Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The MRC 1999 Campfire Special .260 Thread

I haven't spent a lot of time working up loads but finally got out to shoot today. Below are my best groups at 100 and 300 yards. I've only tried 139 Scenar's and H4350 but have some 123's too.

It definitely shoots better after 30-40 rounds. I'm using a Bushnell LRHS 3-12x with Talley lows. It's a bit on the heavy side but is pleasant to shoot. I probably average 1.25 MOA with this load.


100 yards

My best load so far is 130 Nosler Accubond over 44.5grs of IMR 4350 for an average of 2895fps.

Firing 3 rounds as fast as I can run the bolt produced a best of 5/8" @ 100. Worst group with that load was a 5 shot at 1.5"

Need to load some more and try some at longer range, but the rifle does seem to be running better after about 40 rounds fired like lochsa mentioned above.

Finally got my Campfire Special .260 out to the range for the first time. Thought I would try IMR 4451 and the Hornady 123 grain A-Max finding some loading info on the at hodgdonreloading.com website for a similar bullet in the same weight. Loaded a few at the minimum charge to get the scope zero'd and several rounds at 1/2 grain increments up to the max of 43.9 grains.

Did the shoot-one-and-clean for the first five rounds as I was getting the scope set a 25 yards, but quickly tired of that! Moved over to the 100 yard target and shot the remainder without cleaning between shots. Best load was 42.0 grains of 4451 with two three-shot groups around a half inch.



Two three-shot groups certainly don't mean much, but it was nice to see them early in the process. Also noticed the barrel cleaned up very easily after the range session. Very little copper fouling based on how easily the barrel cleaned up and the dreaded blue color on cleaning patches disappeared. Not sure if it's the copper fouling eliminator in the IMR 4451 or the barrel, but either way it sure made cleaning easier.

Did not take take my chronograph - will get some more loaded at 42.0 grans and get some bullet speeds the next time we get good shooting weather.

One negative I noticed - and this is very much a personal thing that I have not seen anybody else mention - the trigger shoe feels a little uncomfortable to me. Almost like it's a bit too short. The feel of the trigger pull is fine, just seems that the shape is a bit odd. I'm sure I will get used to it.

Has anyone weighed just the x2 stock yet?

After reading this thread I had to check out the rifle and pricing. Surprised that an extreme x2 can be had for under$1400. Not bad.

Crazy request: assuming that this is a No 2 contour barrel, would someone mind measuring the diameter of the muzzle for me? I want to compare it to my 24" ASR.

Thanks

RM

Mine is .608"

Been a long time in coming, but made it to the range today. Woke up this morning and decided it was going to happen. Mounted up a VX1 2-7 that I had here in Talley lows. Really want a 6X36 FX2 on it, but it'll come in time.






Best group pictured below. 120 BT over 46 gr H4350 and a WLR in virgin Norma brass. Just over 3/4" on center.
Worst group was right at 1 3/8" with this load.



Also loaded some H4831 in the necked up .243 brass, and it did OK, but not as good as the H4350 loads. Best group was 1 1/8". Worst was just over 1 1/2.
Case was full at max load and not worth the trouble to experiment further with this bullet. Shame as I have more H4831 than anything else.

Overall quite happy with the days results.

Didn't stay out long today as it was miserably cold, cloudy and windy.

But I took 3 different bullets/loads for this rifle and all 3 easily shot well under an inch, and that with a tricky-ass wind.

And one of those loads was the factory federal fusion 120s. The 123 amax was a new experience also, and the 120 ballistic tip was a revisit.

Anybody ever hunt the 123 amax?

i have liked reading this thread

i recently got a mrc 1999 .243 off a mate that is a semi custom build that he hadn't shot much

it is going great with a bit of load development

wish we could get bulk buy rifle deals like this in Aus

For those of you who go the vx2 and have been shooting it, what do you think of the stock? How does it point & feel, overall, and in comparison to any McMillans you may have on other rifles?

