I'm thinking of getting a barrel that I can chamber in either 6.5 Creed or 308 right now to have a little fun with that I can re-chamber later for a longer cartridge. It's going in my long action Savage, so I can start with 6.5 barrel blank and chamber it in 6.5C then later re-chamber in something like 6.5-284.

Or I can get a barrel blank with a 30 cal bore and chamber it now in 308 or 30-06 and later chamber to 300 Win Mag, 300 RUM, or maybe even 300 PRC, although I'd have to do single-feed for 300 PRC as I don't think my magwell will facilitate a anything longer than 300 Win Mag. I already have a magnum bolt head for my Savage, so I can change that any time.

I'm thinking of a AMU taper with maybe a barrel length of 26 inches that ends at 0.900" in diameter at the muzzle. I'm going with a nutless barrel. I'll get a 700 blank and cut the tenon with the Savage threads (20 TPI).

I'm all set up with reamers pilots, brass, powders, dies and bullets for 6.5C, 308 and 30-06. I still need to get chamber reamers, brass, dies and powders for the other chambers.

Looking to shoot 600 to 1000 on this one.

Thanks.

Tony.

Since your only looking at 1000 yards, a 26” - 28” pipe would work. If you think you might go to 1500 yards, then 28” - 30” would be my suggestion although the 26” will still get you out there. If going 6.5 Creedmoor and 140 ELD-Ms, an 8 twist would suffice. If doing a 300 PRC with 225 ELD-Ms, I’d go 9 twist. If going .308 with 175-185 grain bullets, I like a 10 twist. I recommend these twists for normal velocities and stable RPMs that won’t spin jackets off.

^^^ Yup, I would concur with Sig Marine.

For 600-1000 yards, a quality cartridge with a 24-26" barrel works just fine. Additional barrel length adds 25-ish fps per inch -- more with the magnums, less with the standard chamberings. If you plan to go with a magnum caliber, I'd do it from the start. Skip the 6.5CM or 308, then rechambering later. Barrel length decisions should include how much you enjoy lugging around a long and heavy gun. If it's just from the back of the SUV to a nearby concrete bench, then it doesn't matter much. Go with the max you can case and store.

6.5CM isn't perfect for 1000 yards, as it could use a little more MV. But I've shot at and hit targets out to 1800 yards. At maybe 1200-1300 yards, 6.5CM is wheezing and there are better options. 7mm magnums are a great option, as in 7 SAUM or 7 PRC.

Both 6.5-284 and 6.5PRC are better at 1000 yards and beyond than 6.5CM. 6.5-284 has a longer history, especially in target shooting. 6.5PRC has a slight case advantage -- more of the short-fat design. If you go this direction, experienced buddies say avoid the Hornady 147 ELD-M bullet -- there are better options.

308 Win is just getting long in the tooth, especially for 800-1000 yards. I wouldn't even start with this. The only way a 308 is respectable at 1000 yards is to use long barrels (30+ inches) and load them uber hot -- like the F-Class guys, who approach 300WM MVs with their 308s.

300WM is an option, but it comes with the baggage of a belted case. Furthermore, bullets heavier than about 190 grains require seating the bullets way back into the case. 300WM is also getting long in the tooth for long-ish distance target shooting.

300 RUM, 300 Norma, and 300 PRC are all options for accurate target work. IMO they are all overkill for 600-1000 yards -- enough recoil that the vast majority of shooters aren't able to spot their own impacts at anything less than 800 to 900 yards. Seeing their own trace will be even more challenging. All three of these chamberings are good for ELR in the 1000 to 2000 yard ballpark.

Thanks guys! I actually talked to a friend who's going to gift me his 6.5-284 chamber reamer, reloading dies and some brass. And as I understand, I'll be able to stick with my 308 bolt head. All I need to do now is get powder for it. I think 4831 is what I'll need. I'll run with 26 inches.

If I ever find myself in the position where I'll be shooting longer, I'll look at the other options. For now, the 6.5-284 will fit the bill in 26" length.

Tony.

6.5-284 works.

Hornady's 140 ELDM is a very good bullet in the heavy-ish category. Their 147 ELDM is a very accurate bullet, but its BC in many ballistics calculators is overstated. For Hornady, I recommend staying with the 140s, unless you want to futz with ballistics profiles.

The 6.5 PRC guys around me had better results with 142 and 150 SMK, especially at 800+ yards. They said SMK accuracy was definitely better than with Hornady beyond 1200 yards. I don't know if that translates to 6.5-284.

The heavier Bergers and Lapuas are worth a try.

Tony,

Hang on! I'm shipping you the 6.5 X .284 this week. You've shot this rifle before and know it's capabilities. Will include a separate box of brass and match dies. You'll be set...

Here's the rifle...G.A. Precision "Hospitaller":





Enjoy your new rifle when it arrives!

Wes

Thanks Wes! It's going to be great!

Tony.

Tony and all,

Range day tomorrow. That means my GAP "Rock", a couple of M-14's, and a bit of load testing. The 6.5 X .284 is on the way and should be there this next week. I have the brass ready to ship on Monday. Still looking for the dies...

Remember this 6.5 x .284 Norma load. It's the one that the Hospitaller loves:

142 Gr. Sierra Match King
Norma Brass/match prep'd
Federal 210 Match Primer
54.6 Gr./Hogdon H4831SC
OAL: 2.98"

Hope this helps when you get the rifle.

Wes