Steyr Pro Hunter, Hawke Scope and the .260 Review
To test the long range accuracy of my hunting load, I took it out to 400 yards to shoot a freshly painted 8" gong. The best group was 4 ¼ " for that yardage. The bullet seemed to deal with a quartering wind of 6 mph very well since I only had to hold on the left edge of the gong.
For all my tests I used Lapua or Nosler brass. I found both to be very easy to reload and consistent in every aspect. The cases did not stretch as much as the Remingtons had in the past and the primer pockets need no attention. The rifle did not like a hot barrel well, so all groups were kept to three shots.
Hawke's Sr Pro IR reticle
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even though the .260 has taken a backseat to the 6.5 Creedmoor; it is still an excellent round. You can push 130-140 gr. bullets over 2850 fps if you desire and the .260 is far easier to please when reloading than the Creedmoor. Brass is now readily available from the best companies in the world. Some people say that the round's length is limiting. Maybe so but in the Steyr I shot loads that were up to 2.92" and still had plenty of room in the magazine. The Texas deer season is coming to an end this week so I am headed out to give the Barnes LRX and the Pro Hunter a workout on a doe.
The Steyr Pro Hunter is a great hunting rifle. I like them so much I have three more in other calibers. If you are in the market for a medium priced, quality scope, look at what Hawke Optics has to offer and check out their free software. They have a choice of reticles that will meet nearly anyone's demands.
For all my tests I used Lapua or Nosler brass. I found both to be very easy to reload and consistent in every aspect. The cases did not stretch as much as the Remingtons had in the past and the primer pockets need no attention. The rifle did not like a hot barrel well, so all groups were kept to three shots.
Hawke's Sr Pro IR reticle
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even though the .260 has taken a backseat to the 6.5 Creedmoor; it is still an excellent round. You can push 130-140 gr. bullets over 2850 fps if you desire and the .260 is far easier to please when reloading than the Creedmoor. Brass is now readily available from the best companies in the world. Some people say that the round's length is limiting. Maybe so but in the Steyr I shot loads that were up to 2.92" and still had plenty of room in the magazine. The Texas deer season is coming to an end this week so I am headed out to give the Barnes LRX and the Pro Hunter a workout on a doe.
The Steyr Pro Hunter is a great hunting rifle. I like them so much I have three more in other calibers. If you are in the market for a medium priced, quality scope, look at what Hawke Optics has to offer and check out their free software. They have a choice of reticles that will meet nearly anyone's demands.
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