Second I visited his shop during the SWN in February and liked what I observed and how he approached things. Full Service: Uniform primer pockets, Chamfer case mouths, Ultrasonic cleaning, Anneal case necks (Starting at $60.00/100 call for quote) The load consisted of BR2 primers with H4831SC powder. To travel down to New Mexico and win at Raton was very satisfying as I had to come from behind. Ian told us: This Championship was especially difficult as a particularly strong challenger [and new 1000-yard record-holder] Mike Plunkett had earned an early lead and I would have to make up 6 points in the final day to win. Low Center of Gravity Tames Torque A lot of novice (or hard-headed) shooters make the mistake to push their cartridges to the max, and disregard more accurate loads at lower velocity. The most common problem is wait-time custom die orders can take months to be completed. What are the best components for an F-Open class rifle, and why? Thats a question that I get asked all the time and will try to answer in this article. The rifle was smithed by Dave Bruno., Share the post "Sunday Gunday: Pride & Joy Guns of Summer from Our Forum". Henry: At the Nationals, I used my 17-lb Light Gun for both Light and Heavy Class. Best powders in most barrels are Varget and H4350, I dont use double-based powders such as Reloder 17 and the Vihtavuori N500 series because of their unpredictable performance day to day (greater temp sensitivity). Here is a striking camo-finished Elesio (Competition Machine) Tubegun chambered for 7mm SAUM. I think thats why Ive been able to build loads that consistently deliver single-digit Extreme Spreads with ultra-low SDs. Norms F-Open rig features a McMillan Kestros ZR stock and Bartlein barrel chambered for the .284 Shehane, which has a bit more case capacity than a standard .284 Winchester. If you are unsure whether this rod guide is for your rifle, please give us a call or shoot us an email. However, the challenge in shooting this rifle was recoil management. I put any variables aside for sighters. This stunning .284 Shehane rifle was constructed as a raffle prize to benefit Team USA members preparing for the F-Class World Championship. You Better Believe It". Since 2009, Forum members have posted photos and descriptions of their most prized firearms. March scopes are also very popular and very well-made. Q: People want to know about your load and your loading methods. Despite the issues I explained in the load development section with low initial velocities on new barrels, I would say the .284 is fairly easy to tune. If youre looking for the recipe for success, get a good action plus a top-tier barrel and great glass. Is there anything unique about your hardware that gave you an edge? Ryan is using 54.0 grains simply as a fire-forming load. Joel currently works as the Supplier Quality Process Engineer for MMI-TruTec, a company that offers barrel surface coatings that can further extend your barrel life. Then give Darrell Jones at DJs Brass a call at 205-461-4680. Get some good equipment and eliminate having issues that can be caused by budget builds. At the end he holds the Oehler Chrono up to the camera so you can view the readout yourself. Andy informed me that this had happened to him with several rifles. This barrel has 2200 rounds through it. Typical load for a Shehane is around 57.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831 SC. By blowing the sidewalls out 0.010, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. The 6.5X47 Lapua was designed for 300-meter competition, but as soon as it was released, it was adopted by F-Class, benchrest, and tactical shooters. It is a no-brainer for long range F-Class or Prone or 1000-yard Benchrest., Scotlands Grant Taylor. However, to truly compare the cost of shooting the two calibers you must figure in barrel life. F-Class Mid-Range matches usually are usually shot at 300, 500, or 600 yards or all three. 