Talk me out of it

Fisherguy55

Fisherguy55

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I've been toying with the idea of re-barrelling a Tikka of mine to a 6.5-284 Norma. It's a 25-06 and shoots fine, but I'm a little bored and the light bullets & 10" twist are holding it back from being a one gun solution for my hunts going forward. From what I've read the Norma is fantastically accurate and offers near identical ballistics to the new PRC hotness. 127gr lrx up to 156gr eol would be what I'm looking to throw for typical big game in the next decade or so, and will certainly reach out with authority if ever required.

The Tikka is already a long action so loading up the long ones to 3.2" isn't a concern, and has an identical head diameter of .473" so a match barrel blank, dies and brass should be all I need. I'm only just dipping my toes into reloading right now so brass was one concern until searching further to find Lapua, Norma and Nosler all currently make it.

I'm fully aware a 270 will kill just as dead but frankly it does nothing for my interest. I already own a 300win for moose which I could sell, and a 12lb 6.5cm that I don't feel like carrying afield. I was considering a #2 or #3 contour in the factory stock for now. Feel free to advise anything I should re-think or consider going for if I go this route. Or try and talk me out of it
 
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Do it! I've heard they are easy to load for, lots of good load data available.
As long as you don't forget your ammo at home and need to buy some, sounds like a great idea!
H4350, H4831Sc, Sierra 142gr MK, Berger 140gr VLD, Lapua 139gr Scenars, CCI primers. 6mmbr has some good information on it.
As for chambers, I think there are both no-turn necks, and ones where neck turning is required.
Probably want a 24" barrel or longer, #2 or #3 contour (Std Sporter or Medium Sporter). The weight is about the same.
 
Nothing needed between 2506 and 300wm. 120gr 25cal at 2900 to 3100fps is still impressive on game. With the cost of rebarreling id keep the 2506 and buy another rifle in the 6.5 youd like to play with. If not impressed a factory rifle sells better than a rebarrel. By the way i am a fan of the 2506
 
TrevorJ said:
Do it! I've heard they are easy to load for, lots of good load data available.
As long as you don't forget your ammo at home and need to buy some, sounds like a great idea!
H4350, H4831Sc, Sierra 142gr MK, Berger 140gr VLD, Lapua 139gr Scenars, CCI primers. 6mmbr has some good information on it.
As for chambers, I think there are both no-turn necks, and ones where neck turning is required.
Probably want a 24" barrel or longer, #2 or #3 contour (Std Sporter or Medium Sporter). The weight is about the same.
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Thanks for the info, wasn’t aware in the neck differences and chambers
 
brybenn said:
Nothing needed between 2506 and 300wm. 120gr 25cal at 2900 to 3100fps is still impressive on game. With the cost of rebarreling id keep the 2506 and buy another rifle in the 6.5 youd like to play with. If not impressed a factory rifle sells better than a rebarrel. By the way i am a fan of the 2506
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That was exactly my justification in buying both in the first place, and I have a fresh box of 120gr partitions I’m sitting on too. Could certainly fleece the mag but I can’t talk myself into moose with with the 120s. Am I being too cautious? I certainly will be on the lookout for one in the meantime
 
Fisherguy55 said:
I've been toying with the idea of re-barrelling a Tikka of mine to a 6.5-284 Norma. It's a 25-06 and shoots fine, but I'm a little bored and the light bullets & 10" twist are holding it back from being a one gun solution for my hunts going forward. From what I've read the Norma is fantastically accurate and offers near identical ballistics to the new PRC hotness. 127gr lrx up to 156gr eol would be what I'm looking to throw for typical big game in the next decade or so, and will certainly reach out with authority if ever required.

The Tikka is already a long action so loading up the long ones to 3.2" isn't a concern, and has an identical head diameter of .473" so a match barrel blank, dies and brass should be all I need. I'm only just dipping my toes into reloading right now so brass was one concern until searching further to find Lapua, Norma and Nosler all currently make it.

I'm fully aware a 270 will kill just as dead but frankly it does nothing for my interest. I already own a 300win for moose which I could sell, and a 12lb 6.5cm that I don't feel like carrying afield. I was considering a #2 or #3 contour in the factory stock for now. Feel free to advise anything I should re-think or consider going for if I go this route. Or try and talk me out of it :stirthepot2:
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I think your head is in the right space. As long as you reload it's way more fun to shoot stuff a little more obscure, you might want to investigate the 6.5 Wby RPM before going 6.5-284 though. 25-06 AI, might also be an option worth investigating.
 
OK. If you are looking for a one rifle hunting solution, why even look at the 6.5s? Seven thousandths and some heavier bullets aren’t going to change your life much, even if getting away from 25s is a worthy goal on its own. Then theres the .284 case itself. It’s reason for existing in the first place was to try to get .270 Win performance into a lever or auto-loader. The rebated rim is just a budget move to get a short fat case in a welfare gun as cheap as possible. It never sold well on its own merits, and the gun cranks figured out early that it was better in a long action bolt anyway. Somewhat later some target shooters were try to find something that sucked less than .a 308. Of course the answer to that is just about everything, but they wanted the replacement to work in their old rifles. The short stubby, deformed and rebated case worked for that; after they choked the suck out of it and made it a 6.5. That was fine while the barrels lasted; but unfortunately some people noticed that the cool kids were using it and it became a cult item for people who wanted to be different.

