I am an average 1000-yard shooter, but I do work hard getting the most out of my rifles. The new Master Class Low Profile stock shares the same grip as the old model. It was a family affair this year for the Klemm clan. Bolt timing, ejection, and feeding is going to be messed up. If I feel there is a constant condition, I will click for the wind. About his two guns he posted: All I need is a can of bear spray. The 6.5-284 wins its share of matches, and is a true tack-driver when tuned right. I encountered vertical, vertical, and more vertical. Primer pockets start to get a little looser and the brass seems to need more sizing than the newer brass with less firings.. The .284 Shehane shoots inside the 6.5 AND the straight .284, the .300 WSM, and the .300 Win Mag with less recoil. He was 66 at the time. DJs Brass Service now offers custom case hydro-forming to your exact specs. March scopes are also very popular and very well-made. However, by blowing the sidewalls out 0.010, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. Ryan is using 54.0 grains simply as a fire-forming load. At the time I was shooting a 300 WSM. The last segment of prep time is spent trying to dope the wind. Here is a striking camo-finished Elesio (Competition Machine) Tubegun chambered for 7mm SAUM. Its throated for the 180gr Bergers. The only goal I have is to obtain the lowest ES and SD I possibly can. Team Lapua-Brux-Borden captured the F-Open Mid-Range Championship with a strong performance. Note the block fitted to the tubular fore-end so the rifle rides smooth and steady on the Rodzilla T-Rex joystick front rest. Dan says: The Anschutz provides good practice in trigger-pulling. The stock in laminate weighs 3lbs. After my first string this load started hammering. This includes Tikka T3X and many Tikka and Sako rifles. At the end he holds the Oehler Chrono up to the camera so you can view the readout yourself. These upgrades make it a thoroughly-modern Henry lever gun for the 21st Century. Four other people have shot their first 1000-yard matches with my rifles, including my wife, and all of them won relays! I actually shot the hydro-formed brass in a match [without further fire-forming]. I think this dog will hunt!, Share the post "Sunday Gunday: December Pride & Joy Rifles". Q: Some people say the .284 Shehane is not as accurate as the straight .284 Winchester. .284 Shehane Load Development He formed the brass and had it in the mail the next day[.] IMPORTANT: Contact Darrell for shipping instructions BEFORE sending brass for processing. It was one week before the match and I had a rifle and no rounds. [This] caliber has awesome accuracy. The bolt carrier will most likely be slamming into the back of your action as well, which is obviously bad. Ian Klemm won his Second Straight F-TR National Championship last week. On top is a Leupold 40x45mm scope on a Picatinny rail that Grimstod machined himself. The rifle features a BAT B Action. Henry: I do not consider myself another Carlos Hathcock or some master marksman. Tuning Loads for the .284 Win Improved Cartridges Henry also runs a combo tuner/muzzle-brake. been shooting mine for years with a 25 inch 9 twist the 160 class will make 2950+ pretty easy but the 180 class even with a full case of rl-26 will start trashing brass pretty quick once you start getting near 2900 fps. Im very exacting in my loading procedures. Dies for an Improved .284 Win Cartridge Always be ready to learn something new. If there is a down-side to the .284 it would be recoil. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc, with long barrels. with 130-, 140-, 150-, and 160-grain bullets are 3,130, 3,079, 2,968, and 2,864 fps respectively. This gun has more than exceeded my expectations, winning matches and setting a new 1000-yard, single-target F-Class National Record (200-13X). Single digit ES (Extreme Spread) is the goal. Ian Klemm shot great to win the F-TR National Championship. The .284 Shehane is a slightly modified wildcat that retains the same 35 shoulder as the parent case. Bryan did all the stock work and fitted the action, rails, and RAD recoil pad. What methods are you using to ensure consistent bullet release? How important is practice, and what do you do during a typical practice