6.5X284 or 243 Ackley Improved ???

[dragman]

OK, to start I just shot my first 1000 yard match sunday but have been a gun nut for years. I shot my Savage F class 6.5X284 that is not quite stock and did pretty well for a first time out, but the wind did kick my butt pretty good. I am having a 243Ackley improved built at the moment out of a long range percision varminter savage 6BR. It is a left port right bolt gun and I am having it made to be my everything gun from Groundhogs - Deer. Question is after the barrel is cooked on the 6.5X284 should I just go 243AI for the bench gun too?? With the similar B.C will the faster thinner bullet buck the wind better at the 1000 yard distances or do you think this is an example of what is on paper not translating to the range?? I am very new to the game and want to give myself the best chance at being good at it.

 

[gt40]

Why not change it to a 6BRX since you probably have the reloading dies for your 6mm Norma BR. Your velocity will be up to the upper accuracy node for Berger 105 gr. VLDs and get better accuracy, longer barrel life, less recoil and less expensive to reload. Bigger isn't necessarily better. As for the wind you need to practice.

I've gotten down to 8+1/8" group with my 6mm Norma BR. on my second 1,000 yd. match and I'm hoping I can get under 6 inches at my next one.

gt40

 

[dragman]

Why not change it to a 6BRX since you probably have the reloading dies for your 6mm Norma BR. Your velocity will be up to the upper accuracy node for Berger 105 gr. VLDs and get better accuracy, longer barrel life, less recoil and less expensive to reload. Bigger isn't necessarily better. As for the wind you need to practice.

I've gotten down to 8+1/8" group with my 6mm Norma BR. on my second 1,000 yd. match and I'm hoping I can get under 6 inches at my next one.

gt40

I don't have dies honestly I bought the gun looking to rechamber it. I acually have use of the dies and the match reemer cuz my gunsmith has them. the reason I mainly was looking into the 243 ackley was the speed and power yes, but the availibility of good brass is nice too. I will look into the 6BRX as you said though I haven't looked into them before now.

 

[dk hunt 14]

If i built a 6MM it would be a 6BRX or 6 Dasher. Good brass, economical to shoot, accurate and barrel will last a lot longer. The 243 ackley and 6.5-284 are a lot harder on barrels. With the dasher you can get 3050 with 108 bullets. Matt

 

[Charles E]

OK, to start I just shot my first 1000 yard match sunday

And already looking for something else? It takes more than one match.

With the similar B.C will the faster thinner bullet buck the wind better at the 1000 yard distances

Thinner has nothing to do with it. Higher velocity with the same BC is, all things equal, better. But all things are never equal. In the first place, I don't know of any 6mm bullet with the BC of a 140-grain 6.5.

The 6.5/284 has won a lot of wood and set a few records. Why would you abandon it after one match?

What wins at long range is very good barrels shooting very good bullets. One part of a "good" bullet is one your barrel likes. Preparing the ammunition is the second requirement, after barrels and bullets. A particular chambering is way down on the "important" list.

 

[dragman]

And already looking for something else? It takes more than one match.

Thinner has nothing to do with it. Higher velocity with the same BC is, all things equal, better. But all things are never equal. In the first place, I don't know of any 6mm bullet with the BC of a 140-grain 6.5.

The 6.5/284 has won a lot of wood and set a few records. Why would you abandon it after one match?

What wins at long range is very good barrels shooting very good bullets. One part of a "good" bullet is one your barrel likes. Preparing the ammunition is the second requirement, after barrels and bullets. A particular chambering is way down on the "important" list.

I am not leaving the 6.5 after one match I am just looking for next season when the barrel on the 6.5 is dead. do I go with another 6.5 or something different?? I love my bergers but I understand that there is nothing that says a new barrel is gonna like them. I am shooting the 140VLD's with a B.C. of .612 and the 115VLD's in the 6mm are .545 B.C. with the extra speed I figure the drop and wind drift would be less with the 6. I am a complete amature but I like to tinker and play and that usually ends up costing me money.

 

[Charles E]

. . . but I like to tinker and play and that usually ends up costing me money.

OK, good enough. Been there myself. Probably could have retired a few years earlier if I didn't love tinkering so much. As long as you know it's that & not any real advantage, all's well.

 

[dragman]

OK, good enough. Been there myself. Probably could have retired a few years earlier if I didn't love tinkering so much. As long as you know it's that & not any real advantage, all's well.

I work in a gun shop so it usually doesn't cost me as much as it does for most, but I end up hearing so many crazy idea's that I get caught up in the moment sometimes.

 

[Charles E]

What always gives me pause is the dies. An FL die is one thing I don't make myself: the cost of the extra reamer. The other thing is powders: I like to have three viable candidates. I have had a lot of barrels for my .30 Sort-of-Boo. Some like R-22, some R-25, and a few H4831. Far as that goes, most like Federal 210 primers, but a couple preferred 215s.

Point is, if the chamberings you begin to tinker with use different powders, you wind up with a lot of different powder sitting on the shelf. And bullets.

One way around the die cost is to buy a commercial one, then have the chambering reamer ground to match it. Otherwise, its usually $200 for a custom FL die -- or $130 for the reamer and another $30 for the blank, plus the cost for having it hardened or treated -- in other words, $200.

If you want to play with big 6mms, the 6 Ackley has always worked well for me & most people I know. That's equivalent to a 6/284 with the reamer held back .200. We push 105 range bullets to 3,400. 'Course after 400 rounds, they don't go quite so fast . . . The barrel's not worn out, but velocity has dropped unless you set the barrel back enough to freshen the throat. You'll find that with a .243 Ackley, too.

etc.

 

[JerrySharrett]

What always gives me pause is the dies. An FL die is one thing I don't make myself: the cost of the extra reamer. The other thing is powders: I like to have three viable candidates. I have had a lot of barrels for my .30 Sort-of-Boo. Some like R-22, some R-25, and a few H4831. Far as that goes, most like Federal 210 primers, but a couple preferred 215s.


etc.

Charles, not to be a hijacker since dragman can consider this too, but think about this a moment when it comes to making exotic dies. A certain mountain residing gunsmith we both know and respect has a Haas CNC lathe. That sucker can make sizing dies for anything you can draw up and make then in a hurry!!! Tooley Wooley??