260 Rem Load Recipeies?

[Greyfox]

My Savage LRH shoots .2-.3 MOA, 5 shot groups with 142 SMK's, 140VMAX, and 140 Bergers running 45.8gr. of H4831sc, Fed210, Lapua brass. COAL with 140 Bergers is 2.911 to the lands. I seat the SMK and VMAX .025 out of the lands. I'm getting 2850out of the 26" barrel.

 

[Jinx-)]

yeah old stuff... Savage found that barrel faulty and scraped it, they couldn't shoot it either, it was a a lemon, but after 2 months waiting for a new barrel somehow Savage failed to present me one, so they flip caliber on me to 6BR, with even more problematic replacement and at that point I had enough I replaced barrel on it myself and I did same for my other Savage, so I still have 260 and 6BR Norma. The 260 I made does shoot bugholes head shot Bug was shot from top group load, using match bullets, bottom one I used hunting bullets and RE-22

which I used to take nice buck in the fall.

 

[Clark]

100 gr Hornady soft point flat base #2610 bullet moly coated, 45.0 gr canister IMR4895, 2.920" over all length, almost no insertion of the bullet into the neck, due to the short bullet and long throat.
Quickload prediction 59,342 psi 3,233 fps
Chronographs at 3,244 fps

I have heard that necking down 7mm-08 is the best, but I have only tried necking down 308, which leads to high pressure 10% of the time if I do no turn necks. I have also tried 260 brass and necking up 243. The 243 neck up produces a donut in the neck.

260 Rem, 22" Douglas long chambered barrel VZ24 action, VZ24 stock with barrel channel milled out but no epoxy. Weaver #45 and #46 two piece steel scope mounts with Devcon Steel putty under the mounts and Loctite 242 on the threads. Burris Low tactical rings with 6 screws on the cap and a bolt on the Weaver rail. IOR 2.5x10x42 scope with 1/2 mili rad reticule in first focal plane and moa turrets. Rubber tube extensions on both ends of the scope. 10 pounds scoped, 11 pounds with non swivel br harris bi-pod and light sling.
I have $115 into the barrel:
260 Douglass XX blued 98 Mauser unfired Factory 22" .625" #3 taper 42.5 oz
I have $15 into the action.
The stock was free.
So that is $130 into the rifle before scoping.
It has been to the range 3 times and fired over 50 rounds.
It Copper fouls and is heavy.
I have hundreds of other beater rifles, and this one is probably never going to get to hunt.

But it might go to the range again, and it might hunt.
I got some 308 Lapua small primer pocket brass. If I can get that to fit in the 260, the rifle could run 85,000 psi instead of 67,000 psi.
If the barrel ever breaks in and wears the bluing out of the bore that Douglas put in there, it could be ok.

 

[captacademy]

Has anyone tried RL 17 with either the 142 SMK, 139 Lapua or 140 A max? I've heard that powder is great with the 260. Any thoughts?

 

[captacademy]

Sorry, I forgot to read some of the previous post ref RL 17.

 

[captacademy]

This is the 260 rifle that 308 Nate built. The rifle shoots great 1/4" with 41 grns of H-4831sc and the 140 A-Max, but it's slow, mid 2400's. I tired bumping it up, but it's not as accurate. I am going to try the RL 17 and H4350 with the 142 SMK's and 139 Lapua's.

 

[trebark]

H4350 is going to be your go-to powder. H4831 is too slow and RL17 is not temp stable.

 

[captacademy]

Thanks Trebark! I will give that a try today.

 

[jtkratzer]

This is the 260 rifle that 308 Nate built. The rifle shoots great 1/4" with 41 grns of H-4831sc and the 140 A-Max, but it's slow, mid 2400's. I tired bumping it up, but it's not as accurate. I am going to try the RL 17 and H4350 with the 142 SMK's and 139 Lapua's.

Check out RL-22. I got 2,900 fps out of a 20" tube with 129 gr SSTs

H4350 is going to be your go-to powder. H4831 is too slow and RL17 is not temp stable.

