260 Remington AI vs 6.5 x 47 Lapua

[Tokimini]

I am considering re-barreling my 700 from 204 Ruger to a 6.5 caliber. I'm not interested in the 6.5 Creedmoor because I don't like
Hornady brass, so I'm left with 6.5 x 47 Lapua or a 260 Rem AI. My first choice is the Lapua, but one of my son's dismisses it as a "mall Ninja" round and says the 260 Rem AI is a better choice. My only concern is which is more accurate, and I'm interested in what other people familiar with these rounds think. Thanks.

 

[bsumoba]

Depends on what you're using it for. for long range, the 260AI I'd a better choice probably between the two since you can squeeze out a little more velocity. For midrange, the 6.5x47 is probably a better choice.

 

[STOMP442]

I absolutely love my .260AI and wouldn't trade it for anything. It is by far the most accurate rifle I own and is a very efficient performer. I am pushing 140gr Bergers out of a 26" Mcgowen barrel at 2950 and only using 42 grains of H4350 to do it. Brass and barrel life have been excellent.

 

[ShootDots]

I am considering re-barreling my 700 from 204 Ruger to a 6.5 caliber. I'm not interested in the 6.5 Creedmoor because I don't like
Hornady brass, so I'm left with 6.5 x 47 Lapua or a 260 Rem AI. My first choice is the Lapua, but one of my son's dismisses it as a "mall Ninja" round and says the 260 Rem AI is a better choice. My only concern is which is more accurate, and I'm interested in what other people familiar with these rounds think. Thanks.

I have had 3 / 6.5 x 47's and now have a .260A.I. Which is better? That all depends on it's use. If you are using it for competition, then the distance becomes the deciding factor. If you are shooting F-Open at 300-600 yards, it would be difficult to really tell any difference between the two. If you plan on using it for 1000 yard competition, all arguments cease at that point. I run a "modest" load in my .260A.I. and I am driving a Berger 140 LRBT at 2930 with EXCELLENT accuracy. How does a 200-17X sound at 600 yards? The "X's" were so tight only a couple of "pasties" even crossed the "X" Ring line!

You can neck down .308 Palma brass easily to .260A.I. and with the strength of the web area from the small primer pockets, you literally can come so close to 6.5 x 284 velocities that any difference would be mindless arguing.. By the way, I am having my 4th 6.5 x 47 barrel made up as we speak! I love the round! In it's proper perspective, it is awesome. But once the ranges are "out yonder" there is little doubt that the .260A.I. is the way to go between the two..

 

[jr600yd]

Hey Ben, whats the barrel life of that 260AI? Is it like a 6.5/284 or more like the straight 260? I to shoot F class and was just wondering.........?

 

[Tokimini]

You can neck down .308 Palma brass easily to .260A.I. and with the strength of the web area from the small primer pockets, you literally can come so close to 6.5 x 284 velocities that any difference would be mindless arguing.

That's very interesting. One of the reasons I was leaning toward the Lapua was it uses small rifle primers, which supposedly increase accuracy. I'm planning on taking whatever rifle I make to Williamsport, so the 260 AI is looking better and better.

 

[CaptainMal]

Built a 260AI for hunting. 1200 rds through it and shooting well. It can sure "bang the gongs" at 600 yards but bangs deer better. Using Reloader 22 and 140's.

 

[ShootDots]

Hey Ben, whats the barrel life of that 260AI? Is it like a 6.5/284 or more like the straight 260? I to shoot F class and was just wondering.........?

I don't exactly know as I have been saving it for the TSRA Mid-Range Championship and the Palo Alto State Championship. So I only have about 700 rounds on the barrel. But presently it is shooting "lights-out".. I have an idea that if I stay with the L/R primers and my mild load>>>1800+.. If you use the Palma brass and push it, you may be down to 12-1300.. But that is only a guess.

 

[justinp61]

Just out of curiosity, why not a 260 Remington?

 

[Tokimini]

Just out of curiosity, why not a 260 Remington?

The extra case capacity of an AI will give a bit more velocity and the steeper shoulder angle should increase brass life.

 

[Sniper338]

Just out of curiosity, why not a 260 Remington?

The extra case capacity of an AI will give a bit more velocity and the steeper shoulder angle should increase brass life.

I run a 260 Tactical chamber on a 28 inch barrel, drives 140 bergers at 2950fps. Only verified that over my chrono, not any other chrono yet. But ballistics charts and all seem to be VERY close when computing stuff based of that velocity. So makes me wonder if an ackley version is really worth it.. H4350 is the powder I use too. May just be the little extra barrel that helps me out with it..

 

[jcampbellsmith]

Just out of curiosity, why not a 260 Remington?

The extra case capacity of an AI will give a bit more velocity and the steeper shoulder angle should increase brass life.

