6.5x284 LOAD HELP

NW Hunter said:
I've had this Savage weather warrior 6 months now and have tried the recommended Retumbo load of 57.5 grains at .075" off lands, Berger 140 grain HVLD's, Lapua brass with inconsistent results.

I just had a Mini Magnum Muscle brake installed and thought I would start over with load development. I set up loads CBTO at .075" off, .100" off, .125" off and .150" off.

I also did a primer test using CCI BR2 and Fed 215s.

All loads shot with a load of 56.0 grains of Retumbo.

No chronograph readings yet.

Any thoughts on how you would proceed?

Randy
Click to expand...
NW Hunter,
The 2.441 at .150 off the lands looks real good ! You could try to "tweak" it by going .002-.005 to either side and see what you get. Our seating depth instructions for seating depth testing for a hunting rifle is .010 off, .050 off, .090 off and .130 off the lands. We found that one of these usually got us close to or on a seating depth accuracy node in our testing. BUT your .150 off shows much promise and should not be discarded unless it affects the velocity you need for the range(s) you will be hunting at or fitting in the magazine ( if "single shot" works for you then its not an issue).
 
barefooter56,
This .150 off lands load was loaded with 56.0 grains of Retumbo.
I have worked up loads at .075 off with 58.2 grains Retumbo for 3000 fps.
Would you work up the powder charge first at .150 off or the seating adjustment first to look for accuracy?

C.O. Shooter,
Thanks for the link. What kind of accuracy are you getting with your load? Is your rifle factory?

mmman20,
I could not find Mag Pro on Hodgdon's Burn rate Chart. What powder is it close to?
With 20 years of 6.5x284 experience, I would like to hear anything you can say that could help me with this Savage.

Hotolds442,
Make sure you share the trophy pics!
 
NW Hunter,
Mag pro is not Hodgdon, it is Accurate, sorry about that. Accurate lists Mag Pro in the 6.5 x 284 with only two bullets, both Sierra match.
123gr - max load - 61.5 gr @ 3275fps
142gr - max load - 58.1gr @ 3002 fps
My last 6.5 x 284 is built on a Nesika Bay action, 26" Krieger barrel and I shoot 130gr Nosler Accubonds and 130 gr Swift Scirocco II's in it. My load with either bullet is 60.0gr of Mag Pro with a BR2 primer in Norma cases for 3160fps. Accuracy is excellent, .250 to .500 moa with either bullet though I think I do prefer the Swift over the Nosler in performance.
I live in Texas on a ranch/farm and my house sets on a hill overlooking a large creek bottom. Distance to the creek and timber is 450yds to 800yds depending upon where you are looking. My rifle stays ready and I shoot feral hogs off my back deck. This load gives complete penetration and instant death anywhere within my field of view. Over the years I have killed many, many deer both whitetail and mulies, wild sheep, hogs & various varmints with the 6.5 x 284, it is as good a cartridge for long range hunting as I have ever seen considering; recoil, power, ballistic co and sectional den all lumped together. It outflies and out penetrates just about anything out there and is deadly with the bonded bullets at all ranges.
Any way i can help just let me know, I hate to give out load data as all rifles are different but I do think the load I gave you here is safe as I have used it in several rifles with great results in all of them.
mmman20
 
mmman20,
Thanks for the info. Man, I like your style. It sounds like a little slice of heaven off your deck. Did you survive the floods? I will take you up on future questions.

C.O. Shooter,
You also have a nice shooter. I have to ask...what's the story with the giant mouse?!

Hotolds442,
Thanks for the info and the hospitality.
 
NW Hunter said:
barefooter56,
This .150 off lands load was loaded with 56.0 grains of Retumbo.
I have worked up loads at .075 off with 58.2 grains Retumbo for 3000 fps.
Would you work up the powder charge first at .150 off or the seating adjustment first to look for accuracy?

C.O. Shooter,
Thanks for the link. What kind of accuracy are you getting with your load? Is your rifle factory?

mmman20,
I could not find Mag Pro on Hodgdon's Burn rate Chart. What powder is it close to?
With 20 years of 6.5x284 experience, I would like to hear anything you can say that could help me with this Savage.

