Show us your .260 Rem varmint builds!

fugawi

fugawi

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Normally I ignore these 'show me' or 'school me' threads. I just find the terms somehow abhorrent. But I'm thinking of buying or building a dedicated yote gun for next season chambered in .260 Rem.

So with apologies, what do 'nutters have that fits the bill? Please post pics and specifics.
 
I have a Tikka T3 Lite with a Redfield 3x9x50 Revolution scope sitting in a Boyds thumb hole stock. No pics yet but will post as soon as I take some.
I use hornaday 95g for coyotes and 129g SST for deer using Varget powder.
 
Nothin special... but a good, solid, crazy accurate gun none-the-less... my only .260 is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye All Weather, in a Boyd's Pepper Varmint Thumbhole with a Leupold VX-2 4-12X40mm AO silver scope... the stainless gun and scope and pepper stock don't stand out so much when hunting in snow, without getting into goofy camoflage... my loads are worked up for deer but I use the same loads on coyotes and they do a perfect job, DRT without messing them up...

You are choosing an excellent cartridge for your purposes... I will post a picture here in the morning.
 
Close your eyes and imagine mine (looks like 10,000 others) a box stock Remington 700 Varmint in .260Rem that was moved from the perfectly fine laminate stock to a perfectly fine HS Precision stock just "because"
 
gerard said:
I have a Tikka T3 Lite with a Redfield 3x9x50 Revolution scope sitting in a Boyds thumb hole stock. No pics yet but will post as soon as I take some.
I use hornaday 95g for coyotes and 129g SST for deer using Varget powder.
Click to expand...

That's something to think about. I have a T3 Lite in .270 WSM - it serves as my long range deer rifle because of its accuracy. I was unaware that its chambered in .260 Rem. My buddy has a T3 Heavy barreled Varmint rifle in .223 Rem. Its a nice gun but I would prefer the .260 Rem. Wonder if the heavy barrel T3 Varmint is available in that caliber?

Any change in impact between the .95 gr Hornadys and the 129 g SSTs?

hoytcanon said:
Nothin special... but a good, solid, crazy accurate gun none-the-less... my only .260 is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye All Weather, in a Boyd's Pepper Varmint Thumbhole with a Leupold VX-2 4-12X40mm AO silver scope... the stainless gun and scope and pepper stock don't stand out so much when hunting in snow, without getting into goofy camoflage... my loads are worked up for deer but I use the same loads on coyotes and they do a perfect job, DRT without messing them up...
Click to expand...

Yes those Boyd's pepper laminates are beautiful stocks... was thinking of one for my T3 Lite as the stock, though adequate, is what I like least about my T3 (Sako A7s have nicer stocks). How's the stainless scope/barrel for shine in the snow? Its very sunny (and cold) during MB winters.

hoytcanon said:
You are choosing an excellent cartridge for your purposes... I will post a picture here in the morning.
Click to expand...

I was reading up on the .260 Rem and basically learned its a 6.5mm bullet in a .308 case. In the Precision Shooting forum there are threads exhorting its flat trajectory and 'punch' at longer ranges (better than the .308 further down range).

I'm also standardizing on the .308 case for most of my sporting/hunting rifles to simplify my reloading. A heavy barreled long range varmint rifle in .260 Rem could lend itself for my getting into long range precision shooting as well. I had been initially thinking of the .243 Win, having a .243 Savage 99F as my 'go to' deer rifle but the .260 Rem is more accurate, hits harder and is better for barrel life than the .243 Win.

AP said:
Close your eyes and imagine mine (looks like 10,000 others) a box stock Remington 700 Varmint in .260Rem that was moved from the perfectly fine laminate stock to a perfectly fine HS Precision stock just "because"
Click to expand...

Hahaha... actually that's what I was thinking about - a .260 Rem Remington 700 action with a heavy barrel plus trigger job but in a Bell and Carson stock. 'Just because'... and because the B&C stock has gotten some good press in the Precision Shooting forum. But gerard's post about the T3 deserves consideration.

