Thanks, Bill Davis. You seem to think a bit more like me.
I am very comfortable with my bigger guns, but have had little experience shooting big game with the smaller stuff. It's not my shooting ability that I am questioning perfect strangers about, (as if that could help) but the capability of the particular cartridge vs those larger ones I have mentioned that I am familiar with. And, I was only asking about it's effectiveness out to 500 yards...
Some of these guys can't seem to get their mind wrapped around the simple fact that for some of us, 500 yards really isn't LONG range shooting... I mean heck, with a 700 yard range IN MY BACK YARD, and twice that 5 minutes away when needed, my 500 has become their 200, most likely. I zero my hunting rifles at 300 right off my deck with a covered bench for shootin' my steel in ANY weather, I can even leave my chrony set up and protected from the weather for the several weeks at a time that I'm home. When you can shoot every day, all you wish, for weeks at a time, out to 700 yards, you can develop some pretty decent skills and habits fellows. I am certainly no braggart concerning my shooting, hunting, or anything else I do, but dang guys, I am asking about the "effective killing range of a 260". Please don't take offense guys but the "real question" that I am asking here has nothing whatsoever to do with mine OR your shooting abilities.. it's about the caliber. If you don't know anything about it, just say so, or maybe say nothing even.
I taught my son to shoot at a young age. When he was 14 years old, he shot competetively in the 14 to 18 yr old age group of the 4H Shooting Sports program and made the State Finals, where he placed 12th in the State among a very impressive group of young shooters. Having taken his first big 9 point buck at the age of 8, he was feeling little pressure in the shoot, although he felt he should have done better. He said, "shoot Daddy, this is what we do!" He and his little sister both competed in Archery, Rifle and Shotgun Skeet, and she also did quite well in all 3 categories. When my daughter went out with me for her first ever deer hunt, I was the only nervous one in the blind, doing too much coaching. She promptly said "I got this, Daddy" and proceeded to nail the big doe with a perfect shot at 100 yards with her little .243. She was 10 yrs old.
I often have ladies and kids (both boys and girls, and girls often do the best) over to my place that have never shot much if any at all. In just minutes I can normally have them hittin' the 6 inch steel at 250 and 300 with my varmint rifles, coke cans at 200 with the rimfires, and ringing the 25 yard steel with 40 cal. Glocks and even my custom 10mm.
I guess with country boys and girls, shooting accurately isn't that much of a big deal... I know I grew up with plenty of guns and ammo at hand, and woods & fields galore right out the front AND back door to roam around in. We had a small tin roofed feeder for the cows about 600 yards from our front pasture gate that I won a many a bet on when my new friends didn't believe I could hit the roof with my dad's old Browning 22 rifle that my brothers and I could shoot empty shotgun hulls out of the air with. Daddy made sure we always had a good squirrel dog. Squirrels, rabbits and birds honed our skills with .22 rifles and graduating to deer and larger game came easy.
Anyway, with all the 7mm thru 30 caliber rifles that I already have, I don't really feel the need for the .260. I don't mind recoil, and I like the extra power found in the larger guns. I did just buy my girlfriend a 7mm-08 Rem in a LVSF that should do her fine as she drives tacks way on out with my LVSF's in .223 & 22.250. My interest in the caliber was peaked somewhat by finding an accurized 1st gen Rem Ti in 260 but with 3 of them in .308, 30.06 and 270 Win, and a Browning Mountain Ti in 300WSM, I think I'm covered in the mountain rifle department.
Of course, if he would get right with his price...
Thanks,
Jeff
