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. I shot my best-ever 1K Heavy Gun group (3.348) at days end after 60 to 80 rounds. Turns out this was my fault. Henry: I use a tuner or tuner/brake on every barrel. ], Conclusion (and Other Options) Note: With this fouler fire-forming routine, you should ALWAYS do the fire-forming with the SAME POWDER you load for your match ammo. I agree with your fireforming load. If you do this with your fouler shots you get your fire-forming accomplished without using up any extra barrel life.. Straight .284 or Shehane you cannot go wrong. But I was hooked after that match. 0. You use less powder than the 7 mags, and have great accuracy and ballistics even while fire-forming. This barrel has 2200 rounds through it. ALL Bulletin content is copyrighted, 2023 AccurateShooter.com. It resembles a 6BR on steroids and it is almost as easy to tune. Barrel: Duane made another good choice here. On top is a March HM 10-60x56mm scope in March Gen 3 rings. But the majority of Aggregates are probably still being won with 30-caliber bullets shot from some kind of magnum case. 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. I dont primarily shoot for groups. Forum member Jim Hardy has shot the .284 with great success. Ryan is using 54.0 grains simply as a fire-forming load. who used the .284 Shehane to finish third at the 2009 F-Class Worlds in England says the .284 Shehane is very accurate with superb vertical spreads at 1000 yards. In a match with only two sighters, Ill make a wind call and try to hit the center with my first shot. He tells us: I found this piece of wood as a return at a lumber yard about 7-8 years ago. Q: You are in your 70s now and have only been shooting competitively for a few years. The only cons I can find are that 284 brass is kinda hard to find! And the job gets done quickly. All hydro-formed cases are annealed at no extra charge after the forming process. That is almost exactly where I run my 26 7 Saum with 180s and RL 23. 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". And Darrells turn-around time is typically very fast. How did you manage to beat shooters who are decades younger? _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); As much as I like the .284 Win, for long-range competitions I like the .300 WSM even more. I will travel to the F-Class Nationals in Raton as well. Well there IS a better solution you can have your new brass hydro-formed to your exact specifications for a reasonable cost. I use Erics tuner/brakes on all my new barrels.) Just wondering if it is enough for 284W f class. Hydro-forming by Darrell costs $0.60 per case with 100-ct minimum. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; Cody- do You also use the Atlas for competition? Its the most accurate rifle I have ever owned. This rifle features: AG Composites CF stock, Stiller TAC 30 action, Bartlein 5R barrel, TriggerTech Diamond trigger. The final component on this rifle is a 12-4256 Nightforce BR with DD-1 reticle set in Leupold Quick Release rings. Ballard Wins Back-to-Back F-Open Championships Us old guys need all the help we can get. That way your fouler shots do double-duty and you get your brass fire-formed without putting extra rounds through your expensive barrel. Mike Plunkett finished second, while also setting a new F-TR record, 200-16X, also matched by Ray Gross. Amazing..!! March scopes are also very popular and very well-made. Four other people have shot their first 1000-yard matches with my rifles, including my wife, and all of them won relays! I didnt have a good paintwork place so I had to improvise. Jason explains why he selected the .284 Shehane chambering: The .284 Shehane is amazing, very forgiving and not temperamental. Q: Henry, you can shoot long-distance on your own property in Missouri. .284 Shehane Load Development Duane decided to have the barrel chambered for my 284 KMR IMP (Improved) wildcat. Darrell is a hydro-forming wizard who has perfected the process over the last couple of years. I noticed that Bryan had been adding aluminum rails to the front of Cerus stocks to lower the center of gravity and improve tracking. For some cartridge types, I can pre-form cases to assist in fire-forming a wildcat cartridge. Explore. Also, most custom die makers want you to send them two or three cases, each fire-formed three times. This would also severely limit barrel life in a F-Class rifle. One of the most popular features of our Shooters Forum is the ongoing Pride and Joy Rifle thread. I work up from that reduced charge weight in increments of 0.3 grains. 