260ai powder preferences

[trevort]

Hi guys

I have fireformed 100 cases for my new 260ai and about to do some load development.
A search on powder preferences saw a post in 2013 with 4 answers and I've read some of the other posts where loads are mentioned. but some are a few years old so thought I would ask for current trends and experience

I will be using 130gn berger vld hunting out of a 26 inch barrel and target will be fallow deer from up close to 600m when I get used to dialling in.

I have access to re 26, re 16 and ADI 2209 which I believe is sold to you as Hodgdon H4350.

Any experience with velocity and accuracy and starting loads appreciated

 

[ShootDots]

I have had several .260A.I. competition rifles. My experience tells me that RL-16 and H4350 will generally give you the most consistent accuracy. That is with 140 Class bullets. With 130 gr projectiles, I would NOT go slower that either of the aforementioned powders. If I were looking for a single powder, it would be RL-16. It is VERY temp stable, consistent from lot to lot and will produce somewhat more velocity than H4350. Having said that, H4350 is an extremely fine powder!

 

[dstoenner]

+1 for h4350

 

[ballisticxlr]

RL23 and RL26 both did good work for a good buddy of mine with 142's and 147's. Might be a little slow for 130's but worth a shot for sure. RL26 seems almost magical in a lot of these really overbore chambers.

 

[STOMP442]

I have a few loads I have used over the years in two different barrels. Both barrels were 26" Varmint contour barrels. The first one was a Criterion and the Current one is a McGowan. The first barrel much preferred H4350 with 140gr Berger VLDs. The second started with R16 and 147gr Hornadys. I have since moved from the 147s back to the 140 Berger and they seemed to prefer H4831sc. My current load is 46.0gr of H4831sc in Lapua brass and CCI #200 primers. I am getting 2925fps and exceptional accuracy with this load. I did experiment with R26 and got some amazing speeds and accuracy but it became wildly overpressure with any kind of barrel heat. I have a thread about my load development with R26 somewhere around here. I have not messed with loading anything lighter than 140gr but R16 or H4350 should give excellent results.

 

[JLT]

I will echo the recommendations to give RL26 and RL23 a try. RL26 is very dense and you should be able to get enough in the case to produce surprising velocity with the 130s. I have achieved excellent accuracy with RL26, but it is temp sensitive. My competition load for the .260 AI is fueled by RL23 - this powder could not care less what the environmental temperature might be and it also produces outstanding velocity and consistency at pressures that won't wreck your brass.

Since your primary purpose is hunting, temp sensitivity may not be a big deal but, IMO, both powders are worth a look.

Best of luck! I'm sure you'll love the .260 AI. Outstanding chambering, I think.

 

[ShaneG.]

I am now running 4831SC in my 260AI. I my old barrel I ran MR-2000 or 4831SC. The Alliant powder always burnt very clean and metered well.

 

[rardoin]

I switched from H4831sc in my 6.5 x55 Imp. to RL-23 and it proved to better on grouping over a complete match and was a little kinder to the throat consistency. The case cap of the .260AI is pretty close to that cartridge.

 

[ballisticxlr]

One thing that might matter to you, RL-23 meters exceedingly poorly by volume. Over 8lbs I ended up having to weigh every charge. Could never get volumetric dispensing to do anything but bad stuff. I got 3200fps with 115 DTAC's with really mellow pressures from a .243AI from a 26" barrel running 45.5gr. Could easily have stuck another grain or 2 in there without getting pressures too high.

 

[rardoin]

Yes, RL-23 has a bit of variation in kernel weight; some being in the 0.025gr area and some as heavy as 0.044gr. I don't use thrown charges but weigh out every one so not an issue for me. It does not play as well in a Harrel's thrower as well as other stick powders for sure.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

You might consider for hunting, the 100grn ttsx barnes bullet. Out to 500yds it is unbeatable in every respect. Max load of superformance, or( magpro/ magnum) or R17 . compressed

 

[CaptainMal]

One of my 260AI's likes Rem 22 with 140's. The other is superb with 130's and 4831 SC

 

[Geno C]

H4350 in mine. I’ve thought about testing the newer RL powders, just haven’t gotten around to it yet

 

[nastynatesfish]

I used h1000 in mine. But I was shooting 160gr matrix bullets out of a 28” 1-8tw. I was getting right at 2875-2890fps

 

[trevort]

Thank you for all the replies. Looks like I should try all the powders I have and let the rifle tell me what it likes

 

[trevort]

Just reporting back my results. Came up with a load of 50.6gn re 26 behind the 130gn Berger hunting VLD for 3155fps.

I got up to 47gn of 2209 but that gave a pronounced ejector mark on the brass before I got near the speed or accuracy of the re26

Thanks once again for your input

 

[Stepsjframe]

Got a 260rem and about to start shooting eldx 143s, using H4350 powder seems the best for this caliber.

 

[Eloudamy]

I changed from H4350 to RL16. Accuracy was equal but I could go a little faster with lower pressure signs.

 

[Fast14riot]

H4831 has been my go-to in my AI, gone through a keg+ and am looking to change to RL23 soon as my current batch of H4831 is almost gone and I have a new lot of brass as well.

 

[trevort]

Just reporting back my results. Came up with a load of 50.6gn re 26 behind the 130gn Berger hunting VLD for 3155fps.

I got up to 47gn of 2209 but that gave a pronounced ejector mark on the brass before I got near the speed or accuracy of the re26

Thanks once again for your input

Well I didn't like hearing powder kernels crunch when seating the pill so loaded up the next batch with a drop tube which solved the issue. All other things were equal. Rounds weren't left out in the sun or anything.
The load now gave an ejector mark on the brass. I didn't think compacting the powder with a drop tube would have been any different than compacting it with the pill but I was wrong. Its not the first time