I'm thinking about selling mine. Does anyone remember what we paid for these? I think it was $1200 or a bit more with the fluted barrel wasn't it? Mines never been hunting but it's been to the range 4-5 times. Maybe 60-80 rounds through it max.

I found a load it really likes and has been shooting around 1/2 Moa with it. It's a 140 vld over 48g of h4831sc. A stout load but this longer mag box lets me seat them to 2.95". They chrony 2810fps. My 24" creedmoor does about the same speed with that bullet and it flattened a 4x4 mule deer at 218 yards a few years back. I think this 140 vld load would do a lot of things well so I'm glad it liked that bullet.

My problem is I really want a kimber Montana in 6.5 creedmoor so I'm thinking I need to sell this 260. What's a fair price range? It pretty much looks new.

Bb

Think about how bad you wanted this rifle and the wait you had for it.

The 6.5 Yonkers intrigues me a bit too, but if I want it I'll save and buy it.

Gotta say my X2 aint' going anywhere without me. Biggest compaint I hear is the weight. The MRC rifle in my hands feels better, and holds better than anything else I've used lately.
Haven't hunted with it yet, but am looking forward to it. We had a hot and wet summer and my shooting slacked off severely. The days I did shoot the X2 has proved itself to be a consistently good performer. And unfussy as to loads as well. Haven't put a load through it that I wouldn't hunt with, accuracy-wise.

I've settled in with the 129 Hornady bullet. Feeling stoked, and there aint' much I wouldn't do with this rifle/load...

No .260 here, but I did grab a .300 RUM over the weekend. I'm encouraged to read these shoot well, so I will be hopeful mine shoots well.

What do you plan on thumping with that beast?

elk, nilgai, whatever

I think my .300 Roy needs a barrel, although it groups decently and repeatedly from a cold barrel. Even if I barrel it, I don't especially like the stock. I paid less for the 1999 than a barrel & stock would cost me. So I reckon it will become my big stainless .30, and I'll sell the Weatherby.

With big VLD bullets the .300 RUM isn't much worse than the .338 Lapua, for long range wind drift.

The X2s are excellent rifles, though most will benefit from a good glass bedding job. I have one back at the factory for a barrel change now. I'll probably put it into a McMillan classic edge compact when it's returned. Add a Williams extractor and check for function and you're good to go. As a lefty I'm limited, but I like the Montana.
Bob

I see no one has posted on here in a while. I was thinking about ordering a mrc rifle. No one has posted much about their shooting groups and hand loads in a while. Any updates or improvements from anyone?

I just got my hands on a campfire special 260 that had never been out of the plastic. Fit and finish is top notch. I normally bed all my rifles but after seeing and feeling the stock and action fit I left it alone. I did stone the trigger but I'm a trigger snob. I also treated the bore with DBC. To set the DBC I loaded up 10 rounds with 34.5grs. book min and Hornady 129gr. Interlock. First shot hit low right. Adjusted scope and the next 3 went into 1.10" moved scope shot one moved again and the next 4 went into 1.07".
I'm waiting on a order of some 140gr. RDF Nosler's that I'm looking forwards to working with. I'd like to get my hands on some R17 but for now I have plenty other powders to test.

I was able to get my 260 out today to fire form some brass and look for a nice light load to introduce my wife to a centerfire other than 5.56 ar.
I worked up from 34.5grs R15 to 38grs. As you can see the load started to shift left at 37grs and blew up to 2.5" with 38grs. I could go higher but there is no need. From 34.5 to 37grs 18 out of 19 shots hit within 1 1/8" from the point of aim.
Even with the 2.5" shotgun pattern the first 10 groups avg. 1.263" throw out the 2.5 and 9 group avg. 1.25".
Pretty much you can pick your recoil level and hunt.
I can't wait to take advantage of the mag box. I picked up a pound of R17 and a box of 142gr. ABLR and I should have 300 Nosler 140gr. RDF in a couple days.