How am I doing so far? ;)
 
Fisherguy55 said:
Some load data shows them close, with the Norma seating the heavies out further. Maybe I’m ocd with preferring the headstamp match. Definitely gave it some thought
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Odd obsession. If you really want though you can get properly headstamped brass, if you're willing to pay. It isn't like you have a variety of rifles in similar chamberings. It would also make your current .25-06 brass still useful to you. You'll also save minor inconvenience of getting the .284 case to feed.

Fisherguy55 said:
That was exactly my justification in buying both in the first place, and I have a fresh box of 120gr partitions I’m sitting on too. Could certainly fleece the mag but I can’t talk myself into moose with with the 120s. Am I being too cautious? I certainly will be on the lookout for one in the meantime
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I'd certainly use a .25-06 with a quality bullet like a 120 partition for moose if that is what I had, but I would not reach past a .300 Win mag to pick it specifically for a moose hunt, unless the .300 Win Mag was a target rig or similarly overweight rifle. If I lived someplace with a longer moose season that overlapped deer or similar medium game I would use it if a good shot presented itself.
I know the .270 isn't terribly exciting but it would maintain resale better and twisted fast enough to sling 170 Bergers or Matrix bullets not to mention readily available components and even factory ammo if you decide reloading isn't thing. If I build another big game rifle it will probably be a 1-8 twist .270 Winchester. If you just have to get something a little different a .280 Remington or AI would be a better moose round than a .25-06 or 6.5x284 and you can have your headstamped brass.
 
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Jim870 said:
Odd obsession. If you really want though you can get properly headstamped brass, if you're willing to pay. It isn't like you have a variety of rifles in similar chamberings. It would also make your current .25-06 brass still useful to you. You'll also save minor inconvenience of getting the .284 case to feed.
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I keep hearing this about steep shouldered cases, but have yet to see it come to bear.
 
rkm456 said:
I keep hearing this about steep shouldered cases, but have yet to see it come to bear.
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I don’t see sharp shoulders as a feeding problem either;(Although I thiught we were supposed to be talking him out of it ;) ) but the rebated rim can be. Sharp shoulders can make what should be routine sizing a touchy business depending on where the wheel stops on the chamber/die roulette game.

On a manufacturing level, the 284 case forming failure rate was so high that it was decades before anyone wanted to take another crack at it.
 
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I have a 6.5-284 Norma built on a HVA action with a 24.5 " Benchmark 1-8 Twist - The 6.5-284 is a Very accurate cartridge - LOT's of them used in F CLASS -
Mild Recoil 140 's at 2950 fps - only need 52-54 grs of powder to do it - KOOL cartridge ! I need to load up the NEW Berger 156 gr-ers and see how thay do ! jmo RJ
 
Dogleg said:
OK. If you are looking for a one rifle hunting solution, why even look at the 6.5s? Seven thousandths and some heavier bullets aren’t going to change your life much, even if getting away from 25s is a worthy goal on its own. Then theres the .284 case itself. It’s reason for existing in the first place was to try to get .270 Win performance into a lever or auto-loader. The rebated rim is just a budget move to get a short fat case in a welfare gun as cheap as possible. It never sold well on its own merits, and the gun cranks figured out early that it was better in a long action bolt anyway. Somewhat later some target shooters were try to find something that sucked less than .a 308. Of course the answer to that is just about everything, but they wanted the replacement to work in their old rifles. The short stubby, deformed and rebated case worked for that; after they choked the suck out of it and made it a 6.5. That was fine while the barrels lasted; but unfortunately some people noticed that the cool kids were using it and it became a cult item for people who wanted to be different.

How am I doing so far? ;)
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Hilariously... and you managed to keep it sensible though I have nothing disparaging to say about the 25: actually a .25 caliber rifle, namely 250-3000 is, in defiance of all the "advancements" since 1915, still the most suitable round for small (or anyone who realizes how much energy is actually necessary) hunters for everything up to black bear. I've been waiting for supply of chrome-moly barrels with the correct profile (Model Seven) and twist rate for 117/120gr bullets so that I can rebarrel a couple rifles in 250-3000.

If OP is looking for something less mainstream (I completely understand why), 6.5MS, 257Roberts, 7x57 or very rare 270 Savage. I once considered getting a target rifle in 6.5-06 A-Square, but opted for the 6.5x55. Just get 1:8" twist so that large case capacity isn't wasted on <140gr bullets: the 140gr VLD bullets will already be on fire at 3000fps. Or keep the 25-06: it's only shortcoming is being very overbore, but long barrel life in a hunting rifle is seldom an issue: .257" to .264" is only .007" and you are covered for big game with the 300wm. Whatever you like: fill your boots and carry on writing off the mainstream with it's unoriginal conformity.

It is unfair that manufacturers spend so much time sucking something... but 257cal and 277cal are grossly neglected in bullet selection and barrel twist rates. They are every bit as useful as the hat on backwards new dweebs on the block, but everyone writes them off for reasons that shouldn't exist. Give a 25-06 a 1:8" twist barrel and 130gr bullet, ballistics could clean up long distance matches... same with a 270win but with 165gr bullet. But instead, arbitrary limitations are made for no reason, spawning such undesirable things as the 6.5 Slobbermore cult, replete with the inane drivel and brass idol worship.
 
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