I just bought my second 260, a Remington 700 MTN LSS. It's an excellent round, one of my all time favorites. I still have lots of ammo left from an article I was researching using a T/C Encore with 24" barrel and a fast 7.6" twist. The Encore had no trouble with 160 grain bullets, of course, and the 24" barrel let the round reach its velocity potential. It turns out that factory claims for velocity are very accurate.
Once my scope and mounts arrive, I'll be testing the Remington with bullets ranging from 85 to 160 grains. With the relatively slow 9" twist, it will be pretty much a nice bonus if it stabilizes bullets over 140 grains. My favorite bullet for the 260 is the 125 grain Nosler Partition, as my tests showed that the 140 grain Partition couldn't be pushed fast enough to expand well at ranges over 200 yards. Despite the even slower velocities, 160 grain Hornady round nose bullets work great at all ranges tested, as far as expansion goes. For the recoil sensitive shooter, the 100 grain Nosler Partition would give recoild virtually identical to the 243 Winchester, and it can easily be pushed to 3200 fps.
I don't have much factory ammo handy to run through the Remington, and I doubt I'll be spending the money to buy very much, as I have a very large box full of components for the 260. I'll be sure to chronograph some of the same loads tested in the T/C, just to see the velocity difference from the 700's 22" barrel.
Ruger makes their model 77 in 260, and it has a faster 8" twist. Kimber also chambers the 260, and their twist is 9". Winchester offers the 260 through their custom shop, but I haven't checked the details on their rifle.
The 260 can easily handle most any hunting chore, properly loaded. Factory ammo is limited, but not bad for a 6.5mm round. Handloaders should have no problems, as the bullet selection is huge. Browse through a Midway or Midsouth catalog, and you'll see what I mean.
