6.5x284 load data needed

[mark]

Will be used for stalking 24 inch barrel will be using 140gr heads has anyone on here have any loads they could recommend

Regards Mark

[The Gun Pimp]

Well, Vit 165 is a popular powder for the 6.5-284 and 140gn bullets.

 

The case will hold about 59gn but, I would start at 52gn and work up slowly.

 

As always - be careful, watch for pressure signs......

[mark]

Cheers for the heads up will give it a try

Regards Mark

[Ronin]

Vit 160, H4350 and H4831sc also work in mine. (dependant on bullet weight)

[mark]

Would reload swiss RS60 be a good option to get the best velocities with a 140gr bullet

[The Gun Pimp]

I've not used this powder in the 6.5-284 - but Laurie may have - hopefully he will chime in.......

[sean223]

Hi mark. Am using 53.7gn hodgdon H4831sc with 140gr Berger VLD hunting with a BR 2 primer and it's shooting really well. Make sure and work up to it tho. ATB Sean.

[Laurie]

I've not used this powder in the 6.5-284 - but Laurie may have - hopefully he will chime in.......

 

No, not that one.

 

If you go back to around 2009 when Alliant Re17 (RS60 under another name) became available in the US, Accurate Shooter and other sources included the 6.5-284 in the list of cartridges benefiting greatly from the new 'wonder powder'. As for some some others, it was said that another 200 fps could be obtained within safe pressures for the cartridge (with 140s) compared to the previously used alternatives. As most American 6.5-284 competition users favoured Hodgdon H4350 and Re17/RS60 has a very similar burning speed classification, it seemed a logical improved alternative.

 

Give it a year or two after that and the price of all the extra fps in 6XC, 284 and 6.5-284 became clear - vastly accelerated barrel wear, also complaints that at these maximum super-hot loads performance / pressures were badly temperature affected, and aside it could be generally temperamental anyway. So, people fell out of love with the powder as quickly as they had previously fallen in! A bit unfair as you don't have to load any cartridge up to its maximum and there is a general rule in internal ballistics (as in all branches of physics) that you don't get any free lunches.

 

So, there is nothing inherently wrong with RS60 in the cartridge provided loads and velocities are kept sensible. Even then, it will wear a barrel out a lot quicker than Viht N165 or Hodgdon H1000 which are a very cool burning powders, and as the 6.5-284 is a well known 'barrel-burner' anyway it is therefore almost automatically a dubious choice for high round-count shooters of whatever disposition. It might be a good choice for sporting users whose rifles don't double up for gong or other competition use though.

 

For me personally, H4831 and N165 would be the two to use first.

[mark]

Many thanks for your expert info Laurie will get a few tubs of N165 and give it a try i have been using H4350 and i am up to 48.6 grns powder using fed match 210 primers with serria 140gr gamekings lapua brass out of my 24 inch blaser r8 standard barrel have not chronographed it yet but accuracy at 100 yards is great

Regards Mark