I still want to try H4350 with my SSTs, just not sure I'm going to get the velocity/accuracy that I get with RL-22, and I keep reading conflicting experiences about the temperature sensitivity of the RL powders.

 

[trebark]

I still want to try H4350 with my SSTs, just not sure I'm going to get the velocity/accuracy that I get with RL-22, and I keep reading conflicting experiences about the temperature sensitivity of the RL powders.

Take it from someone that has shot quite a few different RL powders in various conditions. RL powders are very temp sensitive.

 

[trebark]

Thanks Trebark! I will give that a try today.

You're welcome. My load is a 130grain JLK with 45.0grains of H4350 lit by CCIBR2. Produces 3000fps in a 28" barrel.

 

[captacademy]

Thanks again Trebark! I am currently moving from the 308 to the 260 for tactical matches and have a few coming up. I am trying to get a load developed to shoot, as mentioned earlier, H 4831 sc was great, but only produced mid 2400 accurately with the forementioned bullets. Loading them hotter did not hold the accuracy I wanted, good, but not good enough, as I know what this rifle is capable of doing.

I did use your load info, but will be modify slightly, trying my 142 SMK's, 140 A max's and 139 Lapua's with the H4350. In addition, I will be trying the BR-2 primers over the 210 Match I currently use.

I hope to get out this week sometime and try the loads, I'll post the results after.

Again, thank you sir!

 

[trebark]

Thanks again Trebark! I am currently moving from the 308 to the 260 for tactical matches and have a few coming up. I am trying to get a load developed to shoot, as mentioned earlier, H 4831 sc was great, but only produced mid 2400 accurately with the forementioned bullets. Loading them hotter did not hold the accuracy I wanted, good, but not good enough, as I know what this rifle is capable of doing.

I did use your load info, but will be modify slightly, trying my 142 SMK's, 140 A max's and 139 Lapua's with the H4350. In addition, I will be trying the BR-2 primers over the 210 Match I currently use.

I hope to get out this week sometime and try the loads, I'll post the results after.

Again, thank you sir!

The 140grain bullets are really nice and have great BCs making them even more attractive. Take a serious look at the 130grain options though. Most tactical matches are 600yards or closer and only a few 1000+. With that being the case, the superior velocity of the 130class bullets exceed the BC advantage of of the 140s. Heck, I was in Wyoming this past October and was easily killing rocks at 1500+ with the 130JLK. (G1 BC = .593)

 

[jtkratzer]

Take it from someone that has shot quite a few different RL powders in various conditions. RL powders are very temp sensitive.

Well, it's a hunting load for my rifle and temperatures for PA deer season don't really vary that much. I might not get 2,900 fps when them temps are below 20, but I don't think I'll see that much of a difference in velocity going from mid 50s to the 30s. I'll check the POI/scope zero before the season starts and the temps are a bit cooler, but for a hunting rifle, RL-22 should be just fine. Shooting a max load shouldn't be an issue in the summer as long as I don't let the ammo sit out and bake in the sun or on the dashboard.

Thanks again Trebark! I am currently moving from the 308 to the 260 for tactical matches and have a few coming up. I am trying to get a load developed to shoot, as mentioned earlier, H 4831 sc was great, but only produced mid 2400 accurately with the forementioned bullets. Loading them hotter did not hold the accuracy I wanted, good, but not good enough, as I know what this rifle is capable of doing.

I did use your load info, but will be modify slightly, trying my 142 SMK's, 140 A max's and 139 Lapua's with the H4350. In addition, I will be trying the BR-2 primers over the 210 Match I currently use.

I hope to get out this week sometime and try the loads, I'll post the results after.

Again, thank you sir!

I ran into the same thing with 129 gr SSTs with H4831sc...velocity was too low on the tightest groups. I just loaded a few rounds with the RL-22 only varying from Federal 210GM and CCI BR-2 primers. I'm interested to see how the results compare.