Long Range Target Shooting? Deer Hunting?
 

What's the reason to say get a 6.5mm-284 Norma over a .308 Win?

Do 6.5mm and 7mm bullets always beat out the .30cals or .338cals?

If 7mm bullets are better than 30's, then would a 7mm-08 beat out a .308?

Or how about the .260 Rem? Seems like this cartridge is dying, and the 6.5-284 is only getting more popular.

If one were to include long range hunting of say deer sized game or smaller what differences would there be to consider? I mean one doesn't need a 7mm RUM to kill a deer at 1000yds do they?

Also is the 6.5-284 a short action cartridge usually built on long actions? or can you still effectively shoot say 142gr SMK bullets out of a short action rifle with this cartridge?

Also would a custom rifle built for a long range setup in say 7mm Rem.Mag. shoot as well as a 6.5-284 in the same set up? Is it the gun? the cartridge? the shooter? recoil?

seems the long range target crowd tends to like short action beltless cartridges don't they?

Personally, as a hunting rifle, if ONLY the 6.5-284 and the .308win were on the table, I'd probably choose the .308win.

I LOVE my 6.5-284 benchrest rigs:fighting0007:, but personally, I don't want to spend money replacing barrels on a hunting rifle that often. No, a hunting rifle barrel won't get shot nearly as often as a competition rifle, but it doesn't take me long to run 1500rnds through ANY rifle in my stable, which in my experience, is about when a 6.5-284 needs to be rebarreled. Plus, brass for the 6.5-284 is OCCASIONALLY hard to come by, and has been having some weird phases of oddly specified lots (Not a problem if you stick with Norma brass).

My wife's deer rifle is currently a 6.5-284, but luckily it's a Savage, so after this barrel, we'll be swapping out to something with a little longer barrel life, probably going with a straight .284rem, or a .284 "Shehane".

At 800+/- yrds, a deer isn't going to notice the difference between the two. A good rangefinder, a well profiled load, and a steady hand and either will do the job. Yes, the 6.5-284 is definitely better at reaching downtown, but unless you're talking WAY DOWNTOWN, the difference won't be worth much.