6.5x284, your favorite load data

[Dennis]

Ok, I have searched and read many favorites.

I just finished my 6.5x284 and I will be shooting it next week.

I have plenty of RL17 powder. Has anyone used this powder in this rifle?

Just looking for a starter load and I will work it from there.

Dennis

[chukarmandoo]

I'll be like everyone else and give you different info than what you want. The 6.5-284 is considered a overbore barrel burner. I have one and to my understanding slow cleaner powders are better for load development and barrel life. H1000, Retumbo. No sense burning the barrel out doing load development. I started with IMR 4831 and it was very accurate but the speed wasn't there. I use Retumbo in a hot load to get 3000 fps. with 140 vld's.

[Patch700]

Have never been able to try this powder in mine but on paper it looks like it'd do quite nicely loaded similarly to IMR 4350 with reportedly higher velocities.


I've currently been using VV N-160 due to availability and it's actually worked fairly well in good brass for 130's

[thermaler]

I assume you're talking 6.5 47 aka lapua? I've got a 284 norma so I can't help any if that's the case--2 different cartridges.

[Dennis]

6.5x284 , I took the "L" out of the OP, sorry. I look around my room and all I see is things with an "L" on it, LOL.

Thanks for the above comments. I use Retumbo in my 338 Edge but it's not plentiful enough to try in my 6.5x284.

VV, Varget, RL15, & RL17 are the powders I have access to, Varget is still very slim.

I know the 6.5x284 is a barrel burner, it's a test barrel. I will probably wear out 2 of them. I just didn't want to wear it out finding it's favorite load.

Dennis

[thermaler]

I'm sorta in the same boat as you--I stopped my work-ups because I wasn't sure where I was headed and didn't want to wear my barrel out getting there. I tried some smaller 120 to 130 gr bullets driven by 4831 and ramshot hunter with mediocre results at 100 yds--I'm not even sure that this is a valid distance for testing this caliber since I believe it is intended to be a 1K shooter. I'm gonna try 140 gr VLD and accubond next go-around. RL 15 has always been a great powder for me; but I haven't found a 284 recipe for it yet. When hunting season is over I'm going to give this another go.

[stomp442]

48-49 grains of reloader 17 works really well in my 6.5-284 at 100 yards but couldn't hold the accuracy past 300 not sure why. I have been doing quite a bit of load development with some friends rifles and Retumbo has been the clear winner in accuracy and velocity with very low standard deviations. I have done three in the last month and the sweet spot seems to be between 55-57.5 grains with velocities ranging from 2920-2965 in 24 & 26" barrels and 140 vlds.

[chukarmandoo]

I have about 400 rounds through mine and been run hard. Now that I have my comp gun the 6.5-284 Norma is only used to impress myself and others at 1K or more. I think my next one will be a 6.5 SAUM.

[jpdown]

I had a 26" 6.5x284 CBI LV barrel that really liked 49.5 grains of RL-17 with 140 grain Berger VLDs touching the lands. I sold the CBI barrel which was a little heavy for my intended use. I replaced it with a 22" Savage factory sporter barrel in 6.5x284. This barrel does not perform very well with RL-17. But it is lights out accurate with 50.5 grains of H4831 and 140 grain Berger bullets. W760 at 47.7 grains is my back up powder due to current shortages. H4350 would also be on my short list of powders to start with for a 6.5x284. It has been consistantly more accurate than RL-17 in all the .260 and 6.5x284 barrels for which I have worked up loads.

[chukarmandoo]

Usually RL17 is ran with loads that resemble H4350 with higher velocity with same powder charge. FYI, If you work up a load now keep an eye on it when the days get warmer.

[Dennis]

48-49 grains of reloader 17 works really well in my 6.5-284 at 100 yards but couldn't hold the accuracy past 300 not sure why. I have been doing quite a bit of load development with some friends rifles and Retumbo has been the clear winner in accuracy and velocity with very low standard deviations. I have done three in the last month and the sweet spot seems to be between 55-57.5 grains with velocities ranging from 2920-2965 in 24 & 26" barrels and 140 vlds.

Retumbo is a good powder. I may have to locate some.

I find it interesting the RL17 loses it accuracy past 300 yards.

Around 2,950 seems to be the sweet spot.

I have also had some interesting phone calls about the 6.5's in general. I have a 6.5x47 and was told to stick with it. The Creedmoor and Grendel came up several times as well.

We will see,

Dennis

[stomp442]

I found it interesting as well. I tried playing with seating depth and different bullets and couldn't get it to hold farther out.

