracy is awsome,spreads are slightly higher than second firing,but good enough to win matches
Grant Taylor

 

[AlanPF]

What do 284 chamberings generally do about neck size with Lapua brass? I am considering a .316' chamber neck,BTW what is standard neck size?). I read that its best to have at least 0.002' per side neck clearance i.e. .312' loaded round, which is 0.013' neck thickness. The brass I have has about .015' neck thickness, so that would mean turning .002'. Does this sound reasonable? Or would a no turn neck be okay?

Any advice appreciated.

Alan