260 rem or 6.5-06 on 700 Long action?

[loaders_loft]

If you were going to take a shot out 30-06 for example, and re-chamber into one of these two choices, would you go with the 260 Rem or the 6.5-06 for better inherent accuracy? Sure the 6.5-06 is faster, but is it capable of the same accuracy, assuming equivalent barrel & action quality?

 

[James Jones]

I say the 260 , it'll give you all the speed that you need and the long VLD bullets want and it'll feed fine from the LA. You can use cheaper and easy to find 308 Lapua brass , the smaller powder capacity and slightly more effecient case desgine will give you a little bit more barrel life.

BUT

If it were me I'd do with a 284 winchester or maybe a 280 Ackley and shoot the 180gr Bergers. You'll get a bit more barrel life and it' shoot a higher BC bullet out at the same speeds maybe a little faster realy extending your range especialy on game

 

[ebd10]

Of the 2, I'd go 6.5-06. However, my personal choice would be 6.5X55 loaded for a modern rifle.

 

[gun_rat82]

6.5/06 would be my choice as it is ballistically superior and since you're rebarreling, it is simple to throat the chamber for vld type bullets if you desire.
sizeing is simple as all you need is a 270 fl die without the sizeing plug and voila 6.5-06!

 

[loaders_loft]

Thanks for the votes & quick input so far, let's keep it going!

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I just did this very thing w/ an old 30-06. I went with the 6.5-06, got a set of dies from rcbs, and away I went. The 130g Sciroccos have a fairly high bc and so far shoot great. The only down side is I can't seat the bullets out to the lands and still have them fit in the mag. I am jumping them and it is shooting sub moa. When I get a custom stock for it I will change the mag.

Steve

 

[loaders_loft]

I just did this very thing w/ an old 30-06. I went with the 6.5-06, got a set of dies from rcbs, and away I went. The 130g Sciroccos have a fairly high bc and so far shoot great. The only down side is I can't seat the bullets out to the lands and still have them fit in the mag. I am jumping them and it is shooting sub moa. When I get a custom stock for it I will change the mag.

Steve

light bulb
Maybe it would make sense to seat a dummy case with a VLD bullet at the (270 & 30-06) spec 3.340 OAL and chamber the throat to that dummy? Or, would that eat up too much case capacity, or seat the bullet into the ogive? Hmmm. Such interesting food for thought.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Since its a LA, I to would definately go with the 6.5-06 for increased ballistic performance.

One day I will to own a 6.5-06. Whats not to like about a 140g VLD at 3K??

The .260 will fall a good 200fps short of the 6.5-06 any way you look at it.

The only benefit I see of the .260 is better barrel life.

Its up to you with what your gonna do, how many rounds you plan on shooting, and what game/distance you plan to shoot...

 

[RockyMtnMT]

light bulb
Maybe it would make sense to seat a dummy case with a VLD bullet at the (270 & 30-06) spec 3.340 OAL and chamber the throat to that dummy? Or, would that eat up too much case capacity, or seat the bullet into the ogive? Hmmm. Such interesting food for thought.

My project is an on going project, the stock and mag were planned on originally. This rifle is for my son to shoot and when he is large enough to handle a full size stock then we will finish the project.

The 6.5 bullets are very long, and to seat them as deep as I am now does take up some case capacity. I don't think it would be detrimental to the cartridge to cut the bore to fit a standard mag though. I am getting 2950fps w/o pushing the 130g Scirocco hard. When we get the longer mag box and can seat closer to the lands then I'll see what it can do.

Steve

 

[britz]

light bulb
Maybe it would make sense to seat a dummy case with a VLD bullet at the (270 & 30-06) spec 3.340 OAL and chamber the throat to that dummy? Or, would that eat up too much case capacity, or seat the bullet into the ogive? Hmmm. Such interesting food for thought.

I think your on the right path, but If it were me, I'd seat a dummy round with the intened bullet of choice and make it fit the magazine and make sure that I would be able to jam the rifleing and still use the magazine.

It all depends on what you are going to do with the rifle for the caliber. I feel the 260 has a slight edge in efficiency over the 6.5-06. I have always wanted to build a 260 out of my old 30-06 and have it set up to shoot 140's and touch rifling - having the bullet seated way out so I could use the whole case capacity. But you will loose a little speed to the 06.

 

[Ridge Runner]

takes up too much space, My 6.5 gibbs remmy 700 BDL is throated so a 140 berger seated with the base of the bullet just past the base of the neck, is about 10-12 thou into the rifleing, still works in the mag just fine, the random round I just measured is 3.519".
It sends those bergers through the chrony at 3250 fps, this is from a 270 win case, if I were to do it again it would be a 6.5/06 AI, less case forming and you can use lapua brass and still run a 140 3100+ fps.
RR

 

[yorke-1]

What if you did a 6.5x284? Wouldn't that give you performance of the 6.5-06, with the length of the 260?

 

[eshell]

Of the two, I'd prefer the 6.5-06.

I have a .260, and also have the ballistic twin on the 6.5-06, the 6.5-284 Norma.

Given a choice between the 6.5-06 and the 6.5-284 Norma, I prefer the 6.5-284. Mine is built on a long action, and I'm 300 rounds into my second barrel. Factory cases, factory dies, abundant data, abundant collective experience. . . Since it's based on a short-action case, reaching the lands in a standard chamber is no problem with ammo loaded to a Rem 700 LA, even with Berger 140s. I get around 3,000 fps with 140s and H4831SC. Barrel life will be similar between the 6.5-06 & 6.5-284, and I had sub-minute accuracy from mine to 1,700 rounds, and then shot it to 2,037 with 'hunting accuracy' of less than 1.5 moa.

The .260 delivers better barrel life, equivalent accuracy in equivalent rifles (both of my 6.5s are GAPs), but 200 fps less with similar bullets.

 

[loaders_loft]

Somehow I got interested in a 260 AI and so I'll highjack my own thread...

Who knows about this cartridge 260 AI?