6.5-284 info needed

yotesmokerz

yotesmokerz

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Don't know anything about it except it's used for long range benchrest shooting and no one I know has one, so it catches my eye. I am wanting a deer gun, possibly elk too, but don't know what kind of hunting capabilities it has. I seen that one was used on long range persuit so I figure it woul be ok.

What are the pros and cons of it for a hunting caliber?
 
This is a caliber that has really interested me, and I am in the process of deciding which rifle to buy chambered in this caliber as well...

The 6.5x284 Norma is an excellent long range caliber for both hunting and target shooting. A lot of the appeal for this caliber is the fact that the 6.5mm bullets (.264) have a high BC which aides in accuracy for long range shots.

There are a few good offerings in the 6.5 realm, such as: 260 Rem, .264 Win, Lazzeroni 6.71 Phantom (screaming fast), and others. But the 6.5x284 Norma seems to be the most popular of them.

One issue that arises with the 6.5x284 is barrel life. It is expected to have a life of about 1000 rounds, which isnt too impressive. (by "life" I mean accurate life)

Now that I have that out of the way; your question about using this as a deer rifle is a good one. This caliber is perfectly capable of taking deer sized game, but I am unsure of the effectiveness of this caliber on elk. I'm not saying it wouldnt work, but when compared to other calibers used on elk (like a .300 Win Mag), the bullet just doesnt have the same weight behind it for energy transfer. So, if you were to use this on elk, I personally feel that shot placement would be key.

Again, I'm not saying that this is not suitable for elk as I have no experience with shooting an elk with a 6.5x284, but I feel that there are better options.

As far as pros and cons are concerned: pros would be it is a pretty flat shooting caliber with a nice velocity at distance. Cons would be the barrel life mentioned earlier, also ammo availability isnt too great here in UT. Brass is kinda hard to find as well, and is generally very expensive. I saw some Hornady brass at Sportsmans Warehouse the other day for about $55 a box, and Cabelas had some Lapua brass for $120? So its not terribly cheap to shoot. Nosler does make a factory load, and so does Norma (these are the only ones I know of).
 
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Where it excells... 600+ yards... for targets, does not negate the idea of using it to hunt deer. However, (A BIG HOWEVER) is that there are more suitable choices for hunting. A full sized .270 is pretty stretched for most cases of elk hunting (as a practical matter in my opinion) at 400-500 yards depending on the bullet and the skill of the hunter. Likewise, the 7mm Mag gains only a small margin (again in my opinion) over the .270. You need o look at the very BIG .300 mags (bigger than the .300 Winchester) with truly heavy bullets (above 190-200 grs) to consider shots out to 600 yards (custom barrels, custom bullets)for consistent long range success (assumes a superb shooter).

When you can shoot targets at 600 yards, consistently), and I hope you will get the chance to practice with a 6.5X.284 then go on a quest for that 600 yard elk rifle. You will deserve one then...
 
All pros no cons. You dont have to use Norma, Lapua or Hornady brass as you can use Winchester .284 brass. Not sure where that 1,000 round barrel life stat. came from and I dont think the 284 case is considered a magnum case. Dont over look the 6.5-06AI if you are considering a long action bolt gun.
 
the gun is more important than the caliber. i have 2 - 6.5-284s my brother had three. get a sendero in .264 or 7mm unless you are rebarreling with a krieger to get a 6.5-284. ours have killed deer. and very distant targets. no elk but it would do it.
 
Originally Posted By: DLJ6 Not sure where that 1,000 round barrel life stat. came from and I dont think the 284 case is considered a magnum case.

Here is one of the sources I am citing: http://www.6mmbr.com/SixFive284.html

Barrel life
Originally Posted By: 6mmBR.comBarrel life is a key issue for 6.5-284 shooters, because barrels can loose their accuracy edge in as little as 800 rounds, though 1000 rounds is more typical.

You are right DLJ6, the case is not considered a magnum case. I dont know what I was thinking there (been dabbling in so many different 6.5s lately I was thinking of the Lazzeroni when I said that)
 
LUKE- the CONTEXT of your quote has to do with benchrest competition at 1000 yards or f-class competition. the accuracy requirement for f-class would be .4 or .5 or less at 100; br would be less than that. NO FACTORY rifle can come close . their rifles with custom( bat, nesika, stolle) action, 2 oz trigger , barrels as big around as a tractor axle, and 19 pound rifles in light class the heavy class 50 to 100 pounds. . one of my 6.5-284s has 1280 rounds through it. it still shoots pretty good. had a barrel waiting for over a year now for it. I killed a coyote this year with my 6.5-284 sendero at 423 yards. YOTSMOKE- if you get a rem 700 and put a varmint weight krieger on it you will have a winner. if you want a repeater you should use a 700 la. the savage f-class is a bit heavy for hunting . i have not shot against a 6.5-284 savage, i have shot against some in 6br. if you are thinking of the 111 LR go to longrangehunting and ask . it won't compare to a sendero.
 
I have two 6.5-284 rifles. The first one was custom built for long range bench shooting. It has a heavy 28" Krieger 1:8 barrel built on a Rem 700 vls and weighs in around 19 with the scope it has a short action. My second one I acquired last fall is a Savage 111 LR hunter and is a long action. The 6.5-284 I have are very accurate shooting out to 400 so far for me. The Ammo is expensive, so best you reload, Lapua and Norma brass is what I use. I started out with Win 284 brass once it is fireformed it will work out. Some of my loads would not feed and it was found that the mouth had sprang back to the 284 size. I use 140g bullets with IMR 4831 and 4350 powders. Barrel life is not a issue for me as I don't shoot over 400yds so I load it under 2900fps.
Jim
 


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