i have 2 barreled actions sitting around collecting dust and was wondering which would be a better platform for my varmint/ 1000 yard br rifle. i have a 7mm/08 that the wife wants me to put in a new stock for her next deer rifle. then i have a .243 that she uses now as her deer rifle. which would be a better fit for the 6.5/284, the 7mm08 or the .243. is it just as easy to form brass from either round? anyway thanks guys in advance for the help.....blake

Painless:

You can't form 6.5 /284 brass from either a 7/08 brass or 243 brass. You can form either into 260 Remington brass. Is that what you were thinking? or is this just a test?

Either action size can be rebarreled to 6.5 x 284.

If you have discussed this with a gunsmith, Maybe find a new one.

Sound like a little more thought needs to be put into this project!

cheers and good shooting
seafire

I prefer a long action for the 6.5 284. It allows for longer seating out to the twisters (140 grainers) . Box mags/short actions seem too short to allow this flexibility.

Tacksmacker

Blake, moving the wife up to 7/08 is a good move. Now for making the 243 into something else.Why not another 7/08? 2 guns same ammo, keeping life simple. As for the 6.5/284 on a short action, you have to modify the feed rails and maybe other alterations that makes the action only good for .284 brass.Should you want a 6.5 go .260 same basic case as the 243 & 7/08 no feeding problems.By the way, what is wrong with the 243?

flick,

exactly what i was looking for. i have heard arguments about short action versus long action for 6.5x284. i have seen many 6.5/284's on short action rifles, that is why i was asking. i don't mind having the smith modify the feed rails just looking around to see what i could use with out buying another donor action. nothing wrong with the .243 just had it sitting around because i am in the process of restocking the 7mm08 for the wife. i might try to find a donor .260 then the wife will have 2 rifles to shoot, which now that i think about it would make her one happy woman!!!!!

You didn't say what actions they are but a Rem. M700SA is going to cut into your powder cap. w. the 6.5x.284. A Ruger or M70 will give you abit more room. I am having a M700SA rebarreled to .260AI. A handloader only for the most part, but that's what I do for all of my rifles. AS SeaF said, the .284 case is unique, you can't make them from another case (slight drawback).

I like the .260 & 7-08 for deer/antelope. The .243 makes a great coyote rig but too many bad stories for me to hunt anything bigger (JMO).

i always load one cartridge at a time when varmint hunting. but i think i will use an old .25/06 i have for this rifle. i thought about the .260ai, but i guess the 6.5/284 has got everything i want. didn't mean to confuse anyone with my post, i knew there were some seating depth issuses with those two calibers, i should of just asked if the 6.5/284 would be better in a long action. sorry for the confusion guys and thanks for all of your help.....blake

If you go long action for a 6.5 MM,. I went that route and went with one of the oldest cartridges out there. Older than a 30/30, older than a 30/40 Krag or a 7 x 57 or an 8 x 57:
The old 6.5 x 57. You don't see a lot of them, not sure why.

Just neck up a 257 Roberts case or 6mm Rem, or neck down a 7 x 57 case. I have several 6.5 x 55s, but did not go that route based on the smaller head size of .473 .

In all of my testing and I had access to friends that had 6.5 x 284s, and 6.5/06s and I own 3 260s, and a few guys who own 264 Mags.

I got to a certain point with the 6.5 x 57 that the amount of powder to get any more velocity needed was a lot in ratio to minimal velocity gains. All of that equated into faster throat erosion. IN a long action I can seat the bullets WAY out there, and the aerodynamicness of the 6.5 target bullets the longer action allows me to take advantage of this.

The Roberts case does not need any special feeding rail requirements. If this round was more common, it would be the cartridge I would standardize all of my hunting with, if I could only have one rifle. ( and no, I don't have plans for Grizzly Bear hunting.)

6.5 MMs will recoil like a 243 and penetrate like a 30/06 in my book. ( Not trying to invite an argument, It is just my opinion based on field observations.) I list it as a cross between a 243 and a 270.

Cheers and good shooting!
Seafire