Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 260 Rem Loads...

Kiss, find pressure, rock on.....

Love him or hate him (Stick), thats the way to do it.

The kids are looking forward to the opportunity to kill some cow elk this month with the Ruger SS 22 inch 260's. It behooves the old man to slap together some elk capable rounds.

I have loaded a lot of rounds this month and the component stash is becoming depleted. But I found a box of Sierra 140 spbt Gamekings in the cabinet, and I still had a pound of IMR 4831.

Nosler says IMR 4831 will make 2800 fps with their 140 gr Partition, it should do so more easily with a bullet which has less bearing surface (like the Sierra BT) and with Moly lube.

Here's the results with CCI 200 primers, IMR 4831, and the 140 gr Sierra spbt Gameking (molyed), in Remington brass, seated just barely short enough for the bolt to close without resistance.:
42.. gr .....2527 fps
43.. gr .....2539 fps
43.5 gr .....2613 fps
44.. gr .....2650 fps
44.5 gr .....2666 fps
45.. gr .....2690 fps
45.5 gr .....2700 fps
46.. gr .....2751 fps
46.5 gr .....2767 fps
47.. gr .....2790, 2810, 2820, 2815, 2802, 2790
47.5 gr .....2837 fps
48.. gr .....2881 fps

The 47.5 and 48 gr loads began to show some loss of primer radius.

I loaded up 70 rounds at 47 gr and zeroed both rifles 2.75 inches high at 132 yds. The boys should be good to go out to 200 yds. Neither of these rifles has the accuracy to guarantee a shot much beyond that range.

I also ran a couple of other old 260 loads over the Chrono while it was set up.

CCI 200, Rem 120 gr core lokt w/ moly, 50 gr H4831....2910 fps

CCI 200, Rem 120 gr core lokt w/ moly, 46 gr RL 19....2690 fps

Has anyone tried H380 with 120-130 gr. bullets? I've got about 7 lbs. of H380 and love how it meters - I've used it with success in the .243 Win and .308 Win - I can't imagine it doesn't work well in the .260 Rem. I've got some loads put together, but haven't shot them yet. Anyone else tried this powder?

Yeah Selmer old buddy, I have... and it performs just as well as the best of them, in all 5 of my 260 barrels...for both accuracy and velocity....

funny I burn it in about everything except the 22.250....

it is a highly overlooked powder nowadays, but with these powder shortages, that is a good thing.. because a lot of guys will pass it by and it stays on the shelves longer....

its also a hell of a powder for the 223, using 70 and 75 grain bullets... but don't tell anyone that...

123 Scenar
44 grains H4350
Winchester brass
Winchester Large rifle Mag primers

Groups almost cloverleaf

Thanks Seafire. H380 just seems like a good fit - especially in the quantity I have right now. What charges have you used with 120-130 gr. bullets? I've got 7 lbs downstairs and 5 lbs of IMR4350, so my .260s are well fed, plus a few lbs. of Varget, but I haven't found the sweet spot with Varget yet. Strangely enough (or predictably enough...) 44 grs of IMR4350 is the sweet ticket in my Ruger M77 and 17" MGM .260 Rem barrel for my Encore. (129 gr. Hornady or 120 gr. Nosler BT or 130 gr. AB - all run sub-MOA) Different seating depths, but same load. All have been hell on deer, I just like having more than one "pet load" for each gun. I'll see how the H380 turns out and get back - the 5 degrees on the thermometer were not conducive to shooting today...

One stupid question and one easy question. First - the stupid. I received a pound of free H870 (discontinued) - any ideas if this would work worth a darn in the .260 with heavy bullets, or is it just too slow?

Easy question - I'm normally a Nosler kind of guy, but both of my .260s have a liking for the 129 gr. Interlock, and they are GREAT performers on deer, at least in the 5 samples of kills I have with them from 100 to 359 yds with both pistol and rifle, propelled by 44 gr. I4350 running 2825 fps from the rifle and 2575 from the pistol (17" barrel). I don't own a Hornady manual and don't plan on buying one. Can someone provide me with the load data that Hornady publishes for the 129 gr. Interlock in their manual? I have a wide variety of suitable powders and I want to find more than one "pet load" for this bullet - such as I4350, H4350, Varget, RL15, 4064, H380, BL(c)-2, and I4831. I'd love to have that data, as I know that the 130 Nosler AB and 129 IL likely have different pressures due to different design and jacket composition. Thanks!

Selmer...

