Author Topic: .260 Pet Loads  (Read 1143 times)

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Offline zeke08

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.260 Pet Loads
« on: April 10, 2011, 06:42:51 PM »
I am looking to pick the great minds here in GBO again! I would like to hear about your pet loads for the .260 and your thoughts on using this round for coyote/deer hunting and what in your opinions on maximum range for this round with different bullet weights and what would be best bullets for both. What would optimum barrel length and twist rate be for this round? Thanks in advance!
There are very few problems that can't be solved with the proper application of High Explosives!

If there is trouble let it be in my day, but let my kids have peace. Thomas Pane

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Offline huntducks

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Re: .260 Pet Loads
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2011, 07:12:48 AM »
Zeke08

I bought a Ruger SS with plastic stock 7-8 years ago it's the light weight model W/22" barrel it's not my primary gun I take it along as a back up for deer size game I have shot Antelope (does) along with 4 hogs the goats were shot with Nosler 100gr BT and the hogs 120gr Partitions none of the big game was over 200 yds the Ruger has really surprised me with the accuracy it will shoot less then a 1" at 100yds I have taken a few yotes and took it along on a P-dog hunt using Norma 77gr bullets the accuracy is great with the Norma bullets but Norma no longer makes them so when the 500 that I bought ends that's it.

I use necked down 308 brass mostly WW and LC match using a federal GM 215 primer and RL-15 powder in the 100 & 120 bullets.

I just love the weight of the Ruger.

Picture is of the second 10 shots this gun ever had down the barrel.
Remember it's where the first bullet goes out of a cold barrel that counts most.

Offline zeke08

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Re: .260 Pet Loads
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2011, 07:35:19 PM »
Thanks Hunt, I have been leaning towards two loads Nosler 120gr ballistic tip (hunting) with a bc of.458 RL15 Nolser 6th edition shows 40gr as max load and the 140gr Accubond  with bc of .509 and H4831 44.0gr (was the most accurate) I figured either would make excellent yote or deer round with good accuracy I'm hoping! Keep em coming
There are very few problems that can't be solved with the proper application of High Explosives!

If there is trouble let it be in my day, but let my kids have peace. Thomas Pane

NRA Life Member since 09

Offline shot1

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Re: .260 Pet Loads
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2011, 04:04:11 AM »
A near to max load of H-4350 and a 120 gr Nosler ballistic tip is all you will need for yote/deer out to around 600 yards. If all my shots were going to be over 400 yards I would go with the 140 Hornady A-Max or the 130 Berger VLD Hunting. No bullet in .264 from a 260 Rem will be fur friendly. I would not go shorter than 24" for a barrel myself. My buddy got one of the first Rem 700 SS rifles to come off the line in 260 Rem. It had a 24" barrel. This was before you could even get a hold of ammo. We made cases out of Rem 243 Win cases because the necks come out long enough. 308 cases necks come out really short. There was no load data out at the time so we were WILDCATTING. The loads we settled on were a bit more H-4350 than what the manuals call for these days but according to all the pressure signs we were OK with our loads. The fellow that my buddy eventually traded the rifle to, ( he never keeps anything long) has been using the same loads all these years and is still smacking and stacking deer every year with it with no problems. I shoot a 6.5X55 Swede which does the same velocity as the 260 Rem quite a bit. I shoot groundhogs and deer with it. I have shot many different bullets and have settled on just one load with the 120 Nosler ballistic tip at 3000 fps. Most of my shots are under 400 yards. You don't get the RED MIST effect on groundhogs that the lighter bullets like the Sierra 100 gr HP gives you but they are just as dead. On deer it is about as close to perfect a bullet you can find. For deer size game the 140 Nosler Accubond may be too much of a good thing for longer ranges. I shoot the 130 accubond in my 264 Win mag at 3350 fps and it does good on deer from 80 out to 250 yards which is as far as I have shot one with it in the two years I have been using it. For game like elk either of the accubonds would be great but I would keep my shots inside 300 yards or so with the 260 Rem. As for barrel twist, if you are going to be shooting 140 gr bullets you need an 8 twist. If 130 gr and under a 9 twist will do fine. The more I shoot the .264 calibers the better I like them. By the way I used to help my buddy do crop damage control on a big farm in NC for 15 years where we had to take 100 deer each year. When I said I tried different bullets and loads, I gave them a  pretty good work out. I have killed deer with about everything from an arrow through the 45-70. Good luck and good shooting.

Offline zeke08

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Re: .260 Pet Loads
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2011, 02:15:25 PM »
Thanks Shot,
 That's why I really like GBO I get lots of great input! Keep it up the great work!
There are very few problems that can't be solved with the proper application of High Explosives!

If there is trouble let it be in my day, but let my kids have peace. Thomas Pane

NRA Life Member since 09

Offline rugerfan.64

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Re: .260 Pet Loads
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2011, 05:53:41 PM »
I load 120 grain Noslers or Sierras for my oldest daughter with H 414,Rem brass and CCI 250's. Its not a max load but its pretty fast. She shoots a Ruger M 77 Stainless Synthetic 22 inch barrel. It stacks this load all day at 100 and ringing the steel at 300 is easy for her. I wont load any more Noslers after these are used up tho. We actually witnessed the Ballistic Tip curse last season. The Sierra bullets never fail to plow through. She shot a doe once that the Sierra almost completely penetrated length wise. Now thats a bullet!

Offline zeke08

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Re: .260 Pet Loads
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2011, 12:32:10 AM »
What part of the ballistic tip curse did you experience? Hard to beat Sierras our Snipers just started using them!
There are very few problems that can't be solved with the proper application of High Explosives!

If there is trouble let it be in my day, but let my kids have peace. Thomas Pane

NRA Life Member since 09