Just got my Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading kit today.
I also have a Redding die set.
I have Norma brass and 120 gr TSX's for the components.
Any favorite loads to share?
What primers do you use and which powders.
I do not know where to start.
I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks a bunch.
Heeman

edited to add that this is for a 22 inch barrel.

Never run a TSX but H4350 and H414 are good places to start...

Not only a good place to start but stop as well. I've run just about all the powders and these two come out on top every time.

I do use 760 for H414 though, basically the same powder.

I was going to let him think he was a genius when he used those first but you ruined the suprise...grin...

I have had good success with both IMR and H 4350 with bullet weights from 120-160 gr.

I've had pretty good luck with RE-19 and the Sierra 120 gr. I use Federal Gold Medal primers for all my loads....

Kaiser Norton

I use Reloder 15 and H 414. I can't get enough Re 19 in the case to suit me. H414 produces the best groups with 120 gr TSX's, at somewhat over 2900 fps. Re 15 works best with 129 Hornadies, at just under 2900 fps.

A modest dose of Re 15 and a Lapua 108 gr Scenar produced this 100-yard group...


Hunting bullet groups run more like this...which seems entirely adequate, out of a 6.25 lb rifle...

There are five bullet holes in the circle; the shot to the upper left is from a different load.

I'm quite sold on the .260, and have found it fairly easy to load for.

Dennis

It that supposed to be a joke?

Remember, I am totally new to this. I get easily confused!LOL

Thanks!
Heeman

Not to speak for someone else, but what I think he meant to say was that he's never run a TSX.

Speaking for myself, I shot three deer last year with my .260 shooting 120 gr TSX's, and remain quite favorably impressed by their accuracy and terminal effectiveness.

FWIW...

DN

Mule Deer,

What model of 260 rem are you shooting???

Doc

Muledeer,
Okay, I got ya.
Thanks for the clarification.

Heeman

I don't know that John even has a .260, but mine is a Remington 700 LMSS in a take-off Ti stock, with a 6x36 FX II.

Like this...


But the rifle did come to Alaska from Helena, Montana...so you never know .

Dennis

Correct, sorry for the confusion...

Ya'll should know I'd never put "I've" in front of " never run a TSX" on this board.....grin...

May get ugly...grin...

Hey Greg,
"Ya" could have put "ran" instead of "run" in that phrase....grin..
You know it's all in fun.
I really appreciate all your valuable input.
Makes this hobby a whole lot easier and faster to start off.

Thanks-
Heeman

Here are some H4350 and H414 .260 groups to add to the photos here...

H414...


H4350 and the 100 grain Sierra HP...


My H4350 deer load...grin...They don't have a chance...

260 is pretty versatile. For a 120 grain load anything from 4895 powder through RL22 should work well. 4350s and RL19 probably ideal

Hi Greg,
If I missed it, could you tell me what components you use? Bullets, cases & primers?
Also what kind of rifle do you shoot?
Those are some impressive holes/hole.

Thanks,
Heeman

Since were piling it on....

[img][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/su35/IMG_3824.jpg[/img][/img]


A fav load using 140's is 50 grains of RL 25 in a once fired case, shoots 2's.

43.5 grains of IMR 4064.. MV of 3350 out of a 22 inch barrel, Ruger 77 Mk2, Stainless, Boyd's Grey Laminate Stock..Leupold 3 x 9 with Target Dot reticle..

the other one I own, gets a load of 44 grains of IMR 4350 with a 140 grain Rem or Hornady SP... for an MV of 2750 fps... out of a 22 inch barrel... 4 power Weaver scope on that one for close cover hunting...
Or 30 grains of RL 7 with a Hornady 160 grain RN for 2400 fps..

in a Rem VLS, the same 100 grain load above chrono's at 3450 fps out of a 26 inch barrel...

120 Grain Sierra Match with 40 grains of W 748 chrono at 2900 fps out of the same VLS...

SU35,
Your still playing with the Swift? Had any chance to compare it to the Berger 130s?

Heeman,
I started with 4350 and it has worked well with everything but the 100gr partitions. Dont forget about the 125Partitions as a do it all load as well. Cant beat the prices when you pick them up as seconds, I think I payed about $10 per 50.

