Hi All,

I don't reload as yet, but I'm in the process of building a 260Rem. Given I can't get any Factory Ammo for it I'm gonna have to home load, so I'm after opinions on the best brass.

I've been told that Remington and Winchester brass isn't very consistent, and Lapula don't make the 260 Rem. I noticed Nosler Precision make it though and I was curious of anyones opinions on it?

Also does anyone reload for a short barreled 260? I'd be curious to know what sort of velocities you are getting as I'm looking at a 19inch barrel on this rifle and I'm curious how much velocity I'd be sacrificing.

Thanks,
FB

i haven't had one bit of trouble with remmy brass for 260. one of my 260's has a 20' barrel & to tell the truth i've never chrono'd it, but i really don't notice the difference between it and a 24". i expect it's probably going to loose about 2-300 FPS

While I haven't used it yet, Speer makes nickel plated 260 brass and it is half the price of the others at Grafs. I just ordered some. I will see.

I use Lapua 243 brass for my 260ai. Nothing wrong w/ Rem. Sort it by weight & away you go. I would rather use WW though & they don;t make 206, but necking down 7-08 works well. I've never been keen on uber short bbls. I would want 22" on a custom 260. You can always cut it later.

I use Remington brass in my 260 and can`t really find much fault with it. Nosler, from what I`ve seen, makes excellent brass although a bit pricey.
My old M7 with a 20" BBL gave me just over 2700 fps with 140 gr Ballistic Tips and 139 gr Hornady SP`s. I found Varget or IMR4350 to work best in the 2 rifles I`ve had, with Varget shading out the IMR powder.

Gidday Fallow Buck,

I have used Remington brass without any problem.

I have also used Federal 308 necked down and Sako 243 necked up. I found the Sako easier to chamber once it was loaded.

My pet load in a model seven with a 20" barrel has been 120gr Speer hotcore over 45.5gr of AR2209 (H4350) for about 2850 chrono'ed (can't remember exact figures).

This load is like the hammer of Thor on red, fallow deer and chamois. I have some 140 partitions that I want to try one day but have to wean myself off the very effective load above.

Happy Hunting

Hamish

youd loose 20-30 foot pounds per inch,or about 75 to 80 fps ,compared too a 22 inch barrel, don''t always believe what you here remington winchester federal is good brass period. great advice here as per usual,regards

Hi All thanks for the info.

For me it looks like I'm going to go with something similar to what Hamish describes. Barrell will be 19" to the bolt face and length of the round will be 3.1" (rather than the factory 2.8").

I'm going to sacrifice some velocity in the heavier bullets that I look to use (140g Partitions, and 140 TSX) but then if the gun needs to double up as a mountain gun I can still gget 2800 in a 120g or 115gr pill.

Most of whatI shoot is Fallow at between 50m and 150m with the odd shot out to 250m, although I tend to just pass on those.

The measurements should be going into the smith this week to get the ball rolling, so I'm very excited about my first custom rifle.

Rgds,
FB

None of my 260s have ever shot factory ammo...

After going thru 100 Remington cases labeled 260, I have used 243, 308 and 7/08 cases ever since...

I quit using the 243 cases as I shoot 243...

however, the 7/08 and 308 I don't shoot...

My most favorite domestic USA made case for the 260 is to neck down plentiful 7/08 winchester brass...

next easiest is to neck up 243 brass...

308, 7/08, and 243 all neck to 260 in one step for me...

quote:

I've been told that Remington and Winchester brass isn't very consistent,

IMO this is pure internet bullshit.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

I've been told that Remington and Winchester brass isn't very consistent,

IMO this is pure internet bullshit.

Vapodog,

Don't beat around the bush... Say exactly what you mean!!



Best regards,
FB

Gidday Fallow Buck,

I think you are on the right track with the partitions at the ranges you are talking with the 120s for longer range stuff.

Don't forget to post photos when you get the rifle and of the game you use it on.

Happy Hunting

Hamish

FYI, I just got the Speer nickle brass and it comes with a bonus. It is also primed. For $30/100 I will certainly try it. Now if I could just find time to pick up the rifle.

I also do what Seafire does I neck down 7-08 Winchester brass. I can get the 7-08 brass for 5 bucks less than the Remington stamped 260 brass. Both types have been more than acceptable for reloading for me.

I use Lapua 243 cases in my 7mm-08 and they are easially outlasting rem or win 7mm-08 cases.

If I owned a 260 i'de only be using 243 Lapua cases period.

Ive shot Winny and Remmy brass All my life and I have no complaints with em,Oh dont get me wrong Lapua makes wonderful brass and i believe I read where they drill all the primer pocket holes where the others dont,but you will spend twice as much for them,so in all actuality shouldnt they live twice as long.......

quote:

so in all actuality shouldnt they live twice as long.......

Remington 7mm-08 cases started loosing neck tension at around the twelth reload, some of my lapua cases have been fired 22 or 23 times without problems, so yeah I guess they do live twice as long......

Besides, over here, Lapua brass is actually cheaper than Remington or Win brass.

Given I'm new to reloading, I was trying to keep it as simple as possible, but I hacve a question.

