6mm-284

[wabbit evaporator]

I am about to have an RPA action of mine rebarelled into 6mm-284. Does anyone have any experience of this calibre and would be able to suggest a 'smith who has worked with it and would be a good suggestion for the work? Cheers in advance.

[Elwood]

I know Vince Bottomingly used one for 1000 yard benchrest, barrel life was short.

 

I also know several people that have had rifles built for F class in this chambering, but none of them have shot particularly well?

 

When I questioned someone with far more experience of ballistics than I have, they told me that in their opinion the powder column was to large? However Vince did manage to get his shooting.

 

I'm not sure of your intended purpose for the rifle? But I think I would be looking at the 6mm AI, you will only be giving up a small amount in velocity and you will have to fire form your cases, but take it from me fire forming loads in this caliber are seriously accurate as are the formed loads.

[wabbit evaporator]

Thank you for the replies. I wasn't aware that it was a particularly difficult calibre to load for. I shot a mate's BAT actioned rifle in this calibre last year with 75grn VMAX (I think) the thing was silly accurate, comfortably shooting into .3moa at 200 yards. Not too concerned about barrel life but I am looking for silly velocity in about the 75grn bullet weight-class. I was fairly set on this calibre but am all ears to suggestions.

[Elwood]

Thank you for the replies. I wasn't aware that it was a particularly difficult calibre to load for. I shot a mate's BAT actioned rifle in this calibre last year with 75grn VMAX (I think) the thing was silly accurate, comfortably shooting into .3moa at 200 yards. Not too concerned about barrel life but I am looking for silly velocity in about the 75grn bullet weight-class. I was fairly set on this calibre but am all ears to suggestions.

 

Well you can't argue with 0.3 MOA at 200 yards, I think I would be asking your friend who chambered his rifle? You should be able to get easily 3700+ fps with a 75grn Vmax.

 

The main attraction for me with this caliber is Lapua brass and very limited case forming, unlike the 6mm AI.

 

Perhaps Vince will share his experiences with you, but he would have had his chamber suited more towards heavier 6mm bullets.

 

Keep us informed of what you decide?

[Danpd]

I've had one. It was finicky to get to shoot and throat was heavily firecracked after 100 rounds. You will also need to have a tight neck chamber, as the brass is excessively thick and inconsistent at the neck.

 

You would be much better served with a 243 ackley if all you want to do is launch varmint bullets at silly speeds IMHO

 

The 6-284 is at its best pushing high BC pills at decent speeds, with very impressive ballistics. Using varmint bullets in it is a bit pointless, as the are Crap in the wind, and bleed velocity rapidly, turning a 1000yd hammer into a 400yd nutcracker.

[wabbit evaporator]

Sadly his was built over in the States which was the route I was going to go down until I ran into an absolute minefield of red-tape and expense! His rifle is still going strong with just over 1000 rounds down the tube although I know he's now thinking about a re-barrel- I am using this for long range vermin and so don't anticipate putting thousands of rounds down it in a short space of time. I will have a look at 6mm AI and .243 AI but I was really trying to avoid the fire-forming. Again, thanks for the replies.

[6.5shooter]

I think smokin on here has one.

6x47 is another great alternative! I considered the 6-284 myself but went for the 6x47. Glad I did!

[abolter]

I think that Steve Kershaw has built a couple if that is any help

[sussexsteve]

Looked at 6mmai and 243ai . I didn't want any fire forming so am going 6x47 . Get to use my favourite Lapua brass

Atb Steve

[1967spud]

still need to fireform this one as necking down wont set the shoulder properly where fire forming will

[243ack]

Dannyt on here has the reamer - and is on your (parents?) doorstep!!.

[1967spud]

Dannyt on here has the reamer - and is on your (parents?) doorstep!!.

 

+1 for danny not a nicer chap to deal with

[wabbit evaporator]

I've had one. It was finicky to get to shoot and throat was heavily firecracked after 100 rounds. You will also need to have a tight neck chamber, as the brass is excessively thick and inconsistent at the neck.

