Hello Big Gun,
I'm sure your 260 Rem will be a great rig! Since I'm a terrible shot, I cheat and use every little bit of help I can get to be able to hit my targets and this is what I have come up with.
When you use an extra-long forend with a bipod positioned out near the end of the forend, you reduce the amount of error caused by horizontal radius movement, therefore giving a greater chance for making successful longer shots. I also have my triggers done which tends to reduce movement errors induced by me when I'm actually pulling the triggers. This system is very easy to use whether making long shots with a rest, or when flipping the bipod's legs up for closer shooting. If you want to see some real improvement in your shooting, use this system and index your cases when you reload - you will be astounded. I keep preaching these methods, but generally my suggestions fall on deaf ears. It works if you do it.
Here are a couple of pictures of the way I set all my T/C guns up, whether they are Contenders or Encores. Maybe they will be useful to you as you decide what is best for your own needs.
This setup has helped me a lot, I actually hit a few things now and then. My forends are all laminated and they come from both Virgin Valley and Bullberry. I have hangar-bars on all but one forend and the hangar-bars have all been glass-bedded into the forends for stability and rigidity. One Encore forend I have (it's the light-stained laminate forend above on the .223 Encore) is pillar-bedded and I like that system very well too - it's a lot less work if you have it done by whoever you get the forend from (that's a good thing if you're in a hurry) and it's relatively inexpensive.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know how you decide to set up your gun, we are all interested in learning some new approaches and tactics that we can steal, errrr, use for our own shooting needs.
Safe and good shooting to you!
Javelina
