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I'm planning for a semi-custom rifle build that likely will be either a 6.5 Creedmoor or a 260 Remington. When I look at load data from different sources I find the velocities given seem to be an expectedly broad range for each cartridge. If someone with actual experience can help me out here's my question. With either cartridge, what sort of velocities is it safe to assume I would be able to reach with 130 grain and 140 grain bullets and a 26" barrel?


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My experience is limited, as I'm just starting in the 6.5 game. I was able to get 2930 out of a 27 inch barrel, with a 143 grain ELD-X, over RL 26, out of a 6.5 creedmoor


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Originally Posted by montanabadger
My experience is limited, as I'm just starting in the 6.5 game. I was able to get 2930 out of a 27 inch barrel, with a 143 grain ELD-X, over RL 26, out of a 6.5 creedmoor


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There's about 2 grains difference in case capacity, in favor of the .260. Since both cases hold around 50 grains of powder with a bullet seated, a 4% difference, this means there's about a 1% "advantage" in potential muzzle velocity for the .260 with the same bullet weights, on average, when using the same powders and bullets, loaded to the same pressures.

Obviously different rifles with vary slightly, but if you feel 1% is enough to go .260 (meaning around 27 fps with 140-grain bullets) then you should also consider the fact that long, high BC boattails can be seated near the lands in a 6.5 Creedmoor with a standard 2.84" magazine box, but not in a .260. Thus accuracy will usually be somewhat better in a Creedmoor with high-BC bullets, which makes up the 1% difference in potential velocity in less than 75 yards.

A longer magazine will solve this in a .260, but overall the Creedmoor has so many advantages these days that unless you want to use cheap .308 brass to make .260 cases, there's no reason to choose the .260.

I am sure many .260 fans will argue this, but I have experience with the .260 going back almost 20 years, and plenty with the Creedmoor as well.


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I have been loading for a 6.5 Creed and a 260 lately and the loads seem interchangeable. Same loads same velocity etc....

My 260 has a 3" mag box, if not for that I would go Creedmoor.


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I'm running a 28" Savage Criterion barrel with a 1/8 twist in a .260. It gives me 2870 fps with 42.6 gr of H4350 with a Hornady 140 ELD-M in Lapua brass.

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The velocity differences are not enough to even ponder, really. It's the throating/mag box harmony and availability of ammo that gives the Creedmoor the edge these days. Only way I'd consider the 260 over the Creed is if I had a huge pile of good 260 brass or ammo.


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Thanks for all of the replies. I've been leaning towards the Creedmoor. My curiosity in my original post was just wondering about realistic velocity potential. I figure the two cartridges are peas in a pod. I'm hoping the 2800+ fps with 140 grain bullets would be easy to achieve with either one.


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Originally Posted by devnull
I'm running a 28" Savage Criterion barrel with a 1/8 twist in a .260. It gives me 2870 fps with 42.6 gr of H4350 with a Hornady 140 ELD-M in Lapua brass.


How well do you like the Criterion barrel? Has it met your accuracy expectations? I'm thinking of doing a Criterion remage barrel on an old Remington 700 BDL Varmint Special.


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Originally Posted by montanabadger
My experience is limited, as I'm just starting in the 6.5 game. I was able to get 2930 out of a 27 inch barrel, with a 143 grain ELD-X, over RL 26, out of a 6.5 creedmoor


I got this same velocity very comfortably with R#26, 140g accubond, fed 215 primer with Hornady brass 6.5 creed.

At 50g, I still had no pressure and veloctity was 3000, about a 1.5" group, 24" brux barrel.

R#26 is changing how a lot of us think about mid size cases, even in the 6.5x47 lapua with the 140's...2850 plus a tad.

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22" 260 I get 2810 with a 140gr Amax and H4350...


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I run a Criterion, 24-inch barrel on my .260. It will run 129/130-grainers at 3000 fps, with Re 17, Re26 and IMR 4350. I tested 147 ELD-Ms and settled on a load of Re26 that got me 2825 fps. It would do more, but shoots 1/2 moa with this load. I killed one antelope and one white-tailed doe with acceptable results using the 147.

I went with the .260, as I have good access to .308 Hornady Match brass, which works great. Without that, I would have gone with a Creed, most likely.