 

You would be much better served with a 243 ackley if all you want to do is launch varmint bullets at silly speeds IMHO

 

The 6-284 is at its best pushing high BC pills at decent speeds, with very impressive ballistics. Using varmint bullets in it is a bit pointless, as the are Crap in the wind, and bleed velocity rapidly, turning a 1000yd hammer into a 400yd nutcracker.

 

Now I am having doubts!!

 

I want a rifle for informal messing about at long range. 300- 1000 yards at home and other places where I am able to shoot rabbits, crows and the like. I want a light for calibre bullet to get the frangibility, whilst there's no substitute for a safe back-stop I like the thought of 75grain fast as light explosive pills. At what range do you think higher b.c bullets take over (in the real world) and if you were me what would you go for?? My absolute priority is accuracy but a close second is that explosive red-mist/safety that comes with ultra-high velocity frangible bullets.

[Elwood]

Now I am having doubts!!

 

I want a rifle for informal messing about at long range. 300- 1000 yards at home and other places where I am able to shoot rabbits, crows and the like. I want a light for calibre bullet to get the frangibility, whilst there's no substitute for a safe back-stop I like the thought of 75grain fast as light explosive pills. At what range do you think higher b.c bullets take over (in the real world) and if you were me what would you go for?? My absolute priority is accuracy but a close second is that explosive red-mist/safety that comes with ultra-high velocity frangible bullets.

 

Best of both worlds is the 87 grain Vmax.

[wabbit evaporator]

Fair point- thank you.

 

Can I clarify whether or not this case will need fire-forming after necking down? I didn't think so.......

[garyw]

i had a 6-284 that was built by callum f.not for me but someone else i bought it from him last year.this was chambered to use lapua brass-BUT-callum ran the reamer in short-0.300 this this was intended as the brass 6.5x284 was to be formed short-this was done with a neil jones forming die and 6 bushings the overall cartridge was reduced- neck turned and fire formed .problems arose with lapua brass as the base of the case above the web became to tight to chamber-steve dunn made a die to reduce the case at the base and it shot really well.

i used the calibre for f class when i first started and all was well until the brass after 4 firings would not reduce at the base.this became a big P.I.T.A .

velocity was 3300 fps with a 105 berger vld with -h4831sc accuracy was excellant as the previous owner who some of you will know-simon austin hit the diggle egg on more than one occasion.the straw that broke the camels back came when shooting a 1000yd f class match i got a case stuck and efforts to remove it resulted in the bolt handle on a panda action spinning off into the diggle grass vince b kindly resoldered that back -time for change!

so i got peter walker to rebarrel to 6x47 and get the same velocity better case/barrel life

all the aggro wasnt worth it with the short version 6-284.

just actually bought a 6.5x284 for f class and 1000yd br.

[Danpd]

Well as a quick and rough example,

 

A 75gr Vmax launched at 3750 fps will have @ 400yds 12.7 Inches Drop, 10.11 Inches Wind Drift @ 10mph, Velocity of 2524 Fps, and 1061 Ft Lbs of Energy

 

An 87gr Vmax Launched at 3550 fps will have @ 400yds 13.31 Inches Drop, 8.63 Inches WInd Drift @ 10mph, Velocity of 2558 Fps, and 1263 Ft Lbs of Energy

 

A 105gr Amax Launched at 3270 fps will have @ 400yds 14.94 Inches Drop, 7.43 Inches Wind Drift @ 10mph, Velocity of 2506 Fps and 1464 Ft Lbs of Energy

 

So whilst the lighter bullets start off at screaming velocities, at only 400yds the heavier slower Amax is only 50fps slower, 2 inches less flat, 2 inches better off windage wise, and retains 30% more energy.

The further you go out the bigger the disparity and all of a sudden your warp speed bullets seem quite weedy.

 

I think you need to decide whether you want to vaporise things at up to 300 yds, or if you want to increase your chances of a lethal centre mass hit at extended range, because you cant really do both.

