6.5 long action hunting rifle opinions

[MudRunner2005]

Your right Eric...he makes a good point...to my knowledge no one has a 6.5x284 Ackley Improved or has mentioned needing one...

The reason for this, is because the 6.5x284 Norma was designed very similarly to the AI cartridges. It already has 0.0247" wall taper and a 35º shoulder angle. It would be kind of wasteful and pointless to fire-form cases to gain an extra .0123" wall taper and 5º more shoulder angle.

And, when you compare the 6.5x284 Norma to the original 6.5x284 Winchester wildcat, the Norma version is sort of an "AI" version.

 

[CaptnC]

Thanks Mud!
I had wondered why I was seeing two different 6.5x284 when I was reseaching the caliber. I had noticed there was mention of Winchester and Norma but nevery dug into it deep enough to see theresults was a difference.

So there you go...even the original 6.5x284 had to be improved!

 

[Canhunter35]

Thanks Mud!
I had wondered why I was seeing two different 6.5x284 when I was reseaching the caliber. I had noticed there was mention of Winchester and Norma but nevery dug into it deep enough to see theresults was a difference.

So there you go...even the original 6.5x284 had to be improved!

I believe most wildcatters probably extended the throat when they necked the 284 down. When Winchester made their necked down version, 6.5-284, they went with the same throat specs as the 284, resulting in a cartridge that chokes the long 140 bullets. Norma standardized the 6.5x284 with a long throat.

 

[RevJim]

That's why my 6.5/284 built on that Mod 700 SA shot the 120/125s so well, It had a shorter throat. This was quite awhile before the round was SAAMI, and I just necked down 284 Winchester brass.

 

[Riflehunter1776]

I finally got a chance to load up some ammo for the new 6.5-284. 140 gr Hornady match bullets with 4350/n160/H1000 and Hybrid 100v powder. All starting loads. This is also the first I messed around with a chamber-style bullet seater, so I'm interested to see how those results fare.

This 6.5 had a little extra attention put into it and should deliver even better results than the 270 Win that he built at the same time. That one already went out to the range. With book starting loads and everything being affected by the 50 round break-in shoot & clean process, almost everything went into .75 groups. The best was 4350 at .616.

These are both sporter-weight hunting rifles.

 

[jcp1967]

My wife shoots a 26 nosler with 140 bergers at 3345fps...its a hammer and not a wildcat. Barrel life may suffer but they make em everyday

 

[Danehunter]

I recommend a 3 lug action with a Remington 700 bottom actioncompatibility in many of the after market stocks. There are currently only a few 3 lug Rem. action comparable actions available in long action but it's worth a look.

I have a .300 Win mag stainless Remington 700/ HS Precision target rifle and do NOT like the action compared to say my .300 Win mag Browning A-Bolt, 6.5 CM Ruger RPR or 6.5 CM American Predator.

The 700 action was good in its day but time has passed it by.

Eric B.

 

[Bruce Remington 222]

I am about to build a medium weight 6.5 hunting rifle on a remington action with a krieger barrel. I had in mind a 6.5-06 AI, but when I sat down with the gunsmith, he convinced me to go with a 6.5x284. This guy is very well known and has a great reputation, so I let him talk me into it even though I will be giving up about 200 fps of velocity.

I'm just curious about other shooter's opinions if I made the right choice or not, or if there is something even better that we overlooked. The selling point for me was that he claimed accuracy in the 6.5x284 will be perceptibly better, and the velocity difference will not be a huge factor at the 600 yards which is the limit of my field of view from my hunting spot.

Don't forget the 260 with that barrel you could push a 100 grain sierra hp at 3200 with minimum recoil deadly on the receiving end !!

 

[Danehunter]

As a few have mentioned the 6.5 PRC is faster than the 6.5/284, about as fast as the 25/06.

Eric B.

 

[Greyfox]

As a few have mentioned the 6.5 PRC is faster than the 6.5/284, about as fast as the 25/06.Quote]


Not so....It's a really push between the 6.5 PRC and 6.5x284. The 6.5x284 actually has slightly more capacity by 1-2 grains H20.... many believe the PRC is faster because of the "light", short chamber loads listed in the Reloading manuals for the 6.5x284. Top performance in either cartridge is achieved with a long action.

 

[WildRose]

They are so close in performance they are virtual ballistic twins.

The PRC really adds nothing of value to the market or shooters but it has proven to be a huge winner from a marketing and promotions standpoint.

 

[dougduey]

Jeff Brozovich actually has a 6.5 PRC. He just took at Montana antelope at 826 yards. Verified drops out to 1100 yards. I asked him how he liked the cartridge. He said it's been the fastest cartridge to dial in that he has ever owned. That with with 147 ELDM factory ammo. He hasn't started hand loading for it yet.
While it might not really be any different than the 6.5-284 Norma, it appears to be very efficient and sounds like it will be easy to handload.
I see Hornady is bringing out the 300 PRC based off a necked down 375 Ruger.
Hornady and Nosler have created the new cartridges for the help of it. Just making a better "mouse trap".

 

[dougduey]

Darn autospell.
Nosler/Hornady have NOT created the new cartridges for the heck of it.......

 

[IHFarmer07]

Jeff Brozovich actually has a 6.5 PRC. He just took at Montana antelope at 826 yards. Verified drops out to 1100 yards. I asked him how he liked the cartridge. He said it's been the fastest cartridge to dial in that he has ever owned. That with with 147 ELDM factory ammo. He hasn't started hand loading for it yet.
While it might not really be any different than the 6.5-284 Norma, it appears to be very efficient and sounds like it will be easy to handload.
I see Hornady is bringing out the 300 PRC based off a necked down 375 Ruger.
Hornady and Nosler have created the new cartridges for the help of it. Just making a better "mouse trap".

Is he using a long action rifle or short? Factory built?