260 & 140gr A-Max.

[Rtheurer]

putting together a 260 Rem to shoot the 140gr Amax and maybe try the 123gr A-Max in a 26" barrel to shoot steel at varied distances.
I have lapua Brass on hand, and a couple boxes of bullets of the above.

Anyone have a good or preferred powder for the above bullets set at Magazine length?

Thanks
Russ T

 

[Jet]

H4350 is the powder of choice.

Rich

 

[Rtheurer]

Your not the first one to say that. I have some IMR4350 and H4350.

RussT

 

[Rtheurer]

Anyone try R17? If so what where your impressions ? Norma 204?

Russ T

 

[jonbearman]

I tried rel 17 and didn't get a good accuracy node with it. Others use it but not me and it burns hotter.

 

[chkunz]

Russ, When I started shooting the 260 a couple of years ago I was told the Pet Load was 42.2 grains of H4350 with the 142 SMK. That has worked well but I am a Master class LR shooter so I would yield to he High Masters it they think there is something better. I was told the origin of the load and it has credibility but it is probably not appropriate that I name the names since this is a public forum but send me an email if you would like more info. Take care, Clyde.

 

[Rtheurer]

Thanks Clyde and Jon.

I should have asked Curtis when he was here last weekend for the State Champs, and what he is using. Too much going on to remember I guess.

Ill do a ladder test at 600 and see how it goes.

RussT

 

[chkunz]

Thanks Clyde and Jon.

I should have asked Curtis when he was here last weekend for the State Champs, and what he is using. Too much going on to remember I guess.

Ill do a ladder test at 600 and see how it goes.

RussT

I would be interested in the results of your 600 yard ladder test.

 

[Geno C]

43.5gr H4350 out of a 27" rock creek 8 twist
2900fps single digit ES and sd. (Surpressor might be hosting speed a bit)
Winchester brass though.

RL17 has given good results. I end up one grain less than h4350 to get the same speed. I only seem to shoot when it's really cold so I can't comment on the temp sensitivity of RL17. H4350 is supposed to be very temp stable though.

 

[Rtheurer]

Gee wiz... 2900 from a 260 and only 27" barrel... that is scootin. I wont get that lucky in sure. 2800 is plenty fast if I can find a good solid day in day out load with the AMAX.
Kinda looking forward to see what the little 123gr A Max will do as well.

Again Thanks for everyones help.

RT

 

[jfseaman]

H4350 is the powder of choice.

Rich

What he said.

-.010 off the lands.

Forget mag len. LOL

 

[drumcorpschamp]

RT,
They shot well in my .260 bench gun. Not the best, but good. H4350 is the powder. I suggest you sort them as the lots I had varied enough in weight and base to ogive that I felt sorting was the wise choice.
Good luck, I liked my .260!
Jerry

 

[Rtheurer]

I appologize. I didn't mention that this rifle is going to be used for field work. So it needs to be magazine fed and is not a bench rifle.
Remington Short action, HS varmint stock, Shilen 1:8 26" Sendero contour, Sightron 6.5X24 with Warne steel 20MOA base.
Lapua Cases, Tula LR primers and 140-AMax bullets.

Should be a good base for a solid performer without breaking the bank for a good friend of mine who is getting his very first Semi custom rifle. He will learn to shoot at some distance with this rifle. Ill take him all the way out to 1060 Yards on steel at the cabin. That will give him enough training and confidence to hunt a much much closer ranges. 400 yards is a chip shot after you have trained at 1000 yards.

Thanks for all pet loads.
Russ T

 

[louielouie]

In my 25.5" barreled Rem 600 it seems that right around 46 gr of RL-17 in a Win 243 case behind a 123 A-Max was hitting an accuracy node - 46.5 made for a sticky bolt lift. QuickLoad was projecting ~ 3100fps and this was around 52 deg. The Win brass certainly has more case capacity than Rem. Oh yea, Wolf LR primers which are really mild but consistent. It has been noted elsewhere that RL-17 burns cleaner when run at higher pressures and this seems to be true in my case also.

 

[djtjr]

H4350 is the powder of choice.

Rich

+1 though I know some who have done well with rl 17 and I have a great load that I built up with rl 22 when it was toug to get other powders. I wasn't giving up much at all for speed and it was very accurate even if it's not a go to powder for the 260

 

[Rtheurer]

Update

Huge success this past weekend. The owner of the semi custom 260Rem seems to be rather happy with the results.
I put a lot of work into this rifle to get it set up just as I would for my self...and that takes time. Found two really good loads for the rifle with the components he ahd on hand and used his Dies to get it all set. The powder he had on hand is IMR 4350 so we went that route and 140/123grain A-Max bullets, Lapua Brass, Fed 210 Primers.
140's are going right at 2800fps with the 26" barrel and shoots very consistently well.
The 123gr A Max is really a great combo for this case if you have to shoot Magazine length. 45.2gr of IMR4350 got me 3040FPS and actually shot smaller groups than the 140 combo. Its just right for giving plenty of room inside the case and not being too long. While the 140's protrude into the case a fur polk when seating them back to fit. That takes up quite a bit of boiler room for powder. Single loading would not be an issue, but inthis instance I had a compressed load even at 42.8grains of powder with the 140gr class bullets. So when all his 140gr bullets are gone I believe he will go to the 123gr bullet.
For the first time out at any distance farther than maybe 500 yards he sure was doing well and made hit after hit at 1050yards on a 2'X2' Steel plate. He also tried the 1150yd plate making 50% hits on that as well. Lots of smiling going on when A guy makes his first hit past 1000 yards. Sure was fun to sit beside him with the spotting scope and call hit after hit after hit on every thing he shot at.
Thanks for all the advice given. It was put to good use.
RussT