 

 

 

 

 

[SteveW]

I have a 6mm/284, originally built by Callum, this was a 1:14 Kreiger and it shot 68g Barts at over 4000fps, even saw over 4100fps on the chrony, the loads were all safe in this rifle, using copious amount of N160

 

I have had it rebarreled with a 1:10 Truflite by Dave @ Valkyrie (Baldie) shoots superbly. I use it with 95g Partition's or SST's at between 3500/3600 fps, with N560.

 

I believe Vince shoots or shot a shortened version of the big 6, shortened by .100" I think?? Hopefully he will be along shortly to clarify.

 

Steve

[jcampbellsmith]

... I will have a look at 6mm AI and .243 AI but I was really trying to avoid the fire-forming..

 

I have a 243 Ackley for sale and dies and brass available if you don't want to re-barrel it. http://www.gunstar.co.uk/Rifle/R-G-Rifles-243-AI-gun-for-sale-gs103522.aspx

 

It's not hard to shoot Lapua brass and then just reload it.

 

Regards JCS

[Ro6.5]

I have a 6-284 built by Steve kershaw. I had the reamer made by PTG and throated for 70g blitzking running a 1-14 twist barrel it runs at 3950fps and brilliantly accurate out to 700 yards! then it starts to wander a bit. I have had a lot of rifles in a lot of different calibers but this 6-284 is they most fun rifle I have ever used! I had it built in June I'v put 450 rounds through it, shot probably in exes of 70 foxes a lot of crows, alot of deer, head shots out to 450 yards. It is like a laser out to 350 yards! I can't see myself been without one! Thay are a doddle to load for just run 6.5 lapua brass through a 6mm full lenth die and away you go! And the red mist is a bonus!

[baldie]

I've built several in this chambering with a variety of barrels, and all of them have been very accurate shooters.

 

My reamer is nothing fancy, just a standard saami spec ptg , which will be optimised for an average bullet weight.

 

A lot of the time, people create problems for themselves and their guns by getting too technical, reading too much on the internet, and basically hamstringing a cartridge before its even been chambered.

 

Keep it simple.

 

A guy sent me a pic yesterday of a 3 shot group he'd just shot in still conditions of a std 7mm-08 i,d just rebarrelled his remmy in. The barrel is a Bartlien and the cartridge is hardly the latest faddy, all singing , all dancing cartridge.

 

The 3 rounds were touching each other...........at 400 Yards.

 

 

Dave Kiff actually knows what he,s doing you know.

[Offroad Gary]

What would it take to run one of these in a tikka t3 .243 action donor rifle, just a different mag? And barrel obviously!!

[baldie]

The T3 is perfect for this cartridge, as its long action. Change the magazine for a 30-06 model and away you go. The 6-284 will just go into a short action, but you lose case length in a s/a mag, and have to remove the bolt to withdraw a live round on most actions.

[wabbit evaporator]

Guys, thank you all very much for your contributions. I am often amazed at the wealth of knowledge available from the members of this forum. Its really important to me to have first hand reports of the calibre, whilst I've used it myself it was only on a couple of occasions and always the same rifle so to hear from people who have built and who own is really useful in forming an opinion. Thank you.

[smokin]

sorry for the late reply mr wabbit been off the air a while , I do indeed run a 6-284 built by Callum fergusson , all I can say is it's staggering , initially throated for the 87 gr vmax i settled on a load that ran them at around 3600fps easily doing 1/4 moa and startling on foxes then tried the 105 amax and has been said earlier in the post it came into its own , running them at 3400 fps it's quite remarkable , very accurate around 1/3 moa but retains this way way out there , we all know how the amax perform on harder targets and to press the longest rabbit taken is 805 yards, barrel life won't be that sparkling but that's life . good starting brass ( lapua) doesn't seem too powder fussy , rl22 h 4831sc both do very well , devastating on quarry what's not to like a little barkie but bloody good fun .