My new 260 should be finished in about a month. Has anyone tried the 90 gr. Speer TNT in the 260. This rifle is being built with a 1 in 8 twist barrel which is no doubt a very fast twist for that weight bullet. Just thougth that it would make a hard hitting coyote load out 300 yds. If anyone has tried it I would appreciate any information good or bad.

Shoot Safe, Shoot Straight......RiverRat

Let us know how it works-I have some 260 interest and didn't realize they were making a 90/6.5 TNT. My bets are that it will shoot like a house a fire!!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

I have thought about trying the 90 gr. TNT for my M700 260 Rem, but will probably try the Hornady 95 gr. V-Max first. If I did try them, I think Varget would be the first powder I would try. Both bullets should turn any coyote into chunks out to 350 yards.

I am hoping it works good. I am a little concerned about the fast twist. But then my 1 in 9 twist 223 shoots 50 gr. BlitzKings like a house a fire, so who knows. I am a big fan of the 260. I have one that I shoot long range with, and it amazes me at just how good it is for the amount of powder spent. That rifle weighs 14 lbs. and at 50 years old I am NOT going to carry it hunting. When I was breaking the barrel in on it I briefly played with the 85 gr. Sierra and it shot MOA or better with no trouble, but it has the B.C. of a brick. The 90 gr. TNT is a little better in B.C. and if I can get it to shoot .5 MOA or better at 3300 to 3350 it should be devasting on coyotes. I am going to try N540, and Varget, will be interesting to see what happens. I know a 125 TNT or Ballistic Tip at 3150 from a 308 is mighty hard on a coyote, hope the 90 gr is as well.

Shoot Safe, Shoot Straight..........RiverRat

RiverRat- Once you get that thing up and running, get over near Lynnville and clean out some of those coyotes before I get back for gun season1 I've seen quite a few coyotes in the past (2yrs ago) out near the new Owensville middle school.

I just loaded up some of those 90 TNTs for my 6.5x55 BJAckley for some fire forming, and chasing things.... I used some AA2700. I will let you know how it goes first chance I get to go..

Just found some data for the 260 using Sierra 87 grainers, and 2700 too....

Later...

[ 05-07-2003, 18:34: Message edited by: Mauserkid ]

RiverRat:
Hey brother! 90 gr TNT work great in a 1 in 8 twist. Using 4064, 44 grains I am chronographing velocities of 3500 to 3550 in my Remington VLS ( 26 inch barrel). Fed 210 primers being used.

Accuracy is superb in mine. If you are not saving hides, it will turn anything that gets in its way inside out ( varmint size critters).

Cabelas have them for $12.95 a box, so I ordered about 4 boxes. I called Speer and they indicated that the bullet would be fine for a 1 in 8 twist to velocities of 3700 plus ( probably for the 264 Mag crowd).

I prefer this bullet over the Sierra 85 gr and the Hornady 95 grainers a lot.
More accurate

Got my 260, I know I am going to like this rifle. Got the barrel broke in and worked on a load with the 90 gr. TNT. For whatever reason know only to the rifle, it didn't like IMR 4064. It would bughole 4 of the 5 and one of them would open the group to the .8's. I can't live with that. Tried Benchmark as a buddy of mine uses it with the 85 gr. Sierra. Got groups in the .5's @ 3430 avg. fps. out of a 23" barrel. But the extreme spreads were in the 80 to 100 fps range. I am not going to shot a load with and E.S. that large. So I tried H 4350. Got a load that is shooting in the .3's at @ 3340 avg. fps. The speed is down a little bit but I think it will hit a coyote plenty hard. Next up is the 129 Hornaday SST. Any suggestions with that bullet. I am thinking that bullet just may be a deer and hog killer. Hornadays websit says says it has Interlok between jacket and core.

Shoot Safe, Shoot Straight.........RiverRat

Rrat:

The 129 grainers work just fine, good balance in this cartridge. I am not convinced that the SST will give you anything special over the standard 129's, except a higher price and a trendy bullet.

The old 129s will work in anything up to 600 pounds or more real reliably.