45g H414 with either a 120g NBT or a 120g Speer

H4831SC with 140's

Bb

Assorted 120gr bullets over either R19 or H4530 have shot well for me.

Well, I've been a long time lurker. First time posting. I do have quite a bit of experience with the 260. In fact we go back to '95 when it was still just a 6.5-08. I've since cooked a couple of barrels on the custom model 7 and worked with one other 700 short action and here's my $.02.

They ain't lying when they say that 6.5 bullets make up in penetration what they lack in energy. I've killed more game with a .260 than I have any other one caliber. From gophers up too big muleys its never let me down and I can only recall one deer that took a second bullet to tip over. My brother and I both call our .260's "Swedish 30-06's. Mostly because I work with a guy from Sweden that thinks the 6.5-55 is a great moose caliber.

I pretty much have two loads now these days. After having tried 60 or so.

R-P cases, or reformed and inside neck reamed Lapua .308 cases
CCI 200 primers
45.2 grains of RL19
Hornady 140 Interlocks seated to .005" off the leade (in my rifle that averages 2.787")
This is the "utility load" that I use on everything whitetail on down size critters.

R-P cases
CCI 200's
45.8 grains of RL19
Nosler 140 Partitions seated .005" off the leade
This load gets used in muley and elk country and I would use it without hesitation on critters of that size. You just need to be patient and not try to slip one in there. But then thats good advice, even for those that shoot cannons.

Once in a while I'll load up some Hornady V-max's for varmints on the east half of the state. Or 140 Sierra MatchKings for shooting out to 1000 yards on bigger varmints (I know I've shot a few weary rock chucks that would go "book" past the tripple zero's that guys couldn't get at with standard varmint outfits.)

I thought this was an interesting thread. In all my expiramentation with the 6.5-08 I never achieved both top velocity and good accuracy with any powder other than RL19. VV560 came close though... Either load gets 2750 AVG in a 22" barrel in pretty much all 260's I've worked with (3 barrels, two rifles.) I never got into the 2900 FPS mark with 125-129 grain bullets either, with any powder tested. In case you're wondering, these loads shoots in the .5's in both .260's (mine and my brothers) for 5 round groups. I've had several in the .3's and on a bad day at the range they're still sub-moa.

It's definately a handloaders caliber. Its also the closest thing to a prefect caliber for a short action rifle thats going to see use on critters elk sized on down IMO. I'd say its more versatile than the old tried and true 30-06. In the couple of tons of game and varmints I've shot with it, it definately kills better than it should. It's got a lot more horse-power than a .243, about as much recoil too, a 140 Matchking at 2750 FPS will outrun a 168 leaving a .308 at 2650 and stay supersonic longer and retain more energy, and in a 7 pound "decaff" rifle it won's rattle the fillings out of your teeth when you push the "loud noise" button. I'll have a 260 in the arsenal until the day I die.

Dan,

Well said post! I'l never sell my 260s... just get them rebarreled..

but I admit to owning 6.5 x 55s, and a 6.5 x 57 also which I love...

what twist does your's have?...my Rugers has the one in 8 and the Rem VLS has the one in 9.. I prefer the one in 8 twist..

I just made my first reloads.
I am using Norma brass, 120 TSX's and H4350.
I started with 44 grains and the powder came up to the shoulder.
When I got to 45 grains, I could hear the powder crunching.
Is this normal and okay?
Do I stop there, and just head to the range?
Thanks for all your help.
Heeman

Seafire, right now my model 7 is wearing a 1:8.5" twist tube. But I can't tell you who the barrel maker is, or he'll kill me. I'll give you a hint though, its cut rifled, not button. He's a .260 shooter too...

Heeman, try letting the powder charge "swirl" in the funnel, then maybe tap on the edge of the funnel (while holding it tight to the case mouth) with the powder pan. I haven't shot any TSX's, are they as long as other Barnes bullets? I can't even imagine how long a solid copper 6.5 bullet is?!!

Compressing the powder a bit is acceptable, but as noted there are tricks to "settle" it in place a bit.

I ran into the same case capacity problems with Re 19 and 120 TSX's; went to Re 15, which produced the velocity and accuracy I was looking for. Have done a little better in the accuracy end with 120 gr TSX's with H 414, so that's my current load.

