140 gr. bullets for a 260 Rem

[cleveland48]

Hey guys, I'm new here and I could use some of your advice.  I've been reloading for my 260 with 120 gr. nosler BT.  They have doing fine on deer so far.  I was wanting to try a heavier bullet.  So I bought the 140 gr. Hornady  SP.  My rifle is a browning abolt composite stalker with a 1 and 10 twist rate.  I was told this wasn't suppose to handle 140 gr. bullets but so far it has been putting them around a 1inch group all day long.  My question is how well do these bullets work for you guys.  Right now I'm loading them over 47.0 gr. of IMR 7828. This is the max load in my lee reloading manual.  Also the manual shows this load being at 2755 fps.  My barrel is 22 inches, so about what you should my speed be around, I'm sure it's not that high but I figured some of ya'll could tell me how much speed your 22 in barrels get. Thanks for the time guys and good luck this season.

[coyotejoe]

Can't answer as to your .260 Rem but for several years and several deers I used that 120 BT in my 6.5x55 but this past season I found them to be very explosive, killed quickly but made a real mess of the animal, so I'm now loading the 129 gr. Hornady to about 2600 fps. I think that would also be a good bullet in your .260.

[700xcr]

Nephew used a 260rem with Hornady 140gr. handload in a Ruger M77 to take a Mule deer doe this year. Hit her in the neck at about 128yds.

[Brithunter]

Hmmm what the book says, what someone else gets in their rifle and the velocity that you get in YOUR rifle can all be different. the ONLY way to find out is to chronograph the load in YOUR rifle. Sorry but that's the way it is.

  Ahhh one thing is that the Speer 120 Grain bullets worked well in the 6.5x55 for me on deer.

[Mikey]

Cleveland48:  The most recent American Rifleman carried an introductory article on the new Sako Model 85 and in one in 260 caliber.  The barrel length was about 20-21" in the 260.  The rifle they used grouped 1/2 - 3/4" at 100m with Federal 120s, 3/4 - 1" with the Federal 140, and 1.25 - 1.5" with Remingtons 140s.  The 120s rated 2813'/sec, the Federal 140s ran 2652 ad the rem 140s ran at 2519 - these are the same ranges typical 6.5 Swede rounds run in. 

The 1" groups you now shoot appear to be right in the range of expectation for some pretty expensive bolt guns and nice and accurate. 

I think you might even be able to find good accuracy with heavier slugs should you choose and the 160s in 6.5 calibers are known for their effectiveness on big game.  HTH.  Mikey.

[beemanbeme]

I've done very little work with my .260, sad to say, but it printed 140gr rem core lokts so well I never got around to trying anything else.  I've made two WT kills with mine, one under 100 yards and the other at a measured 250 yards.  Neither deer moved out of their shadow.

[Sweet 6.5]

Hi

Can't help with the Hornady's but I have used 140gr Speer hot-cor and Sierra gameking in my
6.5x55 on impala and I think you can compare them to an ave. white tail.

All three ran a couple of meters, less than 30. (That is the now the impalas) As for the
bullets - all three passed trough with no serious damage to the meat and good blood trails, that
it was not really necessary because of the sort distances they moved after receiving the shot.
 
I hope to be able to add the Hornady's to my list in a couple of months. They are just moreavailablee
than anything else that I have to get a decent load developed with them - +/- 2550 fps and 1 - 1&1/2 inch groups
will make me happy!

Sweet

[kenjs1]

Cleveland- I have a Stalker and load 140 grain Sierra's with phenomenal performance on white tails.  I use H4831sc and consistently get 1/2" at 100 yards.  Question - how do you like your factory stock? I dearly loved the thinness and way it felt but felt it might flex too much.  Swapped it out of B and C medalist and holy cow what a difference in consistency.

[Sweetwater]

Congrats on the Model 70 Featherweight, and 6.5x55 to boot! My very first 'big game' rifle was a Husqvarna Military Surplus 6.5 Swede. After I swapped it for a guitar in 1963, I always longed for another one, but on a commercial acton. I now have one, though not a Model 70 Featherweight, and my thoughts are the same. It's a neat little rifle, so let's not weight it down with a big scope. It wears a trim 4x32 Swift MarkII. Not a big name scope, but huge on performance. I've used Swift optics nearly 50 years and have never had a bad one. I also have had Weavers, Redfields, Leupolds and a Bushnell that belongs to someone else. Just not in the same league. I have a preference for Redfields and Weavers in the Northeast with the proliferation of cloudy weather. They seem sharper to me. The Leupold became a standout to me in Wyoming where it seemed to tame the bright sunlight. If I had the Winchester, I'd probably put a Leupold m8 4x32 on it a be a happy hunter! Kind of a personal preference sort of decision. It's yours!

Regards,
Sweetwater

[Sweetwater]

Sorry guys - appears my last post landed in the wrong thread. Not sure how that happened, but will try to be more careful.

Regards,
Sweetwater

[Brithunter]

Hmmm just re-read this post and noticed the 1-10" twist  must of missed it first time round Whoops. The 6.5mm 140 Grain bullets are long and are probably too long for that twist so your more than likely going to have to go lighter to get shorter bullets. The nomral twist on the 6.5x55 is 1-8.66" which is much faster than your barrel has.

[Luckyducker]

I have never loaded for or shot a 260 Remmy, but I do shoot and load for a it's "big brother", the 264 Winchester.  I have shot some 140 grain bullets, both flat base and boattail, out of it's 1/9" twist Shilen barrel and the results were not what I had hoped.  Others say they get great accuracy with the 140's with their 264 with this rate of twist, but I can only speak of my experience.  According to Shilen's web site, they recommend an 8" twist to stabilize the 140 grain slugs in their 6.5MM barrels and this has proved true for me.  I think you're better off shooting the 120's with the twist of you're rifle.  JMOO