6mm-284,is it worth it ?

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88 man

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GunNutz
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Just wondering if it's worth it ?.
I've got a .243 barrel so would just need chambering and headspace and another Win 88 comes alive !.
How many steps involved forming the cases through dies,reamer cost,wearing the barrel out,whatever I should know before it's a go !!! ?.Am I going to gain much with what a .243 will do anyways ?.I'm going to start loading some time in the future so would like some input on this cal.
Thanks, 88
 
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6mm-284 One of my all time favorites

Never done a levergun but many bolts and it is a fantastic cartridge. Significant increase over 243 (which I also love), all the ones I've built have been very accurate and all sporter weight no HBs.
I have collapsed a few cases going from 7mm-6mm so I run through a 6.5 die as well. Only brass I've ever used is W-W. Now you can buy Norma 6.5-284 and also think Lapua is making 6.5-284, and just run 'em through your die.
I've gotten some crazy velocities with 24" tubes and have taken game up to cariboo with it very effectively. My last one loved 95 gn Nos ballistic tips and was unreal in windy conditions. Overall super cartridge, easy to make, easy to load for and relatively cheap to shoot.:)
 
2 things to think about:
  1. Will 284 based cartridges feed from your rifle's magazine? You might be stuck with 308 familly cartridge (243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm-08, 308 Win, 338 Federal, 358 Winchester).
  2. As for 6mm-284, let's just say that 6.5mm-284 is very tough on barrel with less than 800 rounds of accurate barrel life and that 6mm-284 barrel life is probably 15%-20% shorter.

Alex
 
The Win 88's were chambered in .284 anyways and I've got lots of mags in 284 cal so thats no probs.My main concern was barrel life and have read the same thing,hard on barrels.Was also thinking 260 as well if I can find a barrel that will work with little work involved,don't want to start needing barrel turning,etc.If nothing else the 243 barrel will go on and still be a great yote and deer rifle.
Thanks for the replies !
88
 
I don't know how much shooting you want to do but if you plan on keeping your gun for 10+ years and shoot every weekend, you might want to get a 7mm or a 30 cal cartridge. A 243 Win is good for something like 1500-2000 rounds and is the mainstream low recoil cartridge. I long range target shooting and competitive shooting 260 Rem, 7mm-08, 284 Win and 308 Win are extremely popular because of long barrel life.

The up and coming hunting cartridge is 260 Rem which is a respin of the legendary 6.5x55 (Swedish Mauser) and can be loaded to reach 90-95% 270 Win performance.

Here is a great link to get you started on barrel life
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/11/handy-excel-formula-predicts-useful-barrel-life/

Alex
 
barrel life

forget barrel life, that is all bunk !!! I have personally shot out, for REAL 2 X 243s and each had more than 10,000 rounds before they lost all accuracy. I'm really getting tired of all these armchair shooters quoting barrel life at as little as 800 rounds. I have had 3 now, 6mm-284s the first according to my records had a litte over 2500 rounds through it and still shot .5 -.7 moa with the 2 bullets I used in it. I have had 3 X 257 Wby with combined totals of thousands and thousands of rounds through them and no throat wash at all. I have also found that some rifles with significant throat erosion, easily visible, still shot sub MOA for hundreds if not thousands more rounds, my first 243 was a prime example of this.

Way too many armchair shooters get onto precision sites and apply what they find there to normal sporting rifles. When a bench shooter's rifle goes from .123 to .133 after 1000 or 1500 rounds, yes he will change his barrel. What they do not tell you is that it may take another 2-3000 rounds for that barrel to open up to.175 and then another 2-3000 rounds to open up to .250 and another 5000 rounds to open up to .750

I have bought several "shot out" rifles cheap, gave them a good cleaning and voila 1/2 -3/4 moa. I have also bought several "shot out" bench barrels in 30 cal from a couple bench guys and they make damn good rifles and they're cheap. Before you chuck the 6-284 idea, talk to a qualified gunsmith about throat erosion and ask him how many truly "shot out" sporter weight rifles he's seen. Guntech would be a great guy, because he is an old bench shooter as well as a trained and certified gunsmith and can explain the diff between "bench" shot out and sporting rifle accuracy.

I know guys, it seems every time they miss a coyote at 200 mtrs they're gettin' a new barrel screwed on, "damn things shot out. Take it from someone with experience, and barrel up that 88 to 6mm-284 and have fun. You will get thousands of rounds of fun out of it and I doubt you will ever shoot it out. Let's face it an 88 ain't exactly a "bench baby".

Just my experience and humble opinion talking !!
 