Yes...120 gr TSX's are fairly long .

They slay well, too...

DN

MD, thats odd. I was up in the 47+ grain territory with 129 Hornady's and you could still hear a little powder shake in a loaded round. Those TSX's must be even longer than a conventional 140. What kind of speeds are you getting and how long is your pipe?

In my neck of the woods, you never know what you're going to run into in the country I hunt. Black bears, Elk, Muley's, Whitetails, or Kittys. I'll admit it... Thats part of why I favor the 140 grain loads I shoot. I've never been let down by the terminal effect I get from a 140 Partition at 2750. It's gruesome on bigger deer

I was interested what difference anyone has experienced loading imr4350, and H4350, if you have tried both powders and how they compared to each other with the same bullet/primer combination.
I am new to 260 shooting, and last weekend I tried prob 8 different powders. The 2 best were imr4350 and RE19, however, I havent yet been to the range with some h4350.

The Other Mule Deer (not muledeer) did have a .260 for a while, a custom job on a short 700 action. I tried to find out what it didn't like, and failed. In the end generally used a 120 (either Ballistic Tip or X, depending on the application) and H4350, but it shot very well with every bullet from the 85 Sierra to the 140 Partition. I believe the barrel was a Hart, and do know it was a 1-8.

These days I stick to the 6.5x55, but there are no flies on the .260.

My Rem 700 has the factory 22" barrel. I'm running 120 TSX's at 2930 fps, give or take, and 129 Hornady SP's at 2890, more or less. I've only shot two mule deer and a blacktail with the 120's, but given the terminal performance I have little interest in shooting game with anything else -- other than for "research" purposes . When I want to shoot 140 gr bullets I carry a .280 -- but I would have no qualms about carrying my .260 with 120 TSX's on a mixed-bag big game hunt.

All that being said...I might try some 140 TSX's just for the fun of it, because I would have no worries about it at 2750 fps.

It's a fun gun to shoot, too, cause it don't kick, even at 6.5 lbs...

Dennis

Thanks a lot Dennis, now I'm going to have to pick up some H414 and something in the 120 grain range and try that out. That sounds to me like it'd be a good load for the Dillon. What charge are you using with the TSX's? How full is the case?

MRP, you mean I'm not the new guy anymore?? Sweet! I've been using RL19 with 140 grain pills for quite a while, but I'm noticing after this thread that many don't have good luck with it with bullets 129 grains on down. It would probably be accurate enough, but I notice that most of us own chronographs as well. Not that we're speed freaks, we just believe in efficiency. What I like about the 140 grain Hornady Interlocks is that it kills whitetail sized critters just fine, and they're cheap. I think if I were going to shoot lighter bullets on whitetails I would want something constructed a little heavier (more expensive.) I used to shoot a .243 for my big varmint, long range varmint, and deer rifle until I graduated to the .260. Its not much more recoil and a lot more horsepower.

Dan,

You're welcome...it's what we're here for .

I'm shooting 46 grains of H414 with 120 TSX's. It doesn't fill the case to the neck -- one of the reasons I tried it, because I was running out of case capacity with 4350 and Re 19 before I got the velocities I wanted, and I wanted to try a powder a little slower than Re 15. I have some 47 gr loads, but haven't shot them.

I would shoot any whitetail or mule deer that ever walked with my 120 TSX load, within the range I would shoot a deer with any cartridge. I have killed deer with 87 gr bullets in a .250 Savage, up to 250 gr bullets in a .35 Whelen -- and the .260/120 TSX kills as well as anything and better than some.

And it's light as a wand and doesn't kick enough to bother.

Dennis

I can attest that the 130 tsx @ 2850 is also bad medicine for deer. Ive seen only two shot with that load, but they did flips

I wanted to try 130 TSX's last summer when I was building loads, but none of the usual suspects (Midway, Graf's, et al) had any in stock when I was building loads. By the time they were available, I was dialed in and ready to rock.

Might try some one day anyway, just for grins. I would have utter confidence in a 130 gr TSX at 2850 fps .

