Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What bullet weight for 260, up to 500 yard deer hunting ??

I am about to start hand loading a tikka 260 for deer hunting. My max range on a bean field is 550 yrds. I have a z600 retical Zeiss scope for it. What bullet would you load for it and why? Barrel is an 8" twist.

I'm coming around to the idea more and more that today, it's harder to really select a bad bullet than a good one if one's even remotely close to being in the ballpark for their rifle.

I'd probably go with whatever shot best group wise and realize that on deer at that range - it's going to do the job if I do mine.

Pretty much. I would look for decent BC and good accuracy. First places I would look would likely be the 130gr Accubond or 127gr LRX.

123 or 139 Scenar. Whichever your rifle shoots the best.

123 Scenars shoot unreal in my 8 twist Tikka 6.5x55. I expect they would do well in yours too.

Will they do well on a whitetail? I thought they were target bullets?

I have taken Dall sheep with the 123gr. Scenar, and elk with the 139gr. Scenar. Still haven't recovered one...

140 Amax. This bull was killed yesterday morning at 510 yards with a 140 from a 260. Complete pass through, dropped on the spot.

Right on! 140gr AMax has been a great choice on lots of antelope, whitetail and mule deer. Haven't tried it on elk yet.

Bob

Double lung with a golf ball size exit. Can't ask for better then that.

Well even tho a 140 A Max dropped that nice elk, I'd admit it wouldn't be my choice to use...

for deer, I'd go with a 100 or 120 grain Ballistic Tip...

for an Elk, I'd either go with a 140 grain Partition or if ya gotta use plastic tips, I'd go with a 140 grain Ballistic Tip...

I'm using 140 Corelokts on caribou with good results. Range is usually 300-400 yards. Terminal performance is good, haven't recovered one yet. And there is the wind factor here...

140's are the only thing I've found so far that shoot really well in my rifle. Haven't tried any 130's, but it definitely doesn't like 120's, and 160s aren't good either. 120 Barnes Vor-tex TSX shot worse than the Corelokts in 120.

All above were factory loads - haven't played with reloads yet, tho I've a hankering to find a lighter load that shoots as well as the 140's.

Let the gun decide which loads it likes - if several are equal, then you get to choose!

Do you know at what velocity you are launching that 140 Amax? I only have a 22" barrel. I must say, seeing that elk down answers my question about terminal performance at that range!

2810 at 4500'asl also a 22" barrel. 43.5gr H4350 and a CCi250.

I can't comment on the 140's, but I have used the 100 and 120 gr Nosler BT's on coyotes, pigs, and deer for a few years. Since I use the Tikka 260 year round for varmint hunting, I usually shoot the 100 grainers, but have also used the 120's on a number of medium sized deer. My observations suggest that the 100's are Ok for deer, but that the 120's are a bit more effective. I'd say that the 120's at 2800 fps MV are as effective, or nearly so, as the 130 gr BT's in my 270 at 3000 fps MV. I don't see any need to use any bullets other than those, though I'd switch to the partition for use on a bigger tougher critter.

I've used 120NBTs, 130SGKs... but my rifle shoots 125 Partitions into one ragged hole and kills chit real dead.

If its a lung shot.

I'd vote barnes 130.

my wifes model 600 in 260 loves the 130 accubond,
2850 at 2100 ft elevation,
took a buck antelope yesterday 369 yards, complete pass thru lots of damage, buck never moved except straight down,,,,

You did not have the same results when you shot your Elk with a 140 Amax?