.260 a good choice overall?

Cerendrad

Cerendrad

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I am planning a new rifle build. I like tactical shooting and I'll be shooting everything from 100 to 800 meters. After huge amounts of searching and reading I have landed on the Rem .260 cartridge. It seems there are a good selection of great BC bullets, the round can easily take a deer and similar calibers are used in Europe for moose (plenty of tactical power), It has good long distance ballistics and is used in many types of competition shooting at varied distance (it seems like especially in AI format), it's not a barrel burner, recoil is much less than the big Mags, and accuracy can be impressive with the right loads and shooter.

My main question is for those that own them how is availability of quality brass and bullets? I don't see them at my local stores at all and I don't think there are any factory match loads available. (I will be learning to reload on this rifle).

My second question is do you agree with the above praise train for .260?

Thanks,
 
I came to the same conclusion that you have.
I'm using a Tikka Varminter in .260, and have been necking up Lapua .243 brass.
It shoots well, and has all of the advantages as noted.
I have just ordered some (uber expensive..$95/50) Nosler brass....it's supposed to be extremely uniform...we'll see.
It likes the Remington 120gr. factory load...I wouldn't hesitate to use this as it was almost as accurate as my handloads using SMK, and Lapua 142's and 139's respectively, over 37Gr of Varget.
I will probably also buy/assemble a Savage with a Shilen barrel spun on......
The farthest I have tried it is 200 yards, but have just joined a club with a 300 yard range....
 
Hi, I have a 260 and quite like it. Great deer gun and seems to be like you said favourable to shooting at some distance. I even shot a moose last year just to check it out. As far as factory ammo there is no match ammo that I know of only very few hunting loads, so I hand load of course. I have used remington brass but switch to norma 308 brass for more consistancy. Lots of bullets around, so I think component wise I find it easy to get. There should be some more guys that will chime in that have more experience, ...Bartel!?... Personally I think the only real advantage to the ackley is it looks cool, you will likely get a small amount speed but they don't feed as well from a mag if you are not going with a single shot.

Good luck,
Chad
 
I only have one 260, but a number of 243s, 270s, and 7mmRemMags.

It does not matter much which of those long range cartridges is used for deer.

Which ever one you find in a rifle that is light weight and you can hit the deer, that will be the rifle you like.


The Berger VLD bullets in 6.5mm [for the 260] were very hard to find in the 2010 season.

If you are now planning for 2011, things may be very different.
 
.260 is good in many ways like you already stated. Make sure the rifle is comfortable for you and the rest will be history.


As for brass, .243, 7-08, .308 etc all can be used. Whatever you can find I guess
 
foxbat mentioned the Nosler .260 brass, I had 200 and really liked them, they were tough and very concentric all around. But spendy, yes no doubt. My .260 was AI though, so can't really comment on your build other than to say that I am a big fan of 6.5cal and have several. My long range boomer being worked on now is a Savage long action in 6.5x55.
 
308 brass will pinch the bullet if the necks are not turned. Not always, but often enough so will have problems. Ask me how I know:(

243 brass will form a donut at the base of the neck that scratches up long bullets.

The best is 260 brass and 7mm-08 brass.

Do an internet search.
 
Thanks, everyone. I am not going AI for this barrel, maybe the next one when I am more experienced. I am planning on a Shilen 8"* Ratchet rifled 4 groove at 26" with a savage action. I've read good things about barrel life and low bullet marking (for wind drift) on the 4 groove Ratchet. Anyway I am currently saving so I have some time to keep my eyes out for some brass.

Thanks again,
 
I run a Tikka varmint stainless in 260. 140 berger VLD, RL17, nosler brass, 210M. 2890 fps avg, 5 shots 10 fps ES. The nosler brass is very good, consistent. If you buy it now every box I have seen on the shelf is from the same lot as well. I bought 250 last year, should buy more. For the 140 VLD, keep your eyes peeled, they are out there. I have 600 hunting, and got another 5 or 6 boxes of target from Mystic last spring. I would run a 26" barrel though.
 
I had a .260 Rem built. last winter by Guntec. It was trued, trigger tuned and a 26" Gillard barrel installed. When I got the action back, I put it in a Boyds laminate stock. It was pillar and glass bedded and barrel free-floated. I topped it off with a Leupold VX3,4.5X14x40.. It is extremely accurate with 140 gr. Sierras and IMR 4831. I have only shot it out to 300 meters and really preforms well if I do my part. I would highly recomend that caliber. Great to shoot.....Ken
 
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