If you need more than that, just do the 125 grain Partitions at 3,000 fps from right out of the Nosler book, and be done with it.

TO COOL>.. I wish I could get a free moment...

Squeeze off a couple for me...

Thanks...

As I was playing with my 6.5X257 (Japanese Type 38 with about the same twist) last year I loaded some of the 85 HPs in it and they shot surprisingly well for a random "first load" with that bullet.

Not even sure why I loaded them, and have NO load data, but they were more accurate than the loads I was planning to hunt with.

Your case has less capacity and higher pressure limits so I think you will find a powder that will work for you.

LouisB

[ 06-08-2003, 22:32: Message edited by: TCLouis ]

I finally got time to buzz off some rounds for fire forming... I used the 90TNT to see what kind of groups I might be able to get..

Remember, I was fire forming for my 6.5 BJ. I actually got 3/4 in groups. I bet It will only get better.
I used 129 grains too, group average was under and inch..

I must say also, I was using a 80 yard range..
This is a new AB barrel, and it only has about 50 round down it..

I think this is pretty good for a first attempt..

Those of you interested in speeds, the 90 was doing 2828fps and the 129 was doing 25plus.

The 100 grain Sierra's shoot great little bug holes in my 1-8 twist #5 Shileen. I however, shoot mostly the heavier matchkings for accuracy. I shot a nice blacktail buck last year with the 129 sp Hornady though the shoulders. I had very little meat damage, and the buck was stone cold by the time I closed the 125 yards or so. My wife's browning micro hunter really likes the 129 sst's. What a great little cartridge!

Rogue6.

You are in the Rogue Valley and also shoot a 260?

Good man. 6.5 mm is my bore of choice.

Thought you got pissed at me, like a lot of other guys when I was stating I did not think a 300 mag was needed for deer.

Hey, If you ever want to get together and have coffee or grab lunch let me know. Do you ever cross the Hill and ground squirrel shoot?

Maybe be going again soon if you do, you would be welcome to come along!

Sea Fire, I got tired of messing with the 129 SST. Could not get it to shoot to my expectations, so I got a box of the 120 gr. Sierra Pro Hunter, the plain old flat base, and mercy does that bullet shoot in my rifle. Using IMR 4064 I have a load that is shooting in the mid .3's to low .4's @ 2987 avg. fps. I have found my deer load. In the country I deer hunt in 200 yards is LONG shot, so the low B.C. of the bullet should be a no issue. Have you ever used this bullet?

Shoot Safe, Shoot Straight.......RiverRat

Rat:

I shoot the 129 Hornady's but not the SSt bullets. I look at them as just a more expensive bullet, to compete with the ballistic tips from Nosler.

However, the regular 129s have done a good accuracy job for me ( Minute of Deer), tight enough groups I can cover with a half dollar or down to a quarter at 100 yds.

I also have shot the 120 Sierras, using 4064. 4064 is one of my favorite powders for that round. I use 4064 for a lot of my loading of cartridges, does a good job.

Good luck with your 260 this hunting season.

Seafire,
I live in Central Point and have an office in Medford. We have a little 260 Rem cult going over here. I use the 300 for elk, and no I'm not pissed. I haven't done the bunny blasting thing for a few years, the spring salmon run has been so hot I can't get myself off the river. When you posted about the half dozen guys blasting away I had nightmares of the Crater Lake and Rogue/Umpqua Divide areas.

rogue 6;

Shoot me an email. I love to sit down and talk with the other 260 users.

The dumb wits I was referring to happened up by Union Creek by Gingko Basin. Won't go there again, even if I have seen a lot of Elk up there when it is not season.

I hunt frequently either up at Hemlock Lake in the Umpqua Divide ( up out of Tiller on FS Rd 28 then turn off on FS Rd 27.
Last year hunted on the west side of Crater Lake, Dog Prairie and Skookum Prairie.

Got lucky and got a left over tag also for the Powers unit. So I have two Elk tags this year.!!

Look forward to meeting you. email is seafire@cpros.com.

Take'r easy