New .284 Build
- Thread starter Jud96
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djfriesen
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2016
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Had to check, but there are in fact 143 and 155 gr hammer hunters in 7mm.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
I'm getting 3000 with a 162 and very good accuracy so you'll do well with 143/155s.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Do you have a long action or short ? If it's a short action, yes, you'll use too much case. A long action will definitely handle it with proper freebore. My LA 284 can run the 184s pretty easily and with RL 17, I can most get to 3000 fps. It's a 29" barrel so a little short for much more velocity than 2950 with 180s. My SA 284 can push the 160 class bullets at 3000 with the RL17 easily.
Thanks for the clarification Beeman. I know little about hammer bullets.
Have used many bullets in my sporter 284 since 1985. Killed elk with 140, 150, and 160 nosler partitions. Used the original X bullet in 100 gr @ 3600 fps (no longer in production) for a while. Tried 120, 140, and 150 ballistic tips too. Currently using the aforementioned 168 Berger VLD.
I am watching this thread because I eventually will build another 284 on a heavier platform for LR shooting fun.
Enjoy your new build Jud.
Have used many bullets in my sporter 284 since 1985. Killed elk with 140, 150, and 160 nosler partitions. Used the original X bullet in 100 gr @ 3600 fps (no longer in production) for a while. Tried 120, 140, and 150 ballistic tips too. Currently using the aforementioned 168 Berger VLD.
I am watching this thread because I eventually will build another 284 on a heavier platform for LR shooting fun.
Enjoy your new build Jud.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
No problem. Yes it's moving the 162 ELDs. Remember it's RL17 so guessing I'm losing some barrel life but as a hunting rifle, thats no issue.
I wanted to post an update to this build. I have been really busy this year, but lately I have been making time to shoot and it's been working out. I started load development with 180 ELDs and after trying seating depths from 0.005 jammed to 0.050 off, I couldn't get them to shoot consistently. I also was having inconsistent results with RL26 in the .284 Win. I would find the powder node, and it would be awesome one day and velocities would be erratic the next. I tinkered with different charges and looked for other nodes but just kept chasing my tail and getting frustrated.
So I decided to just start fresh and went with Berger 175GR. Elite Hunters and RL23. I ran a 10 shot velocity test, and loaded one round each from 52.6 up to 54.4 in 0.2 gr increments. I'll post the picture of my notes on how this test went. I never reached pressure, but as you can see in the photo, I found a solid node between 54.0-54.4 grains. I loaded 5 at 54.2 and ran them over the Magnetospeed. This resulted in an average of 2848fps, an ES of 20, with a SD of 7. I had 4 shots land within 7fps, but had one drop down to 2836 and that brought my ES down. Nonetheless, the ES is 20 and I have single digit SD's.
I then tested 5 with the 54.2gr load for accuracy with the bullet's seated 0.015 off the lands. This resulted in a group around 1 MOA at 100 yards. I went home and loaded 3 each at 0.030 off, 0.040 off, and 0.050 off to give me an idea of where they wanted to shoot. My first group I shot was with the Berger's seated 0.050 off and these 3 shots landed in a nice triangulated group that measured 0.330" center to center. Yes! Success, finally. I let the barrel cool and shot 0.040 off into a 3/4-1" group and I concluded 0.050 was the ticket in this rifle.
I decided to back these results up today and also to set my 100 yard zero. Below are pictures of both targets. The white square is the first three shots at 0.050 off and the orange circle is two groups I fired at 0.050 off today. There's three shots in the center of the orange circle, they measured right at 0.390" center to center. The four shots at the bottom are before I adjusted my scope. The top right shot out of the group is my first cold bore shot of the day, then the three below are the shots I fired back to back after the cold bore. All four measured 0.650" and the lower three measure 0.410" center to center. The average group size of the three shot groups is 0.376" or right at 3/8". If you count the cold bore shot, it opens the average up to 0.457" still under 1/2 MOA! I also was able to get out and stretch this rifle and load's legs a little. I made two back to back hits on a football sized clump of dirt at 870 yards with this rifle and load!
I'm very happy with the performance of this rifle and with these Berger bullets. I feel like this is a deadly combination and I'm very happy with the load I worked up in less than 30 shots with these 175gr Berger Elite Hunters. This is my first time personally loading and shooting Berger bullets and I'm really happy with these results. I'm sure if I tinkered more with the seat length the groups could shrink, but it's shooting under 1/2 MOA and I'm not going to burn my barrel up for anything more or less.
