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In past years, I have had the opportunity to set up and shoot a variety of long range prone rifles. These rifles have predominantly been chambered in cartridges that were 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm. The quest in setting up these rifles was to try to take advantage of the best cartridges for long range prone shooting. The cartridges tried included a 6XC, a 243 Winchester, a 6.5 x 284, a straight 284 Winchester, a 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum, and more recently, a 7mm/300 WSM. While I still am partial to the 7mm’s, after shooting all these cartridges, it is clear there are certain advantages with each cartridge, and there are disadvantages with each as well. There is no question that all of them are excellent cartridges for long range shooting, but after shooting them all, I find myself liking the 6.5 x 284 more than ever, mainly because the 6.5 x 284 provides a well balanced combination of all the key factors needed for long range work (accuracy, velocity and down-range bullet performance, all with moderate recoil). Recoil – What You Don’t Feel Can Help When comparing the recoil of the 6mm’s vs. the 6.5mm’s vs. the 7mm’s, there is no question recoil can be an issue that may affect how well you shoot. That is not to say that a heavy recoil rifle cannot be a winner, because we all know shooters that shoot and win with the 300 Winchester Magnum. For most shooters, however, the recoil of such a cartridge is more than is comfortable and the shooter is willing to tolerate. A 6mm rifle, shooting bullets in the 105 to 115 gr. range, is an absolute pleasure to shoot, and the recoil is absolutely minimal. It is easy to shoot behind a 6mm rifle all day long without feeling any fatigue, discomfort or apprehension over recoil. On the other end, when you move up to the 7mm’s, especially with the best long range bullets in the 175-180 gr. range, the recoil becomes rather significant, and if you are not used to it or willing to tolerate it, it can become fatiguing and uncomfortable to deal with over a whole day’s shooting. A 6.5mm like a 6.5 x 284, shooting high b.c. bullets in the 139-142 gr. range has a recoil that most shooters find comfortable enough to shoot behind over a long day, and not feel beat up or abused, and it seems to strike the balance well from that perspective. While I like the 7mm’s a great deal because of the downrange bullet performance of the 175-180 gr. match bullets, I have noticed another phenomenon of recoil that needs to be reconciled with in larger recoil rifles. This phenomenon I define as heavier recoil providing a magnification issue. One example of this phenomenon occurs when I let a shot go and I have even the slightest upward bob of the muzzle due to pulse or body movement, the heavier recoil (and corresponding muzzle jump) tends to yield shots that are much higher on the target than if the shot was made with a lower recoil 6mm or 6.5mm. With the 7mm, I found I lost an occasional point or two during a match to a shot directly up at 12:00 o’clock due to this magnification phenomenon. The net result being, in order to shoot well with the heavier recoiling 7mm, I needed to be much more focused on this issue. The “wobble zone” you shoot with as a prone shooter can be magnified by heavier recoil, particularly in elevation, due to the natural tendency of heavier recoil to cause muzzle jump. Correspondingly, the recoil magnification phenomenon discussed above can also present itself more or less depending upon the equipment you shoot. If you have a conventional stocked rifle where the action sits up on top of the stock, that set up has a more natural inclination to lend itself to increased muzzle jump vs. a rifle like a “straight line” tube gun where the action sits much lower to the shooter’s shoulder. The fiberglass stocks I have are more flexible than the wood ones I have, and if I were going to set up a conventionally stocked rifle for a heavy recoil cartridge, I would choose a wood stock because of its increased rigidity, and to combat the potential for flex and magnification due to heavier recoil. One of the attractive features of the 6.5 x 284 is that it seems to work well recoil wise, both from the shooter’s perspective, and from an equipment perspective. Accuracy, Velocity and Down Range Bullet Performance – The 6.5 x 284 Clearly Has It All
In the 6mm category, I tried both the 6XC and the 243 Winchester, and while both of them were decent for 1000-yard work, I did not find them able to keep up with the 6.5 x 284 on a windy day. With the 6XC and the 243 Win., shooting bullets in the 105-107 gr. range, velocities in the 2950-3000 fps were workable, but it just seemed the 105-107 gr. bullets were blown around a lot more when things got windy. I also tried some115 gr. bullets in the 6XC and 243 Win, and while the 6XC shot them well, no matter what I did, I could never get them up to even 2900 fps without excess pressure problems. While I know David Tubb apparently won the national long range championships using the 6XC with the DTAC 115’s, to me that is an example of his supreme talents, but I have never been able to get that 6XC combination to come close to the raw horsepower and performance of the 6.5 x 284 shooting the 6.5mm 142 Sierra MatchKings. With the 243 Winchester, there was a slight problem in that the 1:8” twist barrel that was chambered up for it proved to be not a true “1:8” twist”, and it would not adequately stabilize the 115 gr. bullets. That was unfortunate because with the extra case capacity, it seemed that workable velocities with the 115 gr. DTAC bullets might be in the 2950-3000 fps range, and might provide a better comparison platform with the 6.5 x 284. For the upcoming year, I expect to try two different 6mm’s for long range, a cartridge I made up called the 6mm Super X, and a 6mm Remington, both of which have the ability to drive the 115 gr. Bullets in the 3000+ fps range. In the 7mm category, I shot both the 284 Winchester, and the 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum (RSAUM) at 1000 yards, and I have also recently shot a 7mm/300 WSM at shorter ranges. My