DN

Well, I pawed through my origional notes when I did load development for my .260 (after barrel number three.) I tried all three 4350's, Ramshot Big Game and Hunter, Varget, RL19, and VV560. None of them were in the 2900 FPS mark with 120 Speer Hot-Cors or 12o Nosler BT's. In fact I wasn't even close, my chronograph results showed speeds in the 2800 area. I already had a few loads in the 2750 area with 140's. At the time that seemed like a free lunch. I did not however, try 760 or H414...

Ever since I bought one of the RCBS digital powder dispensers I really don't mind working with stick powders.

My experimentation shows that Reloder 15 and H414/W760 provide the highest velocities and best accuracy with 120-130 gr bullets. I've only tried one 140 gr bullet -- Speer Grand Slam -- and the results were dismal. I can't get Ramshot or VV powders here, so haven't tried them.

But I'm pretty happy where I sit.

Dennis

muledeer,

I noticed that you are running 41.5 grains of RL15 with the Hornady 129. Is this over book? I thought that the Nosler manual listed 40 grains max with only a 120 bullet.

Did you ever try the RL15 with the TSX120, as this is the powder and bullet I'm planning to run this year? What results did you find?

Nothing has worked better for me than H4831 or 4831SC behind 129gr Hornadies, 130gr Accubonds, and 120gr Matchkings. Any of these will group less than an inch from my Low Wall...

John

It probably is over book -- I started in the mid-30's and worked my way up, attending to the chronograph and all the standard pressure signs. I loaded lots of Re15 with 120 TSX's -- got good velocity but not so great accuracy once I got up in the 2900 fps range. Tried H414 and got inch or less groups at 2900+ fps, so hunted that load. I can get 3000 fps out of the 120 TSX with Re 15, but I'm going to have to work on seating depths or who knows what -- bedding maybe -- to try for better accuracy. But as long as I can shoot 120 TSX's under an inch at 2900+ fps, I'm not going to worry too much .

DN

Thanks. I'd say inch groups will work for most everything that I'd use a TSX for.

Can anybody get some information on the minimum and maximum load limits for H4350 with 120 TSX's?
I can't find any. I am in the ball park of 44 & 45 grains.
Thanks for any info that you may find share -
Heeman

Heeman,

I called Barnes today for loading data with the 120 TSX.

H4350:
Min. 38gr./2558 fps
Max. 42gr./2780 fps.

24" barrel, Federal 210M primers.

GB

Georgia,
Thanks a lot for the info. I was looking more at 44 grains.
I guess I'll have to load a little lighter.
Thanks again,

Heeman

Went to the range last week Friday and shot 42, 43, 44 grains of H4350.(120 TSX's)
They all grouped at about one MOA.

What should I do now?
Go 41 & 45? or just split the difference with 43 grains?
I am pleased with the results already.

Thanks-
Heeman

If 42 gr of H4350 is maximum with a Barnes 120 TSX, and only produces 2780 fps out of a 24" barrel -- a different powder choice is definitely in order!

2900+ fps is very easy with Re 15 and H 414, out of a 22" barrel, without undue pressures. Each rifle is a law unto itself, and you have to work up, and all the standard caveats. But I would never trifle with H4350 in a 260 Rem if that's the best it can do.

Dennis

The only way you can empahticly say a load can be over book max and still be under pressure is with a strain guage.

Any other method is just a guess. You can mic it, look for flattened primer, shinny spots, loose primer pockets, sticky bolt lift, whatever, it is still a guess.

Whether or not another powder should be used....maybe.

GB

John,

If you were wondering, it still shoots good groups and is being well cared for. It might not be as pretty as some of my other 260s, but its functional and doesn't complain about the rifles that are keeping it company. I pamper it a bit and have only shot coyotes (and only in nice weather) with its 95 grain VMax pet load. If I am up and about after my knee rebuild and can get to SD in June, I might take it and see if it still has any 900 yard PD magic left in it.

Jeff

Hodgdon data shows a maximum load of 45.5 gr of H414 or 45.5 gr of WW 760 producing 2968 fps with 120 gr Speer bullets -- which is just a little more than my chonograph is showing me from my rifle. Their data shows 58,600 psi for those loads.

Nosler's data shows 45 gr of H 414 producing 3005 fps with 120 gr Solid Base Ballistic Tip; and 47 gr of Re 19 producing 2980 fps with 120 BT or 125 Partitions.