session? Q: You believe consistent neck tension (i.e. Then use the tuner and tune the barrel to the load. I have shot this in 3x600 matches with good results. For starters, a .300 WSM is certainly capable of winning mid-range matches but it is not ideal. Jason Jumped to Open Class after Starting with F-TR I work up from that reduced charge weight in increments of 0.3 grains. The price for a 'Big Dawg' in Rutland laminate is $545. And he tells us Those guys in Montana are keeping me very busying hydro-forming the 6BR Ackley (6 BRA). Precision Rifle & Tools F-Class stock fit this bill to perfection. Last year I shot a 3.348 10-shot group at 1000 with my .284 Win Heavy Gun fitted with a Time Precision Tuner. There are many improved variants of the original .284 Winchester: 7mm Walker, .284 Shehane, .284 Ackley and so on. What is .284 KMR IMP and why choose it over the straight .284 Winchester? balk at spending x amount of $$$ on a given piece of reloading gear that can provide tangible results, while easily spending several times that on the . It offers great barrel life, it is super-easy to tune and its recoil is very manageable. A 22 Dasher can rival the ballistics of a 6mmBR out to 500+ yards, but with reduced recoil. Once you get it formed I would push it faster than that or I wouldnt even bother with the Shehane. After trying Federal 210m primers, CCI BR-2 primers, light tension, heavy tension, jamming, jumping, we settled on 56.0+ grains of H4831sc with CCI BR-2 primers. This rifle now has 554 rounds through it, but only .003 throat erosion. One of the most popular features of our Shooters Forum is the ongoing Pride and Joy thread. Multi-Discipline Versatility After hydro-forming your brass, Darrell can also neck-up or neck-down the cases to meet your needs. Had 1000 pieces to fireform and didnt want to do all that on a brand new barrel. 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 rifle began its life as a Will McClosky Cerus stock. No bad reports about the new lots and the new box I have fireformed seem just as tight. This is the .284 Winchester rig that Charles Ballard used to win back-to-back F-Open titles in 2008 and 2009. How did you get so good so fast? I have a 29 barrel also though since its a setback. Father Ken also competed at the Nationals, shooting great in both individual and team events. Lapua makes great brass for it (no surprise there) and Berger makes great bullets: 130gr VLD, 140gr VLD, 140gr Hybrids. This was the second straight F-TR title for Ian, who also won at Lodi, Wisconsin in 2017. My old straight .284 load at 2890 fps had ES spread in single digits for 10 shots. ***.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 cost comparisons sake, lets use 1,200 rounds for the 6.5-284 and 3,000 rounds for the .284 Win. Dont lose your accuracy by having carbon build up and close off the clearance required for the most accurate bullet release through a muzzle brake. Note: Extra charges apply for neck-turning and neck expansion operations, or specialized cartridge-forming operations. At the 2008 Nationals in Lodi, Wisconsin, Charles shot a 1337-65X with Berger 180gr bullets. About the Patriotic Paint Job Do you trickle to the kernel? The barrel is a Blake Machine 1:8-twist finished at 32 inches. That is almost exactly where I run my 26 7 Saum with 180s and RL 23. Henry: Youre never too old. This article will focus on proven choices, currently used by the top F-Class shooters in the world. This made the extraction of fired cases very difficult. the 284 win is one of those overlooked cartridges. If your barrel or bullets are average, dont expect to perform above average in competition. ), Norm Harrold Won 2018 F-Class Open Division Nationals with .284 Shehane Rifle. Jason explains why he selected the .284 Shehane chambering: The .284 Shehane is amazing, very forgiving and not temperamental. In addition to the 6mmBR-based cases shown below, Darrell can now hydro-form 6PPC cases from .220 Russian brass, and he also offers .284 Shehane. And F-Class guys if youre shooting a .284 Win-based case in F-Open you should definitely read Henrys precision reloading advice. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); 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. A 284 Shehane at 2900f.p.s. I noticed that Bryan had been adding aluminum rails to the front of Cerus stocks to lower the center of gravity and improve tracking. After I get the feedback I need from my sighters its time to go for record. The stock was finished in gloss black per the customers request. He was interested in building a rifle with the new Master Class Low Profile F-Open Stock, created by Carl Bernosky and Alex Sitman of Master Class Stocks. But, the added recoil of the .284, even with front and rear rests aligned, took me off target. It is a no-brainer for long range F-Class or Prone or 1000-yard Benchrest., Scotlands Grant Taylor. I do not clean until the match is over. Powder Load Development - 284 Win vs Vihtavuori N165 - YouTube 0:00 / 15:59 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. My bullets were so consistent that I did not sort by bearing surface. Here are some of our favorite Pride and Joy rifles recently showcased in our Forum. I use a K&M Arbor Press with seating force gauge when seating the bullets with a Wilson inline die. 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. The Ultimate F-Open Rig This insures the gun returns to the same spot after recoil. For more info, contact Bill Shehane at (704) 824-7511, or visit his website, www.ScopeUsOut.com. The "old" 284 Winchester on the right is loaded to COAL of 2.8 inches. Now dont get me wrong, at 22 pounds with a decelerator recoil pad, the .284 is comfortable to shoot. Yes old dogs can learn new tricks. But I was hooked after that match. Henry: The sport offers good people and a real challenge. Note how the vertical centerline of the stock is very close to the barrel. Home. After that I play a little with seating depth and look for a change. Sign in Powder Load Development - 284. 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. So I only have to apologize about some red flakes in our bathroom., We like this handsome quilted Maple-stocked Mauser belonging to Forum member Steel Mover. Next I sort the cases into one-grain lots, for example 194.0 to 194.9 grains, then 195.0 to 195.9 grains, and so on. 7mm Short Magnum Options Tommy made my other stocks as well. Mark throated it very long so the the 180gr and 184gr Bergers would sit where they belong., Tuning the 7mm SAUM and Recoil Reduction The barrel is a Blake Machine 1:8-twist finished at 32 inches. This state-of-the-art .284 Shehane F-Open rifle belongs to Forum member Willow. 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). We loaded 53.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831sc and shot one round, cleaned, shot three rounds, cleaned, then shot 10 rounds and cleaned. 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.. Round. The variable power and unobstructed DD-1 reticle of the NF were deciding factors. We would compare notes frequently. I use Hodgdon H4831sc powder, CCI BR2 primers, and pointed 180gr Bergers., Share the post "Accurate Cartridges The .284 Shehane, an Improved .284 Win", Tags: .284 Shehane, .284 Winchester, Erik Cortina, F-Class, F-Open, Improved, Ryan Pierce. Darrell says: Simply send me the brass you need or have it dropped-shipped to me along with a fired case that has not been sized. Crossed the scale at 11.7lbs. The rear bag is a Edgewood EDGEbag Gator. Most importantly, the stock features an extra-long, super-stiff, low profile fore-end. 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. Team LBB: Jay Christopherson, Erik Cortina, Tom Hendricks, Pat Scully, Coach Bob Sebold. Powders include IMR, Hodgdon, Winchester Here are testimonials from recent customers. Then we backed the powder charge down until the bolt lift was smooth and the primers were nice and round. Note the heavy-contour custom barrel with brake. So I had the idea of painting the stock because there are so many wood stocks with clear coat these days. Lesson learned: use an expander when necking-up the brass! I never practice. He won the 2014 United States F-Open Championship, and finished second in F-Open Division at the 2016 Canadian National F-Class Championship in Ontario. Emil Kovan is one of the top F-Class shooters in the world. The most common problem is wait-time custom die orders can take months to be completed. Art