Bevan King had Parker Hale 243 that he gave to his brother when he left Australia. It had close to 10,000 rounds fired through the factory barrel shooting pigs and kangaroos. When he went back several years later the rifle had fired another 4000+ rounds, and was still shooting groups around 1 1/2" at 100 meters.

I visited with him in his home a few weeks ago, and we talked about this rifle again. He told me as far as he knows the rifle is still being used. :)

Ted
 
c-fbmi said:
forget barrel life, that is all bunk !!! I have personally shot out, for REAL 2 X 243s and each had more than 10,000 rounds before they lost all accuracy. I'm really getting tired of all these armchair shooters quoting barrel life at as little as 800 rounds. I have had 3 now, 6mm-284s the first according to my records had a litte over 2500 rounds through it and still shot .5 -.7 moa with the 2 bullets I used in it. I have had 3 X 257 Wby with combined totals of thousands and thousands of rounds through them and no throat wash at all. I have also found that some rifles with significant throat erosion, easily visible, still shot sub MOA for hundreds if not thousands more rounds, my first 243 was a prime example of this.

Way too many armchair shooters get onto precision sites and apply what they find there to normal sporting rifles. When a bench shooter's rifle goes from .123 to .133 after 1000 or 1500 rounds, yes he will change his barrel. What they do not tell you is that it may take another 2-3000 rounds for that barrel to open up to.175 and then another 2-3000 rounds to open up to .250 and another 5000 rounds to open up to .750

I have bought several "shot out" rifles cheap, gave them a good cleaning and voila 1/2 -3/4 moa. I have also bought several "shot out" bench barrels in 30 cal from a couple bench guys and they make damn good rifles and they're cheap. Before you chuck the 6-284 idea, talk to a qualified gunsmith about throat erosion and ask him how many truly "shot out" sporter weight rifles he's seen. Guntech would be a great guy, because he is an old bench shooter as well as a trained and certified gunsmith and can explain the diff between "bench" shot out and sporting rifle accuracy.

I know guys, it seems every time they miss a coyote at 200 mtrs they're gettin' a new barrel screwed on, "damn things shot out. Take it from someone with experience, and barrel up that 88 to 6mm-284 and have fun. You will get thousands of rounds of fun out of it and I doubt you will ever shoot it out. Let's face it an 88 ain't exactly a "bench baby".

Just my experience and humble opinion talking !!
Click to expand...

Thank you!

I too get weary of the same old list that comes out every time a cartridge like this is discussed: it's a barrel burner! It's overbore! It's inefficient! It has lots of recoil!

In fact, that's all true (relative to other 6mm's). The anti-magnum snobs can take a jab at it too, however........

We don't all want to shoot a 308, even though it's 98% of all anyone really "needs".

To answer the question is it worth it?

- do you want one? or
- do you need to send a 6mm bullet at a speed only a 6mm-284 can deliver?

I have the gun, the dies, the brass and access to a reamer, I just haven't done it, yet - I'm too busy right now with am inefficent barrel and powder burning 6.5 RUM. :cool:
 
All I'll be shootin' is yotes and maybe deer but where I deer hunt I use my Win 88 and/or Win 100 in 358 so I'm realy just looking at something thats easy to load for.Like I said the M70 barrel in 243 I have can screw on and just needs headspacing and I'm off to the races but something dif is always nice !!!.Can do lots with the 243 and not having to buy more stuf.
 
Andy said:
Thank you!
I'm too busy right now with am inefficent barrel and powder burning 6.5 RUM. :cool:
Click to expand...

Cool, what bbl length and action, I'm playing with a 22-284 28" stainless 1-9 twist Bevan King bbl, right now. It's on a Sorensen trued 700 short.

Whats your expectations of the 6.5 RUM a buddy of mine, Bevan in point of fact, did a bunch of playing with a 6.5 X 300 Wby many years back and he experienced bullet disintegration at about 25 mtrs out, Real neat.
 
c-fbmi said:
Cool, what bbl length and action, I'm playing with a 22-284 28" stainless 1-9 twist Bevan King bbl, right now. It's on a Sorensen trued 700 short.

Whats your expectations of the 6.5 RUM a buddy of mine, Bevan in point of fact, did a bunch of playing with a 6.5 X 300 Wby many years back and he experienced bullet disintegration at about 25 mtrs out, Real neat.
Click to expand...

Not to hijack too much, but I love it - and at least one other member has one. 140's at 3500 fps is easy, with H870, US869 and the like. I have 20N29 yet to try and Re50 on the way. Never had a bullet come apart - even a 85 gr at over 4000 fps.
 
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