Powder for a 32" 6.5x284

[z]

Looking for advice on a powder for a new 6.5x284. The barrel is a 32.5” Broughton 5C with an 8 twist in a 7.9 contour. I will be shooting 142SMKs and 140VLDs primarily. I have begun loading with RL22 with less than stellar results. Anyone have some input on a powder to try? I’d prefer 85%+ case capacity and am more interested in accuracy than velocity.

Thanks,
~z

 

[6mmHot]

I've been using H4831SC with 142 SMK's out of my 6.5-284 with great success.
My load of 51.5 grains gives 2950 fps out of my 30" Kreiger 1 in 8 twist barrel, with single figure ES.
The load holds great vertical at 1000 yards and has helped me win the Welsh Open and the Police Long Range Championships this year.
As with any load data please work up.
Cheers
Dave

 

[kyreloader]

I have also had good luck with H4831SC but at 51.2g for 2950fps out of 28" barrel. Also, H1000 shot well for me at 55g(please work up) at same velocity.

 

[Rust]

My preferred load is right around 49.6 gr of H4350 (the exact weight varies slightly from lot# to lot#, and each new lot of powder is chrono'd), a 139 gr Scenar, Lapua brass and a CCI primer. Gives a velocity of 2950 fps which is the sweet spot for this rifle and given good conditions consistantly shoots well under MOA out to 1,000. Well under.

After I developed the load, I ceased and desisted any more load testing as it was printing groups under .2" at 100, figuring I wouldn't waste any more of the already short barrel life. Nice thing is the load worked equally well with the subsequent replacement barrels with minor adjustments.

The rifle was chambered with a custom spec'd reamer, a fair amount of freebore so the load may not be suitable or safe in any other rifle, start low and sneak up on it.

 

[z]

Thanks everyone, I have a few lbs of H4831SC on the shelf, I think I'll try that first.
~z

 

[manitou210]

You might want to pick-up a pound or two of RL 17

 

[Rust]

Thought a bit more about it. the H4831 may be more suitable in that 32" barrel as it is a little slower than the H4350, my barrel is shorter and the H4350 just worked a little bit better.

 

[z]

Thanks to everyone on this,H4831sc looks to be quite the load! I hit a sweet spot at 49.5 and 50.0gn. It opened up as I went beyond 50.0 I will tinker with it more in the future but for now it is quite nice. I have a hunt next weekend and was wanting to take the 6.5/284 out for her maiden voyage.
The chrono read 2828fps with a sd of 7 over 10 shots. It produced two 5 shot groups of .57” and .62” at 300yds. Almost no vertical had a bit of a quartering wind at 5-7mph. Shot again at 400 and it opened up to .79” (still no vertical) so I am quite happy.
Thanks again for the recommendation!
~z