I bought son a Browing Stainless Stalker in 260 Rem. We already had 243's and 7/08's...like them too but wanted a new toy just to be different.
We hooked this up to a Leupold 2.5 to 8 and took down a box of Rem Core Lokt 140 grain and went to the range. Right off this gun shot these bullets in a nice group. Next we go to the ranch hunting. Now something like a dozen whitetails (bucks and does) have fallen to it at various ranges.
Here is my problem if you can call it that.
All deer have a hole in and hole out and run like they have never been shot. They have run from 30 feet to maybe something less than 100 yards. There is blood everywhere so you have no problem tracking them.
Question is...how do you get DRT? (dead right there)I have others rifles where some run and some die right in their tracks but this little sweet shooting, soft recoiling fun gun gets them all to run before they give it up.
I am thinking of going to a lighter grain wt. (120 /125) and see what happens but I must admit...I am lazy and hate to go sight something in again that is shooting so good to start with.
We have not lost an animal yet but they have all run and all have an entry and exit wound. Shots have ranged from 40 yards (out of a box blind) to 125 yards in open pasture.
I am open to suggestions and would like to hear your experiences with this neat caliber.
I just whacked three more doe on a culling mission this weekend (Game Warden / Biologist says to take off 50 does this year and we are now to 29)and once again..hole in / hole out/ dead doe...weight was 85 pounds to 110 pounds and range was 30 yards to 70 yards. 1/3 up the front leg and pull the trigger!

I have a friend that shoots the Barnes 130TSX in his 260 for deer with no problem. Lung shots rarely bring a deer down fast. You could try high on the shoulder so that the hydraulic shock wipes out the nervous system for a drop dead shot. The faster the better in this area to increase the shock.
Good Luck

quote:

Originally posted by Harry:
I bought son a Browing Stainless Stalker in 260 Rem. We already had 243's and 7/08's...like them too but wanted a new toy just to be different.
We hooked this up to a Leupold 2.5 to 8 and took down a box of Rem Core Lokt 140 grain and went to the range. Right off this gun shot these bullets in a nice group. Next we go to the ranch hunting. Now something like a dozen whitetails (bucks and does) have fallen to it at various ranges.
Here is my problem if you can call it that.
All deer have a hole in and hole out and run like they have never been shot. They have run from 30 feet to maybe something less than 100 yards. There is blood everywhere so you have no problem tracking them.
Question is...how do you get DRT? (dead right there)I have others rifles where some run and some die right in their tracks but this little sweet shooting, soft recoiling fun gun gets them all to run before they give it up.
I am thinking of going to a lighter grain wt. (120 /125) and see what happens but I must admit...I am lazy and hate to go sight something in again that is shooting so good to start with.
We have not lost an animal yet but they have all run and all have an entry and exit wound. Shots have ranged from 40 yards (out of a box blind) to 125 yards in open pasture.
I am open to suggestions and would like to hear your experiences with this neat caliber.
I just whacked three more doe on a culling mission this weekend (Game Warden / Biologist says to take off 50 does this year and we are now to 29)and once again..hole in / hole out/ dead doe...weight was 85 pounds to 110 pounds and range was 30 yards to 70 yards. 1/3 up the front leg and pull the trigger!

If you have recovered every deer that you have shot I really don't see the problem. If it really concerns you, maybe you could try the 120 grain balistic tip. I have used that bullet and found the penetration a bit lacking in our northern deer, but for the size animals you are talking about it should work fine. It certainly will expand more quickly than the 140 grain core lokt bullet.

quote:

All deer have a hole in and hole out and run like they have never been shot. They have run from 30 feet to maybe something less than 100 yards. There is blood everywhere so you have no problem tracking them.

IMO this is exactly the performance I'd like in a deer cartridge......the blood trail part is excellent.

If you really want to swap that for a few DRT shots switch bullets to Hornady's SST

Harry...I haven't hunted with my .260 yet but I have read in previous postings by GHD and Seafire that they like a 100gr. bullet either a Nos.BT, Hornady, or Sierra....GHD likes Varget and Seafire likes 4064......Just got a .260 Low Wall a couple of weeks ago(have a Rem # 7 also) and was reloading for it last nite using GHD's load...deer tag filled for this year so have to wait till next year...or spring bear... ..mic

In another thread here someone reccomended the 100 gr Nosler Partition as it was designed for 260 6.5x55 velocities. This is what I loaded for my grandson for the West Virginia season which starts nexr week. It shoots very well, have to wait and see for performance on deer.