284 Winchester Load Data - (Archived) The 284 Shehane is a moderately blown out 284, with 3% extra capacity over the parent case. is formidable indeed. At this stage in life, we now have the time and money to get good equipment and rifles. I've chronicled its development on social media, as well as in prior posts focusing on my decision making process. I went to some VHA jamborees also. ), Norm Harrold Won 2018 F-Class Open Division Nationals with .284 Shehane Rifle. There is no torquing (gun wobbling) when cycling the bolt. My groups were respectable: a four-group, 3.055 Agg. The final component on this rifle is a 12-4256 Nightforce BR with DD-1 reticle set in Leupold Quick Release rings. Q: You are in your 70s now and have only been shooting competitively for a few years. Brux Barrels is not the only company that produces very accurate cut-rifled barrels. My first impression was Wow thats a long stock the forearm is significantly longer than on the original Master Class F-Class prone stock. Over the span of 3,000 rounds, thats a $540.00 savings. To dispense powder, I use a RCBS ChargeMaster set 0.1 grain below my desired load and then weigh them on a Sartorius GD-503 magnetic force restoration scale to get identical charges. The event was well-attended, with excellent turn out for both the Mid-Range and Long-Range cycles. Team LBB: Jay Christopherson, Erik Cortina, Tom Hendricks, Pat Scully, Coach Bob Sebold. YMMV, but this is what Ive observed. Ian, who won his first title last year in Lodi, Wisconsin, said this year was tougher. The barrel is a Blake Machine 1:8-twist finished at 32 inches. In a very short span, Ballard and this rifle racked up an impressive string of performances. At this point the barrel had 439 rounds through it. Typical load for a Shehane is around 57.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831 SC. By blowing the sidewalls out 0.010, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. BC rules in the wind. I noticed that Bryan had been adding aluminum rails to the front of Cerus stocks to lower the center of gravity and improve tracking. In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel! I spend the first part of my 3-minute prep period making sure my front rest and rear bag are in-line. Then the 180gr bullets are seated using a Redding Competition Seating Die. Then we backed the powder charge down until the bolt lift was smooth and the primers were nice and round. If I have switching conditions, I will remove all wind from the scope, slow down, use the flags and mirage, still holding off. You may not reproduce original text or photos without advanced permission in writing. recoil reduction system (hydraulic-damped buttpad), Bix N Andy trigger, and Nightforce Competition scope. It had 2000 as a straight .284 Win and then I set it back to .284 Shehane to form brass with. Do not go for the hottest loads, which just reduces brass life. But my .284, with its high-BC Berger 180s, shot inside both the 6.5 and 300 by at least 3 every time. I use Lapua brass (6.5-284 necked-up), CCI BR-2 primers, Hodgdon H4350 powder, and Berger 184gr bullets. Unless you really get some exotic woods they all seem to blend together. Next Last. I also sought barrel life that would be far superior to that of a 7mm WSM or 6.5-284. Hydro-Forming News .284 Shehane, 6 PPC, 6 BRA, 6 Dasher and More I have a few barrels chambered in 284 Shehane. I used a Fulghum (Randolph Machine) front rest with an Edgewood bag made with the low-friction 3M material. The "new" 284 Winchester on left is handloaded to exceed its SAAMI overall length for a custom fit in a long-throat barrel. Nobody I spoke with had ever experienced this problem until I spoke with a very knowledgeable F-Class shooter named Andy Amber. He is always trying new ideas. My load for all barrels is 52g 2209 with 180vlds. Fellow .284 Shehane shooter Erik Cortina notes that the .284 Shehane has a velocity edge over the straight .284 Win because it holds more powder: The Shehane has more capacity than the .284 Winchester. [The load was] 180 Hybrids with 54.0 grains of H4831 SC. ***.284 WIN LOADS*** 284 shehane .317 neck 54 gr 4831sc Lapua brass 6.5x284 necked up 180 Berger hybrids 5 thousands off lands Fire forming brass does this at 100 yards 5 shot group. For F-TR you can shoot either the .223 Rem or .308 Win, but you have many load options. I didnt have a good paintwork place so I had to improvise. Henry: Youre never too old. This is one sport where you can be a champion in later life., Click on Rifle Photos to View Full-screen Versions. Hard to imagine it still makes weight with a wood stock and a 36 power Leopold. Q: How much of your success do you credit to really accurate rifles, versus superior shooting skills? This not only saves barrel wear, but it saves you trips to the range for the purpose of fire-forming. My load came back together with 54.5 grains of H4831sc. Does this really help reduce extreme spread? It shoots better then I do. The rifle features a single-feed Alpin action, with Hart 26 1:8-twist barrel, chambered for the 6BRX (6mmBR wildcat) with .269 neck. It was one week before the match and I had a rifle and no rounds. Bryan Litz won both the Mid-Range and Long-Range 2015 Championships using 215s. The 284 Shehane is amazing, very forgiving and not temperamental. I encountered vertical, vertical, and more vertical. I would also encourage other older shooters not to quit. With N560 or Reloder 17 you can go even faster. To me, the 284/shehane is proven. It had 2000 as a straight .284 Win and then I set it back to .284 Shehane to form brass with. Bryan never seems to be happy with the status quo. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. Other components are: Borden BRMXD LBRP DLC-coated action, Bartlein 32, 4 groove, 1:8.5-twist 400MOD steel barrel, and TriggerTech Diamond trigger. The .284 Shehane is a slightly modified wildcat that retains the same 35 shoulder as the parent case. Henry: I had true Heavy Guns with 5-inch fronts and 3-inch rears. After the NC State Champs, the gun went into hibernation for the winter. This handsome rifle, which belongs to Forum member J.J.Coe, represents the state-of-the-art for 100/200-yard benchrest rifles. We know that Krieger, Bartlein, Satern, and Hawk Hill Custom all make fine cut-rifled barrels as well. Ya, I figured why not I had some old barrels laying around so I just chopped 2 off the back and 1 off the front and chambered it up as a Shehane. We also remove the carbon build-up in muzzle brakes. Jason Jumped to Open Class after Starting with F-TR One of the most popular features of our Shooters Forum is the ongoing Pride and Joy Rifle thread. If your barrel or bullets are average, dont expect to perform above average in competition. 1000-yard shooting keeps us all humble, but we still keep trying to see how good we can do. In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel! The big bore shooters believe a heavier bullet flies better in unpredictable wind conditions. OK, if we now net the barrel cost savings (-$.25) for the .284 with the higher cost of 7mm reloading components (+$.07), I figure the .284 Win costs $.18 per round LESS to shoot than the 6.5-284. I use the Omega powder trickler with a Sartorius GD-503 lab-grade balance to achieve that. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. I would not go any hotter in the interest of case life. Precision Rifle & Tools F-Class stock fit this bill to perfection. After sizing, the case mouths are cleaned with a spinning bronze brush. The rifle is fitted with a red dot sight, ammo caddies, Ranger Point M-LOK handguard, and a modernized modular buttstock. The .284 uses a grain or two more powder than the 6.5-284, and 7mm bullets cost about $6.00 more per 100-count box. Forum member Darrell Jones offers a full range of brass prep, brass forming, and brass restoration (annealing, ultra-sonic cleaning) at very affordable prices. Duane decided to have the barrel chambered for my 284 KMR IMP (Improved) wildcat. My fireform loads are going 2765 FPS. The gun gets transported in a Pelican Hard case when I travel. Henry: I had 20/10 vision when I was young, but am down to only 20/20. Big accuracy windows allow loads to perform well in different conditions and geographical locations. I have shot this in 3x600 matches with good results. The turnaround is usually less than five days. Always be ready to learn something new. That is pretty good speed from a 26" with H4350. The standard way to fireform for the 284 Shehane is to load ammo with 54gr H4831SC (a standard load for the parent cartridge) and a 180gr Berger Hybrid seated into the lands and go shoot a match or at the range. I dont shoot free recoil and a comfortable pistol grip is super important to me when selecting a stock. He said he had just the stock that I could use, and sent that to Bryan Blake at Blake Machine. I am not saying that button-rifled barrels are not capable of shooting as well as cut-rifled barrels, but on average, in my experience, four out of five cut-rifled barrels (from top makers) will shoot well, vs. three out of five buttoned barrels. After trying other solvents, I have gone back to Wipe-outs Carb-Out and Patch-Out products. The shooters then exchanged rifles and we repeated the test a couple times. Tips for F-Class Competitors 10 shot group at 100 yards off bipod with back bag, (would like to have that first shot back) . I will run it through its paces shortly and see how well it does. The barrel was near-new; this was the first time I had used it this year. NOTE: After cases are hydro-formed by Darrell, every