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Redding vs. Cooper vs. O.A.L 6.5 x 284

startrek

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 20, 2008
162
1
63
lexington,nc
been loading for 40 years and have never seen this, my OAL on my 6.5x284 will not go below 3.215, heres how I set it up, new Lapua brass, I put a piece of brass in the shell holder and raise my RCBS ram to the top, then screw the seating die down until it touches the case mouth then back it off a half turn and lock down the lock ring. I seat a bullet with the seating stem screwed all the way down on a 140 Nosler accubond and the shortest I can get them is 3.215 which of course will not chamber. I am suspecting the dies but they are marked 6.5x284 win.
 
the nosler #7 reloading guide says that the6.5x284 max over all length is 3.228 so you are shorter than that maybe the problem of not chambering is coming from somthing else. Im new to reloading so maybe somone else more familiar with this will chime in

Edit i was looking at the 6.5x284norma not winchester sorry for wasting your time
 
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I see Cooper in the thread title. Is that referencing a Cooper rifle? If it is, here's an experience I had with a Cooper Model 22 in .308 Winchester. I was using Redding Type S Competition dies for reloading and had already been reloading Winchester brass. I bought some Lapua brass and instantly had rounds that would not chamber. I turned some necks and while that helped, it was not a fix. I finally called Cooper and ask about their chamber and they ask why I wanted to shoot foreign ammo. I had shot some Federal FGMM and had a tight fit chambering rounds which I related to them as well. Cooper intentionally uses tight chambers and offered to rechamber the rifle with a match chamber, which I opted for. Might try loading using other brass and if it chambers properly then I'm betting you have a tight chamber and not a match chamber. Good luck.
 
I took a wooden dowel rod and checked to see what the max OAL can be with the bullet I am using, it came to 3.050 for the max OAL, so I am guessing someone may have switched the bullet seating stem. Yes it is a Cooper rifle.
 
I talked to Redding today and they said I need a different bullet seater instead of the #7 seater plug that came with my dies for the oglive of the 140 gr accubond, which they are going to send at no charge, not sure how that is going to help but we will see. It seems to me that a long bullet like the 140 grain AB would be easy to seat deep enough.