260 or Creedmoor
- Thread starter CHROME
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HTSmith
Silver $$ Contributor
I have two "built" 260's and they both shoot extremely well. I do minimal brass prep on the Lapua and the brass lives up to the reputation. I've also had really good results with necking down WW7/08 brass, but I can't find that anymore. The only issue can be magazine feeding. With a standard chamber a 140 Berger VLD round will be about 2.9" OAL to touch the lands and obviously won't fit in a 2.8" short action magazine. With a new build you could fix this with action choice and/or throat length (if magazine feeding matters to you).
I have no experience with the Creedmoor, but lack of good brass would be a killer for me. Lot's of folks are getting good results with the 6.5x47 also and I would be giving it a hard look if I were doing a new build.
I have no experience with the Creedmoor, but lack of good brass would be a killer for me. Lot's of folks are getting good results with the 6.5x47 also and I would be giving it a hard look if I were doing a new build.
idahoorion
Silver $$ Contributor
Chrome,
I've had two 260 barrels built, both were for lapua brass, one had .060 freebore and the last one .079. both will fit 140 class bullets in a AICS mag. 2.88" for the short action. Since you have short action this would be in the ball park. some of the longer freebore reamers will work great with long action but you'd have a big jump to the lands with a short action. These two freebores are also good for the 120 / 130 class bullets.
Idahoorion
I've had two 260 barrels built, both were for lapua brass, one had .060 freebore and the last one .079. both will fit 140 class bullets in a AICS mag. 2.88" for the short action. Since you have short action this would be in the ball park. some of the longer freebore reamers will work great with long action but you'd have a big jump to the lands with a short action. These two freebores are also good for the 120 / 130 class bullets.
Idahoorion
A lot of people poopoo the hornady 6.5 creedmoor brass. I never had issues with them. I had most of the brass go almost 8+ firings before primer pockets give out. I anneal, so neck splits were very minimal.
Shooting 142s, 140hybrids out of a SA and you want to mag feed, you can shoot both 260 and 6.5 creedmoor, but I think the 6.5 creedmoor has a slight advantage because of its shorter overall case length.
You might get a little more velocity out of the 260, but not much more (25-75fps). This is not that much ballistically even out to 1K.
My 6.5 creedmoor does around 2810-2870 fps (depending on the load, barrel, etc). I am shooting it hotter than most, but never had an issue and I can still mag feed. I am almost at near max magazine length for an AICS mag.
260AI with the AI shoulder might make it less reliable to mag feed, but I have only heard of that. You might want to look into shooting a 260AI in a magazine.
Shooting 142s, 140hybrids out of a SA and you want to mag feed, you can shoot both 260 and 6.5 creedmoor, but I think the 6.5 creedmoor has a slight advantage because of its shorter overall case length.
You might get a little more velocity out of the 260, but not much more (25-75fps). This is not that much ballistically even out to 1K.
My 6.5 creedmoor does around 2810-2870 fps (depending on the load, barrel, etc). I am shooting it hotter than most, but never had an issue and I can still mag feed. I am almost at near max magazine length for an AICS mag.
260AI with the AI shoulder might make it less reliable to mag feed, but I have only heard of that. You might want to look into shooting a 260AI in a magazine.
idahoorion said:
What kind of barrel life are you getting with the 260 ? I've always been told that they are barrel burners, so I've shied away from them. My only 6.5 has been Mr. Grendel, and I am considering a bolt action 6.5 build. But I am torn between the 6.5x47L, and of course the Grendel. 🖖
I'd go .260 if you are planning on reloading and Creed if you aren't. I've shot with guys that have reloaded the 6.5 Creed brass and have had problems with Hornady brass. I've had Lapua brass that isn't perfect but it's rare.
idahoorion
Silver $$ Contributor
Bmw,
mine have been 2000 to 2500 rds, this is tactical match use and practice. 42.5 H4350 and 139's have been my go to. this second barrel just got shortened to be more compatable with a suppressor and with 1500 rds on it I took 6 inches off the breach. I think that will let me get closer to 3K. I also switched up to the 120 class bullets to keep the speed up with the shorter barrel.
Idahoorion
mine have been 2000 to 2500 rds, this is tactical match use and practice. 42.5 H4350 and 139's have been my go to. this second barrel just got shortened to be more compatable with a suppressor and with 1500 rds on it I took 6 inches off the breach. I think that will let me get closer to 3K. I also switched up to the 120 class bullets to keep the speed up with the shorter barrel.
Idahoorion
CHROME
Silver $$ Contributor
Thanks for all the replies and info! I reload everything. I understand that 260 and Creedmoor are very similar as far as ballistics are concerned. I have not heard that 260's are barrel burners at all. Really leaning Creedmoor or even looking into 6.5x47... I currently have a 6.5x47 that I neck down to 6mm to make it a 6x47. This round shoots extremely well but it is a barrel burner. Creedmoor brass, or the lack of, is always on my mind. I have heard ALOT of stories, most not good, on Hornady brass. I've even looked into converting .308 brass into Creedmoor. I shoot at about 70 rounds per week, so barrel life is important to me.
Push the shoulder back with a .300 Savage sizer die, reduce neck in a 6.5 Creedmoor sizer, anneal and it may be necessary to neck-turn. People using Lapua Palma small primer brass are claiming some 'interesting' MVs. You can do the same thing to 308 Palma brass for the 260 and 7mm-08 too, of course without needing a sizer from another cartridge as you're hardly altering shoulder position.