assessment of these is that they are all excellent for long range prone work, and all provide excellent accuracy, velocity and downrange bullet performance. The heavy 7mm match bullets in the 175-180 gr. range have the apparent inherent capability of besting the downrange performance of the 6.5mm 139-142 gr. bullets, but they need to be moving fast. With a stated .684 b.c., the 7mm Berger 180 gr. VLD bullet is a most attractive long range projectile, but shooting it and getting it up to speed equates to having to work with a significant amount of recoil. In addition, unless you have a magnum bolt face, the 284 Winchester is the only cartridge of the 7mm’s mentioned that is suitable for a conventional “308 bolt face” action. While the 284 Winchester is accurate, with bullets in the 175-180 gr. range, you give up about 100-150 fps to the 6.5 x 284 shooting bullets in the 139-142 gr. range. The 7mm RSAUM enables you to get the 175-180 gr. bullets up in the 2850-2900 fps range, but you need a magnum bolt face and the recoil is noticeably more. Of the 7mm cartridges I have worked with, the 7mm/300 WSM is the only one that easily pushes the 175-180 gr. 7mm bullets in the 2950-3000 fps range, but once again you need a magnum bolt face and the recoil is definitely heavy. The 6.5 x 284 Long Range Reamer
Reamers for that 6.5 x 284 are easy to come by and are generally made and sold by all the main reamer makes. The standard “off the shelf” factory type 6.5 x 284 reamer typically has a somewhat sloppy neck and generally too short of a free bore for long range shooting, so some adjustments need to be made to tailor things to the intended use. The chambering for the rifle that is noted later on in this article was done with a 6.5 x 284 long range reamer designed by me with the assistance of Carey Pugh at JGS Precision Tool Mfg., LLC. (541) 267-4331. The key modifications to it for long range shooting, over the standard commercially available 6.5 x 284 reamer, are as follows: 1. The free bore was lengthened to .175” so that with a long range match bullet, such as the Sierra 142 gr. MatchKing, the junction of the boat tail and bearing surface of the bullet is up in front of the junction of the neck and shoulder of the case when the bullet makes contact with the lands; 2. The neck dimension was tightened to .296” to provide for the use of brass that was lightly neck turned to load out around .293”; and 3. The radius at the junction of the neck and shoulder was changed from the usual .125” radius to .060” in anticipation of using Redding’s Type S FL reloading dies that only have a broken corner in that location and tend to work the brass hard at that junction if there is a large radius there. In setting up the reamer, we did not tighten up the body dimensions because Lapua brass (the expected brass of choice) generally runs on the larger side (dimensionally speaking) and the desire was to use standard and readily available reloading dies without issue. This reamer design, and the corresponding chamber, has worked out very well in a number of barrels. To me, when I can shoot a slow prone “clean” with a rifle, I know the rifle is shooting very well, and the first time I shot a 6.5 x 284 with this chamber, I turned in a “clean” at 1000 yards, scoring a 200/13x. Since then, I have shot a number of “cleans” with the 6.5 x 284, and so have some of the others who have had barrels chambered with that reamer. A great feature of the 6.5 x 284 is that the inherent accuracy of the cartridge is there, and you don’t need to do a lot of complicated research or work to get it. Setting Up The Rifle – Sabreco, Inc.
Many shooters have a favorite rifle builder, and for a long range rifle, I am no exception. I have always had good luck with Fred Szablewski at Sabreco, Inc., in Skippack, PA (610) 584-8228. Plain and simple, Fred knows what it takes to put together a great long range rifle and he does it well. He also is a very excellent 1000-yard shooter which helps give him better insight into what is needed in a 1000-yard rifle. I guess if you asked me why I like Fred’s work, I would say because Fred is a perfectionist and the rifles he puts together are reflective of this. Fred is also a self-proclaimed “doubting Thomas”, and he takes nothing for granted, assumes nothing and measures and investigates everything, many times ferreting out and resolving issues with an action, parts, barrels, etc. that might compromise the integrity of a highly accurate rifle build up. For example, on this project, Fred called me when he started and said he did not like the high-end recoil lug that I purchased for the Nesika action that would be used for this project. He wanted to send it back for an exchange because it had a variance in thickness that might sabotage the barrel being true to the action. It was returned, and before we received another one, the supplier went around the replacement recoil lug with a micrometer to make sure it was 100% on. Fred did an excellent job on the metal work and installed a Krieger 1:8.5” twist 6.5mm barrel that finished out at 30”. The barrel was also set up to use a clamp-on 30mm RightSight front sight made by Wayne Forshee of Stallings Machine. The Stock – Alex Sitman of Master Class Stocks, Inc. Once again, when it comes to obtaining a high power rifle prone stock, many shooters have a favorite stock maker, and Alex Sitman of Master Class Stocks, Inc. (www.masterclassstocks.com) is a favorite to many. For this project I chose one of Alex’s laminated wood high power rifle prone stocks in “target camo” which contains alternating laminations of grey, green and light brown woods. The stock looks great and I have received many compliments on it. I like Alex for stock work because he is a perfectionist as well, and in this case, he did not let me down, the stock was perfectly made, bedded and finished in all respects. A laminated wood stock was chosen for this project mainly because I liked the look and feel of wood. What I also found after shooting the stock was that the wood stock was more rigid that the fiberglass stocks I had, and that extra rigidity was a welcome feature for this long range rifle. 6.5 x 284 Load Work Up – A Cinch!
