Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Tell me about the 260 Remington

Could be MM. They’re using the exact same bullet (147 ELD) as they were in the Creed. I can’t see a nickels worth of difference myself. Their rifles are Surgeons I believe so Mag length hasn’t ever been an issue.

They get to do a lot of things others do not though, for good reasons and are by no means trying to set some standard. I’d imagine in some experience they had it worked better for one so they drew some interest from within.

I’ve never had a 260 but I wouldn’t pass one up and especially not for a 243.

I've got one of the very first 700 mountain rifles chambered in 260. And I have a custom built heart barrel 260 built on a long action . I have no trouble running the longest bullets through the magazine that way. Yeah I know it could have been a 6.5x55 or even a 6.5-06..

If I had a NULA 260 that wasn't shot out I sure wouldn't mess with it. I have all the gear to load really nice 260 rounds too, I've loaded for a friend's Low Wall for years.

I'd shoot it as is. As a .260 you may have a 1-9" twist rather than 1-8" twist of a Creedmoor so you might be limited to 140s. With equal twists and conventional hunting bullets ... 140 or lighter ... the .260 should have a slight velocity advantage. Twist and higher BC than the 1-9 handles would be the only thing in favor of 6.5 Creedmoor.

With that 3" mag box if I was switching cartridge, I might try to squeeze in a 6mm Rem AI or .257 Roberts .. std or AI.

My daughter has been shooting and hunting with a .260 since she 12yrs old and she's now 22. Her first was a Rem model 7 that she used for a couple seasons. I purchased her a Rem SPS 260 after that and dropped it in a CDL wood stock. It's very accurate and is pure deer poison around here with the Sierra 120gr Pro Hunter.

It is to the 6.5x55 what the 7mm-08 is to the 7x57, IOW a short action equivelent.

I've probably owned 50 of them, still have 24 of them and am in the process of adding another, a Remington 7600, pending a rebore/rechamber job from 243.

Remington made a few mistakes when it launched the 260, almost too many it seems to be random chance, but Remington has a history of making suboptimal choices when designing/introducing new cartridges. If your rifle has a 1-8" or faster ROT you should be able to load any 0.264" component bullet that will fit in the magazine.

As a hunting cartridge it is just another pea in the 6.5x55 or 6.5 Creedmoor pod as long as the component bullet(s) that you choose fit within the COAL specs for the magazine.

If you want to shoot varmints, there is the 90 grain VMax.
If you want to shoot medium game, there are a variety of bullets in the 100 to 140 grain range that work fine.
If you want to shoot anything bigger or tougher, there is the 140 grain Partition.

I like the balance of accuracy, velocity, and penetration offered by the 130 grain AB. I've been a satisfied 260 shooter since the first one arrived on 10/14/97.

The 6.5 Creedmoor handles longer and heavier bullets better than the 260 because its shorter case length allows for a COAL that fits inside a Remington 700 SA 2.84" magazine without COAL issues and the ROT was standardized at 1-8".

Or so it seems to me.

EDIT: Regarding brass and ammo, I have loaded thousands of rounds for the 260, almost all in reformed Winchester/Olin 243 brass because I was loading for the 260 before any factory ammo, component brass, or load data was available.

Was the 6.5 Creedmoor tested in the USASOC trials, where the SP10M won?

I think a lot of people, myself included, assume that the 260 would feed better in a gas gun. But I have no proof one way or the other.

100gr bullets do a number on deer as does the 129 Interlock. The 120 Hot Core will work quite well as do the other bullets recommended. Wouldn’t rebarrel a 260 if it shot well. Probably wouldn’t rebarrel a 243 in the same circumstance.

Don’t fugg with the nula.

Find a 243 or 6 creed Barrett during this dip in the market and be merry.

I went the opposite way. I won an auction on GB for a Ruger 77RL tanger in 243Win, with a really nice piece of wood. I had McGowen rebarrel it, matching the Ultra Lite contour, to a 260 Rem 8 twist. It shoots 120 TTSXs and 129 Interlocks so well, I don't want to go any bigger. I have 7-08s that need work too.

I'd love to have a NULA in 260. I bet Melvin put a 7.5-8 twist in it.

