6.5 x 284

[Vince]

Looking for a starting point in selecting a bullet for this rifle, providing the rifle can be made to shoot it, and I'm thinking the 130 grain AccuBond as an all around deer, antelope, and occasional elk with this bullet.
As for distance on game I'm thinking out to 600 Yards.

What say you all?

Vince

 

[muleman]

Vince,
Short or long action?

 

[Vince]

All I know is it's a savage rifle at this point.
I ordered it but it won't be here for two months, or so. Given that it's offered in long action calibers, as well as a couple of short ones I'm thinking they probably just use the long action on all of their builds but I won't know for sure until I lay my hands on it.

 

[muleman]

Well, depending on action size..... the 6.5x284(short action) does well with 130grAB and the 120BT. If you end up with 6.5x284Norma(long action) I'd consider the 129grABLR or the 140 grAB. The short action version loses a lot of case capacity/speed with the longer bullets. The longer bullets hold their velocity well and have great SDs.

Scott

 

[DrMike]

Well, depending on action size..... the 6.5x284(short action) does well with 130grAB and the 120BT. If you end up with 6.5x284Norma(long action) I'd consider the 129grABLR or the 140 grAB. The short action version loses a lot of case capacity/speed with the longer bullets. The longer bullets hold their velocity well and have great SDs.

Scott

Good points, all. None of the bullets named will disappoint, however.

 

[Vince]

Being that it's sold as a 6.5 x 284 Norma I guess it's a long action.
I'll start with H4831 since I picked up another four pounds of it yesterday.

Vince

 

[wayno945]

They have a couple bags of 6.5x284 brass over at SPS right now. I'd jump on them buddy!

 

[Vince]

Do it right after work.
Thank you.

 

[sask boy]

Vince the 6.5X284 really gets my attention. But at this time I am really going to down size my rifle collection and hopefully things change a bit. Having a fixed incomes during a real boom is tough. This year our house tax is going up almost 8% and utilities are up the average of 6%.
I will just have to be patient see what comes in the future.
Hey I am still blessed . I live in one of the best hunting areas in the world and the fishing is next none :mrgreen: .

Blessings,
Dan

 

[257 Ackley]

What is the twist rate of the barrel and what will you use it for? The 130 AB should be a great bullet for most hunting applications if it has a standard twist rate barrel. If it has a 8 or 9 twist barrel you may find the 140's to be better if you want to use higher BC bullets for the 500+ yard shooting. My 6.5WSM really likes the 130 Sirocco and the 140 Berger VLD hunting bullet. 8 twist on that barrel.

 

[JD338]

Vince,

In addition to the 130 gr AB, the 129 gr ABLR and the 125 gr PT are excellent choices.
The 140 gr AB, BT and PT offerings will be great for the long range shooting.

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Since you mentioned 600 yards, I would look at the offerings your interested in, run the numbers in a ballistic calculator and see which of them holds energy and speed need to expand and penetrate an elk, deer or antelope. I would bet, just off the top of the my head, the 129ABLR would be real good for numbers backed up by the 140's. Can't wait to see how it works. Should be a fun shooting rifle.

 

[Vince]

Thanks Scott.
I will be running the numbers after I get a load worked up. I'm mostly looking at using this for deer and antelope but that's not to say I may not be induced in to using it on elk someday. I just need to find an elk I can legally shoot first.
I've got the .338 Win Mag that needs to be blooded yet. I'll probably blood the 30-06 in Newfoundland on a moose since it's stainless steel and Newfoundland often has inclement weather and from what I've been told 200 Yards is a long shot. The .338 has a 26" barrel and a muzzle brake while the 30-06 has a 22" barrel. That shorter barrel is handier for moving about in the brush and timber, which Newfoundland has a lot of from what I'm told.
I've gone from wanting a 3 Gun battery to a five or six gun battery. :grin: I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on this 6.5 x 284 and working up loads for it. I played with a ballistic calculator last week for the 6.5 and was liking the numbers I was seeing with the 130 grain AccuBond.

Vince

 

[sask boy]

Vince, I have nothing but great things to say about the 130gr AB. I have shot 3 or 4 Elk and at least 3 large cow Moose with them in my 270win and never lost one.
The 6.5X284 will do everything a 270 win can do and likely a little more. With good glass on top of it you will be filling your freezer :wink:!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Blkram]

Hi Vince,

I have a Savage in 6.5 x 284, but my model only came with a 22" barrel. I have not had as much time to play with yet as | would like, and have not tried anything but the Nosler factory ammo in it with the 130 AB and so far the accuracy is MOA. But with the shorter barrel I am not going to get the velocity that I would like.
In my research, the favourite powders for this cartridge are H4350 and H4831SC. But I have talked to a few people who also have this cartridge that also like Re22.
For deer and antelope, the 130 AB or 129 ABLR will fill the bill, but elk are a whole different ball game. I would definitely opt for the 140 AB or LR version.
But with my experience on elk (20 + bulls and a couple of cows) your 338 Win Mag would be the better choice. Especially if the bulls are in the rut and worked up.
As for 600 yards, targets are great, but I just cannot bring myself to shoot at an unwounded animal that far away. I know that there are many shooters out there with the skills and practice time to be able to do this, but even with my level of experience, I am not comfortable with shots of over 400 yards(my practice range limitation).
It is a fun caliber to shoot, have fun!

 

[Vince]

Blkram,

The .338 is what I envision when I think of an elk rifle so that will likely be my choice.
600 Yards is a long poke and a might further than I will often shoot but I do practice out that far. On game the conditions have to be right, and by right I mean totally right, to take such a poke.
I'm lucky in that I have a public range where I can get out that far. If I paid for membership, too cheap to at this point because I can't find anyone to shoot on the 1,000 Yard range with during the week, my days off, so I'd never get to use that range as there has to be two people on the range when one is shooting.

 

[Blkram]

Nice to know that there are people out there shooting at those distances that have good places to practice the art of long range shooting. Also commend you on your sense of hunting ethics. Wish more of the people on the hunting shows doing it would show the same level of restraint.
Letting kids and relatively new hunters shoot animals at long range right out of the box is not teaching them hunting or ethics, but just promoting their brand of rifles/rangefinders/etc. for the sake of a tv show. And 6.5's on long range elk? Just asking for disaster...a small margin of error by the shooter will equal a wounded elk that will travel miles, and most of those guys on tv just do not seem to be the type that will do everything reasonable to track down their wounded animal. Talked to a guide who took out the BOTW boys in Alaska for caribou a few years back. 12 wounded and unrecovered animals before getting a kill for the tv show. Saw the episode...did not see anything but the clean kill on it. Turned me off!
Anyways, Love the 6.5's and the 338's! You have a couple of great calibers! Have fun!