Cocchia advised getting a load with a good known accuracy node with minimum extreme spread, which controls vertical. I will travel to the F-Class Nationals in Raton as well. EDITOR: Guys, there is a ton of solid gold information in this article take your time and read it carefully. Tuners definitely can work. That way your fouler shots do double-duty and you get your brass fire-formed without putting extra rounds through your expensive barrel. With the .284 Shehane, you have a .308 bolt face, medium action, and Lapua brass. My purpose was to find a cartridge that would launch the high-BC, 180gr 7mm bullets at competitive velocities for F-Class competition. Heres a gorgeous green 6mm Dasher. with holes in the buttstock and forend. Cleaning Procedures It resembles a 6BR on steroids and it is almost as easy to tune. 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. (Eric Bostrom developed an almost identical unit at the same time. The stock by Precision Rifle & Tool has a 3-longer fore-end which solves the problem. Complete game changer! In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel! This stunning .284 Shehane rifle was constructed as a raffle prize to benefit Team USA members preparing for the F-Class World Championship. This was the first five rounds through it after I cleaned it after the last match. He tells us: In my humble opinion, the .284 Shehane is the best balanced long-range round there is bar none. This is a 1:9 twist, 1.250 straight contour for 32. After I am happy with my set-up, I take a position similar to that of a conventional prone shooter. I figured if I get it up to 2935-2950 fps that will be a point or two saved in a several day match. At this point the barrel had 439 rounds through it. My fireform loads are going 2765 FPS. On this build, I am trying a BixN Andy trigger for the first time. In a match with only two sighters, Ill make a wind call and try to hit the center with my first shot. (function() { He posted: Got this 6.547 Lapua back from my smith about six months ago. You Better Believe It, .284 Shehane Winning Wildcat for F-Open Competition, Sunday GunDay: .284 Shehanes for F-Open Competition. Straight .284 or Shehane you cannot go wrong. Get some good equipment and eliminate having issues that can be caused by budget builds. The 6.5 and 300 stayed consistently within an inch of each other. Best bullets for it are Berger 180gr Hybrids, 195gr EOLs, and Sierras 183gr MatchKing. That 22 BR cartridge is a very effective choice for varmint work, as the ground hog in the photo proves. Yes, thats a long, heavy barrel, but I think the length gives me a velocity advantage. The accompanying data was developed using Sierra bullets fired in a 26-inch Match Grade Machine test . In features a super-low profile carbon composite stock. I usually start to consider tossing the brass around 15 firings. With a standard .284 Winchester, or better yet, a .284 Improved, you can drive the high-BC Berger 180gr and 184gr bullets to competitive velocities. 1 of 2 . Aeon adds: The chamber was cut by Mark Chesesbro of Chesebro Rifles. According to the official C.I.P. Load Data. Ian Klemms winning .308 Win featured a Kelbly Panda action, 30 Bartline 1:10-twist barrel, and McMillan X-IT left-hand stock. Seeing is believing! In this 15-55X NF model, I like the DDR-2 reticle best, because fine cross hairs (FCH) are hard to see in heavy mirage. He is a great shooter and a great gun-builder as well. Andy was spot on. This has proven to be a valuable tool in my load development. Tips for F-Class Competitors After a brief conversation with Alex, I placed an order, and had the stock inletted and bedded at my shop in a month. After record fire begins I shoot very fast, holding off for the wind. Our discussion will analyze cartridge selection based on the four different F-Class sub-disciplines: Open Mid-Range, Open Long-Range, F-TR Mid-Range, and F-TR Long Range. In this game, we older guys can definitely compete on a par with younger shooters. The action is from the first rifle I purchased with my own money 21 years ago (700VSS). The rifle now sports a 24 Brux barrel chambered in 6mm Creedmoor, with aftermarket PT&G Bolt and DBM metal. Q: What kind of precision are you looking for in your reloads? This barrel has 2200 rounds through it. On paper the 90gr VLD will shoot inside most .308 Win loads even at a 1000 yards. Lets just say it didnt go as planned. 