What bullet to load?? 260 rem
- Thread starter Slimfinn
- Start date
RiverRider
Handloader
- Dec 9, 2008
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Your results with Re16 mirror my own, Dan, except I was playing with 129-grain SSTs.
I had rebarreled a Mark X I swapped into 20 years ago, maybe, which was at the time a .243 rechambered to 6mm-284. I had decided to pare down my rifle collection to only those which I actually use and I wanted to hang onto a M70 in .30-06 but no one would buy my 6-284---and I understand why. So I let that M70 go and sent the Mark X to Pac-Nor to be transitioned to .260 Rem. I chose that chambering because I hunt hogs 98% of the time and use it exclusively in a pair of ARs, one with a conventional daytime scope and the other equipped with a good thermal. The only centerfire rifle cartridges I load anymore are .223/5.56 and .260 and that simplifies life somewhat.
Anyway, after I'd played with four different bullets---142 ABLRs, 120 BTs, 129 SSTs, and 120 TTSXs I decided to use the TTSXs because of the phenomenal accuracy I'd seen from them in the 6-284 and the way they shot in the Mark X in .260. About that time things started getting wonky, and nothing seemed to work anymore. I had finalized my TTSX load but it just wasn't shooting so great. I began to suspect the scope I had on the rifle, and sure enough it had an internal failure. Now I have to revisit that TTSX load because I think the scope was messing with me toward the tail end of my load development efforts. I was using H4350 and Re16 which I think are the optimum powders for the .260 Rem.
I think when the TTSXs are gone, I'll play with the 129 ABLRs I have on hand because I have a ton of them. I like their expansion capability at long range, even though I don't expect to ever take a shot any longer than about 400 yards and rarely shoot beyond about 200.
I'll add this to my comments: I have been using the 120-grain Ballistic Tips in my .260 ARs for several years, and while they do work, I am beginning to think a heavier bullet might do a better job. I have been thinking about trying both 129- and 142-grain ABLRs to see if they anchor hogs any better. It could just be a shot placement issue---hogs are almost always very twitchy and placing a precise shot is not always easy. I'd say about 80% of my shots are on running hogs.
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I have a bunch of reloading info on this forum on the 260 . there is 3 threads and the info is scattered about on the three of them . I think I posted the links to #2 and 3 at the beginning of the first thread . there might be some info in these to help you . for hunting with this rifle, I'd probably use the 140 ballistic tip in a full power load .
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