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). Q: What kind of precision are you looking for in your reloads? With the Right Bolt, Left Port action, I can shoot the entire match with minimal movement. At the 2008 Nationals in Lodi, Wisconsin, Charles shot a 1337-65X with Berger 180gr bullets. Q: Some people say the .284 Shehane is not as accurate as the straight .284 Winchester. 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. I selected a Broughton 5C because, as my gunsmith says, They just shoot. He tells us: In my humble opinion, the .284 Shehane is the best balanced long-range round there is bar none. 2016 F-Class Open Canadian Championship, Silver Medal (tied for first on score), 2015 F-Class Open National Championship, Silver Medal, F-Class Open National Championship Teams, 2015, 2014, 2013, Shooting Team Member, Over 15 wins in Regional and State Championships in Palma, F-TR, F-Open, 2017 U.S. National Development Team Member, Share the post "Sunday GunDay: The Modern F-Open Rifle". Heres a tip for guys who shoot the 6 PPC, 6 Dasher, 6 BRA, .284 Shehane, or other wildcat cartridges that require fire-forming. HoustonWe Have a Problem Other components are: Borden BRMXD LBRP DLC-coated action, Bartlein 32, 4 groove, 1:8.5-twist 400MOD steel barrel, and TriggerTech Diamond trigger. This prize rifle features all top-of-the-line components: Borden BRMXD Action, Cerus multi-laminate stock with forearm extension, R.A.D. In the F-Open division, Norm Harrold of Team McMillan shot great from the start, topping the field to win the F-Open division. You may not reproduce original text or photos without advanced permission in writing. I do not weigh brass, bullets, or primers. I went to some VHA jamborees also. There are hundreds of cartridge types capable of winning in F-Open. Up until 2020, this required necking up 6.5-284 to 7mm, then fireforming to a 284 Shehane. If you put a bullet into a clean case, it will be jerky when seating the bullet. I explained to a friend that not lubing the neck is like overhauling an engine without lubing the cylinders. Lesson learned: use an expander when necking-up the brass! Q: During the Nationals, at the last minute you switched guns. This was sent that to Bryan Blake at Blake Machine. Aeon adds: The chamber was cut by Mark Chesesbro of Chesebro Rifles. Speaking of the stock, there was only one choice, a Purple Haze laminated F-class model from Precision Rifle & Tool. Create False Shoulder for Fire-Forming (Call for Price). Winning F-TR Rifle and Load: Jason Jumped to Open Class after Starting with F-TR The same has proven true of my .284 Winchestervertical improves once 50 rounds are through the bore. Since 2009, Forum members have posted photos and descriptions of their most prized firearms. [The load was] 180 Hybrids with 54.0 grains of H4831 SC. I do not clean until the match is over. In 1999, Norma submitted it to CIP. And if youve got a bucket of brass to neck-turn, thats fine with Darrell he recently neck-turned 1500 pieces of brass for one customer! Team Lapua-Brux-Borden captured the F-Open Mid-Range Championship with a strong performance. You use less powder than the 7 mags, and have great accuracy and ballistics even while fire-forming. After that I play a little with seating depth and look for a change. This is a very popular option for F-Open Shooters. 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. My straight .284 almost required me to stand up to eject brass. I shot the .284 Win in heavy gun. The Dasher had actually been giving tighter groups under perfect conditions, but seeing the impact is important. This article will focus on proven choices, currently used by the top F-Class shooters in the world. Ballards Purple Haze rifle features superb components, including a BAT MB action, Nightforce 12-42 BR Scope, and a wickedly accurate 32 Broughton barrel. .284 Shehane Shines in 1K Benchrest Competition Too 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. The ST-1000L & F are used in IBS, NBRSA and Williamsport 1000yd. On a bench you do notice the recoil. My load came back together with 54.5 grains of H4831sc. Dale chambers all my barrels on all my rifles. And now, with the introduction of Reloder 17, the .284 Win is capable of driving 180gr VLDs at nearly 3000 fps, a speed that once demanded a short