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. Sent the pad to Gary Eliseo and he sent it back with the butt plate machined to fit. Q: Henry, you can shoot long-distance on your own property in Missouri. Hard to imagine it still makes weight with a wood stock and a 36 power Leopold. Explore. You dont want to chuck out brass that costs a buck a case (or more)! NEW for 2019! This barrel has 2200 rounds through it. He posted: Went to local paint shops, some cost a two-month work income, some said guns were a no-no. The shooters then exchanged rifles and we repeated the test a couple times. My first impression was Wow thats a long stock the forearm is significantly longer than on the original Master Class F-Class prone stock. 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. In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel! By fire-forming a couple cases after each barrel-cleaning during a match, by the end of the weekend Ive got a dozen or more freshly fire-formed cases to put into the rotation. The 7 SAUM has a punch to it and I found myself having trouble finishing three relays without form problems in the last relay. However, the challenge in shooting this rifle was recoil management. The .284 Light Gun needed a muzzle brake and tuner. More speed, less pressure? I dont primarily shoot for groups. Here is a 6BR Ackley Improved (6BRA) built by Alex Wheeler. That makes the stock stiffer in the vertical plane, reducing the hinging effect forward of the action. })(); To comment on a post, click Post Title or "Comment" Link. We also remove the carbon build-up in muzzle brakes. Best bullets for the 6mm Dasher are: Vapor Trail 103gr, Berger 105 Hybrid, 108 BT, and 105 VLD (hunting). Then the idea of We the People popped into the head. This design rides the bags better than any stock I have ever shot. Tom was shooting a .284 Shehane cartrdige in the new McMillan Kestros stock. All of the above information is based on my personal experience and it is meant to help new shooters choose the right cartridges for F-Class matches. This not only saves barrel wear, but it saves you trips to the range for the purpose of fire-forming. It offers great ballistics with very low recoil and big accuracy window. The winning Klemm clan. Dale also threaded the barrel for a Woolum Accuracy tuner. If you look at that 5-round group you might think it was shot with a 6 PPC or maybe a 6mmBR. I dont shoot free recoil and a comfortable pistol grip is super important to me when selecting a stock. The .284 Win is currently dominating in F-Open competition. It still supported on a 3 forearm and is full length. I am thankful for Robert Ross providing the only match location that I can shoot regularly. After hydro-forming, Darrell can also neck-turn the case for an additional charge (call for combined quote). In F-Open Division, Team Grizzly won the 1000-Yard Team Championship with a 1580-81X score, edging runner up Team Lapua-Brux-Borden by two points (1578-81X). It was still early in the morning and I felt that the heavier bullets would be easier to see against the berm. The Lawn Ranger The "new" 284 Winchester on left is handloaded to exceed its SAAMI overall length for a custom fit in a long-throat barrel. I copied and analyzed many articles, especially on the .284 and the Dashers. This eye-catching F-Open rifle was crafted by Blake Barrel and Rifle in Arizona. For some cartridge types, I can pre-form cases to assist in fire-forming a wildcat cartridge. Sunday Gunday: December Pride & Joy Rifles, Sunday Gunday: Pride & Joy Guns of Summer from Our Forum, Sunday GunDay: .284 Shehanes for F-Open Competition, Save Time and Bullets Fire-Form with your Fouler Shots, Save Time and Barrel Life Let DJs Hydro-Form Your Brass, CLICK HERE for MORE INFO on Hydro-Forming Cartridge Brass, Accurate Cartridges The .284 Shehane, an Improved .284 Win, Sunday GunDay: Back-to-Back Championship Winning .284 Win, Sunday GunDay: We the People .284 Shehane F-Open Rifle, .284 Shehane Winning Wildcat for F-Open Competition, Hydro-Forming, Annealing, Neck-Turning by DJs Brass, Hail the Champions: 2018 F-Class Nationals at Raton, NM, Best F-Class Cartridge Choices For Mid-Range and Long-Range, Henrys Hammer State-of-the-Art .284 Shehane for 1K BR, Is the .284 Shehane Inherently Accurate? Henry: I cringe when I see people wearing out their barrels with bronze brushes between relays. Using 24-inch pressure barrels, maximum velocities for the .284 Win. Its the new pride of the fleet as it shoots as good as it looks. Dealer Locator. With the latest high-BC 7mm bullets, the original .284 Winchester is proving tough competition for its 6.5-284 offspring. