just started shooting `260rem, anyone have any hunting loads using H4895 or preferably H4831 and Hornady 129sst`s or Nosler 125 partition`s to around 2750 fps.

Not the powder you suggest but mine does really well with either bullet you mention with 43.5gr of IMR-4350.

Welcome to the board!!!!!!!!

I prefer 4831 in 6.5x55 and hear that R22 is great, but I had EXCELLENT accuracy and performance with I 4350. I believe I was shooting a tad more powder, but not a lot more. I HEARD that Winchester might be mfg. brass soon for Black Hills or someone to distribute. That would give better brass likely than Rem. That would not only increase quality, but I often see a grain or two higher capacity as well, that can be used!

Good cartridge, more fickle in my experience than the x55 on accuracy, but it is a well balanced round capable of good speed and accuracy with light recoil. You might do well to try some Lapua brass either 243 necked up, or 308 down. Heard your necks may get thin if you do 243 up, chamber dimension will dictate.

Been loading this cartridge for several years now and have had extrordinary good fortune with IMR 4064, working up to a max load. This is with the 125 Partition. Most people have been using slower powders, and I do not think that is a mistake. But our results and field trials have been totally awesome, so why switch? Good luck and good shooting.

Hornady 129gr SP Interlock
48.0gr H4831sc
Rem Brass trimmed to min SAAMI spec
Fed 210 primers
2.785" OAL. Seated to top of cannelure and give medium crimp with Lee Factory Crimp die.

Normal warning and legal stuff: Near Max load, showed no over pressure indicators in my rifle, YMMV. Begin 5% lower and work up very carefully. No chrono data, but should be around 2800fps per the books.

Very accurate load in my Kimber 84M with 1-9" twist barrel. Killed two deer this last season with this combo. Complete pass-thru on a shoulder shot buck and did not find bullet on brisket shot doe. Lost very little meat.

I've been shooting the 260 since 10/97, before the factory ammo was available. Since I'm not a fan of Remington brass, I have always made my 260 brass from Winchester/Olin and Norma 243 brass.

What rifle and barrel length are you shooting?

It shouldn't be any trick to get 2750 fps with either of those bullet. Personally, I like the 129 grain Hornady SpirePoint better than either the SST or 125 grain Partition for anything in the 40 to 180 kilogram range. For anything smaller, the 95 grain VMax works well and for anything larger, or tougher, the 140 grain Partition is a good choice.

Jeff

I have a fair amount of experience with this cartridge, and it is my main 'go to' non varmint hunting cartridge...

I have tried a lot of different powder and bullet combinations...

All I can add to what has been said above.. is H 4895 is about the worst powder that I have tried with this cartridge, in 3 different rifles....

H 4895 isn't so much a bad powder, as it gives acceptable 'minute of deer' out to 200 yds... but about every other powder I have tried in it, has proven to be very very accurate... and besting H 4895 by a wide margin...and I am speaking of trying out about 15 plus different powders with ALL used bullet weights....

IMR 4064 is my main powder...

43.5 grains and a 100 grain Ballistic tip, Hornady 100 grain SP or 100 Grain Sierra HP.. with an MV of 3350 fps is one of my most often used loads...

40 grains of W 748 with a 120 or 125 grain bullet is also exceptionally accurate...

IMR 4350 does quite well with the 129 and 140 grain bullets...

for nostalgia, 30 grains of RL 7, and a 160 grain Round Nose is also a great low recoil load...and is still a very effective hunting load within 200 yds....

You should have no problem reaching 2750 fps with the lighter bullets in your rifle. I'm getting 2730 with 40.5grs of Varget...out of my 15" Rem.100 XPR.
Close to that with a 125 Partition and 40 grs of Varget.
H4350 seems to work too, my load is 45.5 with the 129 Hornady SP.for about 100fps less.
Rem brass, CCI 200 primers throughout.

Just wondering if you guys using 4064 have also tried BLC/2 or H335? I've never used a 260 but in 308 I found those to always work well. In 6.5, I love the 129gr Hornady and their 140gr. Have tried 125gr Noslers in a long throated rifle and they do not shoot! People tell me they have to be seated to the lands and I can't reach them.

quote:

Originally posted by 6.5BR:
I HEARD that Winchester might be mfg. brass soon for Black Hills or someone to distribute. That would give better brass likely than Rem. That would not only increase quality, but I often see a grain or two higher capacity as well, that can be used!

Would love to hear more about what you know with Winchester making brass for the .260. I emailed them just last week and here is the response I got:

"Thank you very much for taking the time to contact us here at Winchester Ammunition. We are always glad to hear from our many friends and customers who share in the shooting sport.