magnum (or bigger) case. My .284 barrel now has 1,036 rounds, and by all indications it will shoot well to 3,000+ rounds. recoil reduction system (hydraulic-damped buttpad), Bix N Andy trigger, and Nightforce Competition scope. The accompanying data was developed using Sierra bullets fired in a 26-inch Match Grade Machine test . pressure to certify for sale to consumers. Register for the Forum and you can add your favorite gun to the list. The 7mm RSAUM is another outstanding long-range round. Gun builder Ryan Pierce of Piercision Rifles explains: Heres a 5-shot 0.191 group at 100 yards with my .284 Shehane fireforming loads. For a bit more money Darrell can also uniform the primer pockets and chamfer the case necks. The Lapua brass is worth the difference. Unless you really get some exotic woods they all seem to blend together. Have you learned important techniques from other Forum members and other shooters? Powders include IMR, Hodgdon, Winchester After the brass is sorted, I chamfer the case mouths with an RCBS VLD tool. The 168 bergers work great also with vvn165 between 57 and 58g. At my age I am not good at computers. Since I have only reloaded for hunting or magazine fed rifles I was not familiar with proper seating to allow land engagement of the bullets for 1000-yard accuracy. Well, guess what that relay I shot a 200-19x, and the next relay I shot a 200-17x (these scores were on the old, larger F-Class target). I found this very important in holding good elevation (minimal vertical dispersion). This scope is a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle riding in Burris Signature Zee rings. Hard to imagine it still makes weight with a wood stock and a 36 power Leopold. This We the People rifle will be one of my primary rifles for F-Open competition. Above is a nice field rifle built up by a father for his daughter. I had used the ball expander in the die to neck the cases up from 6.5 to 7mm. I use Lapua brass (6.5-284 necked-up), CCI BR-2 primers, Hodgdon H4350 powder, and Berger 184gr bullets. This was the first five rounds through it after I cleaned it after the last match. The .284 Win is currently dominating in F-Open competition. It is chambered (no surprise) for the 6 PPC cartridge, which dominates the short-range game. Berger 190gr HT @ CBTO of 2.390, Lapua 6.5-284 necked up to 7mm, VV N165, Federal GM210M & CCI . That takes time, costs money (in bullets and powder), and consumes precious barrel life. This means I typically shoot 120 to 150 rounds on average between barrel cleanings. Housed in a polished, stainless BAT trigger guard is a Jewel trigger set at 5 ounces. I figured if I get it up to 2935-2950 fps that will be a point or two saved in a several day match. I usually start to consider tossing the brass around 15 firings. After he cleans his barrel, Joel knows it takes two or three shots to foul in the bore before accuracy returns. and F-class cross the coarse shooting. First thing I thought was, That would make a nice stock., Heres a modern, low-profile, short-range Benchrest rifle, finished proudly in bright red. If you are unsure whether this rod guide is for your rifle, please give us a call or shoot us an email. You may see 40 units (on the K&M dial) dropping to 20, then slowly increasing pressure. This stock features a fully-adjustable buttplate plus a removable cheek-piece with thumb-wheel adjustment. Well done father and son! I have a concrete bench using a slab from a yard furniture place on concrete blocks. If you want to run 180gr-class 7mm bullets over 2900 FPS, it is cheaper and more convenient to have a barrel chambered in 284 KMR IMP than to spend $650 for a magnum bolt. Every long-range shooter can benefit from some of tips revealed here. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. In African Obeche wood (any color choice), the price is $795.00. The Berger 215gr Hybrids have been used to win many competitions including recently the 2015 F-Class Nationals. 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. For more information, visit DJsBrass.com, or call Darrell at (205) 461-4680. Henry: I try to keep my charge weights consistent to one kernel of powder. