What Caliber

[Wind Gypsy]

For people who aren’t going to shoot a ton and who are more time constrained than money constrained, I don’t think there’s that strong of a case to be made for reloading unless they feel the need to shoot uncommon cartridges.

 

[antelopedundee]

Or you could go 6.5-06. 25-06 brass is easy to find and neck up or I assume you have plenty of 30-06 brass to neck down. Good ballistics with the 6.5-06 as with the 6.5-284.

Load data is pretty much interchangeable. Even with a longer throat magazine length restricts how far out you can seat heavier bullets. Or use it as a single shot.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Lots of people shoot the 6.5mm CALIBER.
Not as many shoot the 6.5-284 CARTRIDGE.

I still run across used Savage rifles chambered in 6.5-284.

The new things, sometimes are just that. New, but not necessarily better.

Take the 7PRC for instance.
I can get behind the case design!
But i usually shoot 168gr and lighter bullets in my 7mms.
The PRC was designed for 180gr bullets. So i would need a special reamer to shorten the throat.

@jimh406,
In this day and age, i can't think of a good reason NOT to reload.

Example.

$68 for a box of 50 Federal 45 Colt ammo. The cheap blue box. Was the least expensive ammo the shop had for it.
Oh, and like my 45-70, there are 2-3 pressure levels, depending upon the gun being loaded for.
Factory ammo has to go to the lowest pressure levels.

So, Friday i picked components, ok, bullets.
$35 for 100 Sierra 300gr.
I already have H110 powder that i use in my 357 Magnum already.
$38 per pound. 7,000gr to a pound. 45Colt uses 20.1gr per round. Less for the 357 Mag.
I already have large pistol primers.
These see use in my (2) 45ACP pistols.
Right now they are going for $78 per 1,000.
And i reuse the casings. The more times i reload the cases, the less per shot it costs in overall expenditure.
Oh, and the reloading press and dies, and various other tools, are just that. Tools.
And with my background as a mechanic and machinist, i deduct those on my taxes.

So, lets see.
$68 ÷ 50= $1.36 per round for factory ammo.

Reload...
$35÷100=35¢ per round bullet.
$38÷7,000= .00542 X 20.1=10.9¢ per round for powder.
$78÷1,000=.078¢ per round for a primer.
So. .35+.11+.08= 57¢ per round for me to reload 45 Colt at a higher velocity level than i could buy factory ammo.

I save even more than that on rifle ammo (especially my Weatherby Magnums) with "premium" bullets.

Why do you prefer lighter bullets? Just curious.

Id rather have a prc if i went to shooting coppers too - they are long for weight.

 

[std7mag]

Why do you prefer lighter bullets? Just curious.

Id rather have a prc if i went to shooting coppers too - they are long for weight.

I was actually talking about this on another forum this morning.

While I like shooting long range, my hunting has been shots from 10 yards to 500 yards.
So i've gone to 140-168gr bullets in my 7mms for deer & bear.

I've shot the 175gr ABLR & 180gr Berger VLD.
And didn't care for the increased recoil.

And within 600 yards, the animal isn't going to be able to tell the difference between 160gr or 180gr bullet.
It'll be just as dead.
You can't make it any deader.

 

[mtmuley]

Id rather have a prc if i went to shooting coppers too - they are long for weight.

Drop the weight. They get shorter and go faster. Kinda the point. mtmuley

 

[MLaird]

I had a 6.5-284 built a couple of years ago. I did it with a tikka action and put a 21” barrel with a 7.5 twist. Currently I’m shooting a 125gr HHT (all copper) at 3000fps at about .6 moa. This year I put it in a Grayboe stock. With the suppressor it weighs around 9-9.5 lbs and shoots like a dream.

Norma is currently making brass for it and it’s good stuff. Over Christmas Gunwerks ran a special deal and I got 100 pieces of lapua brass for $100. I really should have bought 2 boxes for that price…

 

[Whitetail_kid]

6.5x284 is a great cartridge. Similar to the 6.5 PRC. Like others have said not much a 140 gr bullet can’t do at 2800+fps.

 

[Muleyfanatic]

Got a HS precision rifle in 6.5/284. I shoot the 140 grain Berger vld out of it. It is one of the most accurate rifles I have. I have shot it to 1000 yards on targets and further than most would feel ethical on game with great results.

 

[why]

I had a 6.5x284, after I shot it out I put a 284 barrel on. I like the 284 better, both are plagued by a lack of consistent brass availability at times. If you find brass buy a bunch and don't abuse it with over book loads.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I wouldn’t worry about the long throat in the PRCs. I think people worry way too much about being close to the lands. Could probably combine the lengths from case mouth to bullet being engraved by lands on a 7PRC and 7RM to roughly get to 7mm weatherby throat length and it ain’t like they designed that for 180s.