I hope to have an ending that is better than it starts. Anyway, I bought a nice M77 that had a custom barrel chambered in 6 mm / 284. This was to get me into reloading and shooting. It came with about a dozen rounds. The man I bought this from had gone through a divorce and had to pack everything in boxes and store the dies and trim casing that came with the rifle. I don't doubt that he will find everything, but. My problem is that I need to reloads some shell so I can shoot this rifle that from the few times I have gotten to shoot it, shoots nice. Please if anyone can help me I am willing to start new but don't know where to start.
Nice rifle, where's the ammo
- Thread starter Oklahoman
- Start date
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You should buy some Lapua 6.5x284 cases. Then call Hornady, ask for the custom shop, and tell them you need to turn those 6.5x284 cases into 6x284 cases for your rifle. They will tell you to send them 2-3 new cases as well as 2-3 fired cases and a check. They will make you the die or dies you need.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
Redding, RCBS, and others make dies for the round. I'd buy a Redding bushing die, and a bump die for starters. Then get a standard 6/284 full length die for a full case resize. Seaters will be from Redding. You could also simply send three once fired cases to Forster for a three die set, and be a lot of money ahead (takes about a month). Sinclair probably has the Redding dies on the shelf, but last I heard you can save almost a hundred dollars for a custom Forster setup and get a better set of dies in the end.
gary
gary
BlackKnight755
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2010
- Messages
- 217
Gary,
I called Forster the other day and they were teling me that I had to send them my barrel reamer and I would also have to BUY another type of reamer for them to build me a set of micrometer seater and full length dies for my 280 AI. Is there someone that I can talk to at Forster that can build me a set for less money than I was quoted? Everything totaled up was going to be around $500 bucks after I paid the custom die charges and bought the other type of reamer.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
I was quoted a price of about $165 from Forster a couple years ago, and Lee quoted me a price for a Collet die set at $135. How close does a once fored case come to the drawing in the Hodgdon powder manual? I see:
.500 at the base
.475 at the shoulder
.276 neck diamer (loaded)
2.170" overall length
1.775" to the shoulder @ 35 degrees
.270" neck length
you should be able to use a standard .284 bushing die with a .273" bushing for starters. A generic .284 bump die to set the shoulders back, and you will need a dedicated 6/284 seater. You could even full length size with a standard .284 die, and then size the necks with a bushing die in a pinch.
gary
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
OK looking around I found that Midway has the complete Redding set on the shelf, and so did Mid South ($250)
gary
gary
If you have fired cases Lee will make you a custom 3 die set (FLS, Collet Neck Sizer, & Seater) for like $80? A heckofa lot cheaper than other companies, the Collet Neck Sizer is simply fantastic, and I've never found much functional difference between their stuff and other companies that charge a lot more.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
Lee quoted me $135 about six months ago to make a 6/250AI die set. You can take the .243 Forster seater apart, and ream the seater sleeve with a 6/.284 reamer (takes longer to set it up in a lathe than to do it). Then buy a bushing die from Forster or Redding and use the correct bushing. Your home free! There's probably somebody over on the gumsmith's thread that could do this for you at a minimal cost. I would buy a Redding body die ($32). But the Forster seater is the best out there, and doing it is a snap
gary
