Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Much difference in a 308 w 155 Scenar vs 260 w 140 VLD?

I am inquiring if there is any real reason that I would need to change to a 260 Remington?

Like most, I am always researching guns and rounds. Been enamored by the 260 and 6.5X284 for a while. Being a LH shooter, it's not as simple to just run out and purchase whatever Floats my Boat.

I have a cobbled together 308 in LH. Got a used barrel that was cut and re-crowned and fitted. I also have a lt weight Banser stock I can fit it into. And just purchased a VX-R CDS scope.

After we try finding a bear for my son, I am going to swap over to 155 Scenars and work with the rifle.

My long range is probably going to be around 600 yards.

The question is, with the above rifle/round combinations, is the 308 giving up much, if anything to the 260?

Would be deer or smaller...No elk

The wind on the 140 will be significantly less. Trajectory will favor the 155 slightly. The 140 is the better option as you have to 'judge' the wind, you better know the range- no excuse not to.

Trajectory-wise, from looking at EXBAL, the 308/155 doesn't give up much out to 500yd, but, like Dennis said, it suffers less from wind drift, esp past 500.

In a 10 mph crosswind, what is the difference at 600 yds. ? E

Go to the Berger website, download their spreadsheet ballistics program, and you can run the numbers in a few seconds.

I would definitely try the 155 Scenars in the 308 before anything else.

Before I bought another rifle for sure. I will say I've thought about a switch barrel/pinned lug 700 with 308 and 260 barrels.

TAK, I don't recall if you were a LH shooter or not, but I've thought about it. Pretty often actually. No one really talks about it very much.

I ran the numbers I found on a random program. These were the G1 ballistics. I found an extensive test that had a pretty solid BC for the 155 Scenar at .459.

I found only Berger's claim of .612 for their .264 140 VLDs. Seems a pretty lofty claim, but I am not the all-knowing LR shooter.

The diff came out to about 14" wind drift vs 19" at 500 yards. Is that enough to go a fair amount of extra distance and cash to get there? I guess I am the judge on that one. 14 vs 19 doesn't look like much, but 5" of wind drift is a heart shot vs a low liver shot in reality. I am sure the numbers grow exponentially in favor of the 6.5 over more distance.

The next question would be if a factory Savage 116(offered in 6.5X284 lefty) would be able to wring out the accuracy to capitalize on the much better ballistics?

Sure I could re-barrel the current 308. That's about $500 right there.

If I had a 308 I was happy with, I wouldn't sell it. There have been posts here of late by happy Savage 110 6.5-284 owners, but I will say that all factory rifles are a pig in a poke. That cartridge is a step up from 308 land, as it's based on the rebated 284 and has a larger diameter case. If you like the Savage, you can always rebarrel it yourself down the road.

That is a pretty good G1 for the 140 VLD.




You can order a 116 from the Savage custom shop with a heavier barrel, special twist and accustock- you can even get them left handed.

My buddy Jeff ordered one in 7WSM and with patched up brass, it is a very accurate long range shooter. I am sure the 6.5-284 wouldn't disappoint.

A 308 winny is not a good 1000 yd cartridge with ANY bullet. It is a fantastic 500-600 yd cartridge, however.

5" of wind is HUGE. Believe it!

As I mentioned, I have my 11 yo son for the remainder of the week then I have to return him to Mom.

We are going to try and find a bear and I have some 130 TTSXs on deck ready to be used. After that I will grab some 155 Scenars and see what they do and how they do. Will probably know more after that.

Not a fan of Savage at all. Used to have a few of them, since they are LH friendly. Still have the wrench to swap barrels, never did one before though.

I think I'd try a factory 6.5X284. If I went the custom route, I'd just re-tube the existing 700 LH 308.

The factory Savage 6.5 X 284 shows a 1-8" twist....they got that right! Hmmmm?

I run both of those combos and FWIW I lean toward the 260 w/139 scenars. When I have had both out in the same conditions [with other shooters trying them out as well]....the general feeling is usually expressed in terms of " this 260 is like cheating !" out on the 500-600 [and beyond] steels.

The 155 scenar does take the 308 into a slightly different realm and does make it a better wind beater than other 308 loads.....BUT.... the 260 still wins IMO.

All that being said.... moneywise , drive the 155 in what you have...it WILL get it done!

FWIW
YMMV

You can save some wind drift in the 308 by going choosing heavier bullets too.

Think 190/210 Berger, 190/200/210/220 SMK, 190 Nosler, 208 Hdy. For powders look at RL15 for the 190s, RL17 W760, VV N550 for 200+gr.

You can make 2500-2600 fps with the 190-210 bullets.

I'm loading 208s over RL17 for 2600 fps in a 20.5" 308, and 2675 fps in a 26" 308. At 2650 fps, 10 mph full value 500yd drift is 12.2" at 4000' el.

I thought I understood most of ballistics, and in this instance, I thought the decent BC of the Scenar and the extra velocity would trump the mega-weight bullets?

Still waiting on range time with new Leupold and 130TTSXs. Then onto the Scenars. If I don't find happiness and get impressed, then onto either a new Savage 6.5 X 284, or rebarrel the 308 to 260 Remington with a quality tube.

Funny how lots talk about Barrel Burning with a 6.5 X 284 and others are talking up the 264 Win Mag.

I would take either, but I can't believe the X284 is going to thrash a barrel harder than a 264 Win Mag.

The 200+ vlds with BCs in the .6+ range really help reduce drift.

At the end of the day, practice is a lot more critical to success than the choice between 308, 260, or any particular LR bullet.

Best of luck to you in finding a bruin for the lad, hope you have a blast on the hunt! Make some great memories.

As to the wind drift I say pick one, find a load you're comfy with and get to know it. And don't worry too much about the BG (ballistic gack) as we can make the numbers look this or that way pretty dang easily.

In a head to head I don't quite see it like Shane does and that's fine. I give the 155 Sce 2800 fps and the 208 AM 2500. Toss in 300 fps diff (which in my experience is what I've seen and feel comfy with tween those weights) and you find that the 155 has 15.5" drift at 500 (60 degrees and 4K elev). And the 208 Amax which is a monster of a bullet has 13.9" push at 500 yds.

So to me what one will do the other will pretty much do, you just have to sort out which one you choose to use or which one your gun chooses and rock on from there.

I didn't run it from 500-1K and the 208 may well widen the game as the range goes. But, either way you'll be holding off or turning in drift.

Best of luck to ya.

The extra barrel life of the 30 is what makes the lil bugger seductive to me..

Dober

Side note, I don't have the time with the 308 that Shane does and I won't lean on them as hard as he does so take that into account as well.

Any of them will do you just fine.

Dober

That's the most important part.

trigger time nothing beats it does it

Dober

That's right.

Wind calls, range determination, establishing a workable field shooting position, trigger control. We only get better by doing.