So I decided to just start fresh and went with Berger 175GR. Elite Hunters and RL23. I ran a 10 shot velocity test, and loaded one round each from 52.6 up to 54.4 in 0.2 gr increments. I'll post the picture of my notes on how this test went. I never reached pressure, but as you can see in the photo, I found a solid node between 54.0-54.4 grains. I loaded 5 at 54.2 and ran them over the Magnetospeed. This resulted in an average of 2848fps, an ES of 20, with a SD of 7. I had 4 shots land within 7fps, but had one drop down to 2836 and that brought my ES down. Nonetheless, the ES is 20 and I have single digit SD's.
I then tested 5 with the 54.2gr load for accuracy with the bullet's seated 0.015 off the lands. This resulted in a group around 1 MOA at 100 yards. I went home and loaded 3 each at 0.030 off, 0.040 off, and 0.050 off to give me an idea of where they wanted to shoot. My first group I shot was with the Berger's seated 0.050 off and these 3 shots landed in a nice triangulated group that measured 0.330" center to center. Yes! Success, finally. I let the barrel cool and shot 0.040 off into a 3/4-1" group and I concluded 0.050 was the ticket in this rifle.
I decided to back these results up today and also to set my 100 yard zero. Below are pictures of both targets. The white square is the first three shots at 0.050 off and the orange circle is two groups I fired at 0.050 off today. There's three shots in the center of the orange circle, they measured right at 0.390" center to center. The four shots at the bottom are before I adjusted my scope. The top right shot out of the group is my first cold bore shot of the day, then the three below are the shots I fired back to back after the cold bore. All four measured 0.650" and the lower three measure 0.410" center to center. The average group size of the three shot groups is 0.376" or right at 3/8". If you count the cold bore shot, it opens the average up to 0.457" still under 1/2 MOA! I also was able to get out and stretch this rifle and load's legs a little. I made two back to back hits on a football sized clump of dirt at 870 yards with this rifle and load!
I'm very happy with the performance of this rifle and with these Berger bullets. I feel like this is a deadly combination and I'm very happy with the load I worked up in less than 30 shots with these 175gr Berger Elite Hunters. This is my first time personally loading and shooting Berger bullets and I'm really happy with these results. I'm sure if I tinkered more with the seat length the groups could shrink, but it's shooting under 1/2 MOA and I'm not going to burn my barrel up for anything more or less.
Attachments
I was shooting it in mid 70s to low 80s temperatures. One day the same load would have an ES in the single digits, then I would test again and the ES would be like 30. The groups also would be half decent one day and then horrible the next. I shot almost 100 rounds trying to find a load with 180 ELDs and RL26. It took me 23 to find one with the 175 Berger's and RL23. My velocity is the same with RL23 as it was with RL26. My bullet is 5gr lighter, but I have zero pressure signs at 2848fps. I'm betting RL23 will get within 30fps or so of RL26 with the same weight bullet.
Yes it could have just been this barrel did not like this combo. Because everything i have ever shot RL26 in, it has worked great. I shoot it in my .308 Norma with groups in the .3s and ES below 20. My Dad shoots it in his factory Remington 7mm Rem Mag with .4-.5 MOA accuracy and ES under 20. My brother shoots it in his 6.5 Creedmoor, with groups in the .2-.3 range, again ES under 20. I would definitely give it a try. I just wanted to report that it didn't work well in this particular rifle.
I was able to do some long range shooting over the past few weeks. I shot rocks and dirt clumps varying in size from soft ball to football sized from 500-870 yards. The rifle shot awesome and I was able to make multiple hits back to back at those ranges.
I also did a little more shooting and velocity testing at 100 yards. I shot a 3 shot group with a cold, fouled bore, that measured 0.270", the smallest group yet from the .284! My group was slightly right, so I adjusted 1/2 minute right and it's good to go. Right after shooting the group, I strapped the magnetospeed on and shot 3 through it. The results were an average of 2847, SD of 3, and ES of 6! I would say this is a very consistent and accurate load! I'm really happy with it!
I also did a little more shooting and velocity testing at 100 yards. I shot a 3 shot group with a cold, fouled bore, that measured 0.270", the smallest group yet from the .284! My group was slightly right, so I adjusted 1/2 minute right and it's good to go. Right after shooting the group, I strapped the magnetospeed on and shot 3 through it. The results were an average of 2847, SD of 3, and ES of 6! I would say this is a very consistent and accurate load! I'm really happy with it!