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. It still supported on a 3 forearm and is full length. The gun gets transported in a Pelican Hard case when I travel. Custom Neck-Turning Services I shoot primarily local and regional matches Colorado, Wyoming, and possibly Nebraska this summer. The paper tells the rest of the story. Most importantly, the stock features an extra-long, super-stiff, low profile fore-end. The big bore shooters believe a heavier bullet flies better in unpredictable wind conditions. The 22 BR and 22 Dasher are capable of outstanding accuracy with a large variety of bullets and powders. 2018 was my first National event and was a learning experience for me. But the key fact is the extended barrel life of the .284 Win overcomes the increased bullet cost. We mourn his passing.]. Henry: I do not consider myself another Carlos Hathcock or some master marksman. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Team Grizzly: Shiraz Balolia, Emil Kovan, David Mann, John Myers, Trudie Fay (Coach). Plus, our years of work experience help us to think, analyze, and thereby make progress. 1000-yard shooting keeps us all humble, but we still keep trying to see how good we can do. This rifle now has 554 rounds through it, but only .003 throat erosion. I sent him a Panda F-Class action with a +20 MOA Picatinny rail. Henry: I can shoot 1000 yards on my farm. Lets just say it didnt go as planned. The barrel with which I shot my record was removed after that match so I dont put too many rounds on it before the Nationals. I screw on the new barrel, fire 25 rounds of whatever I have left over and then clean it. About his two guns he posted: All I need is a can of bear spray. the 284 win is one of those overlooked cartridges. Ian Klemm shot great to win the F-TR National Championship. Joel explains: I like to have relatively new brass always ready. The 2018 F-Class Nationals recently concluded at Raton, NM. It may not display this or other websites correctly. To read the accompanying article click here. I considered the Leupold competition scopes but ultimately decided on the Nightforce BR. I think this dog will hunt!, Share the post "Sunday Gunday: December Pride & Joy Rifles". Here are some of our favorite Pride and Joy rifles recently showcased in our Forum. I had a one custom die that would not size the bottom of the case enough. Here is member Quest45s handsome lever-action Henry .45-70 Gov and Glock 40 10mm. My action of choice was a beefy 1.55-diameter, round BAT MB, Left Bolt, Right Port. WHIDSIZSN284SHE Product Manufacturer: Whidden Gunworks Whidden Gunworks Product Description: For precise, consistent OAL handloads, the internals of Whidden's sizing die are designed to keep your rounds . 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. This red rig features a Borden B action (Jewell trigger) fitted with a Lederer 1:14-twist barrel with a Loker tuner. I think thats due to having more meat in the receiver area. Other good options are: Kelbly, CG Jackson (good 2-Stage) Anschutz (best 2-Stage for Bat and Kelbly actions), BixN Andy, and David Tubb. Father Ken also competed at the Nationals, shooting great in both individual and team events. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc, with long barrels. This state-of-the-art .284 Shehane F-Open rifle belongs to Forum member Willow. (Thats with a reasonably fast barrel. After a brief conversation with Alex, I placed an order, and had the stock inletted and bedded at my shop in a month. Expand Case Necks and Anneal brass (Call for Price) Bryan did all the stock work and fitted the action, rails, and RAD recoil pad. NOTE: If youre skeptical of those single-digit chron readings, click on the Video Playback screen below to view Ballard test-firing a load that delivers an ES of 5 and SD of 2 for five shots. This state-of-the-art .284 Shehane F-Open rifle belongs to Forum member Willow. 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 about four patches of Carb-Out, let it sit a few minutes, then use one stroke of a nylon brush followed by Patch-Out until the barrel is clean. I would also encourage other older shooters not to quit. More speed, less pressure? I actually shot the hydro-formed brass in a match [without further fire-forming]. 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. Interestingly, I found that the multiple layers of paint and clearcoat stiffened the stock up quite a bit. Darrell also just got a custom hydro die for the .284 Shehane, a wildcat based on the .284 Winchester. It had 2000 as a straight .284 Win and then I set it back to .284 Shehane to form brass with. We ran about .002 neck tension with the 180s seated just touching the lands. I find that funny because if could somehow properly size the cases for three fire-forming cycles, I would not need a sizing die. One of the biggest reasons why I like Master Class stocks, is the pistol grip. My face rests on the stock and my shoulder is placed firmly into the buttplate. Loading Procedure: My CCI BR-2 primers are seated with a RCBS hand priming tool. The 284 Shehane has a proven record of accomplishments and that is why I have chosen it. