284s, Lee loaders, Kmart, cheap.....

Tas,

 Your thought processes appear to be working here, altho in a very low gear range.

1. We will no longer mention Lee Loaders and Custom rifles in the same sentence for obvious reasons. If the reasons are not obvious you need to abandon this project and spend your money on video games or a skate board.

2. 284 brass is everywhere and has always been available. It is a very strong case design. Case capacity equals 3006/270 etc. Altho the case length is short, long bullets (6.5) seated properly, not crammed down past the neck, make the overall loaded length more than a REM 700 SHORT ACTION can handle. Rob's advise is dead on regarding the 'other' action. Either of those will work fine.

3. 'o6 based wildcats generally feed slicker than .284 based rounds. My experience.

4. I have forgotten what I intended to say about Kmart... The idea is gone into thin air PFFFFF! just like that. It may happen to you some day too.

5. Listen to Dakota, at least when he is talking about involving the kids. If they are not part of about 90% of the things you spend time doing then you are making a huge mistake. If you don't own any children go out and get a couple. They are every where and somebody who is too busy or selfish to devote time to their own will loan them out. If you already have some running around cut your on line time by 50% and figure out something else to do with them. You'll need to leave the Custom Rifle to one of 'em and need to know which one.

max

Earl wrote: ...Listen to Dakota...

that doesn't happen often, either online or at home!  and, it just might actually be a first for me!

anyway, i agree w/ what max is saying here, especially the first 3 words of item #5!

tas...when in doubt, go long action. you will have more flexibility w/ it. if you decide to go w/ a short, medium, or long cartridge, they'll all fit in the long action. not so the short... of course, if i went w/ a long action, i would strive to fill it up: 264 win mag... but no flies on the 6.5-06. if i wanted the short action to wring out the desireable traits of the short, 6.5-284.

now, about that lee loader... it may have held a record, i don't know... but, how long ago was that? what record? how many lee loaders are still in use w/ competitive shooters, or custom hunting rifles for that matter?

the decision to build a custom is an easy one to make. it is all the details that hamper the building process... first tough call is the chambering. next tough call is the barrel maker... then the 'smith, and, jeez... lots of things to agonize over. might as well buy an off the rack rifle and save the stress!

best of luck on your project. when in doubt, refer to item 5!

Tas,

QUICK!!! Go out into the back yard and palnt a few english walnuts. One or two of them are bound to come up and by the time you are finished with the surveys, polls and information gathering one of them should be ready for the sawmill. Your stock problems have just been solved. No need to thank me.

max

                  6.5 WSM 

 Dang who brought that up.

Now wait just a dang second, I brought up the 6.5 WSM on Tas' original post a a couple weeks ago.  At least give me some of the credit .  I think a 6.5 WSM would be a kick-butt cartridge..... but not for Tas' project.  I think the 6.5-06 is the way to go.  As Tas said in his other post, something about the idea of it (6.5-06) screams "western hunting cartridge" to me....right now.  Course "right now" was a couple of days ago. 

Tas, how 'bout a 6.5-50 BMG!!!!

6.5 Turtle is a cute name, although it doesn't sound very impresive.  And besides, who wants to shoot anything cute.  Next thing you know KP would be calling this a popcorn fart or something. 

How 'bout 6.5 Gipper?

 THE WONDER GUN

 It will  be a wonder if the talking stops and the building ever begins. But then, that ain't all bad either.