Reloading 284 Winchester

I just picked up a 284win sporterized hunting rifle and getting introduced to the ammo (un)availability.

Is anyone here reloading 284win that could give me some pointers?

I'm finding that even brass is hard to come by and I'm looking into necking-up 6.5-284 norma brass. I read about tapered expanders and wondering which would be the best to purchase. (Do most modern die sets include a tapered expander already?)

Any help would be appreciated.

Based on my reloading books, the 284 Winchester is a very strange round.

Especially the case head area.

I would be leery about trying to modify other cases.

If you are new to reloading, you really picked a winner to learn on.

May be easier to find a rifle that doesn't require 284 ammo.

Good luck with it.

Not new to reloading, just not old...

The rifle is my Father's Bear rifle, so it's a journey I'm gonna take regardless..

thanks

You're going from a 6.5mm neck to (roughly) a 7.21mm neck, considering my own dies normally have a taper to the expander (Lee & Hornady) - you could always just give one casing a go and see how it behaves. It's not like you're necking it up to take a .338 round...

I neck up .243 for .260 use, no custom dies/expander, just standard Hornady Custom grade dies. They neck up beautifully.

There are rifles actually chambered in 284 Winchester?!?!

I thought people just bought the brass to make 7.5 Schmidt-Rubin cases for their Swiss rifles.

I load for quite a few different wildcat cartridges and with that going up or down two or three calibers sizes forming brass is no big deal at all. To blow a neck out is pretty easy, I use Redding dies for most of my wildcat rifle dies and I always order their tapered expander for what cartridge I am forming.
Reddings Tapered size button kits are made just to expand necks up to the desired size.

85MikeTPI said:

I just picked up a 284win sporterized hunting rifle and getting introduced to the ammo (un)availability.

Is anyone here reloading 284win that could give me some pointers?

I'm finding that even brass is hard to come by and I'm looking into necking-up 6.5-284 norma brass. I read about tapered expanders and wondering which would be the best to purchase. (Do most modern die sets include a tapered expander already?)

Any help would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

What kind of rifle?

What do you want to shoot with the ammo you load? Targets? Game?

Not knowing the answers, I would suggest going with lighter to mid-weight bullets to get the most out of the short action rifle it is probably chambered in.

I know you said "sporterized", but just in case you are loading for one of the old lever guns, be sure to resize fully and keep pressure moderate to avoid extraction issues.

iH8DemLibz said:

Based on my reloading books, the 284 Winchester is a very strange round.

Especially the case head area.

Click to expand...

The unusual design is called a 'rebated rim' and the original purpose was to retain the .30-06 rim diameter (as to more easily work with more rifles) while providing a bit more powder capacity in a short action. IOW, they made the body fatter than the rim so it would hold more powder and still run with a standard bolt face.

The capacity and capability are similar to the .280 Remington and 7mm-06 when used in a long action rifle. The .280 was consider a superior cartridge by many because it could use longer, heavier bullets more easily. Heavy bullets had to be seated too deeply in the .284 Win because it was originally designed as a short action cartridge. Deep seated heavy bullet intrude into the powder space, and like the .308 with 190 SMKs, there comes a point where is just isn't practical.

A similar situation exists with the 6.5-284, and to get the most from either the parent .284 and the 6.5-284, many/most folks chamber these in long actions. I have two 6.5-284s; one in a Rem 700 LA and the other in a 721, so that bullets can be seated out longer to make more powder space is available and make the heavier bullets feasible.

I would be leery about trying to modify other cases.

Click to expand...

The 6.5-284 cases the OP considers using were originally based on the .284 Winchester he wishes to make from them. There is no hazard here.

If you are new to reloading, you really picked a winner to learn on.

Click to expand...

The only issue is brass availability and the only one I know of making them regularly is Hornady.

May be easier to find a rifle that doesn't require 284 ammo.

Good luck with it.

Click to expand...

Once cases are found or made, it is as easy to load for as anything else.