What about the thumbhole stock - I've not used one? Gerard and Hoytcanon both do... thoughts? I'd also like opinions/recommendations for scopes, triggers, supports like bipods etc. I'm expecting to shoot long distance in the prone position.
 
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Here is my 260ai built on a tikka t3 with a 28" kregier rem varmint 8 twist mcmillan a5 Leupold mark 4 8-25x50 bedded with devcon
 

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fugawi said:
Any change in impact between the .95 gr Hornadys and the 129 g SSTs?
Click to expand...

Yes, there is a shift in POI from 95 to 129's, but you just adjust for it on the dials... personally, I settled on 129's as the best all around bullet and developed some good loads for it.


fugawi said:
Yes, those Boyd's pepper laminate are beautiful stocks... How's the stainless barrel for shine in the snow? Its pretty sunny here in MB in the winter.
Click to expand...

Ruger has gone from the older bright polished SS to a matte SS on most of their M77 Hawkeye line-up... it does not reflect light... some guns, such as the 77/357 and 77/44's still come in bright stainless... personally, I think the M77 Predator in .260 is the perfect gun for what you are looking for...



fugawi said:
I was reading up on the .260 Rem and basically learned its a 6.5mm bullet in a .308 case...
I'm also standardizing on the .308 case for most of my sporting/hunting rifles to simplify my reloading. A heavy barreled long range varmint rifle in .260 Rem could lend itself for my getting into long range precision shooting as well. I read that it is easier on barrel life than the .243 Win which is caliber I initially had been thinking of...
Click to expand...

I shoot the whole .308 family in a number of platforms (,243, .260, 7-08, .308, .338 Fed, .358 Win)... I am a big fan of the .308 case... personally not buying that the .243 is much more of a barrel burner than the .260... neither is much of a barrel burner... the .243 would make an ideal varmint/predator cartridge, but IMO the .260 is a much better medium game cartridge (deer etc...) and in a combo gun, the .260 would be my choice.


fugawi said:
What about the thumbhole stock - I've not used one? Gerard and Hoytcanon both do... thoughts? I'd also like opinions/recommendations for scopes, triggers, supports like bipods etc. I'm expecting to shoot long distance in the prone position.
Click to expand...

I love the thumbhole stocks from Boyd's... they are very comfortable and steady to shoot... but they are heavy... fortunately, I like my guns to be on the heavier side. For scopes on a varmint gun, I would look at a 4-12X as a minimum, a 4.5-14X would be better and a 4-16X better yet... and IMO 6-24X is not too much... lots of good optics to choose from, I am a died in the wool Leupold fan. Bipod = Harris... get a good collapsible pair of shooting stix... If you get the Ruger the LC-6 trigger is just fine.
 
fugawi said:
Very nice!! Your build is along the lines I was thinking about. What's the difference between the .260ai and the standard .260 Rem?
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Depending on which AI version you look at, the side walls are blown out to parallel (or close to it), the shoulder may be pressed forward and the shoulder angle steepened to 30-40 degrees... again, there are many versions... they all add up to more case volume and higher velocities (but not necessarily better accuracy)... I went the AI route twice and then sold them off and went back to the standard .260.
 
hoytcanon said:
I shoot the whole .308 family in a number of platforms (,243, .260, 7-08, .308, .338 Fed, .358 Win)... I am a big fan of the .308 case... personally not buying that the .243 is much more of a barrel burner than the .260... neither is much of a barrel burner... the .243 would make an ideal varmint/predator cartridge, but IMO the .260 is a much better medium game cartridge (deer etc...) and in a combo gun, the .260 would be my choice.

I love the thumbhole stocks from Boyd's... they are very comfortable and steady to shoot... but they are heavy... fortunately, I like my guns to be on the heavier side. For scopes on a varmint gun, I would look at a 4-12X as a minimum, a 4.5-14X would be better and a 4-16X better yet... and IMO 6-24X is not too much... lots of good optics to choose from, I am a died in the wool Leupold fan. Bipod = Harris... get a good collapsible pair of shooting stix... If you get the Ruger the LC-6 trigger is just fine.
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Thanks Hoyt. I have a Harris bipod already but don't use it right now as I changed my deer hunting style.

