Seeking input from 6.5x284 shooters........ vs 260AI

[VaniB]

I'm having problems settling on a 280AI or the 260AI for a long distance target shooter. It will be used much of the time for 100 yard target, and rarely for hunting. The 280AI has superior ballistics, but I suspect it is going to wear me thin after 20-30 rounds, even with a muzzle brake. The 260AI seems like a better choice for easier shooting, but I want to shoot the heavier 139-140 bullets with the higher BC ratings which will reqiuire 2,900 FPS to attain the superior windage and elevation ballistics I have in mind. However, at 2900FPS the 260AI firing 139-140 grain bullets is at it's threshold. If the accuracy sweet spot for the 260AI will end up below 2,900FPS, then there will be a sacrifice in ballistics which will negate the main reason for my choosing it in the first place. I'm also not crazy about having to fireform brass.

Soooo.....I started looking elsewhere for better alternatives, and found the 6.5x284 with a littttttle bit more boiler room then the 260AI to get me over the 2,900FPS hump....and it's not as hog wild as the 280AI. Handloading for the 6.5x284 will likely arrive comfortably at the accuracy sweet spot anywhere between 2,900-3,000 FPS . I can be anywhere in that range the bullet wants to be, unlike having to push the 260AI to its maximum cusp of 2,900FPS. And, VOILA!......Lapua makes the 6.5x284 ready to fire.....no case forming!


QUESTIONS;
I have already purchased a Remington 700 long action for this project. Will the 6.5x284 feed reliably as a repeater. (though I usually hand feed my rounds anyway, I want a repeater to work) I've heard the rebated rim can cause extraction problems. (??)

Is there any reason why I can't expect the 6.5x284 to deliver accuracy at least as good at 100 yards as the 260AI? (say about .5" MOA)













(PS Guys, sorry for the bold print. I don't mean to have bad manners, but I know my post is long and I have to use the bold print to jolt some folks along the way in case they start to doze off ;D )

 

[GSRswapandslow]

if it's going to "rarely" be used for hunting.....and more for 100yd bench shooting...why not just pick a better caliber?!?!?!?!??

 

[Glenn Powell]

6.5x284 is an excellent deer round, my primary Texas gun is a 6.5x284 and dose the job extremely well,130 acubonds. But its a barrel burner, so to speak. Feed wise, the odds of it feeding without lots of work is pretty slim through a factory magazine. Single feed magazines will be "the" way to go. Mine is a cooper with a single feed mag and its slicker then greased owl $h/t. I haven't had any extraction issues, even with really hot loads, brass flow in ejector slot and all, but mine is not a Remington. Good luck, and good huntin.

 

[VaniB]

Glenn,

Dang, your right, I just went into the gunbroker websight to confirm that there is not a single model 700 in the 284 being offered, and so it was probably never produced . I can't win!! Every cartridge I pick has something that won't work for me!! Too strong, too weak, bad brass availability, etc.

I'm getting real frustrated now. I think I'll buy an airsoft and call it a day.... Shheessh.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

you can get an f-class savage chambered in 6.5-284......

but you can also get it in 6br...which would be much much much much much better for your use....

 

[Glenn Powell]

Long action standard bolt face still has lots of potential! 6.5x06, if your stuck on 6.5. Stick with the 30/06 case and feeding will not be an issue. I am a big caliber guy, I live in Alaska! If it were me I would go 338/06, or 35 wheelen improved. But a 25/06 would be a great deer gun, 270, 280, improve any of them and you will raise some eyebrows at the range. I love stumping some of the yolkals with "no its not a .338, its a .358 Norma ". ;D

 

[VaniB]

you can get an f-class savage chambered in 6.5-284......

but you can also get it in 6br...which would be much much much much much better for your use....

I'm a die-hard Rem 700 fan and have already purchsed a nice 90's satin finish stainless 700 L.A. BDL rifle for this project. (after already buying a $600 700 SS 7Mag and changing my mind) So, ther'll be no more buying rifles, SA or LA, at least for a while anyway. LOL

The other reason for my NOT desiring a 6BR or PPC (besides that I have the LA already) is because I already own a 20Tac and a 22x47L varmint rifle. Both are consistantly sub 1/2" MOA shooters; 5/16" 5 shot groups are not rare with my 20Tac, and 3/8" groups commonly with the 22x47L. I don't engage in formal competition, and so to build a 6BR rifle that does much of the same thing, ( but just a little better) is not something I care to do some more.
The fact that I don't compete takes the pressure off of feeling like I have to choose 6BR or PPC cartridge that might shave 3/32" off of my groups and help me to win a match.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

so why not just use one of those to shoot at 100yds? seems weird to want such a hard hitting round, that cost a lot to load and burns barrels, just to shoot at 100yds when you already have 2 better rifles to do the job......