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? That all paid off when Henry won the 2013 IBS 1000-yard Nationals this summer, finishing as the Two-Gun Overall National Champion. He is also doing a ton of fire-forming for the 100/200 benchrest crowd, hydro-forming 220 Russian into 6 PPC. Kovan Match Rifles LLC, www.matchrifles.com. With Darrells hydro-forming service you dont have to buy any special dies or other equipment. I initially had the standard rear stock until Tommy Shurley and Mike Hearn came out with an adjustable rear plate. From this point we worked up in half-grain increments until pressure signs developed at 2950 fps. As we commenced load development, Jerry Tierneys .284 Win load data posted on this 6mmBR.com gave us a good starting point. ), Darrell Jones of DJs Brass Service went far beyond the call of duty, to assist me [with my first] IBS match. For these posed photos, he removed his safety glasses. Share the post "Save Time and Bullets Fire-Form with your Fouler Shots". All this being said, if a man wanted just one caliber for F-Class, long-range benchrest, and hunting, I would still suggest the .284 Win. Why did you go from a 6mm Dasher to a 7mm Shehane? Without AccurateShooter.com, I would probably still be shooting double-digit (10+) groups at 1000 yards, and I sure wouldnt have my name on a National Championship trophy. I chose this action based on BAT Machines impeccable reputation. The rear bag is a Edgewood EDGEbag Gator. He posted: Got this 6.547 Lapua back from my smith about six months ago. 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. Now that Lapua and Peterson has released 284 Winchester brass, this could alleviate the need to neck up 6.5 brass. The .284 Shehane has won in Benchrest as well as F-Class competition. We would compare notes frequently. On top is a Leupold 40x45mm scope on a Picatinny rail that Grimstod machined himself. My old straight .284 load at 2890 fps had ES spread in single digits for 10 shots. This made the extraction of fired cases very difficult. Q: You go 60-80 rounds between cleaning and the results speak for themselves. I never practice. For shooters who are not sold on the .284 Winchester, I give you a real-world ballistics shoot-off. 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. Ray keeps Jewell triggers in stock so the only piece left to acquire was the scope. What can you reveal? Among BAT Machine Co.actions, I like BAT models M, MB, and 3LL best. Q: What are the advantages of your stocks 5-wide fore-end and 3-wide rear plate? Home. This would provide better support for a very long barrel and give more bedding surface. Share the post "Hail the Champions: 2018 F-Class Nationals at Raton, NM", By Emil Kovan Pretty much ALL of them told me that if they had it to do all over again, they WOULD NOT go with the Shehane and, instead, stick with the stock 284 Winchester! The variable power and unobstructed DD-1 reticle of the NF were deciding factors. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); You Better Believe It, .284 Shehane Winning Wildcat for F-Open Competition, Sunday GunDay: .284 Shehanes for F-Open Competition. Jason noticed that Bryan had been adding aluminum rails to the front of Cerus stocks to lower the center of gravity and improve tracking. Straight .284 or Shehane you cannot go wrong. You may not reproduce original text or photos without advanced permission in writing. I loaned my Dasher to another shooter two years ago and he got second at the 600-yard Nationals. I would stay away from the .223 Remington. Best powders for the .284 Win are H4350 and H4831SC. 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. What is your barrel cleaning procedure? All Kriegers. Q: Henry, you have been a Forum member for many years. Forum member Darrell Jones offers a full range of brass prep, brass forming, and brass restoration (annealing, ultra-sonic cleaning) at very affordable prices. 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. After record fire begins I shoot very fast, holding off for the wind.