You don't say where you hit them. If you're shooting behind the shoulder for the lungs, odds are you won't get a DRT result.

I always shoot for the top of the heart and almost always hit it. My broadside aiming point is just above the elbow joint. I've taken half a dozen deer with my .260 so far, using 125-grain Nosler Partitions at 2700 fps. Three of them were DRT (two broadside shots and one head-on shot), and none of them ran more than 15-30 yards before falling for good. Full penetration, just like your experience.

The latest deer to fall DRT to my .260 was just a couple of days ago: a small buck at 50 yards, broadside. He didn't even flinch, jump, or take a step when hit; he just stood there for half a second and then flopped over on his side and never moved a muscle. Field dressing revealed that the top of the heart was gone and detached from the arteries.

Thanks guys...I just pull 1/3 up the front leg and let loose.
I am a "transmission" shooter...I figure if I ruin your transmission I can always shut off you motor after I walk over to you as you will not have gone anywhere!

DRT= neck or head shot no meat spoilage. That is what I shoot for if at all possible.

In waist high cover deer can be very hard to find if they run a hundred yards when shot through the ribs. Specially when it gets dark in the evening.

I agree on choice of caliber.SWEEET! Mine just happens to be in a handgun (sort of) Rem.XPR 100. Load mine with 120 gr Barnes X and am getting 2750...out of 15" barrel. I find that velocity plays a major factor in instant kills. So I use lighter bullets, push them as fast as safely possible and use a high double lung shot just under the spine. Creating shock where they live is the object.

Cossack: And others. I always try to aim for the low lung/heart shot when I am Hunting Deer/Elk/Antelope type game.
My main reason is to get the animal to bleed out as much as possible in the few (4 to 7 seconds) that these animals have left.
This blood letting serves a major purpose in improving the taste and quality of the meat when eaten I am certain!
I have no interest in knocking them down in their tracks so to speak. That happens on occassion with my shot but the bleeding out (and into the chest cavity) interests me more than DRT. Of course I Hunt in the Rocky Mountains mostly anymore and do not have to worry about Hunter density problems.
I am just now getting ready to lunch on some Filet Mignon of Deer and it is bloodless and prime! Due primarily to a heart/lung harvesting shot.
Long live wild venison!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hey, Slingster, we even aim at the same target with the same caliber rifles! I cannot express how happy I am with the .260 Remington as a deer cartridge, but three shots, three deer, says it all. Have used only factory ammo, the 120 grain and the 140 grain, and all three deer dropped dead. The factory 140s anchored the game in place both times, but the one hit with the 120 managed to go 15 yards before piling up, my shot was a tad high, but was never any doubt that the animal was meat on the table. I keep looking for the lightest kicking round that will do the deed on deer sized game, and I think I have found it in the .260 Remington. Sure, there is the .243, and the .22-250 and 5.6x57mm, but I suspect that the .260 is going to be the King of the Hill.

LLS

quote:

Question is...how do you get DRT? (dead right there)I have others rifles where some run and some die right in their tracks but this little sweet shooting, soft recoiling fun gun gets them all to run before they give it up.

Short answer - you just can't ever guarantee it. Doesn't matter what calibre or bullet you are using. (I like the .260, by the way, very similar ballistics to my 6.5x55)

Two of the most important factors in determining how the deer will react to the shot are the PRECISE path the bullet takes through the deer - and which anatomical structures it damages en route - and the physiological state of alertness of the deer when it is shot. Although we can aim to put the bullet in the correct general area, under field conditions the EXACT path it takes is outwith our control. A difference of just a fraction of an inch can give a totally different reaction. The state of alertness is mostly also outwith our control. A deer shot while feeding unawares will often drop to a chest shot, a deer that has been running and stopped for a moment will often take off again.

I saw some data recently from somebody who had logged the reaction to shot of several hundred deer, and his findings were that only around 40% dropped DRT - the percentage varied up and down a few points with larger or smaller calibres, but not by that much. That pretty much agrees with my own observations of several thousand deer shot - haven't logged them all but I'd estimate that about 2/3 of them run on for some distance before dropping. I do prefer chest shots to neck shots so that will influence it.

