Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles My .260 and my experiences

Cliff,

I have done extensive testing with my .260 and hunting bullets. I have a Remington M7 (stainless/synthetic). The only thing I have done to it is work on the trigger and to float the barrel. I have not bedded the action or the lug...yet smile

I have tried the following bullets-

Nosler 125g Partition
Nosler 120g Ballistic Tips
Nosler 130g Accubonds
Barnes 120g TTSX
Barnes 130g TSX
Remington 120g Core-Lokt

I think my remington doesn't have a twist fast enough to stabilize the longer 130g bullets like they need to be. I have killed three deer with the 130g Accubond out of it (2 of which were 208 yards and 273 yards) but on paper, I kept getting and odd flier. Honestly, I got lucky on both shots. The first deer I hit in the neck after aiming behind the shoulder. I thought I just pulled the shot but after I shot the second one at that distance and did not hit where I should have (even though it quickly dispatched it), I started wondering and did a little more research. These longer bullets just weren't consistent enough for me on paper and thus I switched (it was a confidence thing). I like to think I can shoot a rifle decently and I have won several national offhand rifle championships doing so.

I never could get the velocity I wanted out of the 130's anyway. I could only get about 2700 fps out of them in my short barrel and it was approaching the upper end (lots of muzzle blast, recoil, etc). The best load I had for the accubonds was 44.5g of IMR-4350, CCI-200, remington brass seated to magazine length which was about 0.030 from the lands. I got 2776 fps out of it in 46* temps. The one deer i did hit in the heart/lung area went about 70 yards or so. Bullet penetrated top of heart/lung area and exited liver. Quarter sized exit hole but not quite what I was looking for as far as blood trail, etc.

I experimented extensively with the nosler 125g Partition. My rifle loves both 44.5g of IMR-4350, CCI-200, rem brass, bullet seated to mag length. It will shoot them less than an inch (averages around .800-.900 for three shots). I am getting 2851 fps avg at 76*F. It loses almost exactly 100 fps at 30*F to 2747 fps. I have killed one doe deer with this load- bullet hit just behind shoulder and I could not find an exit but I also could not find the bullet (it was getting dark so admittingly I didn't look too much). Plenty of damage to the lungs but no blood trail. Deer traveled roughly 25 yards and piled up. I was somewhat concerned with the penetration and had some questions about if these 125g partitions were being driven fast enough to expand dramatically (since then, i am pretty sure they are and wouldn't hesitate to use them again).

I have another load for the 125g Partitions that seem to really want to shoot however it ALWAYS throws the first shot out of a cold barrel about 2" dead right. I have messed with it to get it to stop this but i still can't. The remaining three shots will be in 1/2" at 100 yards. After hunting season I am going to see if I can get a solid "1st shot" group by shooting about 1 round per 30 minutes or so. The load is 41.0g of IMR-4064, CCI-200 primers, rem brass, seated to mag length (seated to ogive length of 2.279"). I am getting 2830fps and 2813fps for two consequtive three shot groups at 29*F. PLEASE BE ADVISED- this load is above any book load except the one listed in the latest sierra manual. The nosler manual calls for 39.0g as it's max. This load is not showing any pressure sign in my rifle and I believe it to be safe in my gun. I was getting spreads in the 5fps range across three shots for this load. It definitely has potential.

Much to my dismay, i could not get the Barnes 120g TTSX to shoot less than 2" groups. I have never had any trouble with Barnes bullets in my rifles but my M7 sure doesn't like them. I will say I am not through accuracy testing this bullet but I might just wait till the 100g TTSX's come out. I have been very pleased with bloodtrails and overall devastation by the TTSX's in my 30/06. I think the 100g TTSX will be nasty medicine!

I have currently settled on using the Nosler 120g Ballistic tip for the rest of this hunting season. I haven't killed a deer yet but i should remedy that by the end of the week and i'll let you know how it does. It seems to really like the 120g Ballistic tips and they have been the most consistently accurate bullets in my rifle. I am consistently getting groups in the .750-.800 range with no first shot fliers. I am using 42.0g of IMR-4064, CCI-200 primers, rem brass, seated to ogive length of 2.285 which is mag length in my rifle. I get 2959 avg fps in 40*F temps with spreads in the teens and 20's. I am very anxious to see how this performs on whitetails. AT first i was apprehensive about using them for deer as I have seen some pretty nasty results and lack of penetration however I think with the S.D. of the 6.5mm bullets and the velocity I am driving them at, I think they will be fine. Do you have any experience with them?


I am sorry to ramble but that has pretty much been my experience. I am glad to share loads and have used powders from RL-19, H414, RL-17, IMR-4350, H4350, IMR-4064 and Varget. I have found IMR-4064 to consistently give me the velocity I am looking for in such a short barrel. Actually, the 4064 has given me about 100 fps over the other powders perhaps because it's slightly faster.

Hope this helps.

Ruck

Good post...

The 120 BT will serve you very well at those velocities. Unless a raking shot, expect exits and quick kills...

I have used the 120 BT out of a .260 on WT and MD. If I remember correctly, 5 bucks and 1 doe were killed with the 120 BT's from 20-250 yards. All died very quickly, several like they were electocuted. No second shots were needed.

Here are 2, 6.5 120 BT's that were recovered under the hide on the opposite side. The others exited on mostly broadside shots. Bullets retained just under 50% of their original weight.