If I decide to resize 7-08 brass, (I already shoot 243 and 308 so I don't want to complicate the issue) do I need to resize every time I reload the case or is it just the once at the begining?

Thanks
FB

Any case you use will have to be resized after each use...even if it is a Rem 260 factory case, as the case expands when shot...

As the Ozzie gent said above about Lapua being cheaper than Win or Rem cases in Oz, if the same thing is true in Britain, then I'd definitely go with the Lapua brass...

It will certainly last you much longer...

However, if you neck size the Win or Rem brass a lot, you can stretch your mileage out of it quite a bit...but you have to know when it needs full lengthed sized again and also need to know what you are doing.. hopefully if you belong to a rifle club of some sort, there will be someone down there to lend you a hand with instructing you...

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
Hi All thanks for the info.

For me it looks like I'm going to go with something similar to what Hamish describes. Barrell will be 19" to the bolt face and length of the round will be 3.1" (rather than the factory 2.8").

I'm going to sacrifice some velocity in the heavier bullets that I look to use (140g Partitions, and 140 TSX) but then if the gun needs to double up as a mountain gun I can still gget 2800 in a 120g or 115gr pill.

Most of whatI shoot is Fallow at between 50m and 150m with the odd shot out to 250m, although I tend to just pass on those.

The measurements should be going into the smith this week to get the ball rolling, so I'm very excited about my first custom rifle.

Rgds,
FB

Fallow,

I can't think of anything you would hunt in Britain that you couldn't take with a 260 shooting a 100 grain Bullet...

I don't know what the European market has available for bullets over there....I do know that Nosler made some 105 grain SMP partitions for the Euro Market, sold by one of the German companies.. I have used them to good effect here stateside, buying some factory seconds in them.. they were never sold domestically otherwise...

But a 100 grain partition is made, a 100 grain Ballistic tip, a 100 grain Hornady SP is also made...

I use a load of 43.5 grains of IMR 4064, and out of a 22 inch barrel Ruger, I get MVs of 3350 fps and varmint grade accuracy....

I have taken several deer, from a rest.. to distance of 300 meters/yds...dropped at the impact...and recoil on the rifle was so low, that I watched them fall straight to the ground from within the scope, not loosing sight picture via the scope, which was set on 4 power at the time ( Leupold 3 x 9s)...

That MV easily makes the 260 capable of a 400 yd shooter from a good rest underneath...

I spent 3 years living in Britain in my youth, and have traveled all over the British Isles... I never saw any animal that a 260 with a 100 grain partition wouldn't take down... or a 100 grain Hornady SP....

If IMR 4064 isn't available, the load can be duplicated wth Varget or the Ozzie equivalent since that powder is made in OZ... or with Rl 15, and that powder is made in Sweden, so I am sure there is a Norma or VitaVourhi equivalent available.....

Most of my hunting with my 260s is with 100 grain bullets..with the 3350 fps MV...nothing I have shot yet, has taken one step after hit.. even out to 300 yds or more..

Hi Fallow

Up to now, I have been using Lapua 243 Brass necked up for the .260, no problems at all. I have used 100 Nosler BT on Roe and Fallow to good effect. If I was to be super critical, I would say that the 100Gn NBT tend to be destructive on roe, and I am currently working on moving up to 120 Gn BT or similar as a standard round, and that entails opening the chamber up slightly, so it isnt a quick job in UK as you probably know.

Best of luck with your project, keep us posted.

ATB

T260

Seafire,

You are right the 100gr pill will do almost everything in the UK, and at your MV's will also be a very tidy flat shooting fox round. My desire to go for the heavier bullets is twofold. Firstly, to try and reduce the carcass damage I get from my 243 with a 95/100gr bullet. I aim to do that by using a heavier more solid bullet like the partition and running it at slightly lower velocities 2400fps/ish. So if I have this as my "go to" load then I just need to be sort ut a load for the one off hunts where I want a bit more oomph.

Seconodly giving me a rifle to hunt big woodland reds and boar occasionally here at home. They can both go very big indeed. And also allows me a non military calibre for hunting on the continent/south america, and plainsgame in Africa.

I have a 308win too, that is perfect for the reds and pigs, but I can't bring myself to moderate it as I spec'd it to shoot over open sights too. It's also not allowed in some European countries.


Specs decided so far are a Lawton M700 fluted action with a 20" Lothar Walther SS barrel, (standard sporter), 1/8.5" twist and probably an A-Tec Sound moderator, Jewel Trigger and Rem 700 floorplate and box. The stock is a laminate that will look a bit like this in colour but a different shape, (more classic stalker with rollover cheekpeice and montecarlo stock:



I just need to choose optics now.

Rgds,
FB

Fallow,

I have 3 different 260s, Two Ruger 77 Mk 2s, and one Rem 700 VLS..

One Ruger is set up for the 100 grain loads, and has a 3 x9 Leupold with a target dot reticle...

The other Ruger has a 4 power Weaver on it, and is usually loaded with a 140 grain Bullet with an MV of 2750, using IMR 4350 powder...

so I understand the desire or need for a heavier bullet at times..

That picture of the Richard's Stock you have posted, I have one coming close to that for a Savage long action, but it is in the Woodland Camo Laminate.. It is due here in September...

but also doesn't have the thumbhole in that one..