Michael Eichele
Well-Known Member
3000'sec with 140s is a bit of a stretch even for the AI version of the 260. You're in 6.5x284 territory at that point.
Any of the calibers that are based on the 308 case are great but if you want 3k'sec plus... You need lighter 26 cal bullets than 140s. You can drive 30 cal 155 grain bullets a he!! of a lot faster in a 308 case than a 26 cal 140 grain bullet in the 308 case, up to including 3000'sec. For 500 yard deer and paper, the 260/140 combo is fine. That said, the 708 running 162 amaxs or 168 vlds works well too as does the 308 running 185, 190 vlds at 2650-2700+'/sec or 208/210 which can be ran up to 2600-2650 in 26" barrels.
Run the numbers against the 260, 708 and 308 using 140, 162 and 208 amaxs out to 500 yards and there is not enough difference to sweat it. Some will drop less than others, some will drift less than others and others will hit harder than others. All that said, using the heavy for caliber bullets, the windage between the three is about identical. The major differences will be energy.
Do you want minimal recoil or barrel longevity?
When one decides to call 500 yards or less for deer and paper, the less critical cartridge/caliber/bullet choices become. When one adds another 500 yards to the mix, it isn't so simple. Just remember, equal case designs utilizing different calibers, the larger calibers will drive equal bullet weight as the smaller calibers faster but the smaller caliber will have higher BCs for equal weight but the larger calibers will have higher BC potential with more mass available. With this balance, equal cases in different calibers generally will have equal or close to equal windage potential. The recoil, energy, trajectory and barrel life between the three will be vastly different. You'll have to pick which qualities are most important to you.
For what you're looking for, the 708 is a great balance. Less recoil than the 308, better energy than the 260.
Any of the calibers that are based on the 308 case are great but if you want 3k'sec plus... You need lighter 26 cal bullets than 140s. You can drive 30 cal 155 grain bullets a he!! of a lot faster in a 308 case than a 26 cal 140 grain bullet in the 308 case, up to including 3000'sec. For 500 yard deer and paper, the 260/140 combo is fine. That said, the 708 running 162 amaxs or 168 vlds works well too as does the 308 running 185, 190 vlds at 2650-2700+'/sec or 208/210 which can be ran up to 2600-2650 in 26" barrels.
Run the numbers against the 260, 708 and 308 using 140, 162 and 208 amaxs out to 500 yards and there is not enough difference to sweat it. Some will drop less than others, some will drift less than others and others will hit harder than others. All that said, using the heavy for caliber bullets, the windage between the three is about identical. The major differences will be energy.
Do you want minimal recoil or barrel longevity?
When one decides to call 500 yards or less for deer and paper, the less critical cartridge/caliber/bullet choices become. When one adds another 500 yards to the mix, it isn't so simple. Just remember, equal case designs utilizing different calibers, the larger calibers will drive equal bullet weight as the smaller calibers faster but the smaller caliber will have higher BCs for equal weight but the larger calibers will have higher BC potential with more mass available. With this balance, equal cases in different calibers generally will have equal or close to equal windage potential. The recoil, energy, trajectory and barrel life between the three will be vastly different. You'll have to pick which qualities are most important to you.
For what you're looking for, the 708 is a great balance. Less recoil than the 308, better energy than the 260.