Criterion is the only barrel that I will buy. I have two and they are both incredible shooters.

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Originally Posted by keith


R#26 is changing how a lot of us think about mid size cases, even in the 6.5x47 lapua with the 140's...2850 plus a tad.



Is there any actual factory, pressure tested data for these rounds with RL26?


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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
There's about 2 grains difference in case capacity, in favor of the .260. Since both cases hold around 50 grains of powder with a bullet seated, a 4% difference, this means there's about a 1% "advantage" in potential muzzle velocity for the .260 with the same bullet weights, on average, when using the same powders and bullets, loaded to the same pressures.

Obviously different rifles with vary slightly, but if you feel 1% is enough to go .260 (meaning around 27 fps with 140-grain bullets) then you should also consider the fact that long, high BC boattails can be seated near the lands in a 6.5 Creedmoor with a standard 2.84" magazine box, but not in a .260. Thus accuracy will usually be somewhat better in a Creedmoor with high-BC bullets, which makes up the 1% difference in potential velocity in less than 75 yards.

A longer magazine will solve this in a .260, but overall the Creedmoor has so many advantages these days that unless you want to use cheap .308 brass to make .260 cases, there's no reason to choose the .260.

I am sure many .260 fans will argue this, but I have experience with the .260 going back almost 20 years, and plenty with the Creedmoor as well.



I'm clearly a .260 fan, got my first one 20 years ago this month, and think that your post is as well reasoned and accurate a reflection of the two very similar cartridges as I've read anywhere.

The only thing that you didn't include was the fact that there are many more factory ammo options for the 6.5 Creedmoor than there are for the 260 Remington at this point in time.

I'm planning to shoot at least 9 whitetails between 11/11/17 and 01/15/18 with 7 different rifles chambered for 6 different cartridges and 1 shotgun, for hunting in Iowa. None of the 7 rifles will be chambered in 260, but 2 different Rugers will be chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.

I recently set up at the range next to a guy who was zeroing his RAR-P in 6.5 Creedmoor with the first box of Remington 140 grain PSPCL factory ammo that I've seen. This ammo is so new that it doesn't appear in their 2017 catalog, both on-line and printed. I wonder if FED/HOR/REM/WIN will offer a 100 grain bullet option for those of us who feel a need for speed.

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RL-26 gets me 2850 fps in my 24" barrel 6.5 creedmoor. I had a 260 and I liked it as well. If basing the decision on velocity alone I think there is more variance in rifle to rifle than difference between the two. Yes all things being equal the 260 should be a bit faster than the CM, but if really wanting 6.5 speedster just go GAP wink

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Back to my original querry, where is the pressure tested data for the 260 / 6.5 CM and RL26?

I see lots of anectdotal data, where is the laboratory tested data?


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Originally Posted by Brad
Back to my original querry, where is the pressure tested data for the 260 / 6.5 CM and RL26?

I see lots of anectdotal data, where is the laboratory tested data?



It would be nice to have so we'd have a velocity to look to. I'm guessing the velocity would be around 2700 ish with a 147 eld in a 22-24" barrel. I loaded my modern tikka 6.5X55 swede to 2730 with the 147 eld but it holds 5 more grains of powder. I have both a case volume advantage and I'm 100 fps less than most along with zero conventional pressure signs so IMO I have three lines of safety that I've utilized. This is my way of being what I call a cautious experimental handloader.

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Originally Posted by Brad
Originally Posted by keith


R#26 is changing how a lot of us think about mid size cases, even in the 6.5x47 lapua with the 140's...2850 plus a tad.



Is there any actual factory, pressure tested data for these rounds with RL26?


It's now the official rifle loony Wonder Powder--it will always be reported as "I see no pressure signs"...........even when it turns out they're running 75k psi.........


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Yep, similar to RL-17 before pressure-tested data came out.

Alliant's data for 26 shows it has perhaps a 100 fps advantage in certain cartridge/bullet weight combos, such as the .243 Winchester with 100-105's and the .270 Winchester with 150's. Maybe there's something else I missed, but other powders match 26 for velocity in most other combinations.


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Yup... so most internet "load data" is a giant guess-a-palooza without factory pressure testing.


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