Need Advice, 260rem

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I'm just getting started reloading. This is something I've been meaning to do for the last 15 years or so, and decided now is the time. I'm getting my bench set up now, and hope to start on my 260 rem pretty soon. Materials have been a little hard to come by but this is what I got-
H4350
A4350
140gr Accubonds, SST's, and A-Max
BR Primers
The rifle is a Savage 10 Predator hunter Max1.
I'm hoping to get a nice load together for an upcoming antelope hunt. This rifle absolutely HATES factory loads. Southwest and HSA match grade ammo dose well under 1MOA, but I'm really hoping to get close to 1/2.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Ring]

I'm just getting started reloading. This is something I've been meaning to do for the last 15 years or so, and decided now is the time. I'm getting my bench set up now, and hope to start on my 260 rem pretty soon. Materials have been a little hard to come by but this is what I got-
H4350
A4350
140gr Accubonds, SST's, and A-Max
BR Primers
The rifle is a Savage 10 Predator hunter Max1.
I'm hoping to get a nice load together for an upcoming antelope hunt. This rifle absolutely HATES factory loads. Southwest and HSA match grade ammo dose well under 1MOA, but I'm really hoping to get close to 1/2.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

H4350, COL 2.80 to start, load 5@42gr, then go up .3gr and 5 more and so on, to 43gr max

you should find your load in 25 shots

 

[BrentM]

H4350 is a good powder. A little slower than H4831, based on the 260 I set up, but it is temp insensitive and a GO TO powder for most everyone.

Personally I would step test 40-43 grains for pressure at .020 off the lands. Find the max pressure, back it down .5 or so and then do seating depth test with the favorite bullet first. My guess, you will get under .5 without too much effort.

 

[Shortmagman]

I load for two different 260 Rem's and I have found that H4350 is a very good powder(It is faster than H4831) for this caliber, however not all 260's like 140 grain bullets. You Savage should have a 1 in 8 twist to do a good job with the 140's.
If after you have followed Ring's advise (which in my opinion is good) and you still have not achieved you desired accuracy goal try some 130 grain bullets.

My friend's Savage 260 loves 130 Accubonds and RL-19 powder.

 

[HTSmith]

Some rifles don't like the 140Gr bullet. I've had the best results with 120 to 130 Gr bullets in my hunting rifle. H4350 is a powder that a lot folks prefer in the 260, including me.

 

[RT2506]

I have never killed an antelope but have killed a bunch of deer about the same size. 120 gr ballistic tips or Sierra SP with a case full of H4350 smokes them.

 

[PD260]

I have the same gun, mine likes IMR 4831 better than IMR 4350
130 gr acccubonds 44grs 4831 COL 2.800 around 2700fps

 

[jseverhart]

+1 on H4350 AND SST.

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

PD260 What kind of groups do you get with yours?
Right after I got this thing I wanted to sell it. It would throw 3'' groups @100 at best. I'm not the best shooter but I'm not that bad. I went through every type of ammo I could find. Southwest's match ammo tightened it up pretty good, but I would like to see it better.

 

[Greyfox]

You might check the breeding screw tighness, and barrel channel on you Savage if you already haven't done so. My Predator in 22-250, and a couple of other Savages needed the barrel channel trimmed up to get rid of spots contacting the barrel. Torque to 40in#/manual instructions. My groups tightened up after doing this. I have a 260 Savage LRP. It handles 140's in Berger VLD,142SMK,s and 140 Hornady AMax very well with .25-.5MOA. My 260 LRP likes 45gr of H4831sc with either fed210M's, or WinLR primers. Velocity is 2800FPS/ES10. Non VLD's are seated .025" off the lands, VLD's at the lands. I never tried H4350 since results were good and I had large supply of H4831sc. I'm pretty sure that Savage cuts the chambers of of their different rifles in the same caliber with the same reamers and chamber specs enabling use of VLD's seated to the lands and sufficient room in the magazine well to handle the COAL. I know a few owners of Savages in 260 that get results similar to mine. If your rifle won't group after continued attempts at load development, I'd have Savage check it out.

 

[backwoods83]

This is a benchrest load and a very warm load so back down a little. I load it for 3 people with similar results (which also makes perfect since because a 3 barrels come from the same stick of steel and were chambered with the same reamer, a saami reamer though.)
Lapua Brass
140 Berger hunting vld
2.205" oal base to ogive, .010" in the lands
.002" neck tension, .292 bushing if your using redding dies
43.5grns H4350
CCI BR2 primer or Fed210M, not any discernable difference.

All shoot less than 3/8 moa, 2 of them consistently under 1/4 moa.
Does 2920 from the 26" 8.3 twist barrels.
Start LOWER, it is top end.

 

[ramrod79]

Here is a pet load that my 260 just loves it is a very hot load.
45GR of IMR4350 under a 123GR SMK FED210 primers
This load leaves a 1 hole mark in the target a 100yards (3 shots),and I can put 4 into a 1 inch circle at 300 yards in my custom rem hunting rifle.

 

[PD260]

Best group I've had has been with the 123gr Amax 44gr IMR 4350 COL 2.780.
1/2- 3/4 " at 100yds, The accubonds were about 1" at 100