260 rem

[slayfire]

I am looking into either a 260 rem or 6.5 Creedmoor for deer hunting and long range target. The one concern I have is that im not going to get a 140gr berger to touch the rifling of the savage 16 FCSS. I assume this problem would be solved with the Creedmoor but it has only hornady brass. The 260 would have the advantage in that I could convert it to a 260AI with the factory barrel.

Does anyone know if a 140gr berger or other VLD can be seated to touch the lands in a 260rem (savage 16)?

 

[RT2506]

Don't know the answer to your question but do know that Berger VLD bullets DO NOT need to be seated into or to the lands to shoot well. They will shoot waaaaaaaaaaaay off the lands just as good. Look in the reloading thread at the top of the page in the stickies to see how to load Berger bullets.

 

[slayfire]

Thanks for the info on the bergers, I have only used them in my ARs. My concern was also on powder capacity encroachment. Even if the load shoots well, which would make me happy, it would be nice to get as much as I can out of the round.

 

[Senderofan]

I use the 140 gr. Bergers in my .260 AI. I started with the same reamer as Terry Cross ( Terry's Tactical Two-Sixty AI ) but ended up having the throat extended by .105". In my .260 AI.......I'm just touching the lands.....I'm getting a consistent 3050 fps + without pressure signs.....but I'm using a 31" tube. This has to be the sweetest shooting rig I've ever owned. Will compare it to a full on custom .338 SIN that should be finished soon.....as far as long range accuracy...600 yards+.

Wayne

 

[CRNA]

My shooting buddy has a Sako TRG22 in 260 Remington. We shoot out to 1000+ yards pretty frequently. He has NO problem hitting the steel out that far with SMKs. I think he is loading 142gr. SMKs. He has also tried the 139gr Scenars, but the matchkings shoot better. I can't remember his COAL, but I know that he is jumping the matchkings. I know neither of those bullets are considered a "hunting" bullet, but that's not to say they won't kill either.

I loaded some 168gr SMKs for my brother in 7RM. He killed a nice 8pt buck last week with it. He shot him in the neck at 80yds. He said the entrance hole was big enough to get two fingers in easily. He also said the exit was big enough to fit his fist in and move it around.

 

[slayfire]

Senderofan, that sounds great getting that type of performance out of at 260AI. I'm not sure I would enjoy lugging around 31'' of barrel in the woods though. I have started to rethink my choice of getting a factory gun. I have an m48 mauser that doesn't shoot worth a darn(I have literally tried every 8mm bullet made), I checked the magazine and I can load well beyond 30-06 COAL. I am talking with a gunsmith now about rechambering it to 280AI or 260AI, I'm not really sure which I want now. If I go with the 280 I'd probably get a 26'' barrel, and 22-23'' with the 260.

I have not invested in a neck turner yet, I have been getting around that by using lapua brass in my guns. Senderofan do you have to neck turn with that 260AI, not purely for better accuracy but to remove a "donut" from fire forming?

 

[slayfire]

CRNA, that is good to hear about not having issues with jumping the SMKs. I only have range access currently out to 400 yards on my farm, so a few fps lost from seating the bullet deeper probably wont be a problem. I imagine that I could easily turn a savage in to a two shot gun, one in the chamber loaded long and one in the mag. I have a few guns that will accept one round in the top that is loaded far beyond the COAL that the magazine can take.

 

[CRNA]

CRNA, that is good to hear about not having issues with jumping the SMKs. I only have range access currently out to 400 yards on my farm, so a few fps lost from seating the bullet deeper probably wont be a problem. I imagine that I could easily turn a savage in to a two shot gun, one in the chamber loaded long and one in the mag. I have a few guns that will accept one round in the top that is loaded far beyond the COAL that the magazine can take.

When I say that little 260 shoots, I mean it shoots!!! I shot two FIVE shot groups at 100 yards with it. The first with Scenars measured .4" the second with SMKs and it measured .36".

When the range gets farther, it still puts em in there. We last shot at 1120 yds a couple weeks ago. His first cold bore shot hit 2mils right and 2mils low. I called the correction and he hit the steel torso target in the heart. Then followed up with another five shots that would have probably measured about 8 inches.

 

[Senderofan]

Senderofan, that sounds great getting that type of performance out of at 260AI. I'm not sure I would enjoy lugging around 31'' of barrel in the woods though. I have started to rethink my choice of getting a factory gun. I have an m48 mauser that doesn't shoot worth a darn(I have literally tried every 8mm bullet made), I checked the magazine and I can load well beyond 30-06 COAL. I am talking with a gunsmith now about rechambering it to 280AI or 260AI, I'm not really sure which I want now. If I go with the 280 I'd probably get a 26'' barrel, and 22-23'' with the 260.

I have not invested in a neck turner yet, I have been getting around that by using lapua brass in my guns. Senderofan do you have to neck turn with that 260AI, not purely for better accuracy but to remove a "donut" from fire forming?

No...my .260 AI was not designed to be a carry rifle..you are right about that one. It's best used on a bench...maybe prone. Should have said that in my post. But....this round is pretty amazing...half the elevation needed when compared to my .308....fun to shoot...and as CRNA pointed out...very accurate.

Good luck....either choice will probably be an excellent one...which makes it a difficult decision.

Wayne

 

[Freebore]

slayfire,

If you are looking for a woods deer load for a standard 260Rem (might work in the AI?) the 120 Speer Hot-Cor over IMR 4064 had performed flawlessly in a Savage that I had owed. I sold the rifle to a friend who gave to his son as a gift. It did not shoot the heavies well, but those 120 would group 3 shots inside a nickel at 100. I still bake that load for him. A neat cartridge.

 

[slayfire]

Thats pretty incredible accuracy. I have heard nothing but good things about sako/tikkas, about accuracy anyway. I originally wanted the tikka t3 but the aftermarket support is a lot better with the savage. Freebore, thats good to hear about the hotcores, in either one I get I will try them out. I have mostly shot premiums for my deer hunting; at our farm if I am in the woods the shot will be under 20yards. Because of this and the fact that most of my hunting is done with a 25-06, at that range meat was just being pulverized. Switching to nosler partitions cut down on the meat damage and stopped the occasional non-pass through. At 260 velocity hotcores will probably do the job for me.