Nothing wrong with .308.

I still say anyone looking at diving into the world of long range shooting is best served to get a .308 and shoot the snot out of it.

Because that’s what it takes. You can buy all the fancy gizmos, but Lots and lots and lots of rounds down range (without worrying about having to re-barrel every couple thousand) makes the shooter.

Nothing wrong with .308.

I still say anyone looking at diving into the world of long range shooting is best served to get a .308 and shoot the snot out of it.

Because that’s what it takes. You can buy all the fancy gizmos, but Lots and lots and lots of rounds down range (without worrying about having to re-barrel every couple thousand) makes the shooter.

Not disagreeing with you but 3 of us just got back from Wyoming and the guide insisted that we shoot his rifle in case we needed it for ranges farther than our rifles were used to. One guy doesn't shoot at all, one is an average hunter and I shoot a little more than average. All 3 of us were consistently hitting a 12 inch target at 800 yards with his set up having never fired the rifle before. Sometimes all those gizmos and gadgets work. Then again, I am not ready to drop $11k on his set up, especially in 6.5 PRC.

HAHA.
I was set up next to a guy at the range yesterday. He was a long distance match shooter. 600 to 800 yrd guy. He must have had 10,000+ worth of stuff layed out on three benches. Wind meter, chronograph and spotting scope. And a big expensive looking custom rifle. 1/3 minute rifle he said. 7mm, some kind of wildcat I guess. I'd never heard of it when he told me.
Got to talking to him and he said he gets around 1100 rounds down the tube before accuracy drops off and he has to re barrel.
Wow! 1100 round for me is just getting broke in good.

Is the 6.5 x 284
same or close to 264 Win mag?

Is the 6.5 x 284
same or close to 264 Win mag?

Decades worth of ammo isn’t the same for all of us!

Ohio Boy, you're going to get everyone's personal favorite cartridge here. Me too. Lots of good 250 yard + rounds out there.

Fall of 2021 during covid right before deer season I was at the Academy store in Springfield Missouri. There was a kid in there from Mountain Grove, a town 50 miles or so away. I got to talking to him, He'd come all the way to Springfield looking for some .270 shells to hunt with. He'd went to Ba$$ Pro, then to Academy, they were both out. I felt bad for him, driving all that way for nothing. There weren't any .270 shells to be had. Times are tough when you can't rustle up half a box of shells to deer hunt with.
There were some.308, .223, and 30-06 on the shelves at Academy though.

If you don't load make sure that you buy is something the stores will have in stock,

There's ammo that will always be there, if there is any to be had:
30-30
30-06
.308
.223
.22 lr (most of the time. .22 got mighty skinny during the Obama and Covid years)
12 gauge
20 gauge
Seems like there's always 9mm and .38 special and .45 ACP but those aren't hunting cartridges.

.264 Win Mag is a screamer. Guy I use to work with had one and he hunted Missouri whitetail with it. He's just about blow them in two.
I think those were originally brought out to be a long range antelope or mule deer rifle. Not something to shoot 150 lb whitetail at 100yards lol.

.284 was a short action cartridge brought out to be used in now defunct Winchester auto and hammerless lever action rifles. Early 60s.
It was to compete with .270 Winchester and .280 Remington, (both of which were based on the long action 30-06 case). So, same power and bullet as .270 or .280 but in a short action. Rim was rebated.

6.5x.284 would be the .284 case necked down to 6.5. So, the 6.5 Win Magnum would would be considerably faster. More powerful.

But for everyday and everything nowadays is my .308, 30/06 and my 30/30. I stick to 30 cal rifles. Componets are easy to find.
In the hands of someone who knows their rifle and has the skill. A .308 or 30/06 will and still gets it done.
All the fab will not replace skill and practice.
Sarge

Something 6mm

.243 for a casual shooter

One of the plethora of “wildcat” 6s for someone more adventurous.

Or a 6.5 something or nother.