Thread: Another 260 Improved

@Mathias very kindly lent me his reamer so I could do much the same on Rem Model 7, 260.

Keeping the original lightweight factory barrel, now at 18.5 inches, factory stock, Hardy suppressor and shooting off a bipod on the ground at 100yds. 140gn Berger VLD Hunting. All RP cases, prepped the same, necked sized with a Lee Collet die. with CCI Large Mag primers.

Limited to mag length in the M7, but with this reamer, this is around 0.05" off the lands, and can only go forward another 0.01" before I start having issues with the length in the mag box. 5 shot strings. I don't have a heap of photos, but heres the numbers:

N160 powder:
44.5 - 2661fps 8ES - shoots the best groups I've had in any rifle. 0.3" (every group I've shoot with this load give the same group size and similar ES)
45.0 - 2697fps 11ES - tight groups 0.5"
45.5C - 2718fps 28ES - tight groups, but the cases are getting slammed! I didn't fire the need loads of N160. 0.5". Raised Ejector marks.

2209 powder:
43.5 - 2693fps 65ES - 1.2"
44.0 - 2722fps 27ES - 1.0"
44.5 - 2755fps 80ES - 1.1"
45.0 - 2770fps 29ES - 1.2"
45.5 - 2831fps 72ES - 1.2" Some pressure in the base from the ejector.

The big question now is do I continue to play around with the 2209 loads, or take the slower load with the N160 and shoot the deer in the eye ball? I'm thinking accuracy over speed!

I have a new stock in transit at the moment. This will be action bedded and truly floated (unlike the factory stock),