The information you requested is considered proprietary information and is not released, sorry for the inconvenience.

Thank you again for contacting us here at Winchester Ammunition. If you should require additional information, do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Winchester Technical Department"

47 grains of Reloder 19 behind a 120 grain nosler ballistic tip gives me .25 inch groups out of my factory Rem 700 Mountain rifle. Unbelievable powder/bullet/gun combo

hunt127588, I'll bet that your information request of Winchester/Olin was just prior to the formal announcment at the SHOT show. That's why you got a cold shoulder. Maybe not, but more than likely.

I am just starting working with the 260 rem but I am finding IMR 7828 to be working well for me.

I read on another site that Black Hills was going to start loading 260 Remington with the 139 Lapua Scenar.
The source as I recall was George of GA Precision.

QUALITY 260 brass, esp. if not high dollar Lapua would go a LONG way towards making the round more popular. Heck, how can 'BIG Green' expect it to be very popular if their brass is sub standard quality? Hearing of .25" groups amkes me think WOW, a mountain rifle-skinny barrel does that? On a regular basis? I had a 243 that once shot a 3/8 group and thought I found THE load, but it never happened again.

That is a great group, but I wonder what it averages? Any brass prep?

6.5BR

I did all the case prep. Sorted brass. Weighed each charge. I don't shoot this rifle a lot off the bench but I've never shot much worse than .5". I've struggled to get an accurized 22-250 AI produce these types of results. I didn't get these results until I glass bedded it with a little pressure at the tip of the stock.

Interesting concept: If Lapua offered brass the .260 would become a world beater.
I would imagine that 90% of the reloaders in the USA have never heard of Lapua.
I think my .260 is a world beater and it does very well with the Rem brass I feed it.

quote:

Originally posted by 308Sako:
hunt127588, I'll bet that your information request of Winchester/Olin was just prior to the formal announcment at the SHOT show. That's why you got a cold shoulder. Maybe not, but more than likely.

Sako,
What exactly did Olin announce at the SHOT Show pertaining to .260 brass? Are they going to offer .260 brass? I just happened to inquire on a whim as I had just purchased a new Sako 75 Stainless in .260 Rem. I have always favored Winchester brass over Remington and don't want to pay Lapua prices on brass.

I contacted Nosler 3 days ago on the subject of .260 brass, they replied very promptly, that they have plans to produce it but havent set a date yet. That could make things better for you guys on the western side of the pond. I guess in UK we will have to continue resizing Lapua/Norma brass in order to get anything of good quality for the caliobre.



T 260

Sako,
What exactly did Olin announce at the SHOT Show pertaining to .260 brass? Are they going to offer .260 brass? I just happened to inquire on a whim as I had just purchased a new Sako 75 Stainless in .260 Rem. I have always favored Winchester brass over Remington and don't want to pay Lapua prices on brass.[/QUOTE]

I believe that they will be manufacturing and marketing through Black Hills the .260 case

H380, great results you want to keep and change nothing. My post earlier meant to say in my 260's, they preferred IMR 4350 with 100-129's. The Swede liked it well, but 4831 more. I have no doubt 4831 should be tried as they are so close in capacity, minor differences in shape.

I don't like buying expensive brass either, but I still have 6br Lapua I bought YEARS ago. Still on the first 100, and have 300 fresh! Good brass lasts a long time, and BR brass is tough. I may have to give some WW 243 brass a try for 260 in the future if I get another, Federal 243 was about too thick for the chamber and I don't want to turn necks. I did neck 308 WW brass down for my 6.5/308 custom, and it was the best brass, WW is good brass usually.

I have a Remington model 7 (short barrel-20"?) and couldn't get the velocity or accuracy I wanted for most bullets, so I went with a 120 gr. Barnes triple shock x bullet with 40gr of Varget and rem. 9.5 primer. This gives 2698fps and the best groups I found out of this little rifle. (Only 1 deer so far with a big exit hole!)

The most accurate load I've found for my Low Wall has been 47.8gr H4831 behind the 129gr Interlock, w/ CCI 200, seated to barely kiss the lands. Averages about 2860, and gave me five consecutive three shot groups between .4 and .6".

John

I'm shooting a Kimber montana in 260 rem. Having excellent results w/ 120 gr. nosler ballistic tips, 43 gr. IMR 4320, fed 210m primers oal@ 2.780"
GWB

I had excellent luck with the 120 TSX and H4350. Both accuracy and terminal affect were what I wanted, and my wife proved it.