Hotolds442,
Make sure you share the trophy pics!
Click to expand...
NW Hunter,
Do the seating depth then the load.
 
So I got back out today and tweaked my .150" off the lands load.
I tried .147" off and .153" off with both a 291 and a 290 bushing
in my Redding Type S full length sizing die.

I think that the 290 bushing is not working for the load.

I am going to try the 292 bushing again. I stopped using
it when I neck turned my brass down to .014" neck wall thickness.
I tried seating a bullet after using the 292 today. It did not change
seating depth when I tried to push the bullet back into the case
against my bench vise. I should be good to go with the 292.

I will reload at .156" off with the 291 bushing.
I will also reload at .153" off and .156" off with the 292 bushing.
Also will try .075" off with the 292 bushing.

Any thoughts?
 

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I am certainly not the KNOW ALL on 6.5-284s, but have owned 3 custom jobs and found them very easy to get top accuracy with the Berger 140 VLDs. I found the Retumbo to be faster, but the accuracy winner was H-4831. Used reg. cut for ideal case fill, .010 off lands w/.015 neck tension. 2 rifles, 1 stiller & 1 blue printed 700, both shot 1/4 moa @ 400 yds with same load of 51.9 grs H-4831 over Fed 210 M primers from 26" kreiger #4 barrels. Other barrel was 26" Brux on a Stiller action would scare 1/8 moa with exact same load & .010 jump. All 3 rifles ran right at 2950 fps and SD under 10 in .296" necks with necks turned to .014 on Lapua brass. If there is no problem with rifle, I vote for trying the H-4831.
 
NW Hunter said:
So I got back out today and tweaked my .150" off the lands load.
I tried .147" off and .153" off with both a 291 and a 290 bushing
in my Redding Type S full length sizing die.

I think that the 290 bushing is not working for the load.

I am going to try the 292 bushing again. I stopped using
it when I neck turned my brass down to .014" neck wall thickness.
I tried seating a bullet after using the 292 today. It did not change
seating depth when I tried to push the bullet back into the case
against my bench vise. I should be good to go with the 292.

I will reload at .156" off with the 291 bushing.
I will also reload at .153" off and .156" off with the 292 bushing.
Also will try .075" off with the 292 bushing.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
NW Hunter,
Why the .075 off ?
 
I know I was odd man out on choosing the .075" off the lands, but I still think, when looking at your initail targets the symetry of the 215 primer group, and the close pair with the BR2 group looked promising. I'm likely predudiced by my three 6.5 rifles all showing a .075" seating depth sweet spot for the Berger 140VLD's, but also realize that every rifle can be different. I would try to get a more representative sampling of how your groups are behaving for a given load, especially given the lighter barrel weight of your rifle. I think doc7mm's suggestion of trying H4831, with a starting load of 51gr. is a good one. It is a very accurate peroformer in my 6.5x284's and 260 as well. The only difference is that I use H4831sc, the difference being the length of the kernals Velocities tend to be 50-100FPS lower than what is possible with Retumbo and LR primers are generally used for best performance.
 
Greyfox said:
I know I was odd man out on choosing the .075" off the lands, but I still think, when looking at your initail targets the symetry of the 215 primer group, and the close pair with the BR2 group looked promising. I'm likely predudiced by my three 6.5 rifles all showing a .075" seating depth sweet spot for the Berger 140VLD's, but also realize that every rifle can be different. I would try to get a more representative sampling of how your groups are behaving for a given load, especially given the lighter barrel weight of your rifle. I think doc7mm's suggestion of trying H4831, with a starting load of 51gr. is a good one. It is a very accurate peroformer in my 6.5x284's and 260 as well. The only difference is that I use H4831sc, the difference being the length of the kernals Velocities tend to be 50-100FPS lower than what is possible with Retumbo and LR primers are generally used for best performance.
Click to expand...
Greyfox,
Sounds trite but "nothing ventured,nothing gained"! Right?
 
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