Lapua .22-250 Rem brass can be necked up to Creedmoor, but ends up 30 thou' plus short.
lapua brass in 260rem sucks. it's not worth the price, and if you're shooting in practical matches, you'll lose a lot of it so i'd skip it. if you have to have lapua, start with 243win and neck it up.
i get just as good results with RP and hornady brass in 260/260AI
the problem with creedmoor isn't the brass, it's finding decent dies. (hornady sizer is horrible)
btw, 260AI feeds fine
i get just as good results with RP and hornady brass in 260/260AI
the problem with creedmoor isn't the brass, it's finding decent dies. (hornady sizer is horrible)
btw, 260AI feeds fine
DHuffman
Silver $$ Contributor
First let me say I don't have years experience reloading. I started about 4 months ago to keep my 6.5 Creedmoor fed and try to make better ammunition than the factory offerings.
I have over 400 rounds of creed brass most of it Hornady bought loaded. Most of it is coming into it's third firing. Some of that brass that came loaded from Hornady is starting to show loose primer pockets I would say 2-3 out of every 30, sometimes a few more, a lot of the time less.
I have over 100 rounds of once fired hornady brass I bought loaded. I had a friend try to reload it and he said the primer pockets were too loose. This was when the rifle was new. Hornady said the barrel & or chamber was too tight & Savage said the ammo was too hot. The gun shot so well I kept shooting it constantly watching for pressure signs. I later learned my friend was using Winchester primers which appear to be looser fitting than CCI and Federal respectively. I will probably try this brass with federal primers someday if I need brass.
I have about 400 Winchester Creedmoor brass bought loaded and the second loading shows no loose pockets.
I have 100 rounds new hornady brass I'm working on the first firing and 50 rounds new Nosler brass I've yet to open.
I use lee dies and have only neck sized as of yet. I have reached my goal of better than factory ammo @ half the cost with my brass. After development my hand loads consistently shoot sub .5 and lower MOA and I'm no marksman or expert re-loader, just constantly striving for improvement in both. Even if I throw away a few out of every 30 I'm still way ahead. If I seat one that feels loose I go ahead and load it then color the case head red and trash it after that firing. I've never backed out or blown a primer.
I think the creedmoor brass is getting better and more plentiful and to be fair it has all been shot through my Savage Model 11 LRH that may or may not have had a tight chamber &/or barrel. I've used mostly CCI BR2 primers but could get 1 or more firings out of the less than 10 % loose pockets with federal primers as they seem to fit tighter.
I'm not going to recommend either caliber over the other because I have no experience with the .260 but I have no complaints at all with my creedmoor. Glad I bought it and won't hesitate to buy another or re-barrel to the same caliber someday if/when necessary.
I have over 400 rounds of creed brass most of it Hornady bought loaded. Most of it is coming into it's third firing. Some of that brass that came loaded from Hornady is starting to show loose primer pockets I would say 2-3 out of every 30, sometimes a few more, a lot of the time less.
I have over 100 rounds of once fired hornady brass I bought loaded. I had a friend try to reload it and he said the primer pockets were too loose. This was when the rifle was new. Hornady said the barrel & or chamber was too tight & Savage said the ammo was too hot. The gun shot so well I kept shooting it constantly watching for pressure signs. I later learned my friend was using Winchester primers which appear to be looser fitting than CCI and Federal respectively. I will probably try this brass with federal primers someday if I need brass.
I have about 400 Winchester Creedmoor brass bought loaded and the second loading shows no loose pockets.
I have 100 rounds new hornady brass I'm working on the first firing and 50 rounds new Nosler brass I've yet to open.
I use lee dies and have only neck sized as of yet. I have reached my goal of better than factory ammo @ half the cost with my brass. After development my hand loads consistently shoot sub .5 and lower MOA and I'm no marksman or expert re-loader, just constantly striving for improvement in both. Even if I throw away a few out of every 30 I'm still way ahead. If I seat one that feels loose I go ahead and load it then color the case head red and trash it after that firing. I've never backed out or blown a primer.
I think the creedmoor brass is getting better and more plentiful and to be fair it has all been shot through my Savage Model 11 LRH that may or may not have had a tight chamber &/or barrel. I've used mostly CCI BR2 primers but could get 1 or more firings out of the less than 10 % loose pockets with federal primers as they seem to fit tighter.
I'm not going to recommend either caliber over the other because I have no experience with the .260 but I have no complaints at all with my creedmoor. Glad I bought it and won't hesitate to buy another or re-barrel to the same caliber someday if/when necessary.
Ive started shooting a 260 in an AR10 and didn't want to let the gas gun sling Lapua brass all over the range. I did just as Taliv recommended neck up Winchester 243 and trim to length. Some of my group test cases ( lab rats ) have 8 reloads on them. I don't think you will be sorry you went with a 260 what ever brass you use.
taliv said:
My experience with 260 brass has been quite different. I'm on load #16 and the primer pockets and necks are still fine. As for loosing brass, I have yet to shoot a big PRS event, but in all my local matches (8-10 this year), I have lost very few. I started the season with 200, and prob still have 195 left. Just mark them in a unique way and you'll get most back.
I agree with the earlier posts about COAL. If you want to shoot 140s from a mag, my advice would be to do a 6.5CM. If you want to shoot the 130AR, then the 260 is perfect. In my 26" 260, I get 2950 fps with this bullet, and am not really pushing it. This combo is just as good (or better) ballisticly than most running the 140 with a 6.5CM or 6.5x47L.
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