What that all comes down to is that I don't think you have a problem. You're getting them effectively with your .260 and it sounds like a great rifle. I doubt you'll see a significant difference whatever bullet you choose - probably a small amount depending on bullet construction, but not a major change. The Holy Grail of DRT every shot does not exist.

Yep, top of the heart - it's the high-pressure side, and should lead, in theory, to faster blood loss and DRT. Doesn't always, though.

Jaywalker

Thanks for the suggestions, comments and the thoughts...most appreciated.
I think if we swap off from the inexpensive Core Lokt 140's that we wil shoot up the three boxes of Rem. 125 Nosler Partitions and see how they do. I notice that Rem. does not offer the 125 Nosler Part. load anymore so if this works I will just crank up the reloading machine and load up several hundred.
We are off the our Chimney Hill ranch west of San Angelo, Texas for a week of shooting, deer hunting and food stuffing next week so I should have a few more deer on the ground soon.
The back of the Suburban is packed with 22 LR, 222 Mag, 243, 260 and 7/08 and 357 Mag. for rifle shooting. There is a 410 and 20 ga. shotgun to go with the 22 LR, 9 m/m, 38 Spl, 357 Mag pistols.
I just bought a new electric trap machine and 10 cases of clays so that with all the other gun toys should keep the kids and grandkids amused while we are there. In between hunting and shooting I will have to pry them out of my Kawasaki Mule...those granddaughters do like to run the ranch in the Mule.
Happy Thanksgiving to all and I hope everyone has a safe and fun hunting season!
Better tomorrows,
Mims
http://www.hunters-hq.com

quote:

Originally posted by sierra2:
Hey, Slingster, we even aim at the same target with the same caliber rifles! I cannot express how happy I am with the .260 Remington as a deer cartridge, but three shots, three deer, says it all.

sierra2:
Frankly, with the top of the heart shot, I'd be comfortable with any of the .25s and 6.5mms at any angle with a good bullet. The 125-grain Partition seems to do enough damage to reliably put the critter down, but doesn't result in a lot of blood-shot meat, at least at the 2700 fps at which I drive them.

I've also used the 140-grain Core-Lokt Remington Express factory load and a 160-grain Hornady RN at around 2350 fps, duplicating the classic Mannlicher-Schoenauer ballistics, and they worked just fine, too. As with its 1903 M-S ancestor, the 6.5mm bullet at modest velocity seems to kill beyond what its paper ballistics suggest.

The problem is not with the 260 Cartridge....

The problem is with the 140 grain corelokt....

I shoot a lot of the 140 grain Corelokt hand loaded in the 6.x 55 and 6.5 x 57....

From everything I have seen, I really believe that the 140 grain Corelokt in 6.5 mm is TOO HARD for lighter game such as deer....

I think if you switched to another bullet, and there are many choices available, then the problem with them running will probably stop....

It does seem the 140 Corelokt is doing the job...however, I agree, not having to chase them down would be a lot easier, especially if that 100 yds, is straight into a swamp, or off a mountainside, straight into blackberry bushes, as the sun was dropping... like I had to experience not 2 weeks ago! ( of course that was a snapshot, muffed by me, with a 100 grain Ballistic Tip... which I shouldn't have been carrying, but you know how that goes....)

cheers
seafire

120 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded to 2900 fps with H4831sc or H4350

Todd, what charge ranges for those powders and what barrel lengths? Thanks

I have run some 4350 and N550 with great results but havn't got that speed yet.

The 129 gr SP Hornady interlock has proven to be very good in my 260. At around 2800fps using 44.3 grains of AR2219, (which is the same as H4350), it's accurate too.

I have killed 3 deer with the 120 gr RP Corelokt

1 neck shot DRT
1 spine shot DRT
1 lung shot DRT

It worked well, never tried the 140's. That was out of a 21" 6.5x55 '96 and velocity was around 2800. I believe that bullet is a good one for hunting. Also killed a couple with 129 and 120 BT in a 260. I believe the 120 expands more (really great how much damage it did) than the 129.