case is washed, cleaned and re-annealed. With the .284 Shehane, my bolt cycles like there is no case to eject. Shooters may experiment with either shooting style to find what suits them best. Crossed the scale at 11.7lbs. Here is member Quest45s handsome lever-action Henry .45-70 Gov and Glock 40 10mm. Comparison: 6.5-284, .284 Win, and 300 WSM Now that Lapua and Peterson has released 284 Winchester brass, this could alleviate the need to neck up 6.5 brass. I asked people that shot both the Shehane and the straight 284 about the pros and cons. This procedure is recommended by Joel Kendrick, the 2004 IBS 600-yard Shooter of the Year. Thanks Cody! Great information and write up Cody. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Many eye-catching rifles start with a great paint job. A 22 Dasher can rival the ballistics of a 6mmBR out to 500+ yards, but with reduced recoil. This sports a suppressed, 26 MTU 1:7.5-twist barrel. And Darrells turn-around time is typically very fast. It is a no-brainer for long range F-Class or Prone or 1000-yard Benchrest., If you look at that 5-round group you might think it was shot with a 6 PPC or maybe a 6mmBR. Forum member Grimstod posted this nice 6BRX in a scenic setting: Bill Goad at Premier Accuracy crated this fantastic 6BRX. Im very exacting in my loading procedures. Some of my cases have been fired at least 10 times with primer pockets reasonably firm. Q: What are the advantages of your stocks 5-wide fore-end and 3-wide rear plate? Ill make my wind call while the target is in the pits; if my previous shot went where I thought it would I will take my next shot as soon as the target stops. If you put a bullet into a clean case, it will be jerky when seating the bullet. My old straight .284 load at 2890 fps had ES spread in single digits for 10 shots. 1; 2; Next. On the old F-Class targets I would have been content with a Leupold 8-25 LRT, but on the new target a scope with 1/8-MOA adjustments and high magnification is a must. Best bullets for the 6mm Dasher are: Vapor Trail 103gr, Berger 105 Hybrid, 108 BT, and 105 VLD (hunting). This has proven to be a valuable tool in my load development. _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-6323545-2']); It offers great ballistics with very low recoil and big accuracy window. I chose this action based on BAT Machines impeccable reputation. The barrel is a Blake Machine 1:8-twist finished at 32 inches. I chose Bryan for two reasons first, I have shot with him a few times at National matches and he is approachable and very helpful. NOTE: Charles Ballard always employs eye and ear protection when shooting. In this sport, you can excel even in your 60s, 70s and beyond. I figured if I get it up to 2935-2950 fps that will be a point or two saved in a several day match. DJs Brass Service now offers custom case hydro-forming to your exact specs. I asked the guy in the yard about it and he said it had been returned because it had too much figure for the job the customer was working on. I bought a BAT three lug from Tom Mousel in Montana. Sign In. Hydro-Form Specialty cases (such as Dasher) $0.60 (sixty cents) each minimum of 100 pieces plus actual return shipping cost 2018 was my first National event and was a learning experience for me. The paper tells the rest of the story. Cleaning Procedures For cost comparisons sake, lets use 1,200 rounds for the 6.5-284 and 3,000 rounds for the .284 Win. Here are testimonials from recent customers. Tommy made my other stocks as well. I will travel to the F-Class Nationals in Raton as well. DJs Brass can process everything from .17 Fireball all the way up to the big magnum cases. [Editor: The equipment lists at major F-TR matches will confirm Kovans conclusion here. Note the block fitted to the tubular fore-end so the rifle rides smooth and steady on the Rodzilla T-Rex joystick front rest. The 6.5 and 300 stayed consistently within an inch of each other. For starters, a .300 WSM is certainly capable of winning mid-range matches but it is not ideal. In 2008, I went to the Williamsport Benchrest School with a friend from Pennsylvania, John Haas. ), Darrell Jones of DJs Brass Service went far beyond the call of duty, to assist me [with my first] IBS match. I had used the ball expander in the die to neck the cases up from 6.5 to 7mm. Mike Plunkett finished second, while also setting a new F-TR record, 200-16X, also matched by Ray Gross. We loaded 53.