My loads are by and large within the limits of the loading manuals, and were fairly carefully developed watching chronograph data as well as the other signs. Certainly the concept of exceeding 2900 fps with 120 gr bullets is solidly grounded in quite a lot of reloading book data -- just not with H 4350 -- hence my suggestion to go to a powder that produces reasonable results. Nosler alone lists eight different powder types that will get you to 2900 fps, or within 5 fps of it, with 120 gr bullets.

Incidently, I have found that TSX's exit the muzzle going faster than other 120 gr bullets in my Remington, given the same (safe) powder charge. Which would seem to indicate something, though I will leave it to others to decide for themselves what that might be.

Dennis

In the case of the TSXs that would be excessive pressure.
In many calibers, the tripple shocks will not equal the velocity of other bullet designs (like the BT) in the same bullet weight if held to SAMMI pressures.

That would be a different opinion than held by the ballisticians at Barnes, and everyone I know who shoots TSX's in a multitude of calibers and cartridges. It was true of the old Barnes X and XBT bullets, which I began shooting in about 1994, but it is not true of the TSX's. That being said, Barnes #3 shows at or just over 2900 fps with 120 gr X bullets and H 414 or Re 15 loads. And I don't think anyone is prepared to suggest that TSX's produce more pressure than X's...

Speer and several other 120 grain cup and core bullets have significantly more bearing surface than do TSX's -- pretty easy to see.

You, of course, should do what you like -- but you're wrong about TSX's in the .260.

Dennis

This I will concede. I tried using the original X bullet in 308 and 30-06. We chronographed several 308 and 30-06 loads and could not get the velocities that standard bullets gave.

I stoped using the barns when thay came out with the blue coating. Hunting mostly white tails, the bullet was really more expensive the need be, having had excellent results with Hornady interlocks.

In reguards to any bullet, TSX, Speer, Nolser ect., I would rather change powders to get the velocities I desire, rather than exceed the recommended max. for a praticular powder by 2 or 3 grains.

I think changing powders was more to your point, and this much I agree with you on.

GB

I suspect we are in more agreement than disagreement. I quit using Barnes X for exactly the reasons you cite, except in my .257 Roberts -- where I got velocity and accuracy along with devastating terminal performance.

I finally got talked into the TSX's by folks up here, and for light bullet, high-velocity loads in cartridges like the .260 and .280, they just can't be beat. I hve little interest in going that route with my .35 Whelen, or even .375 Ruger, because once you get over half an ounce of bullet construction becomes somewhat less important. (Let's see if I can start a riot with that statement .)

And changing powders was my entire point, originally. In the .260, I believe, and the manuals support this belief, that Re 15 and 19 and H 414/WW 760 produce higher velocities (at safe pressures)than other powders. Changing powders to something that works is way better than stuffing more powder into a case.

Whoa, dude. We just had an entirely civil argument about ballistic gack. They should give us prizes or something .

Dennis

Must resist tring light for caliber TSXs....must resist.

Resistance is futile... .

DN

I ve got a load using Ramshot hunter 46.3 gr with a 125 gr partition that gets 2923 fps. That's in a steyr Prohunter with a 23.6 inch barrel 260 Rem.

Awwwwww CRAP!!! Steyr makes a pro-hunter in .260??? I need to buy a rifle for my nephew, he'll be hunting in about 13 years or so I was thinking another T3 Tikka in 6.5 swede until you screwed it all up Aggie

Dan,

IIRC, they stopped chambering the .260 a few years back but they can still be found on Guns America and other sites; you just have to look. Go for it!

Best Regards

I'd have to imagine a Steyr 260 as in any round, should do very well, very nice triggers I recall and ultra fast lock time via rear locking lugs. Not sure if they did an 8 or 9 twist?

As to 260's performance/accuracy, FWIW it would be a nice option for WW to mfg brass, perhaps holding 1.5-3 grains more powder would not hurt, and quality would surely be at LEAST as good, and likely better than REM, at a price better than Federal and Nosler brass, w/o forming from Lapua.

It seems there are many competition shooters, and handloaders in general that like this round, as I do (built my first aka in 6.5/308 Win form in 90's prior to Rem version) that would keep it alive. Amazing Rem commercialized it, yet they seemed to have dropped more options than they kept from past runs. Makes a Rem fan (not one myself) want to refrain from anything new from Big Green....