I run the 129s, using the same charge as I do with the 140s, which is 44 grains of IMR 4350....which run 2750 fps out of my 22 inch barreled ones and 2800 out of my 24 inch barreled one...

IIRC the same load ran the 129s at 2900 fps out of my Rugers with the 22 inch barrels, but surprisingly didn't gain much velocity out of the 24 and 26 inch barreled 260s...

Yep, I'm using 44 grs. of IMR 4350 behind my 129s in both the Ruger and the Encore 17" barrel. My Ruger is a little slower than yours, but still has performed admirably out to 350 yds. Pistol did a great job on the first kill with that bullet from the pistol a couple weeks ago - slid it between the ribs at 150 yds and the lung were mushed - I got a 100 yd death dash after the donkey kick. I was grinning after the I saw the reaction to the shot.

when I got them, I had both of my Ruger 260s throated out to accept a 160 grain Hornady RN, with the bullet seated to the cannula...so mine are not factory throats anymore.. which were kinda tight...

I did that to both of them about 2 weeks after I got the first and as soon as I got it home on the second one... which I got mega cheap, because the store had had it for over 3 years and it never moved... well under $300 for it... stainless, laminate stock...

Any of you fellas mess with Varget in your 260? I got 2# of the schit and a pile of empties. As for bullets, who the hell knows. Maybe Dobers magic 90gr TNTs? Might even give 108's a try...

??

Ive been shooting 37.5 grs of Varget behind a 130 gr Accubond. Shoots around 3/8" 5 shots.

2800ish?

39.2grs Varget, 130 vld, Lapua brass, and CCI-BR2 primers. COL @ 2.950". Speed is 2876 avg. with 24" barrel.

Thought I would share load data from my 260 AI. Originally had a 24" barrel which I later had shortened to a 22" barrel (or depending on how you measure, a 25" barrel shortened to 23"). Rem action and a min spec reamer was used for chambering. PacNor SS barrel with 1:9" twist. Only accurate loads listed and some aren't near max. All loads 0.005" off lands.

260 Ackley Improved

Sierra 100g HP
42.5g BenchMark 3,291 fps
49.0g IMR-4350 3,161 fps (very accurate)
50.0g H-4350

100g Partition
50g H-4350 3,330 fps (3,290 fps after barrel was shortened)

100g Nosler BT
24.0g SR-4759 2,475 fps (reduced recoil load)

95g VMax
43.5g IMR-4064 3,333 fps (longer barrel)
45.0g RL15 3,236 fps
49.0g IMR-4350 No crono, very windy but still shot 1/2" - 3/4" groups)
50.0g H-4350 No crono, very windy but still decent groups
49.0g Hunter No crono, 3/8" group on fireform load with Rem brass & 215M primer

120g Pro Hunter
45.5g H-4350 2,955 fps (good hunting load, some 1/2" groups)

Nosler 120g BT
45.0g Hunter 2,826 fps (crazy accurate) 215M primer

129g Spire Point
46.0g RL-19 2,769 fps

HogWild,

It's interesting seeing that you use Benchmark for one of your loads. My 260 really likes Benchmark. I've used it with 100 gr NBTs in the past and just tried it with 120 gr NBTs; they are by far the most accurate loads I've found. Here's the information:
Rifle
Model 70 action
24" Shilen barrel 1:8" twist

100 gr NBT 2.80 COL
41.0 gr Benchmark

120 gr NBT 2.78 COL
40.0 gr Benchmark

Think I will be using Benchmark in the future for my plinking/fireforming/varment load. Uses very little powder but still has good velocity/accuracy, and its temp insensitive. I would like to find some 100g VMax for this task but so far, no luck. Oh well, the 100g Sierra HP shoots great in my rifle.

I've not yet tried it, but it seems BenchMark and the 85g Sierra HP are made for each other! Guessing 3,500 fps is doable.

Interesting stuff:
More 260 Loads

260 was shooting like a big silly last go round..


Might see if 123 AMAX will follow suit and make this thing a one hit wonder. For the price, BC, and performance (hopefully), it could be the best of the best....

Good velocity and accuacy on the 120g TTSX load. Great accuacy on the 108g Scenar load but velocity could be better. Sure is a tack driver!

I used to just swap the 108 and 120 TTSX over the same charge for messing around. I've got some Varget fueled 108's that I'm trying to hit warp speed with.

These are the first loads I've shot since dumping the moly schit. I've lost a whole 30 FPS. Very sad about that. Same load, same brass, primer powder lot blah blah blah...