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831sc and shot one round, cleaned, shot three rounds, cleaned, then shot 10 rounds and cleaned. The cost of reloading the .284 Win is roughly $.07 more per round than that of the 6.5-284. I've not shot any of these but there's plenty of info out there. with holes in the buttstock and forend. In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel! Thanks for taking the time. New .300 WSM F-Class rifle, with stock finished by Forum member Cigar Cop. Jerry said go for it and, as it turned out, the rifle delivered the velocity I wanted, plus extraordinary accuracy to boot. This insures the gun returns to the same spot after recoil. In C.I.P. Turns out this was my fault. I would stay away from the .223 Remington. Last year I shot a 3.348 10-shot group at 1000 with my .284 Win Heavy Gun fitted with a Time Precision Tuner. IMPORTANT: Contact Darrell for shipping instructions BEFORE sending brass for processing. Bryan did all the stock work and fitted the action, rails, and RAD recoil pad. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; This was the first five rounds through it after I cleaned it after the last match. This was the second straight F-TR title for Ian, who also won at Lodi, Wisconsin in 2017. Darrell tells us: At DJs Brass, we can handle all your brass refurbishing needs. Aeon adds: The chamber was cut by Mark Chesesbro of Chesebro Rifles. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc, with long barrels. Trigger: I recommend and use Jewell triggers. The Oehler consistently gave me readings of 2892 fps to 2902 fps with an SD of 4 fps using once-fired brass. The stocks track perfectly. Henry worked hard, learned fast, and pursued accuracy with a vengence. I am an average 1000-yard shooter, but I do work hard getting the most out of my rifles. What is your barrel cleaning procedure? Well there IS a better solution you can have your new brass hydro-formed to your exact specifications for a reasonable cost. This has a McMillan Kestros ZR stock fitted with a RAD (spring-loaded buttpad) system with custom spring. I used to shoot F-TR before this and made the transition to Open last season. Henry: For my .284 Shehane at the Nationals, I loaded 52.5 grains of Hodgdon H4350 and Federal BR-2 primers behind Berger 180gr VLDs. If you get the same push on the same bullet with the same neck tension, good things are going to happen. Down one mark cut the group in half! The .284 Shehane Accurate and Forgiving Wildcat However, to REALLY make a difference, you would need to get a cartridge capable of launching those 180's at a minimum of 3050+! Here he is with parents Karen and Ken Klemm. The .284 Shehane has won in Benchrest as well as F-Class competition. Vihtavuori has added new loads to the available reloading data, and this time we're also offering data for the .284 Winchester! However, by blowing the sidewalls out 0.010, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. Using a tuner is easier than messing around changing loads and tweaking seating depths. Four other people have shot their first 1000-yard matches with my rifles, including my wife, and all of them won relays! How did you manage to beat shooters who are decades younger? My old straight .284 load at 2890 fps had ES spread in single digits for 10 shots. I remember that only few years ago, an F-Open rifle that could shoot sub-one-inch of vertical at 300 yards was considered competitive. I felt the same result could be had with a Light Gun. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. But no, this was done with heavy 180gr Berger Hybrid bullets and the .284 Shehane, an improved version of the .284 Winchester. Just before Nationals, I tried going up and down one marker. After the brass is sorted, I chamfer the case mouths with an RCBS VLD tool. Two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood hold four IBS targets. Share the post "Sunday GunDay: Back-to-Back Championship Winning .284 Win". And F-Class guys if youre shooting a .284 Win-based case in F-Open you should definitely read Henrys precision reloading advice. Ian used a Vortex 15-60X52mm Golden Eagle scope (as did runner-up Ted Plunkett). You can make enormous progress in a few seasons. After getting in late one Saturday night, I forgot to clean my rifle. Henry also runs a combo tuner/muzzle-brake. Forum member JHN did this job himself. This prize rifle features all top-of-the-line components: Borden BRMXD Action, Cerus multi-laminate stock with forearm extension, R.A.D. Below is a video by Editor F-Class John, showing the features of the Kestros ZR stock. 