If I had worked at Big Green, I'd standardized an 8" twist, put a 25degree or better shoulder that fed well, a tad longer neck....well heck, I guess Big Red (HORNADY) just did that with the 6.5 Creedmore.....they seem to do a better marketing job starting with engineering and ending with more commitment over the long haul....oh and listening to shooters needs.

Anyway, for the record, Jim Carmichael never 'invented' this round as Outdoor Life tried to make readers believe.... look up 263 Express in PO Ackley for those who did not know....little trivia.

Come on... I thought JC invented the internet too I've always thought the guy was a dweeb.

The day after 308 Win brass hit the shelf in the 50's you know it got necked up and down to every other caliber bullet that was available at the time. 50 years later it happened with the WSM cases too. But everybody thinks they did it first.

I actually form a lot of my 260 cases from Lapua 308 brass, and once fired military brass (if you order it 2000 at a time, you can make 100 same weight cases pretty easy) but then like you, the 260 and I go back to when it was still the 6.5-08. Just don't tell Jim, because he invented it, remember?

Almost forgot... The 263 express was a factory round in Australia up 'till the early 70's

I'm about to have my M591 Sako rebarrelled to .260rem, so this has been a very informative thread..

With regards brass, I considering using either Lapua .243win or .308win as the starting point...

Would there be any advantage to one over the other, and what steps would be involved to form it to .260 cal?

Thanks in advance,

Pete

Pete,

243 brass necks right up to 260 with no other steps.. and 308 necks down to 308 with no extra steps... on the 308 you might have a wrinkle at the bottom of the neck... but that never seemed to bother my rifles when I have used that 308 necked down brass...

I pick up a fair amount of used 308 brass off the ground at our local range...and that gets necked down to 260 as I don't shoot a 308...

There was a real neat article on the 260 vs the 308 as a tactical round tht was a very interesting read. It is in a special edition of one of the major rifle mags, with a title of Long Range Shooting or something to that effect.. I read the article over at Walmart last night..

Pete, what Seafire said. The only brass you have to watch is military and some of the IMI match brass running around. It has a pretty thick neck (like .015-.017") and necking it down may make for a dangerously tight fit in a chamber. Measure the width of some fired brass out of your gun when you get it and that will tell you the answer. Either way you can size brass in one shot up or down. I shoot a lot of 308's so that's what I usually buy. I actually neck down my "culled" cases for the 260.

Cheers guys, I was under the impression that some sort of neck turning was virtually mandatory...

Unless there is a good reason not to, I will probably neck up some Lapua .243win cases as I figure that way it will be easier to keep them apart from my regular Lapua .308win cases..

Thanks again,

Pete

I necked up some F-C 243 brass to 260 for use in my Ti, works well. Lapua would be the best

Pete [/quote]
There was a real neat article on the 260 vs the 308 as a tactical round tht was a very interesting read. It is in a special edition of one of the major rifle mags, with a title of Long Range Shooting or something to that effect.. I read the article over at Walmart last night.. [/quote]

Seafire, not to get too sidetracked from the OP, but thanks for the mention of this article. If anybody knows the name of the magazine, please let me know. Also, If anybody hasn't read this yet, it is very interesting:
http://demigodllc.com/articles/the-case-for-260-remington/

yep, they stopped chambering them, but you can still find them on Guns America, etc. My oldest boy fell in love with it, so I gave it to him. I just took possession of the new Remington Model 700 CDL SF Limited in 260 Rem, and I love the rifle. Havent worked up loads yet, but factory 140 gr corelocks are very accurate in it. I put a Nikon Buckmasters 4.5x14x40 matte scope on it with the BDC reticle and like it already.

BTT

Anyone using the 123 Hornady AMAX in the 260? I'm looking for something using H414 or H4831SC

Seems like more folks use stuff in the 4350 burn rate, but I have had my best results with H4831 with bullets from 120 to 140 grains.

John

Thanks for finding and bumping up this topic, David. I searched several times on this forum for info on the 260, since I recently acquired my first, and haven't found what I was looking for.

This is exactly the kind of info I needed.