Savage 12 F-Class 6.5-284

[BigJohn451]

I am trying to get a good load worked up for this gun but seem to have hit a wall. I simply can't seem to get my 5 shot groups down below .5" at 100yd. 600yd accuracy is about 8-9" for 20 round match string. I know a lot of the 600yd issue is the nut behind the trigger but I would think the 100yd should be better. Is this the practical accuracy limit to this gun?

Current load is 52.3gr H4831sc behind a Sierra 142MK, Fed210m primers and Lapua brass. OAL set to .010 from lands.
Round count is 412 after yesterdays match.

Any help or advice is welcome.

John

 

[ttfreestyle]

mine liked 51.6 h4831sc and cci br primer with 142 smk at 30 thou off lands.

 

[BigJohn451]

What kind of group did this load give you?

 

[wbm]

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/65x284/

 

[260Remshtr]

My father bought a 6.5x284 Savage F-class about two weeks ago. He wanted to conserve as much barrel life as possible so he had me load 46.0grains of H4831sc, and he has been shooting .25inch groups at 100, yesterday being a fairly calm day he shot a group that outside to outside measured .35inch.

46.0grns H4831sc
140Berger VLD Match Target
CCI 200primers
Norma Brass

I turned/trued all the case necks and weight sorted all the brass.

 

[Laurie]

These rifles' performance varies, almost certainly down to the barrel. Some are really, really good, some are middle of the road and a few are complete dogs! Don't write them off though until there is 200 or so rounds down the barrel. The original bore (before the rifling is swaged in) is usually so rough that it looks like a ploughed field through a borescope and takes a lot of running in.

Like you, I could never get mine below the half-MOA mark - in fact precious few groups were as small as that - while others were winning Factory Sporter Class in 600 and 1,000yd UKBRA matches with theirs. It never gave the MVs that the load combinations were supposed to give either. people said recrown it, rebed it, re-whatever it. In the end I ignored all this advice, decided it was a not so good barrel, and simply had a 30" Bartlein 6.5mm barrel put onto it chambered for 6.5X55mm, a cartridge I much prefer to 6.5-284 anyway. I now get quarter-MOA groups at 2,915 fps with 140s, everything other than the barrel as straight out of the factory gate.

I don't see this as a great issue with the rifle - it's a mass produced factory job sold at a good price and you can't expect a fantastic super-match quality barrel on every one. It amazes me that Savage manages to get as many top shooters as they do. I have a .204 12 LRPV that is frankly amazing, and use the PT action on my custom F/TR .308 and 223 rifles too.

Have it checked out and if everything seems OK and you really want it to do better, there's no choice other than putting on a new quality barrel. Otherwise you'll just wear the barrel out fast - not difficult with this cartridge - in an endless search for the magic bullet-powder combination.

 

[bozo699]

John,
I agree with Laurie, there are great ones, so-so ones, and crappy ones. I got lucky and got a great one. Mine will hold under a half minute out to 600 and under a minute out to 1000 yards, the rifle is only hindered by my inability to read the wind. I shoot 52.5 grains of H-4831 Br-2 primer, Lapua brass and 139 Lapua scenar bullets. 52.5 grains of H-4831 is a little hot in some rifles you might want to back off a little, My group size dropped a lot when I played with seating depth, mine liked .012 off the lands, my 6*284 liked them .012 into the lands so there is no set place so you will just have to play around with it.
Wayne.

 

[BigJohn451]

I am kinda worried about the barrel itself, when i run a wet patch through it I can feel a place about 2" long in the middle where it kinda jumps forward with less resistance then tightens back up. Think i'm just gonna shoot it till it goes while i'm learning then re-barrel to quality.

 

[bozo699]

Good thinking John.

 

[1967spud]

51.5 g 4831 sc
140 g amax
fed 21om primer
13 thou off the lands