The M7's whippy barrel and junk stock are not conducive to accuracy but is conducive to creating fliers.
I rebarreled and re stocked the SS/Synthetic 260 I bought my son and suddenly load development and accuracy became easy.
If you want consistency under all conditions and not just stress free bench shooting you will likely have to do the same.

Did you do it all at once? I'm thinking about how a factory barreled action in an McM Edge with full length neutral bedding (a la NULA) might do for three shot groups.

I FL bedded this 260 barreled action in a Ti-style stock. It is close to neutral with just a dab of upward pressure. I sanded down the forend bumps until I was happy with the "up" and then FL bedded over them.




I still have not shot a group with it. I worked up some 100gr BT's to a velocity I was happy with, walked them to the center of my 200yd gong, and called it good. JBM gave me a drop chart and I fired one round each on my steel targets at 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400. They all gave near center hits. When deer season rolled around, I put the 130gr AB's on the 200yd steel and went hunting. Maybe I'll shoot some groups one day, maybe not. The mojo is good at the moment so I'm not jacking with it....

I first did the stock and it did improve things but was still very finicky bullet wise and would never shoot the 120 gr. Barnes. It does now.

Did you go with a tighter twist than factory? I think Rem. should have gone tighter. The Barnes is long for a 120.

Timely post. Been looking for similar info for a while now. I use Hodgdon 4831sc in my 260 A-bolt and even though it is a slow 1-10" twist I CAN get extremely good groups and DO get absolutely stellar performance with 140 grain Gamekings. Strangely enough that bothered me . I felt like that was wrong- because it was supposed to be - and wanted to try some "more appropriate" 120 grains. Never been a fan of the ballistic tips but reviews on MidwayUSA were hard to argue with...and thats all Cabelas had. Just bought some and loaded them up with low dose of said powder. I have yet to shoot them but look forward to the range. It would be impossible to perform better than the 140 Gamekings on deer - but maybe can come close. Moral is - just cuz it ain't supposed to work, doesn't mean it absolutely won't. What about seeing if something in a 140 won't float?

What is your twist? I have a 788 that I rebarreled (douglas barrel) to a .260 that I shoot 140 core lokts out of w/o any problems. Longest shot was 250 yrds with deer going straight down. Two others less than 100 yards, same results. Exits on all the deer but these were 100# WTs. I don't know if it is standard or not but I got a 1/9 twist in my barrel.

If I put one together I'm going 8".

I think a 1 in 9 is good. I had a Browning a-bolt quite a few years ago that I thought was spec'd as being 1 in 11. I see a poster above who says his is a 1 in 10 so maybe mine was too. Anyway it shot standard cup 'n core 140's well enough.
When in doubt hit the gas has always been my motto. I went with a 1 in 8, Shilen #1.

Thanks for the post Ruck. other have told me that a 1:10 twist just isn't enough. I've asked Savage if they would build me a .260 since they had the reamers. They asked me what I wanted. NICEEEEEEE I said:

24" bb
Hinged floor plate
1:9 twist
synthetic stock
Accu-trigger

They said they would throw in an Accu-stock. I was contemplating a 26" barrel and a 1:8, but changed my mind. All I would have to do is find a dealer to work with since they can't sell it to me directly. The price was around $750(+/-) and there's a dealer in the next town that will work with me. Now I just need to get through Christmas and see what I have left over =)

HaYen

Rebarreled to a 24" barrel and it is more balanced now. Lowered muzzle blast too. Mine was an early model .260. Not sure of twist, but it really is a nice shooting rifle at the range or in the field.

stumpy

JPro or anyone,

Have you killed anything with the 100 BT's?

I worked up a load with H-414 to 3275 and shoots FINE!

A call to Nosler said the bullet's fine on deer, just no 50 yd shots into the shoulder.

Looking for real world feedback.

the .257 roberts twisted 1-10, shoots 115 and 117's just fine. I am not sure of the advantage of the .260 Rem unless it had a faster twist.

No kills here yet with the 100gr BT in 260. I bought them for an off-season varmint bullet.

Does the bob shoot a high(er) BC 120 grain bullet at over 3,000 mv like the 260 Rem?

I didn't think so, but then we both knew that already.



Dogzapper has some great info on the 260 shooting 100 grain bullets in the archives.

aalf,

My 12-year-old son started hunting last year with a .260 and I noticed he didn't like shooting the 120 grain bullets as well as the lighter stuff. Not wanting to starting him flinching, I loaded up some 100 BT's for him to practice with. He shot them so well that I wanted to use them for his hunting bullet, but was a little apprehesive due the velocity. The velocity is around 3175 pushed by 4064.

Long story short, I pm'ed Dogzapper and he assured me the 100's would work well on deer. And he was exactly right.

Results: Two dead deer. The bullet that killed the buck was not found and did not exit. The shot was a quartering to us angle that hit the point of the shoulder at 80 yards. The doe was broadside at 190 yards and the 100 BT exited. Someday I'll load him up heavier bullets, but for now the 100's are doing the trick.

Thanks Lonny.

I too was worried about the speed, I'm another 100 above yours.

I really loaded them for coyote, but was trying to thump a deer or two with 'em. No one stepped up to the plate.

Although the 7-08 did get the nod when things got serious.

Al