Here is a picture of some load development with a 140 Amax and reloader 17. The same 49 grain load would not print anything smaller than 5" at 400 meters in ideal conditions. Still doesn't make sense to me. These are five shot groups at 100 yards.
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb99/meganeff442/My%20Guns/2013-03-08_11-27-16_294_zps394727fc.jpg

[RyanG]

Im shooting 53 grains of RE22 out of mine. Im getting just over 3000 fps and just under 1/2 moa out to 600. I havent gotten to shoot it any further.

I would love to hear how the Retumbo shot. I have been able to get my hands on 6 pounds here in the last few months and Im almost out of the RE22.

[dlaboone]

im using 53 grs h4831sc 142gr matchking in a bone stock 116 its scary accurate!!!

[KTP]

I'm working on some loads for the 6.5x284 in a CBI light varmint 26" 8 twist barrel. Please understand these are not recommendations, only some load results and I wondered if anyone has seen similar results. I'm running Berger 140VLD hunting bullets with the bullets just at the lands. (I should also add I'm breaking in the barrel with the proper cleaning process through all this)
Temps have been mild in southern Ohio the past few days, mid 70's to low 80's.
I started with H4350 at 49 grains and ran an average of 2833. At 49.5 grains it went 2884
I switched to H4831SC at 50 grains and got 2693. At 51.5 grains it jumped to 2800. All loads were very accurate off the bench shooting .5 to .7 groups.
Then I went to RL17 at 49.5 grains and pulled velocity averages on a 7 shot group at 2978. The last 6 shots measured .65"
I did not see any noticeable signs of pressure. I understand the inherent issues with the barrel at these numbers, but I'm not concerned about that. Has anyone else seen these kind of numbers? How has accuracy been out beyond 500 yards? 700? 1000?

[chukarmandoo]

Make sure you record your environmental conditions when using this powder if you think you are near max. Fun to play with for a while but its just like a woman (fickle). H1000, Retumbo, H100V if you want it all. H4831 if your just after accuracy.

[KTP]

Appreciate what you're saying. I've seen temp variation out of H4350 too. How much Retumbo you running and what velocity are you getting? Do you find it more stable than RL17?

Great article: http://www.6mmbr.com/reloder17.html

[chukarmandoo]

I'm running 57.5 grs. Retumbo with berger 140 vld's and lighting the fire with cci LR magnum primers. At sea level 3000 fps. 1/2" groups. Berger book says 58.5 max with less velocity. I running mine jamb. I was using 58.5 but was hard on brass. A friend of mine said he went to h100v and is over 3100 fps? I haven't witnessed it but he said his load is GTG. I do not know any of the specifics but that's cookin! Also he might be running a 28 or 30" barrel? Before going to h100v he was using h1000 and was shooting excellent in his guns but went to h100v and said it shoots better. I wanted to try h100v but I'v spent a lot of time and money already on this gun chasing loads so Retumbo is it. I did use rl 17 but it just isn't consistent enough for me.

By the way the article on 6mmbr is old, old. Like when it first came out. Everyone has used it but I think they all come to the same conclusion in the end.

[thermaler]

Those are some hot loads in a barrel with a reputation for "easy burnout." I look for low nodes; but not necessarily concerned about a 1,000 yd smack-down. I'm thinking maybe 100 yds is too close to get really meaningful results, as has been my experience with 300 win mag development.

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s388/triggerpull/120BT1_zps76774b3b.jpg (http://s1049.photobucket.com/user/triggerpull/media/120BT1_zps76774b3b.jpg.html)
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s388/triggerpull/120BT2_zpsd33a7aa5.jpg (http://s1049.photobucket.com/user/triggerpull/media/120BT2_zpsd33a7aa5.jpg.html)
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s388/triggerpull/140VLD_zpsff50b5a2.jpg (http://s1049.photobucket.com/user/triggerpull/media/140VLD_zpsff50b5a2.jpg.html)
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s388/triggerpull/120BT3_zps07657603.jpg (http://s1049.photobucket.com/user/triggerpull/media/120BT3_zps07657603.jpg.html)

[KTP]

I tried the Retumbo today at 57.5 grains, 140 VLD, Fed 210M primers and could only get 2804 on the velocity. H1000 at 56 gr averaged 2825. I can't seem to hit the velocity others are posting with anything other than RL17. Shot a couple more with RL17 at 49.5 gr and the velocity went back up to 2972. I keep reading about temperature sensitivity in the RL17 and accuracy issues when you stretch out the distance. Id like to find a powder that gets me around 2950 and maintains stability.
So far, all the powders have been acceptable from an accuracy standpoint.