Thanks everyone for the input.
This brings back memories of a discussion between a number of us years ago at one of my ranches. Geo. Hoffman, PH (416 Hoffman fame) was in on this discussion too. We all came to the conclusion that in Texas at least, more deer were overshot than undershot and that most of us should be hunting with the least expensive soft nose bullet available (that was accurate in our rifle) because most of us were hunting with a bullet too well constructed for what we were shooting. In other words, the inexpensive round would expand quickly and kill as quick or quicker than the better constructed bullet due to the fact a deer is not a "hard hide" critter and being shot most likely at 100 or less yards on average.
I have heard that the ave. shot yardage on deer in Texas is about 85 yards....dove about 35 yards. I think that is something the Texas Parks and Wildlife came up with a number of years ago. Just from my personal experience at the ranch I would have to say that is pretty much spot on. My ranches are mostly rolling hills with mesquite, cedar and liveoak tree coverage and the deer are free ranging behind typical sheep and cattle fences...48" net wire with 3 strand barb on top.
Food for thought anyway. Made for a great lunch time discussion.

Well Mims, I shot a nice 7 point this Am with the 257 Ackley -Sako and the new Nosler Accubonds. He was DRT, bottom line is always placement. In this case I have learned that the high shoulder where bone is broken, spine is shocked, and lungs get trashed never fails. Pam saw close to 30 deer and no shooters, I saw 3... MV was 2970, and range was about 65 yards Interesting is no exit! Going to be lookin for that bad boy. As a partial suggestion of relavence, I load for the brother in laws .260 and the Sierra Pro Hunters that Ric left with me on his move have done in about 8 deer so far and that weight at about 2700 ft/sec has been devastating for us. Still placement rules. Tommorrow the '06 AI heads afield.
blindhog

Harry, The REMINGTON factory loaded 125 grain Partitions have got to be the ALL-TIME WORST factory loads I've ever shot in ANY rifle of ANY chambering!!!
I had a box and tested them in Sarah's(Miss GHD's .260) during the same test session against my 100 grain Nosler BT handloads using the 43.0 grains of VARGET, the Remington 120 grain factory loading using the 120 grain Nosler BT, and a load using the 100 grain Sierra HP.
That particular .260 will shoot under .5" for 5 shots with the Varget load. It shot the factory 120's into .8", the SIERRA 100 grainers into 1" or slightly less and the 125 PARTITION into 4.65"!!! Repeated the tests so the data was "replicated"!! Wasn't a fluke!!!
And to agree with some already posted, "Why do we need a bullet constructed like a Partition t kill a whitetail?"
I'm not a real high profile proponent of the BT's (erratic performance in 25's, 6.5's, .277's and .284's from personal experiences!) but the 100's have done the job so far in this kid's rifle so I'll keep stoking them that way.
I think there is a lot of hype in bullet making!! If you improve on performance of the SIERRA Game Kings or Pro-Hunters, the original HORNADY Spire Points or Spire HP's or the SPEER spitzers, then you've done something!!!(with regard to whitetail medicine!!) GHD

Top of the shoulder/bottom of the neck. if you shoot a bit high its a neck shot and a bit low it takes out both shoulders. Shot a doe today with my Swede for the first time using the rifle. Neck shot as usual dropped like a rock. Some folks do not like neck shots but if you got a accurate rifle and can shoot it and the deer is not moving it is a great shot to take.

Harry,

Very good discussion that you and your friends were having about bullet construction and appropriate bullet for Texas whitetail. I think I agree with your thoughts that you shoud avoid the premium bullets.

That being said, I doubt there will be a lot of difference in the way the 125g Nosler Partitions perform than the 140g Rem CoreLokt.

If you want to drop them a little faster (on average......no load or caliber can do this every time), I would recommend 2 things.

First, start using a 120g bullet of lighter construction. My recomendation would be either the Nosler BT or the Sierra Pro Hunter. Either of these open fast and create a lot of damage. If I remember right, both are available as factory loads. The Sierra bullets are cheaper if you handload. I'll bet both exit on 80% - 90% of shots on Texas deer. 45.5g of H-4350 for 2,950 fps with the Pro Hunter is very accurate in my 260.

Second, take a high shoulder shot (as others have already recommended). Will help that you are using bullets recommended in the first suggestion.

The faster velocity of the 120g bullet, hitting closer to the spine (the spine drops down low in this area), and the faster expansion will drop them faster (on average).

One final recomendation, put me on the spot by proving these suggestions will work.......in person......and let me help you cull some of those does!!!