One of the other great things about shooting a 6.5 x 284 is that working up loads for the cartridge is a “no brainer”, especially with the great load information available, particularly for long range shooting. While there are any number of powders and bullets that can be used, it seems that two of the more common “bread and butter” loadings for the 6.5 x 284 use Hodgdon’s H4350 powder (between 48-49.5 gr.) or Hodgdon’s H4831SC powder (between 51-52 gr.), topped off with a 142 gr. Sierra MatchKing. Generally speaking, if you cannot get one of these loads to shoot, there is usually something wrong with your rifle.
I took the rifle I had to the range with my chronograph. With 48.5 gr. of H4350 with a 142 Sierra, the load chrono’d at 2997 fps, with an extreme spread of 12 fps and a standard deviation of 5 fps. This loading however was a little warm and bolt lift was sticky now and then. I dropped the load down to 48 gr. of H4350 and the load chrono’d at 2962 fps, with an extreme spread of 20 fps and a standard deviation of 8 fps. Short-range accuracy was great with the 48 gr. load, so I was ready to give the rifle a try at 1000 yards.
In June of 2006, I took the rifle to a match at the Bodines, PA 1000-yard range. During the first scoped match, the rifle was shooting very well, but I made a mistake that cost me a 6, and I finished with a 195/8x. The irons match went better, I lost 4 points to my bad wind reading, and wound up with a 196/7x. My overall aggregate of 391/15x won the match. These scores compared favorably to the scores I was able to shoot in prior years at the Bodines range with the 284 Winchester and the 7mm RSAUM, and the 6.5 x 284 was easy to shoot and there was much less recoil.
I have to admit, after the first match with the new 6.5 x 284 rifle, I liked it a lot. The barrel work of Fred at Sabreco was great, and the rifle was proving out to be very accurate. In addition, the Master Class Highpower Prone Stock was also very comfortable and ergonomic to shoot. When compared to the 7mm’s I shot the year before, the 6.5 x 284 had a much more tamed recoil, and I did not notice the “magnification phenomenon” with the 6.5 x 284 as I did with the 7mm’s (no high shots at all). In addition, the 6.5mm bullets seemed to handle the wind a lot better at 1000 yards than the 6mm’s I had worked with. During the weekend of July 14, 15, and 16 of 2006, the Bodines, PA The Bodines PA NRA Long Range Regionals – June 8, 9 & 10, 2007 – Sign Up & Put It On Your Calendar!
The Bodines, NRA Long Range Regionals is one of those matches you need to mark on your calendar in bold magic marker – a well organized and well run great event and weekend in all respects (and no pit duty either). For 2007, the Bodines NRA Long Range Regional Match is scheduled for the weekend of June 8, 9, and 10, 2007. If you like 1000-yard shooting, sign up and mark it on your calendar! The 6.5 x 284 – It’s Hard to Beat It! After shooting the 6.5 x 284, it is clear why it is such a popular 1000-yard cartridge. It is a very well balanced cartridge for long range work, and it literally and figuratively scores high in all the key areas. The 6.5 x 284 is also not hard to load for or shoot, and it is easy on the shooter. In addition, the 6.5 x 284 is very accurate, and it can deliver great velocity and excellent downrange bullet performance. What more can a shooter ask for? In that regard, the 6.5 x 284 is kind of like one of the “Consumer Reports” top picks that has all round red balls for its ratings, and in all the top categories. While other cartridges may look better on paper, sometimes taking advantage of the strong points of the other cartridge, may carry with it some negatives that cannot be overcome without too high a cost (you may find yourself taking one step forward to take two backwards). If you are thinking of doing some long range shooting, you owe it to yourself to try the 6.5 x 284, because plain and simply, it’s hard to beat! Sabreco, Inc. JGS Precision Tool Mfg., LLC Master Class Stocks, Inc. The Bodines (PA) 1000-Yard Prone Rifle League Bartlein Barrels, Inc. Stallings Machine
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