2910. You dont want to chuck out brass that costs a buck a case (or more)! In the rear I use a special-order Protekor rear Doctor bag with ears spaced 3 inches apart. The front rest is a SEB Max (see above). What can you reveal? I work up from that reduced charge weight in increments of 0.3 grains. Record Fire The first order of business was to get the action ordered, knowing how long it would take to get a BAT left bolt, right port action, plus scope rail, and trigger guard. Have you learned important techniques from other Forum members and other shooters? This would provide better support for a very long barrel and give more bedding surface. Create False Shoulder for Fire-Forming (Call for Price). This red rig features a Borden B action (Jewell trigger) fitted with a Lederer 1:14-twist barrel with a Loker tuner. For these photos, he removed safety glasses. Team LBB shot well, to earn a second straight Mid-Range National Title, and grab second (Silver) at Long Range. He is also doing a ton of fire-forming for the 100/200 benchrest crowd, hydro-forming 220 Russian into 6 PPC. CALIBER CHOICE: The Case for the .284 Win. My bullets were so consistent that I did not sort by bearing surface. Sighter Strategies If you need formed brass for a new build (gun not yet fired), let me know and I will size the brass to fit within .001 of a PT&G GO gauge.. The .284 Shehane shoots inside the 6.5 AND the straight .284, the .300 WSM, and the .300 Win Mag with less recoil. This rifle has a 1.55, round BAT LP/RE action, fitted with a Bartlein barrel chambered for the .284 Shehane (an improved version of the .284 Winchester). Q: Henry, you have been a Forum member for many years. This includes Tikka T3X and many Tikka and Sako rifles. My 284 Shehane is my favourite rifle, built as a mountain rifle for hunting further and deeper into the Alpine in the search of elusive Sambar deer, it has achieved its performance goals and then some. In 1999, Norma submitted it to CIP. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); Editors NOTE: These numbers are 10 years old. Another great service DJs Brass provides is precision neck-turning. I have a 29 barrel also though since its a setback. Another significant improvement is that the toe of the stock is flat and parallel to the forearm. Load Data. We started with all white on the stock and came up with the idea of an American Flag on the buttstock. Dies for an Improved .284 Win Cartridge Shooter's Reference Load Data for .284 Winchester .284 Winchester - Manufacturer Loading Data Pistol Rifle Cowboy Bullet Type Primer Case Trim Length C.O.L . After hydro-forming, Darrell can also neck-turn the case for an additional charge (call for combined quote). The 284 is already a pretty straight case and comes with a 35 shoulder so I'm not sure it would be worth the extra time and money to blow it out to a 40. Hornady 284 Winchester Match bullets Hornady offers 4 bullets in .284 ranging from 162grain to 190grain similar to the other offerings in terms of bullet weight. Henrys Championship-winning rig is shown below. Joel explains: I like to have relatively new brass always ready. Henry: I have followed the AccurateShooter Forum since 2008. In second place was Team McMillan with 1553-53X: Paul Phillips, Derek Rodgers, Jeff Rorer, Brad Sauve, John Droelle (Captain), Ray Gross (Coach). The photo above shows multiple wood-stocked Palma rifles belonging to Forum member SParker. Thats way too hot. But no, this was done with heavy 180gr Berger Hybrid bullets and the .284 Shehane, an improved version of the .284 Winchester. Here are some of our favorite Pride and Joy rifles recently showcased in our Forum. The new barrel on this rifle was tested using the same load. Ian Klemm won his Second Straight F-TR National Championship last week. Its amazing what you can learn from a rifle that is as sensitive as this one., This impressive rifle features an antique 1917 Enfield action chambered for the .338 Win Magnum cartridge. With a good set-up, older guys can compete with anyone out there. He is a great shooter and a great gun-builder as well. All Kriegers. In this section, Charles Ballard explains the basics of shooting an F-Class match, from the initial prep period to end of match. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc, with long barrels. He was 66 at the time. We comparison-tested a 6.5-284 rifle launching 142 SMKs at 2975 fps, a 300 WSM rifle firing 210 Bergers at 2850 fps, and my .284 Winchester shooting 180 Bergers at 2900 fps.