 

[Glenn Powell]

Its my understanding that AI's are easy to form, load up some simple stuff and fire them, presto, formed brass. I had to neck up some .338 for my .358 and fireform, did some load developement while I was at it. would you guess I was getting sub inchers while fireforming? Don't let the AI's scare ya off, nosler has .280AI brass, I believe it's made by Norma, not "the" best but pretty good none the less. And who needs a reason to build another gun anyway.

 

[Jim See]

I have owned one 260AI for about 7 years and my second one about 6 months. Both have an accuracy node at 2925 ave velocity with 26" barrels. The older one has lived on a diet of 140 a-maxes and the new one is eating 140 berger hybreds and spitting them into little ragged holes. The newer gun fireformed 300 peices of weight sorted remington brass using the a-maxes running at 2840 fps and they also shot sub 1/2 moa, so it really didn't feel like work burning them up.

Just for kicks I ran the newer rifle up to 3000 fps, after fireforming, groups opened a bit but primer pockets held, I actually had very good accuracy at 2955 but crept it down a wee bit for the hot weather shooting I sometimes do.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You didn't say how long of a barrel. I ran my 260 ai with 30'' barrel to 3050 fps with out pressure signs. But it shot best at 2860 fps. My experiance with it makes me think if I did it again I would go straight 260. Niether of mine shot good at the higher velocity, so the extra hastle of fire forming seemed to be a waste.

 

[XTR]

Doing the AI thing on any 308Win based case doesn't buy you much, and in my opinion what it does get you isn't worth the trouble to form cases. It's what maybe 3% in case volume? I get that just by running WW instead of Lapua. ;D

If I understand your planning to shoot 100 to 200 yards and punch paper, not in formal comps and not for hunting, then if you are dead set on a 6.5 I'd get a straight 260Rem. Easier on everything all the way around. Though you don't need the long action, at those ranges yo can run lighter flat based bullets, the long high BC boat tails don't start to pay dividends till you get out past about 400 yards. If you were trying to maximize capacity and shoot long bullets then the LA would be useful.

 

[Raptor]

I shot the barrels out of a couple of 6.5x284s using them in tactical matches. I loved them!!! Down side is short barrel life. No extraction or feeding problems with my rifles.

Best bet in my honest opinion is to go with a 6.5x55 if you want a 6.5 or the 284 if your looking at the 7MMs. I have both now and they both are hammers at long range. I shoot the 162 AMAXs in my 284 and the 139s in my 6.5x55. Good barrel life and great accuracy with both. Both will make great hunting rounds also.

 

[markr]

VaniB,
Sounds like you are still trying to swat flies with a baseball bat. If you insist on something throwing that much powder and lead for "mostly 100 yds." with little long range, I would consider the 260 AI at the very outer fringe of what you really need. A 6.5/284 will just cost you more powder and barrel life. With the 260, if your best load is a few FPS less than your math calculations for optimum balistics, the difference will be so slight that you...probably will not be able to tell the difference (realistically).
It seems to me that one is far better off to learn the rifle that they have (accuracy and balistics) than to try to get everything that one thinks that they need mathmatically. With your sensitivity to recoil, it would make a lot of sense to go smaller rather than larger. You will shoot a rifle that you are comfortable shooting much better than one that beats you to death or hurts your ears. Actually, a 6BR sounds like it would fit your needs much better than what you are looking at now! JMHO

 

[wapiti25]

Have you looked at the 6.5X47 Lapua or the 6mm comp. match, 6mm SLR those would be my choices for what I call "heavy plinkers". I would go with the 260 over the 280 AI. I would go with the 7mm-08 over the 280 AI for 100yd shooting. They all will fit in a long action. The 6.5-06 is a great choice, I have two and the ballistics is the same as the 6.5-284. The 06 case seems to feed better than the shorter rounds in my opinion.

 

[6pt-sika]

If it were me building the gun on a 700 LA I'd go with the 6.5-06 . I had one a couple years back built on a 98 Mauser with a Shilen #3 carbon steel barrel that was sub 1/2 MOA . The GD thing shot so well with the Honrady 129 SST at 100 yards that I lost intrest in it after killing 4 deer that year with 4 shots . Of course part of that was the fact that I'm not really what one would call a "Mauser Person" and in reality more of a 700 person .

So with that being said I have a Shilen #3 carbon steel 6.5mm barrel leaning in the corner waiting on the correct 700 LA . Also have my own personal Clymer reamer just in case

 

[joejo]

not trying to hijack or change the subjects here, but, why do 6.5 shooters get obsessed with shoothing the 140 class bullets. you can easily get 3100 fps with a 123 lapua or 3050+ with the 130 bergers. at those speeds they are equal to or damn near equal to the 139/140 class flying at 28-2900 and better in some cases.
just a thought

 

[Glenn Powell]

Size matters 8)