Get a .264 Winchester Magnum....grin.....



I figure that 43.5 load is pushing around 60K psi...it is on the "hot" side.



Second best powder was H-414...

Has anyone ever tried the max load of 43.5 grains of Benchmark in a 260 Remington with a 95 grain V Max?

Hodgdon's small annual pamphlet manual has listed it, yet I have tried it with different cases, different primers, in 3 different rifles and each time, the primer pocket has leaked due to excess pressure, and has had an extractor mark.

Has anyone else tried this and had different experiences.

I keep hearing from others on how good this bullet is, but I have not had much luck with accuracy etc until today.

NOT a powder I can find load data for, but I know 3031 and Benchmark are the closest two powders equivalent to each other in that burn rate.

3031 performed fantastically, and also got VERY IMPRESSIVE velocity out of a lowly 22 inch barrel.

Benchmark has worked very well in 223's and 22/250s for me, better than Varget even.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Benchmark From 40.0 grains to 43.5 grains
Remington 9-1/2 Primer

Was the best combination I found...

Steve ,

Thanks for your response. I have not been able to get the 43.5 grain loads to give me acceptable pressures, in 3 different rifles.

All are over pressured. Two are Ruger 77Mk2s and one is a Rem 700 VLS.

IMR 3031 gave me what I was expecting out of the Benchmark.

Any suggestions Obe Juan?

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Seafire,

Out of a 22" 1-9 twist 260 Rem I am using RL 15 and the 95 VMax. I must have shot a thousand of them up in the last year. I use 43.5 grs for about 3240 fps. The rifle will take more powder but what's the use?

This load is very very accurate and has gone 92 shots without cleaning the barrel.

IMR 4064 worked well also. My seating depths are usually right at the 2.8" max.

Thanks Savage, I will have to try that. I have gotten the load data for the Speer 90 grain TNT off of their website, and I will play with their loads applied to the 95 grain ( worked up) and see what I get.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Steve,

My 6.5 x 55 and 6.5 x 57 will take the benchmark loads, at 43.5 but the 260 doesn't seem too. I was wondering if it was just my 3 rifles or I was doing something wrong or missing something.

I backed it off to 42.5 but the accuracy has not been there.
I have been busy trying other bullet weights and have not messed with the 95 grain V Max much since.

Thanks as always
Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

I haven't tried Benchmark with the 260/95 vmax combo, but 43.5 sounds hot. I know I only go up to 44 grs of RL15 with the 95 vmax...and it is a bit slower burning than BMK.

Yes, substituting the same load data for IMR 3031 which is suppose to have the same burn rate, I got not only more impressive velocities but very very good accuracy.

cheers and good shooting
seafire