I would keep it as is and shoot it to see how it performs as a 260 especially if your interests are just big game hunting. However, my opinion changes if really want a 6mm. I've been an avid reloader, hunter and competitive shooter for 50+ years now. I've loaded for the 243 and the 6CM, plus many 25 cal and 6.5mm cartridges. If you're going to rebarrel it to a 6mm, then I would encourage you to pick the 6mm Creedmoor. IMO, the 6CM should give longer barrel life, it's very easy to develop accurate loads for and the cases don't need trimming as often - all likely due to a superior case design. Plus, the factory 6CM ammo has proven to be very, very accurate. The only reason I would recommend a 243 over the 6CM was if you did not reload and restricted yourself only to factory ammo. And even with the wide variety of factory 243 ammo, I might still recommend the 6CM since Hornady's factory 6CM ammo is excellent. And marketing hype or the lack of has nothing to do with it.

All that said, I'm a huge 6.5mm fan and have owned/loaded for several cartridges for too many years to count, including the 6.5 TCU, 260 Bobcat (6.5x250 Sav), 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55 Swede and 264 Win Mag. Of those, the Swede is my sentiment favorite of 50+ years and a fine round but the 6.5 Creedmoor is the practical/rationale winner in today's world. As previously mentioned, if you're a handloader it's not hard to accurately load any of the medium size 6.5 cases with 95-100 grain bullets which duplicates the 243 Win.

But if you want a superbly accurate 6mm that fires high BC - heavy for caliber bullets, then the 6CM trumps the 243 Win. It's your money and your choice, so have fun!

I hunt with a MRC X2 in .260 and my daughter has a Tikka T3x stainless laminate in .260 (probably the prettiest gun I've seen). Recoil and energy wise, they're just a really efficient round with readily available brass (if you want to resize .308 brass). There's been a pretty decent resurgence in the round since the 6.5 came out. I shoot mine suppressed and it's a great hog gun with minimal report.

I'm not sure we would have ever seen the introduction of the 6.5 CM if Remington had originally picked a better twist rate for heavier bullets and provided a longer mag length. I kind of consider them this way, the .260 is best with lighter bullets (I shoot 120's) and the 6.5CM handles 140 gr. (I shoot 143 gr. Hornady).

Already there 😉

Ok guys. I was already leaning towards leaving it .260. I am now sure of it. I appreciate you fellas

Good choice, leave it alone. I have a Sako 85 in 260 and absolutely love it. It shoots 139 scenars in one ragged hole at 100yds and they do a good job on deer and hogs as well. Good Luck

If you have a 1:8 twist or faster barrel you are golden! I have both a 6.5 CM and a .260 Rem both with 1:8 twist barrels. Yes, my 6.5 CM shoots better, but I shoot the .260 3x’s more. I’ve been playing with RL26 and 130 gr Berger VLD Hunting bullets and that thing is sub MOA all day long. The rifle is a Savage 11, and is nothing special. The rifle also likes 123 gr Hornady ELD-Ms and RL19, but I can’t get the big hole group I first did with it as I didn’t keep a record of the OAL etc., it it’s still under a 1” gun at 100 yards when I do my part with my current load, I just need more RL19 and I have net seen any locally since COVID hit.
I’m hoping to use the Bergers and RL26 on caribou this August. I’ve never had the rifle out hunting it sure goes to the range a ton.

This was my first rifle as well. Still have it, and sat with my dad while he took a whitetail with it this year. My Oldest is just about ready to give it a go. It is my only .260 but I am a big fan. I’ll get one in a full sized package once the little man stakes his claim on the model 7.

A few comments:

If the barrel isn't worn out, the .260 will work fine in the NULA 3" magazine. I would guess it has a 1-8 twist, because Melvin knows enough to use one, instead of the 1-9 factory twist. I would sure try it (and prefer it) as a .260 rather than a .243.

But to others:

I read the typical BS about the .260 being just as good as as the 6.5 Creedmoor. It is not, both due to the case design and the chamber THROAT design. Aside from the 30-degree shoulder of the 6.5 CM, the throat is shorter, and just wide enough to accommodate .264-diameter bullets, which keeps them aligned better before entering the rifling.

Have owned several .260s and 6.5 Creedmoors, both factory and custom rifesl and on average Creedmoors will shoot more accurately than .260s, either factory or custom rifles. Whether or not this makes an difference to YOUR particular uses is another question, but it's a fact.

I see Savage still makes rifles in 260 REM

I have one of the first rem ti in 260. loves 120 and 125 noslers. deer and hogs hate them. fun, light, and ready to go all the time.