Thread: 260 Remington

Looking for tried and tested load data for my 260 Remington

Originally Posted by kawekakid

Looking for tried and tested load data for my 260 Remington

I've got heaps of data for the .260 Sako or Tikka

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43.5gr 2209 and 140 ELD/AMAX worked well in two 260 Tikkas I had/have. 2.800" COAL.

I'd imagine around 42-44gr of 2209 would be a very safe beet to start load development.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

43.5gr 2209 and 140 ELD/AMAX worked well in two 260 Tikkas I had/have. 2.800" COAL.

I'd imagine around 42-44gr of 2209 would be a very safe beet to start load development.

Greetings,
I think I would start a bit lower than that. 42 grains of AR2209 is Hodgdon book max for the 140 grain and there have been some variations in speed with AR2209 I would start at 40 grains and chronograph to confirm your powder speed. I am a cautious old Fudd though.
GPM.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
I think I would start a bit lower than that. 42 grains of AR2209 is Hodgdon book max for the 140 grain and there have been some variations in speed with AR2209 I would start at 40 grains and chronograph to confirm your powder speed. I am a cautious old Fudd though.
GPM.

NOTE: Not advice but it's what I do.
Based on trying to avoid wasting components, multiple range trips and needing to pull bullets.

I tend to lean on the side of not wasting components rather than caution. I also tend to just use Google rather than reloading manuals.
So long as you aren't using a weird powder it's pretty hard to make a truly dangerous load, obviously don't do anything stupid.
I always start with the lowest loads first if the top loads are a little hot.

41-43gr is common in 6.5CM so it's pretty safe to assume the 260 will be safe as in this powder range.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
I think I would start a bit lower than that. 42 grains of AR2209 is Hodgdon book max for the 140 grain and there have been some variations in speed with AR2209 I would start at 40 grains and chronograph to confirm your powder speed. I am a cautious old Fudd though.
GPM.

In the ADI (same as Hodgdon I believe) data the 140gr is a Nosler Partition - a bullet with a fairly long bearing surface cf a more modern VLD style.

ADI list up to
44.5 gr with the 142gr SMK
42.9 gr with the 143gr ELDX
42.8 gr with the 147gr ELDM
42.0 gr with the 150gr SMK
and

43.0gr with a 160gr RN.



Data is highly variable with 14X gr class bullets.

Originally Posted by kawekakid

Looking for tried and tested load data for my 260 Remington

What is the rifle? Many were only manufactured with 1:9" twist rates which is limiting as far as projectile selection.

I've been doing load development with my 260 the last few weeks. Still got a bit more work to do but my best group so far has been with 47.6grn RL26 doing 2660. This was a 5 shot .64MOA group. Got a similar speed using 45.6 grn of superformance, going to try push it a little further and see if I can get up over 2700fps.

That's using Lapua brass, federal 210m primers and 143 eldx

Originally Posted by Nick.m

I've been doing load development with my 260 the last few weeks. Still got a bit more work to do but my best group so far has been with 47.6grn RL26 doing 2660. This was a 5 shot .64MOA group. Got a similar speed using 45.6 grn of superformance, going to try push it a little further and see if I can get up over 2700fps.

That's using Lapua brass, federal 210m primers and 143 eldx

What barrel length @Nick.m

Originally Posted by Beetroot

NOTE: Not advice but it's what I do.
Based on trying to avoid wasting components, multiple range trips and needing to pull bullets.

I tend to lean on the side of not wasting components rather than caution. I also tend to just use Google rather than reloading manuals.
So long as you aren't using a weird powder it's pretty hard to make a truly dangerous load, obviously don't do anything stupid.
I always start with the lowest loads first if the top loads are a little hot.

41-43gr is common in 6.5CM so it's pretty safe to assume the 260 will be safe as in this powder range.

Greetings @Beetroot and @gimp,
Thanks for your reply. I am just as allergic to squandering components as you. The point I was trying to make, clearly not that well, is that starting with loads close to max and a new container of powder needs a level of caution. The reason for a chronographed test shot or two is to validate the data you are working with. If your results match that predicted in your data then you can move up quickly into the likely loads and velocity bands you are aiming for without squandering a lot of components. The 6.5 has been one of my favourite calibres for a very long time. One of the things I have found is that the data can be all over the place. I have worked mostly with the 6.5x55 and the 6.5-06 and not the .260 Rem but have found that changes of projectiles and powder lots can raise velocity and pressure significantly. The .260 came out in 1997 and AR2209 was sped up shortly after 2,000 so caution is needed.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

What barrel length @Nick.m

It's a 20 inch unsuppressed Sako barrel

Originally Posted by kawekakid

Looking for tried and tested load data for my 260 Remington

Greetings @kawekakid,
I imagine you were looking for some suitable data so it would help if you gave the "brains trust" some idea of the hunting you do or would like to do. This could include what you have tried and worked and what did not. The .260, like most cartridges on that case is pretty flexible and you can load it to do what you want. There is stacks of data.
Regards Grandpamac.