260AI or 6.5X55 Rifle build ?

[Coyboy]

Well I'm stumped. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I am going to build an easy on the barrel 6.5, but have not decided on cal. as of yet and need some opinions/help. This will be my first custom barrel for a short action savage. My max. cartrige length to fit the mag. is 2.890, but I'm not against using it as a single shot, so OAL could be longer.

Knowing that I can get Quality brass for the 6.5x55 would this be the cartrige to choose?

I don't have experience with either one of these, but asume velocitys would be very similar?

From looking at cartrige drawings I assumed the 6.5x55 had more case capacity than the standard 260 rem, but in my barnes manual it list the 6.5x55 as 50.86 gr. of water and the 260rem as 53 gr. of water. Is this correct?

If so wouldn't the 260 rem out perform th 6.5 if loaded to similar pressure?

Does the neck length make a big difference in throat erosion? 260 rems is .260" the 6.5x55s is around 2.98"

will be ordering a Pac Nor 26" #7 straight taper 1-8" for 142gr smk.

Your help is apreciated guys.

 

[brian b]

coyboy,
just build a 6.5-284 ,use lapua brass and life will be grand with far less stress, and yes the pac-nor 1-8" is perfect for 142smk's
B

 

[USSR]

coyboy,

If you insist on building on a short action, then the .260 Rem is the way to go. The only problem with the .260 is the lack of quality brass. Most .260 long range shooters are necking up or down Lapua brass of various calibers to get good brass, which is a pain in the neck. While the parent case of the 6.5-.284 was designed for a short action, because of the long bullets used in this cartridge, it is used almost exclusively in long actions. The 6.5x55 is strictly a long action cartridge. I do not believe the case capacity measurements as listed in your Barnes manual. I am easily getting 2950fps with the 142SMK in my 6.5x55 F Class Rifle with it's 28" Obermeyer barrel. This is not possible with a .260 Remington. To answer your question, the 6.5x55 has the advantage of quality Lapua brass, as well as a velocity advantage over the .260 Rem with 140gr and heavier bullets.

Don

 

[goodgrouper]

The 6.5-55 swede improved is getting a lot of use in 1k benchrest lately and does have serious potential. However, the 6.5-.284 is still the 1k br king at the moment. I would consider both because you can't go wrong with either.

 

[Coyboy]

goodgrouper, With your experience, would you even consider the 260AI? At this time I only have the short action available and most shooting will be under 800 yards. Would you neck down lapua 308 or just try Rem brass first? Will their be feeding problems with the AI case? or is this just an over stated problem?

 

[James Jones]

Cowboy maybe you could give Shawn Carlock a ring he shoots the 260 Rem in tactical sniper comps. look for a post called "IDAHO STATE SNIPER CHAMPIONSHIP" Its on the second page in the Long range hunting forum.
If you look at the reloding logs the 260 is barely 100fps behind the 6.5-284 and generaly the velocity of the 260 is quoted from a 24" barrel where the 6.5-284 is from a 26"
I'm thinking about goign the standard 260 route and shooting the 123gr Lapua Scenar bullets , with a BC of .547 and being launched at say 3000fps that should make for a flat shooting rig. you would have to be shooting a 190gr MAtchKing at 3000+ fps to match that , which is basicaly like shooting the 190gr SMK out of a 300Winmag with a stout load.
For the brass I'd use Lapua 308 , its cheap and way better quality than anything else out their. It should be a simple matter of running the brass through a 7-08 neck sizer then the FL 260 die , you may even be able to make it by just running it intot he FL 260 die with good lube.

 

[goodgrouper]

I like the 260 improved ballistics very much, however, if you want good brass you will have to make it causing downtime that the 6.5-.284 and 6.5-55 do not have because of good brass for them.

I have and will always be a proponent of using the smallest possible gun to get the job done. That is why I shoot everything from a 17 hmr to a 338 lapua improved. I simply use the best gun for the range. In other words, don't use a cannon to kill a mosquito. When I go varmint hunting, I typically bring 5-10 guns and then when a target is ranged, I pull out the smallest gun that will adequately hit that range. I would never dream of using my 6.5-.284 for anything under 800 yards unless I was shooting into a tornado. LIkewise, the 260 improved would be a great match for 800 yard plus shooting.

I do disagree with one fellow earlier though. The 6.5-.284 is more closely matched to the '06 case than the 260 case. In 26" barrels, the two can be close in velo with 140 grain bullets. But when using 28"+ tubes, the 6.5-.284 will outspeed the 260 by as much as 300 fps. My 30" barrel on my six-five reaches 3125 with 140 grainers. THat is pretty quick!


I guess what it all boils down to is how much brass prep are you prepared to do, and will the gun ever be used for 1000-1500 yard shooting? If not a fan of "necking down" and if you will take pokes at .85 miles, then the 6.5-.284 is probably the best choice. THe Remmy 260 brass may be ok, but it may not. It will depend on your luck of the lot. With the Swede or 284, it is good and no worries.

Feeding problems can be encountered with any of these rounds when using the VLD style bullets that stick out of the case a ways, but for really long range shooting, single feeding is my favorite way anyway. Out of all the bullets I've shot in my life, less than 10% came from the magazine into the chamber!
FWIW-goodgrouper

 

[nowler]

hi cowboy

i have a 260rem tube on my AI. it has a 30" barrel and i am getting over 2900 with the 142 smk's. this is shagging the cases though so i intend to back off a little, and am moving from 4831sc to rel 19 instead.

i have not had thid baby past 600yet, but it was holding it's own against the 6.5-284 guys at the last competition over 300, 500 and 600yards.

i went the 243lapua route and expanded up and neck turned. i have a 290neck chamber and have had no donut problems at all. you have to go a fair ways into the shoulder to do avoif the donut appearing though.

my advice would be a stragiht 260 for what you want to use it for.....

cheers

derek

 

[Coyboy]

After reading Shawns post again, and considering what I expect from this build, I'm going with the standard 260rem.
I'll send Pac-nor a dummy round so they can throat it at a length that fits my mag. With this I should have a relativly mild recoil 800yrd rig. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks all for your help, Jim

 

[foreign]

sorry for the hijacking, but what would the effective range of either of these round s be on deer/tahr. or the 6.5-284.
cheers

 

[Coyboy]

Sorry? not really a hijacking this thread is over 4 years old.

I ended up building a 260ai. that rifle has killed 2 deer over 600, 2 over 500 and a half a dozen or more over 300. all with 140 a-max at 2920 fps. None of the animals needed a second bullet. If I thought I was capable of one shot kills at 800 yards with that gun I would be confident that the bullet would do the job.

 

[zuba]

I got all confused Jim, I was reading it thinking to my self " I have seen your 260ai??" Guess its pretty easy to miss the dates

 

[Coyboy]

Matt, I'm going to hijack my own thread.

I barreled up Ryans handgun today and installed the Muscle brake. That damm barreled action weights as much as my 7rum on a 28" palma contour.
It's a pretty stiff rig, I think she's gonna drive tacks for sure.

 

[zuba]

he's gonna be happy when he gets home! We're probaby going to be up your way a few times this fall, bowhunting... I hope you dont get sick of us.