What is the most horsepower you can get in a S/A Accuracy International

[Buster Hemlock]

If you go the 260 AI route I'd seriously consider buying some Berger loaded ammo in 260. Pick up 100 loaded rounds and shoot it to get the barrel broke in and what not. It will most likely shoot really well and once you have shot it all you will have formed brass and a barrel that has settled and you will be set to do load development. I went a similar route with a different caliber recently. Realized it was more expensive to buy Lapua brass and Berger bullets let alone fully loaded ammo, add powder, primers and my time for case prep and loading and it was an absolute steal. Ammo shot great (1/2 MOA) and I harvested a great Nilgai, a few coyotes and a few other critters with it while forming brass. I never fall in love with a load until all the brass is on its second firing regardless of whether I'm Improving a cartridge or not, so it's a cost effective way to come up with good brass and get a barrel worn in

 

[codyadams]

The 260 AI is expensive to run. Maybe a 7mm-08 or 284 WIN if you need that extra case capacity.

Not sure what is more expensive about a .260 AI than any other cartridge?? 40-50 grains of powder, a bullet, a primer, and a case.....

 

[Zymurgist]

Not sure what is more expensive about a .260 AI than any other cartridge?? 40-50 grains of powder, a bullet, a primer, and a case.....

2-die set $120+, 50ct. Hornady brass $97.....

 

[duckhunter175]

How does the 260ai stack up to a 7/08ai with similar barrel lengths and standard weight for caliber bullets? IE- 140s in the 260 and 160s in the 7/08ai?

I recently shot a match where most were running 6 or 6.5cm and there was one guy with a 7/08ai... BIG different when he smacked that 800 steel and when I hit it.

FWIW- He was running 162 ELDM and I was running 6.5cm 140ELDM @ 2850--

 

[codyadams]

2-die set $120+, 50ct. Hornady brass $97.....

100 peterson brass (much better than hornady in every way....) .....$45

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalo...MI_ovey8Ws5QIVyrzACh3S2ADKEAQYASABEgJjhfD_BwE

100 Lapua brass......$79

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/22845

And I'm not sure why you would want hornady, or where in the world you got your price from, but 50 Hornady brass for $37, not $97.

https://www.brownells.com/reloading/brass/rifle-brass/260-remington-unprimed-brass-prod99033.aspx

And that took about 2 minutes with a google search.

And as far as dies, if you use good dies for producing concentric ammunition (good things for long range....) then my bushing sizer and micrometer seater for a .308 win was $150, so that is a wash.

Fake news sir.

 

[codyadams]

How does the 260ai stack up to a 7/08ai with similar barrel lengths and standard weight for caliber bullets? IE- 140s in the 260 and 160s in the 7/08ai?

I recently shot a match where most were running 6 or 6.5cm and there was one guy with a 7/08ai... BIG different when he smacked that 800 steel and when I hit it.

FWIW- He was running 162 ELDM and I was running 6.5cm 140ELDM @ 2850--

Depends on what your doing with it I would suppose. The 156 is the optimal bullet in a .260 AI for best wind drift and most energy/sd for on game performance, I'm not sure what would be best in a 7mm-08 ai. I know in the .308 the 215 gives about the best performance in wind drift and energy/sd, with the sacrifice being trajectory and recoil. I would be interested to see what a 175 berger elite hunter does in a 7mm-08 ai. If you got it up to 2750 with a 175 eh in a 7mm-08 ai compared to a 156 in a .260 ai at 2900, the 156 overtakes it in energy at 200 yards, and has less wind drift the entire way, and less importantly a flatter trajectory, so still no real gain with the 175.

 

[codyadams]

How does the 260ai stack up to a 7/08ai with similar barrel lengths and standard weight for caliber bullets? IE- 140s in the 260 and 160s in the 7/08ai?

I recently shot a match where most were running 6 or 6.5cm and there was one guy with a 7/08ai... BIG different when he smacked that 800 steel and when I hit it.

FWIW- He was running 162 ELDM and I was running 6.5cm 140ELDM @ 2850--

I did play a little with my ballistic calculator...

If you used the 195 EOL in a 7mm-08 AI, and got it to 2600 fps, it would then have more energy than a 156 @2900 at all hunting ranges. However it still has a little more wind drift, but the difference was about a half MOA at 1000 yds in a 10 mph wind, so not much. The 195 7mm also offers better sectional density. The downside, like the 215 in a .308, is a rainbow trajectory and added recoil, though both of those can be worked around. Again that is just an estimate on velocity, and you may need to install a 3.1" bainey mag box to use the 195 in a 7mm-08 AI as a repeater, but just thoughts. Just fyi, the 162 eld-m @ 2850 gets overtaken around 150 yards by the 156 in energy, has a lower sd, worse trajectory and more wind drift.