Is the .284 Shehane Inherently Accurate? You Better Believe It
If you look at that 5-round group you might think it was shot with a 6 PPC or maybe a 6mmBR. But no, this was done with heavy 180gr Berger Hybrid bullets and the .284 Shehane, an improved version of the .284 Winchester. In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel!
Gun builder Ryan Pierce of Piercision Rifles explains:
Here’s a 5-shot 0.191″ group at 100 yards with my .284 Shehane fireforming loads. This barrel has 2200 rounds through it. It had 2000 as a straight .284 Win and then I set it back to .284 Shehane to form brass with. This was the first five rounds through it after I cleaned it after the last match. [The load was] 180 Hybrids with 54.0 grains of H4831 SC.
Ya, I figured why not I had some old barrels laying around so I just chopped 2″ off the back and 1″ off the front and chambered it up as a Shehane. Had 1000 pieces to fireform and didn’t want to do all that on a brand new barrel.
My fireform loads are going 2765 FPS. I have a 29″ barrel also though since it’s a setback. Once you get it formed I would push it faster than that or I wouldn’t even bother with the Shehane. My old straight .284 load at 2890 fps had ES spread in single digits for 10 shots. I figured if I get it up to 2935-2950 fps that will be a point or two saved in a several day match.
Fellow .284 Shehane shooter 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. Ryan is using 54.0 grains simply as a fire-forming load. 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. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc, with long barrels.
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Tags: .284 Shehane, .284 Winchester, Erik Cortina, F-Class, Piercision Rifles, Ryan Pierce
He sure is ringing the life out of his barrels.
Small correction: the Shehane is not a “40° improved version of the .284 Winchester”.
It has a reduced case taper but the shoulder angle is the same as .284 Win. You’re thinking of the 7mm Walker, which has both the reduced taper and 40° shoulder, and which you talked about in a post earlier this year.
I had quite a few barrels laying around so I figured I could set them back and get a bunch more rounds out of them at the local matches. First relay at 600 yard fclass with that barrel fireforming was a 200-17x. Shes still got some life in her, lol.
Chronographs must read faster in the northern hemisphere or we get the dud brass down under, I’ve not seen a 284S punch out 2900 plus and keep the primer pocket usable for more than a couple or reloads !!!
Matt
It was on the warmer side and the barrel was a little faster than usual. But pushing that bullet at 2890 set a few national records in that barrel. Thats a mild load compared to a few of my customers that we’re pushing them at almost 3000 fps with 4831sc. Those primer pockets lasted 2-3 firings. I told them not to go that hot but that load shot unbelievable.