I am curious if you have used the 6.5 X .284 for hunting live game, such as whitetail deer and antelope? If so, what was your experience in regards to its performance on game? I am well aware of it being superbly accurate, but am wondering how it performs on live game?

Thanks, Lonnie

A quick down and dirty response is check on the 6.5x55 performance on game and add a couple hundred feet per second into the equation. The 6.5x55 has a outstanding reputation on game amimals up to moose. If you are going to use it to hunt and are planning on rebarreling or building something, make sure your twist rate will stabalize the heavier bullets.

I have used one on game up to elk. Shot a cow last night with 130 barnes. Broadside at about 250 yards. Double lung and complete penetration. We have taken several antelope and deer with this load. Works very well on all the above.

This rifle is being built on a fully trued Remington 700 stainless steel BDL long action. Barrel is a 26" long 1:8 twist Lilja, beddeded in a H-S Precision stock, Jewell trigger. I will reload useing Lapua 6.5 X .284 brass and Redding competion dies. I will shoot bullets in the 140gr range. I will use a Leupold scope on it. Stan Ware at SGR Custom Rifles is doing the build.
I have loaded a number of different calibers, including a couple of bench guns, so reloading is not new to me. But the 6.5 X. 284 is all new to me. I choose it as I wanted an accurate long range rifle that had above average accuracy potential, good down range ballistics, moderate recoil, reasonably light enough to carry, etc.
Thanks, Lonnie

The last two deer I took with my 6.5X.284 was in 1967. One in Deer Park just west of DeBeque and one in the fields near Roan Creek Clear creek junction just east of DeBeque. 156 gr. True Barnes' original and a 160grRN. Hornady or Norma I use to use both. Both were 1 shot, fantastic performance kills. Taos, has Debeque changed much in 35 years? roger

Bartshe

It has not changed much in the 20 years I have been in this country. It is starting to grow a bit now and prices are going up out of site for homes. We still have a bar, store, and also a new deli in town. The big old bucks are not here like they used to be. Now we have wall to wall frigging elk!

Thanks Taos. I was back on grand Mesa in 98 but haven't been in your way in many years. I use to know every rock that Dwight Owens use to hid behind. Check with some of the old old timers; they'll tell you who he was or maybe still is. He was ornary enough to still be alive. roger

From personal experience on Chital deer ,I dont think you could get a much better cartridge. On my last hunt a few eeks ago my rifles played up (my fault) so I used my hunting partners 6.5x284 for a few shots. He got plenty of deer as well. The 140 Barnes bullets all exited but strangley we noticed that around the exit hole ,it seemed to knock a patch of fur out of the skin around the wound. Some decent skins were ruinned because although the exit hole wasnt very big ,it seemed to knock patches of hair out. That said ,it was coming into summer ,was very hot and maybe they were changing coats or something. All my partners shots were one shot kills .