In 1999 Swedish ammunition maker Norma submitted the round under its name for approval by CIP, the European equivalent of SAAMI. Now the 6.5-284 is a standard entry in Norma’s catalog, with a 140-grain Nosler Partition bullet at 2,953 fps. Hornady and Lapua produce cases.

The 6.5-284’s parent, the .284 Winchester, came along in 1963. The first American round with a rebated rim (smaller than case body diameter), it was initially chambered in Winchester Model 88 lever-action and Model 100 autoloading rifles. It appeared also in the Savage 99, Browning BLR and Ruger M77.

With a case length of 2.170 inches, shoulder diameter of .475-inch and shoulder angle of 35 degrees, it holds considerably more propellant than the .308 and kin. (The .308, for which most short bolt actions were fashioned, measures 2.015 inches long and mikes .454 below a 20 degree shoulder). The .284 was designed to deliver .270 and .280 performance from a short-action cartridge. Oddly enough, it seldom gets credit for that achievement, though with 150-grain bullets the three are essentially identical. In the same way, the 6.5-284 duplicates the 6.5-06.

Suitable Applications
An excellent all-around hunting cartridge, the 6.5-284 completes any job you’d assign to a .270. It is best known, however, in long-range, paper-target circles. It launches VLD (very low drag) bullets on flat arcs and has delivered top-of-the-board scores at 1,000 yards. While heavy 30-bore bullets buck the wind a bit better, match bullets for the 6.5-284 are “slippery” indeed. My Ultra Light rifle in this chambering cuts three-quarter-inch groups. Melvin Forbes designed his short UL action with the mid-length 7x57 and .284 families in mind. Though the .284 is loaded stateside to 2.75 inches (like the .308), you’ll get more sizzle from this round by seating bullets farther out. Norma does.

Ballistics
It’s no trick to get 3,400 fps from an 85-grain Sierra in the 24-inch barrel of my 6.5-284. Powders on the slow side of medium work fine: BL-C2, N140, 4064, even W760 and H4350. These two, with N150, Big Game and IMR 4831, push 100-grain Hornadys to 3,300. For bullets 120 grains and heavier, powders like WMR, AA3100, RL-22 and N160 excel. They squeeze 3,150 fps from 120s.

*WARNING: The loads shown here are safe only in the guns for which they were developed. Neither the author nor InterMedia assumes any liability for accidents or injury resulting from the use or misuse of this data.