6-284 long range antelope load

[Fiftydriver]

Brian B,

My rifle is fitted with a 30", 1-8" Lilja barrel.

The load I was using was 57.0 gr Rl-22 in Prepped Win cases.

I have a very tight neck in my chamber, .266". I alos have a long throat in my chamber to allow the 107 gr Mk to be seated very long for the 6mm-284.

On top of that I coat my bullets which I have tested to increase top velocities but an average of 50-70 fps.

On top of that my barrel has a 3 groove rifling design which I have also found to allow 50 fps or so more velocity from a perticualr load over a conventional 6 groove design.

That load was averaging 3599 fps for a 15 shot string with an E.S. of 12 fps and it was shooting 3/4" three shot groups at 500 yards!!

This is a very hot load and brass was letting loose after 4 firings so I downed the load to 55.0 gr Rl-22 which produced an acverage velocity of 3510 fps with very similiar e.s. and group size.

May be a fast barrel but thats what its doing. The 6mm-06 I just built for a customer is getting the 105 gr A-Max bullets to 3600 fps from a 28.5" barrel. Shooting in the 3's as well at 100 yards.

That rifle has a 1-9 twist though.

My Lilja 1-8 will top out at 3200-3250 with the Berger and Hornady 105 gr pills. This is also the reason I had to go with the 107 gr Mk.

Good Shooting!!!

50

 

[Iron Worker]

Ok I thought seating the bullet out to rifling lands increases presure thus more velocity,That is what is presented in the drawings in the begining of a Hornady reloading manual when seating the billet is talk about..... .I was excited about 3,650 with the H4350 and Hornady 87 V-MAX.Hey just yesterday I drilled some sguirrles,Man that load blew them up big time,I mean were talking body parts 30 feet away from impact.That is when they were oh 75 to 100yds away.

 

[dakor]

Iron Worker the pressure will go up when you seat the bullet into the lands but not the FPS. The reason is you cannot get the same amount of powder in the case as you would be able to with it off the lands a little bit. That is why Weatherbys are Free Bored. Try it for yourself take your load back the bullet off 30 thousands and see how much more powder you can get in the case to achive the same pressure and see if the FPS goes up.

 

[Iron Worker]

Dakor I'll try it,hey what is your scope? I'm useing a B&L 6x24 4200 elite.At 500YDS squriles look like dots. What about a 30MM tube say a 8x32 power,what about that combo?

 

[Fiftydriver]

Iron Worker,

I use a Burris Black Diamond 6-24 on my 6mm-284 set and calibrated for 19x with my drop chart. This is where I set up all of my 1000 yard rifles and have no problem at all sniping chucks out to 1100 yards. What power are you shooting off from with your B&L?

THe 8-32 is a great power range on paper but in the field it can raise some real problems.

If it is cool and dry then you can use almost all of the power the 32x has to offer. If there is much humidity at all or it warms up, the mirage will kill you on the higher powers at long range and you will be forced to turn the power down anyway.

This is why I set up my 1000 yard rifles up at 19x. This power will set 2 moa between each mil dot making it easier to figure precise holds and it is also about the most power that one can use all the time so that there will not need to be any power adjustment which in my mind just makes the accuracy level of the set up increase if your not spinning that power ring alot.

In my mind, a 6-24 is a great combination and I also like the 30mm tube, more for elevation adjustment then anything.

As far as picture quality, in varmint hunting light, the top end 1" tubes are every bit as clear as the larger 30mm tube. Only in low light is there any advantage at all and then only with the very best 30mm scopes.

There just isn't that much difference in picture quality, its more a matter of vertical adjustment increases.

GOod Shhoting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[dakor]

My scope on my 6-284 is a Simmons 6.5x20 44 Mag and I love it!

I know what you are thinking a Simmons? But I like it I could use a Leupold 6.5 x 20 but why fix it if it's not broke. I typicaly dont use any scopes over 20x because the the mirage gets pretty bad after that.

[ 08-24-2004: Message edited by: dakor ]

 

[Fiftydriver]

Dakor,

I have a mil-dot 6.5-20 Simmons 44Mag on my 6.5-06 AI and I have been very happy with it.

The field of view os less then some top end scopes but it is clear and very accurate as it will steer my 6.5 well under 1/2 moa out to 500 yards.

I'm sure it will do farther then that but I have not had a chance to put it on paper at my 800 and 1000 yard targets yet.

