6.5-284

[HDR]

Hey everyone. I could really use some help on this little issue I'm having.
  I have a Kimber 84M in 7mm08. Would like to re-barrel it to a 6.5-284. A gunsmith told me the 6.5 was to long to fit in the Kimber magazine. Here the problem that I do not understand. All my reloading books say the 7mm08 over all length is 2.800".
 The Hornady tenth addition book says the 6.5-284 is also 2.800"
Nosler is 3.310"
Berger is 3.2283"
 I do want to use the Hornady 143 gr. ELD-X. I called Hornady to see if their 2.800" was a misprint but he said it was correct.
 So will it work or not? Thanks for any help.

[hogslayer]

The problem your going to run into is that his reamer is most likely made for a 140 grain class bullet.  He would have more free bore than saami spec would in order to maximize case capacity.  You would get much benefit velocity wise from having a saami minimum chamber.  The custom reamed barrels usually end up so the base of the bullet is at the neck shoulder junction.

[Biggerhammer]

Fact of the matter is there are a multitude of reamers  and reamer specs for the 6.5-.284 chambering. It's a kick A$$ chambering but I feel it's better suited for the heavier bullets 129gr plus. You can have one chambered up to run the lighter bullets with a shorter throats on a short action. But once you start trying to chamber a short action to run the heavies with a longer throat. You end up having to seat the heavies deeper to fit in the short action Mag box or magazine. Then the bullet is back in the powder column and you have to use less powder or you have pressure issues. You want to run a short action 6.5 with the heavies think the 6.5 Creedmoor. If your set on a 6.5-.284 done right , build it on a long action.

Call Schneider barrels, his 6.5 barrels are incredable. I had one that would average 5 shots at a 1011 yards at 7 1/2" and the same barrel would group 95gr V-Max's at 2 1/2" @ 600 yards.

[savagehunter]

I am loading eldx in 6.5x284 I seat to the lans my coal is 3.230 . Unless single shot loading a long action is in order. Love the caliber using 4831sc.

[HDR]

Thanks guys. Any suggestions on who i could use to rebarrel it in to 6.5 creedmoor. 

[opdinkslayer]

Keep the Kimber 7-08 and go buy a 6.5 creedmoor or 6.5x284 in a rifle that fits the budget. I have a Savage 6.5x284 that shoots lights out and it didnt cost a whole bunch of money. Great round and I've seen nothing but good from the creedmoor as well, even in rifles costing less than 400 bucks.

[Bill W]

plot out the trajectories and see if there's any benefit of a rechambering.  If I was a guessing man I'd say your advantage would be about a 30 yard advantage only.  Not enough of an advantage to warrant going into a custom caliber.   30 yard advantage is roughly 100 fps more at the muzzle.

[jdb]

If your really looking for the ultimate 6.5 creedmore, you could sell that kimber, buy a savage model 10, you'll still have enough money left over to pick up a vortex scope with that combination you'll me good on anything up to and including wildabeast out to at least a grand maybe further if you turn your hat back words before you shoot.

[HDR]

I always wear my hat backward you know that. And that is  why I want a 6.5.I saw  2 Wilda beast in a bunch all by themselves in the Cowiche last week

[b23]

The most important thing, as was already mentioned, is making sure the gunsmith doing the chambering job uses a reamer appropriate for a 6.5-284 in a short action. 

We've all kind of gotten into to this stretching the C.O.A.L. out as far as possible to get maximum use of case capacity but surprisingly it doesn't yield a great deal more velocity.  I remember a few years back Kirby Allen did a test on different OAL's and found that the ones stretched out as far as he could go versus the same cartridge with a shorter throat and OAL yielded minimal difference in velocity.  I've run the numbers through QuickLoad and when you use the same pressures, QL confirms what Kirby got with his testing. 

[HDR]

I've  looked at a Montana Rifle Company's Extreme X2 in 6.5-284. It is a short action. And they recommend using factory ammo. How will it work in there short action but not mine. The gunsmith I talk to only said it would not work because the 6.5-284 would not fit in the Kimber mag well. And would not feed properly. Thats  were I'm  getting confused.

[savagehunter]

You can load to mag length and use the 6.5x284 but with the longer bullets like berger and eldx the bullets seat so deep they encroach on powder space.

[b23]

I've  looked at a Montana Rifle Company's Extreme X2 in 6.5-284. It is a short action. And they recommend using factory ammo. How will it work in there short action but not mine. The gunsmith I talk to only said it would not work because the 6.5-284 would not fit in the Kimber mag well. And would not feed properly. Thats  were I'm  getting confused.

You can absolutely use a short action for a 6.5-284 build.  Maybe your gunsmith already has a reamer and the specs for his particular reamer are setup for using it with a long action build and in that case it wouldn't work very well in your action.

In a short action, especially if you plan to shoot the 140's, you'll have to seat the bullet deeper in the case in order to feed it through the magazine and doing so will likely yield a little slower velocities but it's certainly not going to be a huge difference.

I'm a big fan of the 6-284 and 6.5-284, probably why I have one of each. 

[slm9s]

I've  looked at a Montana Rifle Company's Extreme X2 in 6.5-284. It is a short action. And they recommend using factory ammo. How will it work in there short action but not mine. The gunsmith I talk to only said it would not work because the 6.5-284 would not fit in the Kimber mag well. And would not feed properly. Thats  were I'm  getting confused.

IIRC the 6.5x284 has a fatter body with a rebated case rim.  Perhaps thats why he thinks it will not work/feed?

You absolutely CAN build one on a SA, its just that you'll be a touch handicapped as the other fellas have said.  If you use a 140 and find a powder the rifle likes that leaves room for that long bullet seated deep, it might work out great.

[HDR]

Thanks for all the info. Maybe  i'll just by a Montana Rifle Company someday. Have to research them a bit. Could sell the Kimber 7mm08 and pickup a Montana in 6.5 creedmoor. Just board lookin for a new toy.