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. The only cons I can find are that 284 brass is kinda hard to find! Dont have time to neck-turn hundreds of cases? Up until 2020, this required necking up 6.5-284 to 7mm, then fireforming to a 284 Shehane. Think how much range time (and barrel life) that saved me. Our friend 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. To start this project, I contacted Ray Bowman of Precision Rifle & Tool, PrecisionRifleSales.com. You use less powder than the 7 mags, and have great accuracy and ballistics even while fire-forming. The key here is both calibres are going to shoot around the 2850fps mark accurately with good case and barrel life. In February of 2008, NSSC held its annual winter Palma match. Henry told us: I want to share every lesson Ive learned, so that other guys can improve their game and enjoy the sport more. Henry also wants to encourage other senior shooters: If you pay attention to details (when reloading), and get a good rifle with a good barrel, age is not a handicap. I bought a BAT three lug from Tom Mousel in Montana. I run a 184gr Berger at about 2850 FPS and get great brass life in my other rifles. I thought we had a load dialed-in, so I was fairly confident going to the North Carolina Long-Range State Championships. I recently shot my first 600-yard benchrest match. Do not go for the hottest loads, which just reduces brass life. My .284 barrel now has 1,036 rounds, and by all indications it will shoot well to 3,000+ rounds. This has a McMillan Kestros ZR stock fitted with a RAD (spring-loaded buttpad) system with custom spring. The ST-1000L & F are used in IBS, NBRSA and Williamsport 1000yd. Darrell took the time to advised me every step of the way to allow me to shoot a 3.158 (5) shot group to win my first round of my first competitive match ever. Mike Youngblood, Share the post "Save Time and Barrel Life Let DJs Hydro-Form Your Brass". Does this really help reduce extreme spread? What is not to love about the 284 Shehane? 1000-yard shooting keeps us all humble, but we still keep trying to see how good we can do. Norm revealed his load in an Erik Cortina YouTube Video. Typical load for a Shehane is around 57.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831 SC.". 7mm (.284) remains the caliber to beat in F-Class Open Division (though some shooters have had success with .30-Cal short magnums.) I have a few barrels chambered in 284 Shehane. Cartridge : 6-284 6mm/284 Shehane Bullet : .243, 87, Hornady BTHP 2442 Useable Case Capaci: 60.930 grain H2O = 3.956 cm Cartridge O.A.L. The rear bag also has the new 3M material on contact surfaces (photo at right). Based on the success I had shooting 210s in my 300 WSM with a slower 1:11 twist we opted to go with a 1:9 twist 7mm to shoot the 180gr Bergers. Choices for Mid-Range in Tougher Conditions: Gun builder Ryan Pierce of Piercision Rifles explains: Heres a 5-shot 0.191 group at 100 yards with my .284 Shehane fire-forming loads. Does the extra width make the rifle easier to shoot? Given a 26-inch tube, this number easily launches moly-plated 142-grain Sierra MatchKings at 3,150 fps. Here is the wifes quilted Maple 96 Mauser 6.555. Share the post "Sunday GunDay: .284 Shehanes for F-Open Competition". I clean my barrels at the end of each day when I get home. With a 5-wide hammerhead front and a special 3-wide bag-rider plate in the rear, this 17-lb rig is ultra-stable in the bags, and tracks like a dream. Here are the team members, with Grizzly President Shiraz Balolia top left and coach Trudie Fay in the middle. The .284 Win gives better barrel life with only giving up a few inches to the 7mmRSAUM.