I agree with your comments, for the money, the Simmons 6.5-20 is alot of scope. Certainly not designed for heavy kickers but great for the rounds we are discussing here.

Good Shooting!!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[xring01]

I regret to say that I did not have the time to read this entire thread.

My 6/284 loves 49grs of R22 and a B105VLD. My best 4rd group is .087" @ 100yds. The load consistly shoots in the .teens if I do my part. Velocity is about 3200fps depending on the OAL to the lands.

Anyway, is not the fastest load, but it is very veery accurate.

 

[Iron Worker]

Hey Kirby Allen I have this months Varmint hunter magazin in my hand.I tip my Hat to you! Congrats on 902 yards hit on a rock chuck.Wow!!! Hey whats the difference between a Rockchuck and a Priare Dog. Do they live side by side?What kind of hold over did you apply? What kind of scope?

 

[Fiftydriver]

Iron worker,

Thanks, I had four qualifing shots for the 500 yard club, three with my 6mm-284 at 714, 715 and 774 yards but I felt the 902 with the 50 was the best for the 500 yard club.

Rockchucks live in smaller colonies of around 10 to 30 chucks compared to a P. Dog town that is often in the thousands of members.

They are also much larger. We shoot only the mature chucks and they will weigh in the 10 to 15 lb range comapred to 2 to 3 pounds for a P.Dog.

Generally the chucks colonies in this area are in rock formations generally no larger then 30-40 yards in size.

I do not have my drop chart with me right now as it is in the truck but I know that for a 900 yard shot, I hold on the top of the first mil-dot up from the main cross hair.

I am proud to say this was a in shot kill as well, I also admit there is a fair amount of luck involved as well but I will take that as well.

No doubt when the 50 finds its mark, also no problem spotting bullet impacts. The load I used was 225.0 gr H-50BMG under a coated 750 gr A-Max in BR prepped PMC cases and lit with a CCI-35 primer. This load produces 2720 fps from the LAR's 36" barrel.

I also have a 1000 yard qualifying shot on a chuck with another one shot kill with my 6mm-284 using the 107 gr Matchking but I did not build that rifle and will be going for the 1000, 1500 and 2000 yard club with the 338 Kahn I just finished building.

Kind of silly but I would prefer I do this with one of my own rifles, I suppose its good advertising at least!!

The scope on the 50 was a Burris 6-24x50mm Black Diamond with the Ballistic Mil-Dot reticle riding in Leupold MkIV rings.

Thanks for noticing!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Iron Worker]

Kirby Hey a while back I ask you about pressure signs.I mentioned that the last degree of rotation is where my bolt sticks.You said thats not a pressure sign,rather it might be a rough spot on the bolt where it "cams" Well I can't find a "rough spot" Compared it to my 300RUM[right at where the bolt connects to the body of the bolt][is that what you mean] and there was no difference.But the thing still sticks there.I back off seating depth by .030 today and all I notice was a 50 FPS drop in velocity.I don't think I know what I'm looking at our even in the right place.But if I'm not harming my rifle,than dose it matter?

 

[brian b]

xring01
I am guessing your b105 vld at 3200fps is a
Berger 105 vld,good choice in stopping at
49gr.RL22 mine blow's them at 50gr.RL22 at
3300fps. if this happen's to you switch to
sierra 107 mk's and live happy ever after
B.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Iron worker,

The burr can be in two places that you will ba able to see easily.

The first is on the bolt extraction cam surface which is the angled section of the bolt handle where it attaches to the bolt body. You generally do not see it here all that much.

The other place is on teh reciever where this surface on teh bolt contacts teh reciever.

Other then that, it could be a burr on the bolt lug locking recesses.

It could also be that your cases are getting hard. How old is your brass. If it has been fired alot, it may need to be annealed. If the brass is loosing its elasticity then it will expand and stick in the chamber enough to cause harder extractions.

Check all of these out.

What velocities are you getting again?

Sometimes cases with alot of baring surface or cases with minimal taper can be a little sticky to extract. Also chambers that are not polished properly can cause the same problem.

Good SHooting!!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Iron Worker]

Hey Kirby I'm getting 3,650 with the bullet touching the lands.Seating it .030 deeper gives me 3,600.It seems to shoot better with them touching the lands.Yes I'll check out what your saying.Thanks for your attention.