Not sure I agree. I'm on my fifth or sixth 260 Rem barrel. I can't see the point in the 260 AI. If I want to go a little faster, I would go 6.5 x 284. Also I didn't fancy forking out for custom dies for the 260 AI. I was looking at some Nosler brass I've got tonight. It's been fired 10 times.

Regards

JCS

 

[X-Caveman]

Guess I've been using the term "mall-ninja" wrong. I think of a 30rnd "clip" full of Zombie-Max "bullets" when I hear that term. Certainly not a relatively obscure (to the masses) Finnish cartridge developed for competition shooting. Maybe I'm older & more out of touch than I thought.

 

[ShootDots]

Just out of curiosity, why not a 260 Remington?

The extra case capacity of an AI will give a bit more velocity and the steeper shoulder angle should increase brass life.

Not sure I agree. I'm on my fifth or sixth 260 Rem barrel. I can't see the point in the 260 AI. If I want to go a little faster, I would go 6.5 x 284. Also I didn't fancy forking out for custom dies for the 260 AI. I was looking at some Nosler brass I've got tonight. It's been fired 10 times.

Regards

JCS

JCS if you went with a 6.5 x 284 and shot 140 Hybrids at say 3025f.p.s. using H4831SC, your brass would not get too many firings on them and the primer pockets would loosen up considerably. You could do that speed with Lapua Palma brass in a .260A.I. and the brass would feel no ill effects at all. (All this would be out of a 30" barrel for F-Open) >> in either the 6.5 x 284 or the .260A.I. Look at the performance of a 6 Dasher that you get our of "about" 33.0grs of powder. The .260A.I.'s case is merely an elongated Dasher case. The case design makes it extremely efficient. I believe the reason why so many excellent cartridges, such as the "straight" .260 were designed the way they were, was to make feeding thru a magazine for hunting an easy task. The P.O. Ackley cases, in many instances, significantly improves the case design, to allow for fairly substantial increases in performance, compared to the "unimproved" case. However, they can be made to feed thru a magazine, just not nearly as well as a case with less shoulder angle. In the case of an "F-Open" rifle, the magazine benefit is negated altogether.

 

[STOMP442]

^^^ THIS^^^
The .260AI can push the 140 class bullets much more efficiently than the 6.5-284 case can. I used to have a couple 6.5-284s and now I have a couple .260AI's instead.

 

[22BRGUY]

Just out of curiosity, why not a 260 Remington?

The extra case capacity of an AI will give a bit more velocity and the steeper shoulder angle should increase brass life.

Not sure I agree. I'm on my fifth or sixth 260 Rem barrel. I can't see the point in the 260 AI. If I want to go a little faster, I would go 6.5 x 284. Also I didn't fancy forking out for custom dies for the 260 AI. I was looking at some Nosler brass I've got tonight. It's been fired 10 times.

Regards

JCS

JCS if you went with a 6.5 x 284 and shot 140 Hybrids at say 3025f.p.s. using H4831SC, your brass would not get too many firings on them and the primer pockets would loosen up considerably. You could do that speed with Lapua Palma brass in a .260A.I. and the brass would feel no ill effects at all. (All this would be out of a 30" barrel for F-Open) >> in either the 6.5 x 284 or the .260A.I. Look at the performance of a 6 Dasher that you get our of "about" 33.0grs of powder. The .260A.I.'s case is merely an elongated Dasher case. The case design makes it extremely efficient. I believe the reason why so many excellent cartridges, such as the "straight" .260 were designed the way they were, was to make feeding thru a magazine for hunting an easy task. The P.O. Ackley cases, in many instances, significantly improves the case design, to allow for fairly substantial increases in performance, compared to the "unimproved" case. However, they can be made to feed thru a magazine, just not nearly as well as a case with less shoulder angle. In the case of an "F-Open" rifle, the magazine benefit is negated altogether.

Excellent synopsis IMHO +1

 

[jbhotrod]

.260 Improved with necked down PALMA brass would be about the highest performance baddest thing you could get out of a .308 based case when it comes to 600+ yd I would say.

 

[alphapygmy]

.260 Improved with necked down PALMA brass would be about the highest performance baddest thing you could get out of a .308 based case when it comes to 600+ yd I would say.

I did this with Lapua Palma brass and RL17 and got 3100 fps with a 140 Berger LRBT. Easy bolt lift, no primer cratering or other pressure signs at all. I'm sure it was over pressure but the Palma brass was tough. I don't like pushing things that hard so I went back to H4831SC, it was more accurate for me at 600 yards anyway.

 

[deepwater]

What would be the difference in felt recoil in the. 260ai and the 6.5 X 47 with a 15 pound firearm?

deepwater

 

[ShootDots]

What would be the difference in felt recoil in the. 260ai and the 6.5 X 47 with a 15 pound firearm?

deepwater

It is doubtful you would notice any difference during a match!