.260 Remington brass question

[woodcr24]

Question for those of you who are loading for this cartridge: what brass are you using? I've seen Lapua available recently, but at around $1 per case I'm hoping that someone can point me in the direction of a less-expensive alternative that is still quality, even if it means necking a .308 or 7mm-08 down. These cases are for use in an AR10 chambered for .260 Rem, so I don't expect them to last the same number of rounds that I would get out of a bolt gun. Many thanks for your time.

 

[LeddSlinger]

If willing to neck brass down, just buy Lapa 308 brass. Its a good bit cheaper and you can get the 308 'Palma' brass which uses a small primer pocket. Small primer pockets are much stronger than large primer pockets and will allow slightly higher chamber pressures to achieve higher speeds. There is more more metal around a small primer pocket to resist pressure levels that would create loose pockets in cases that use large primers.

 

[gunlover05]

i invested in the Lapua 260 brass in my bolt, but a semi-auto, I might hesitate myself. one decent alternative I had read was to pick up some 7mm-08 Winchester brass and run it through a 260 resize die. Winchester brass is good quality for the price

 

[LeddSlinger]

i invested in the Lapua 260 brass in my bolt, but a semi-auto, I might hesitate myself. one decent alternative I had read was to pick up some 7mm-08 Winchester brass and run it through a 260 resize die. Winchester brass is good quality for the price

Agreed. If I don't have Lapua brass, I prefer Winchester brass. Lapua is hands down the best brass out there, but I find Winchester is often as consistent and uniform as Norma and Hornady brass. So I see no reason to spend the extra money on Hornady or Norma unless Winchester does not make the brass I am looking for.

 

[woodcr24]

Thanks, guys; I'm happy to take the extra time to neck brass down if it means a savings. I'll look into the Winchester .260 and the Lapua 7mm-08 and .308 Palma (thanks for the info on primer pockets, also).

Best,

Chris

 

[Idaho5r]

woodcr24, I've used Lapua 260 brass, & I've necked down Winchester 7mm-08 brass. The Lapua seems more consistent, but, the W-7-08 worked just fine. That's in two different bolt guns. If you can find the W-7-08, I wouldn't hesitate to size it down.
Idaho-5R

 

[J E Custom]

I have had good luck with Priv- Partisan brass and loaded ammo. it is quite a bit cheaper than the other brands and sometimes you can find it on sale in 308 if you don't mind sizing it. it has been annealed and appears to be very consistent.

You cant go wrong with the Lapua brass, but it is expensive for a gas gun.

Just another choice.

J E CUSTOM

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I've used Remington and Federal brass in my 260 bolt gun. Got great accuracy from both. The Federal brass seems to be lasting longer than the the Remington. If I was using a semi auto, there's no way I'd pay for Lapua. Cheap brass still prints clover leafs for me, and it's not the end of the world if I loose one or two. My loads are one tenth over max and I'm getting ready for the 8th reload on the federal brass. The Remington stuf is done after 7.

 

[woodcr24]

Thanks, guys; appreciated information. It's a pity that the choice of factory ammo in .260 is so... pathetic. Would PPU load .260, I would just go with that for general goofing around. My fault, I suppose, for going with a gas gun firing a cartridge that is not readily available. My initial intent was to find a cartridge that more or less mirrored the ballistics of my favorite, the 6.5x55 in modern loads. From what I have seen, .260 is superior, at least on paper, to Creedmoor. Plus, the reviews that I have seen for CM factory ammo and brass have been all over the place. But I digress.

I'll start looking for the Win 7mm-08 brass. It will probably be the most cost-effective approach.

Johnnie Walker - Thank you. I'll keep an eye out for the Federal brass in .260, also.

Best,

Chris

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I know how you feel. When I bought mine I hoped it would like factory ammo. I bought a few boxes of Remington and a few federal. With the limited amount of factory ammo I hoped for the best. The rifle hated almost everything I fed it. I'm talking 3"-4" groups @100. I found two types of match grade ammo that would give me 1" groups. That's how I got my brass. When I started reloading I figured out what the problem was. Now it's a tack driver. But if I take it out of town I have to make sure I bring ammo and enough of it, cause if not, I'm screwed. Sometimes I really wish I would of went with a more common caliber.

 

[Edd]

Why can't you use 243 brass? You can buy it new for under 50 cents.

 

[Idaho5r]

It is very sad, how Remington has "dropped the ball" on the 260 cartridge!!!!It seems to be one of the most under-rated calibers out there! Remington helped to commercialize it, & now has basically dropped it from their line of calibers! Anyone who is interested in, or has tried any long distance shooting, knows the advantages of the 6.5, 260 cartridge. It's a shame more there aren't more sources of loaded ammo, & brass!!!!! Good luck finding brass for you rifle! Idaho-5R

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

It is very sad, how Remington has "dropped the ball" on the 260 cartridge!!!!It seems to be one of the most under-rated calibers out there! Remington helped to commercialize it, & now has basically dropped it from their line of calibers! Anyone who is interested in, or has tried any long distance shooting, knows the advantages of the 6.5, 260 cartridge. It's a shame more there aren't more sources of loaded ammo, & brass!!!!! Good luck finding brass for you rifle! Idaho-5R

I fully agree. But this is typical of Remington. This isn't the first good thing that they've almost ruined. The company is currently heading down hill. But at least 6.5 bullets wont be disappearing anytime soon. They just keep getting better. And primers and powder are still being made. We just have to jump on the brass when we find it, and play with what we have.

 

[woodcr24]

I had actually toyed with the idea of buying a Noreen BN36, which is essentially a long-action AR10/AK hybrid, in .270 Win and having it re-barelled to 6.5x55. Despite all of the interest in 6.5-CM, the Swede in modern loads is still superior, and I can find the ammo at all of the places that I shop (which is certainly not the case for any other cartridge firing a 6.5mm projectile; in fact, I see more .264 Win Mag on the shelves than I do any other 6.5mm cartridge except Swede). By the time that the difference in the price of ammo is factored in, it's almost worth ditching the .260 and doing the Noreen barrel swap. I'd probably break even before the barrel was shot out.

To put it in perspective, about a month ago I was shopping at the Cabela's in Hamburg. They had two boxes of .260, which I purchased. Last weekend, there wasn't even a space for it on their shelves. Discontinued.