Thread: 7mm08 conversation

Hey team,

Looking into changing a 7mm08 unto a .284, is it more of a reloaders game or is there some factory ammunition to start off with until I sort some reloading.
This might be a dumb question, changing a 7mm08, does that make it a 6.5x284 or a 7mmx284?
I'm in no rush just looking around at this point.

Cheers bevan

No factory ammo available, by reaming to a .284 makes it a .284....none of the other's mentioned.... can do it via a new barrel or ream out an existing barrel dependingbon what barrel and what gunsmith.

Will need brass, which can be 6.5 x .284 opened out to straight .284....butbyeah a reloaders calibre really

Great calibre

Hamish

Hey man

6.5-284 would require a 6.5mm barrel

.284win is what your after its a straight ream on the 708 barrel

no factory ammo i dont beleive, if you needing to shoot factory look into the 280ai

284win is 100% a reload only cartridge, maybe factory ammo pops up now and then but don't count on it being available.

6.5-284 is the original case necked down from 7mm to 6.5mm, the original case is 7mm, reaming a 7mm08 oit to 284win makes it the same as the original cartridge.

If you aren't a reloader yet stick with 7mm08, buy the equipment and start reloading for your 7mm08 first.
Then if you decide to change to 284win you just need new dies and brass.

I'm not sure I'd even bother with it tbh, brass and dies are going to be expensive and you'll be stuck with reloading only.
7mm08AI would get you close to the same performance, you can start shooting with factory ammo and it'll create the 7mm08ai brass.
You'll always have the option to shoot factory ammo if you want to.

Also what rifle is it?
If it's a short action, then mag length is going to limit performance.

Definitely a reloading calibre, not just due to lack of factory ammo but to get the best performance out of the 284. And to do that you need to seat the projectiles long which means you need a long action mag (eg for Tikka). If your 708 is a true short action set up then converting to 284 is not a great idea unless (like Tikkas) you can modify the bolt stop & run a long action mag.

Easier to just get a 280... Or the other one.

The first question I'd have for the OP.

Is why do you want to change from 7mm08?

I have both in a tikka platform, both 20" barrel shooting 162gr ELD-M.
708 = 2700fps with SF powder
284win = 2830fps with RL26
Both tack drivers but practically no difference at practical hunting ranges. That said I love the 284win, pretty much perfect all rounder in a lightweight rifle that you can spot your shots with and have enough wind bucking with VLD projectiles to be very effective at respectable ranges. It's my 0-600yrd rifle.

Originally Posted by Hunty1

I have both in a tikka platform, both 20" barrel shooting 162gr ELD-M.
708 = 2700fps with SF powder
284win = 2830fps with RL26
Both tack drivers but practically no difference at practical hunting ranges. That said I love the 284win, pretty much perfect all rounder in a lightweight rifle that you can spot your shots with and have enough wind bucking with VLD projectiles to be very effective at respectable ranges. It's my 0-600yrd rifle.

That's 7mm08 load must be farking hot

Originally Posted by Nick-D

That's 7mm08 load must be farking hot

Nah mate, Hornady book lists 2800fps in 24" so less 100fps for 20" is about right. Brass lasts fine and GRT also suggests it's sensible. SF seems to be a big performance boost in this cartridge with heavies.

@Rock river arms hunter - Me too... 7-08 ticks a helluva lot of boxes...

I have both. I grab the 7mm08 bushpig 99% of the time.

Food for thought.

Even a 162gr eld M or similar doing 2450fps has the wallop to 600y and some. 284win is a great round and I love mine don't get me wrong but for simplicity. 7mm08 does tick a hell of a lot of boxes @Bol Tackshin.

Also bear in mind that some actions might be fine with the -08 parent cartridge but the slightly fatter body on the .284 case might make it ordinary for feeding. I dummied up a setup on an action and it would have required feed rails tweaked to get it running right, off the bottom of the mag was fine but the top rounds wanted to pop out of the feed rails and slap the top of the chamber. Decided that it would have been too much of a hassle to make it work, your action might be fine with it though.

Get some .284 cases and make up some cartridges and just see if it will feed in your rifle before you get any further, I had a similar idea but the rifle would not feed the .284 case at all, too wide. You could probably alter the rails to make it work, get a different follower, but messing with feed rails is like learning poetry in ancient greek, it's fucking hard to get exactly perfect; and if you screw up you have buggered the action.

Edit (Just saw No.3 posted the same thing.)