BradMacc82 said:

You're going from a 6.5mm neck to (roughly) a 7.21mm neck, considering my own dies normally have a taper to the expander (Lee & Hornady) - you could always just give one casing a go and see how it behaves. It's not like you're necking it up to take a .338 round...

I neck up .243 for .260 use, no custom dies/expander, just standard Hornady Custom grade dies. They neck up beautifully.

Click to expand...

I'd agree that just trying one in your dies before expecting too many complications is the best plan at this time.

One thing I have found to be helpful when reforming cases like this is to trim the case perfectly square, chamfer the inside of the case neck generously and use plenty of good lube (Imperial sizing wax). This helps reduce case neck distortion from not starting into the die straight.

Furious George said:

There are rifles actually chambered in 284 Winchester?!?!

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Not many modern mass produced rifles, but in high end custom guns, the cartridge is making a comeback in the long range match environment as people become more tired of barrel burners and excess recoil associated with the 7mm mags.

E.Shell said:

One thing I have found to be helpful when reforming cases like this is to trim the case perfectly square, chamfer the inside of the case neck generously and use plenty of good lube (Imperial sizing wax). This helps reduce case neck distortion from not starting into the die straight.

Click to expand...

While my words don't carry the weight and experience that Ed's do, the above is spot on with my own (limited) experience in necking up brass so far.

The chamfer definitely helps getting the expander ball going.

E.Shell said:

What kind of rifle?

What do you want to shoot with the ammo you load? Targets? Game?

I know you said "sporterized", but just in case you are loading for one of the old lever guns, be sure to resize fully and keep pressure moderate to avoid extraction issues.

Once cases are found or made, it is as easy to load for as anything else.I'd agree that just trying one in your dies before expecting too many complications is the best plan at this time.

Click to expand...

It would be a target (non-competitive) gun.

It is a german mauser bolt action that has been fitted to a custom 284win barrel and sporter stock. No idea of it's history prior to my Father getting it in the late 60s'

I don't have a set of dies yet, looking to purchase. So I think the Hornaday would be a good choice since the RCBS sounds like it has a steeper-ramp expander.

Thanks for everyone's insight!

The Mauser M-98 is a long action, so you can take advantage of all of your case capacity by seating bullets as long as your rifling will permit.

You might measure your rifling twist rate to get an idea of what bullet weights (lengths) you can use, but a safe bet would be something in the 140+/- grain zone.

H4350 is a decent powder and will get you close to top velocities with bullets in this weight range.

If and when you can find H4350.

Been striking out in numerous places lately, online and in person.

Dieselfarmboy has a 284, bad assed round. Short magnum before they were invented!

BradMacc82 said:

If and when you can find H4350.

Been striking out in numerous places lately, online and in person.

Click to expand...

I know it isn't very helpful, but Greentop (down here near Richmond) has jugs of almost all Hodgdon rifle powders in stock. One of my students texted me two days ago to tell me they have H4350 and H1000, powders we both use a lot of.

When I ran the trap/skeet range over at Ft. Meade, we used to pool our money and run down to Greentop to buy shotgun stuff, most notably shot and powder. Maybe some of you guys can do a road trip one Saturday and split gas costs.

E.Shell said:

I know it isn't very helpful, but Greentop (down here near Richmond) has jugs of almost all Hodgdon rifle powders in stock. One of my students texted me two days ago to tell me they have H4350 and H1000, powders we both use a lot of.

When I ran the trap/skeet range over at Ft. Meade, we used to pool our money and run down to Greentop to buy shotgun stuff, most notably shot and powder. Maybe some of you guys can do a road trip one Saturday and split gas costs.

Click to expand...

It is helpful, it's one more place to try.

I make it out to Dale City from time to time, so a trip down to Richmond area isn't out of the question, especially if they have what I'm looking for.

Thanks for everyone's help and advice. I grabbed a set of Hornaday Dies and some Nosler 6.5x284 brass on sale from Midway and just finished resizing them. It was uneventful and the upsized new brass was still 0.020" under max length and didn't require trimming.

I have a pound of RL17 and a pound of 4350 to test some loads.

Can't wait to get to the range and try it out..