A higher magnification scope is what I was considering, something like a Bushnell 6500 Elite 2.5-16x42 or Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21×50. Again not settled on a scope as I'm only in the early stages.

I use the .308 family too: .243 which had been my 'go to' walking around deer gun, a .308 which is now my 'go to' gun, and for moose, my new .358.

A .260 Rem would fit right in as a long range varmint gun. I have no real life experience with the .260 Rem - only read about the barrel wear of the .243 Win vs .260 Rem.

Plus I've been 'eyeing' a black rifle in .260 ...'just because'.

hoytcanon said:
Yes, there is a shift in POI from 95 to 129's, but you just adjust for it on the dials... personally, I settled on 129's as the best all around bullet and developed some good loads for it.

Ruger has gone from the older bright polished SS to a matte SS on most of their M77 Hawkeye line-up... it does not reflect light... some guns, such as the 77/357 and 77/44's still come in bright stainless... personally, I think the M77 Predator in .260 is the perfect gun for what you are looking for...
Click to expand...

Never owned a Ruger but I know you and others hold them in high regard. Same goes for the stainless scopes or barrels - I do have a matte barrel on my ML and it doesn't seem to shine too much - am thinking about flash from my old military training.

I'm just in the early stages of contemplating what I want... I haven't settle on a box stock rifle or a build.
 
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I built one last year. Rem 700, McMillan A5, bartlien rem varmint 1-8.5" barrel on it. I like it but it's too heavy for lugging around everyday type hunting though.



I would build some thing lighter and handier than what I did. I wanted a heavy range type rifle but if it weighed 4# less it would be 10x more practical.
 
Hers is a chasis type build on an Eliseo tube stock, broughton barrel, pierce action.

20140412_172442_zps6s5buuol.jpg

 
pa6N6e7.jpg


Here's two different approaches to look at. Near gun is a worked over rem 700 action, #4 contour fluted krieger finished at 24'', manners ultralight stock and a nightforce 2.5x10x32 with npr2 reticle. Far one is built on a pierce action, #9 krieger finished at 27'', A5 stock and a 5.5x22x50. I love them both but the second one is far to heavy to lug around and hunt with.
 
Lots of beautiful rifles in this thread! Thanks to all who have posted. Keep 'em coming.

I'd like to hear some opinions/suggestions on scopes and mounts: magnification, reticule, easy of adjustment, weight - what's important to consider in a varmint scope.

Ditto barrel twist and length, suitable bullets, etc. Anything that might help. I've never hunted coyotes or wolves, what would be typical (if typical fits) ranges to expect to shoot over and some challenges to consider/address with a suitable rifle.

I'm already thinking about investing in a good rangefinder and perhaps a wind meter. Thanks for any help.
 
This was mine:

stiller.jpg


I would advise that you give more consideration to weight. I had a Remington .223 heavy barrel and it was a bit of a handful - especially considering that coyote hunting around here = snow.

I replaced that rail with Talley light weights and a 3-9x40 was plenty, but again, around here - lots of woods, not much past 300 yards.
 
looch said:
This was mine:

stiller.jpg


I would advise that you give more consideration to weight. I had a Remington .223 heavy barrel and it was a bit of a handful - especially considering that coyote hunting around here = snow.

I replaced that rail with Talley light weights and a 3-9x40 was plenty, but again, around here - lots of woods, not much past 300 yards.
Click to expand...


Weight is a good point... can be lots of snow here in 'toba. I know that my hunting buddy's Tikka Heavy Barrel varmint has a fluted barrel. I presume it helps with cooling the barrel and keeping the weight down.

Please keep the pros and cons coming. This is a next year project but I want to start planning.
 
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