260 Rem

[Andy L]

Anyone own one of these? How do you like it?

Im lookin to buy a new deer rifle for my son. It will also be used for antelope. Had a very knowlegable hunter tell me I should consider the 260 and just lookin for more info......

Andy

[Ol` Joe]

I`ve got two of them, a M700 and a Kimber 84M. I`ve taken four deer with the 260 and all have been one shot kills at ranges of ~80yd or so down to about 30yd. No bullets have been recovered and I used 140 & 129 gr Hornadies, with good result from both. I have settled on the Hornady 129 SP and the 120 Sierra SP. The Hornady is my first choice for deer and the Sierra is just the most accurate in both my rifles.
The recoil is mild and for most hunting a young boy / lady couldn`t go wrong with one.

[Rapier]

Andy,
I have three 260s, two custom Rem 700s and a custom XP-100.

The 700s have Lothar Walther barrels and the XP has a Douglas. The guns are very accurate, near bench rest quality from a heavy sporter barrel. I like the 1-8 twist and 87 to 120 grain bullets by Sierra. H-414 works real well in them.

I have built two other guns for friends. All of the guns shoot real well ( sub .25 inch groups) and are deadly on all manner of game.

Opps, I forgot (CRS attack), I actually have 4, I forgot the AR-10T. With the 1-8 twist Kreger barrel by Medesha. Shoots sub .25 inch groups with the 120 Sierra MK. Picture of AR group attached:
Ed

[Skinny Shooter]

I'd like to own one, that 6.5 caliber has a certain appeal.
Especially with a 142gr Sierra Matchking.

[HPBTMTCH]

Skinny, the 260 launching the 142 MK is a really accurate and high coeffient combo, but it won`t mist a skinny, not even from a .264 win mag. The cheap mist bullet from a .260 is the 90 gr. speer tnt. BTW, just completed the 140 gr. A-MAX mist test, disapointing, 1-1 and a half inch exit holes.

[Rapier]

HP,
What kind of groups and velocities are you getting from the 90 Speer? Would appreciate the particulars as well, bbl, action, trigger, etc.
Ed

[HPBTMTCH]

Rapier, my 18 inch barreled xp 100r and 45 gr. of varget sends them around 3150 fps and shoots 3/4 inch 3 shot groups. It has a lightened factory trigger and 2x aimpoint dot scope in 30mm leupold rings, the barrel is a shortened 700 mountain barrel and it has a brake.

[Rapier]

HP,
Did not realize you were handicapped. Shooting with a snub-nose and a red dot to boot. 3/4 is a pretty fair group under the circumstances you find yourself in.

A few years ago while building a fast twist 22-250 XP silhouette gun, I talked to the folks at Hogdon about best powders. They told me that their best powder for the 22-250 and similar capacity cases was H-414. I bought some of the powder for the 22-250 and then decided to give it a try in the 260s. H-414 produces about the fastest velocities and the tightest groups that I have ever seen posted anywhere for the 260. The powder works well in barrel lengths down to about 14 inches.

Years ago I started loading the 87 grain Sierra in my first 6.5x06. I then loaded the same bullet in my 6.5x55s and my second 6.5x06 and then on into the 260s. The bullet is just amazing in how well it shoots and on varmints, its effect. If you shoot an aluminum soft drink can full of water, when you find the pieces, the jacket makes little holes in the aluminum back side! The bullet actually explodes inside the can. If you shoot a gallon milk jug at 3500, it will shatter the entire jug, including the handle. A chest shot, big chuck, has only feet left in the skin. A crow at 200, turns into a puff of black feathers. The 87s not much good on anything but varmints, but very destructive.

Many powders will give you .75 to .50 groups with the 260. However, H-414 is the only powder that I have seen that will give groups down into the .100 to .150 range with the 87, 100 and 120. If you have the chance, give H-414 and the little Sierra a whirl, I think you will really like the combo. That pictured group was shot with the AR-10 T and a Medesha upper (1-8 twist 24 inch Kreger SS, fluted, match barrel) after I throated the chamber for proper bullet seating with the 120 Sierra (BT top at neck base) so it would feed properly in the magazine also. The load was 48 grains of H-414 with the 120 Sierra HPBT MK. Bullet set .003 off. The group measures .130 This is a hot load at 3,210 and should be worked up to.

Andy, did not mean to run off with your thread, what this all boils down to is that the 260 is an excellent cartridge for just about any application from deer size to varmint size critters. Buy a good rifle up front. with a 1-8 twist, if you can find the twist, and your son will have a lifetime companion.

Ed

[HPBTMTCH]

Thanks, Rapier, picked up one of those cute little 1/4 lbs sample bottles of 414 last night, , we shall see...............