260AI w/ RL17 Starting recommendation w/ 139/ 140 gr. bullets?

[savageboy]

I have done some research and am having a difficulty finding a good starting rec. for powder charge for my .260AI. I would like to try this powder to c if I can pick up some of the vel. that I lost by going to Lapua brass from Rem Brass. I currently use H4931SC. Can anyone point me to any reference other than "use H4350 data) so I can load up some and go to the range that is 45min from my house. I don't load at the range so it is kind of a pain if right away I see pressure signs and have to go home and pull bullets.
Even if you are shooting a straight 260 and went from H4831 or H4350 where did you start you testing? Where did you c presssure signs. '
Of course I understand all chambers, etc are different and no one here is liable, just looking for some help as I only have about 3/4 lb to play with.

 

[Erik Cortina]

My match load for my 6.5x47 Lapua with 139 Scenars is 42 gr. Reloader 17 @ 2925 fps. from a 28" bbl.

So that would probably be a good place to start for your 260 AI since you have more case capacity.

-Erik

 

[JRinCo]

In my 26" Krieger 1-8 barrel, chambered in true .260 Rem. I stopped before I started seeing pressure indications, reason being, velocity was 2860 fps. and extreme spread was single digits groups measured less than .200

That load was; used Lapua brass, Russian large rifle pimers (Wolf), Berger 140 VLD .010 into the lands. 42.9 grains of Reloader 17. Outdoors temperature was 68 degrees.

CAUTION:
This load performs well in my rifle using my components. Different equipment will produce different results.

 

[habu]

i'm shooting a 6.5x08 [thight neck], 'palma' head stamp, [156 gr] case, 210m, berger 140 vld [.010 in], 41.6 gr rl-17.

rpa 2000, 30" truflite, cg trg.

.030 avg. gp, 2954 fps. sd-2.5 [100 yd] no pressure signs.

i go to bed feeling 'very warm and fuzzy' especially since this is my 600-1000 yd load.

as an aside note - few weeks back was shooting a local 300 match. 16th rd 'blow the golf tee' out of x-ring - knew that tgt repair was going to occur, i ran a 'short' test. - chambered a round [must state that i shoot 'very' fast and bbl was 'very' hot] and checked watch. it took over 4 min to get the tgt back up. fired the very hot rd. -- 'x' at 3 oclock [ f-class tgt]. outside temp - low 40's

ron :-*

 

[Erik Cortina]

Sorry Ron, but I think you have a typo: .030" average group. Maybe you meant .300"?

Last weekend I hit the golf tee at 300 yd. F-Class match 6 times in a row while it was in the X-Ring! I love it when a rifle is shooting good! In that match me and my 6.5x47 Lapua shooting 139 Scenars managed to break the range record with a 600-49X!

 

[habu]

picky, picky, picky.

what if i said it wasn't a typo - eh?

your right - .300

ron ;D

 

[jdfletch]

Savageboy,

I had someone do a QL test with a 6.5x55 SM @ 60,000 psi MAX, 3.150" OAL, 30" barrel, 8.5" twist and RL-17 powder as MY 260AI case has the same H2O capacity as a 6.5x55 (measured). Below are the results:

Berger 130 VLD - 45.2gr/RL17 = 59577psi @ 3085fps
" 140 LR BT - 42.4gr/RL17 = 59427psi @ 2970fps

(These values are NOT mine and I am passing them on as INFORMATION ONLY. Work up your load carefully.)

Please note that I worked up some 130 VLD loads quickly for an upcoming 1000 yard match and found two to test. The 45.0gr load (3045 fps) was quite stout and the case pressure signs looked marginal (some primer flow back, temp was ~50F). The 43.4gr load (2920 fps) showed no pressure signs and produced my first clean at 1000 yards (200-14x). I won't shoot over 44.5gr again with the 130's... I hope to start testing the 140gr bullets soon as well.

Some RL-17 observations: It burns HOT and heats the barrel quicker than any other powder I've shot, which can't be good for barrel life. The rifle recoil, even with the stout load, is "different" than with any other powder I've tried, as it doesn't have the snap back or impulse normally felt but more like a long push back (sort of like a muzzle loader, but not quite). As Ron observed, cooking the round in a hot chamber doesn't seem to greatly affect the shot. It leaves a pretty dirty residue, but the barrel cleans up rather quickly (may just be a good barrel!).

Let us know what you end up with for a load with the 139/140's!

Doug

 

[Ivo]

I have been working up a load for my .260 AI for the last month or so with 140gr Bergers and RL17 and here is what I found to be my best load:
140 gr Berger VLD Hunting
42.8 gr RL 17
CCI BR2 primer
Lapua .243 case necked up to 6.5
2960 fps at 3400' ASL and 0*C
COL 2.895"
1/4 MOA so far 200-600m tested

Rifle specs are:
Rem 700 action trued SAAMI spec chamber
1:8 - 29" Gaillard fluted Barrel
AICS 1.5 stock and Mags
USO 3-17 SN3

I also started working up a load for the 130 Berger VLD but unforlunately miscalculated and ended up starting at my max load and haven't been out to test the new loads since.
**BTW with 130gr Bergers 46gr of RL 17 was very hot and on my first shot at 46.5gr of RL 17 it blew the primer.**

Ivo

 

[HammerDown]

Ivo,
How do the 2.895" OAL cartridges feed in the AI mags? I'm having a Rem 700 barreled in 260 AI right now and I'd like to use the 140-142gr bullets. I need the cartridge to feed reliably but be seated out far enough to maximixe case capacity.
Any input would be appreciated before I give my smith the specs for chambering.

 

[GSSP]

HammerDown,

I hope you're not planning on starting your OAL some where around 2.895". As your round count grows, so will your throat length thus so will your OAL once you find a sweet spot in relation to the throat. In shooting my 6.5x47, I'm at .042" throat growth @ 600 rounds. IMHO, I'd plan on my starting my OAL some where in the neighborhood of 2.8" and plan on chasing my OAL towards 2.9" as your round count grows.

Oh, and my AI mags work great; with my OAL of 2.76". Sorry, I'm no help to your orig ?.
Alan

 

[Ivo]

Ivo,
How do the 2.895" OAL cartridges feed in the AI mags? I'm having a Rem 700 barreled in 260 AI right now and I'd like to use the 140-142gr bullets. I need the cartridge to feed reliably but be seated out far enough to maximixe case capacity.
Any input would be appreciated before I give my smith the specs for chambering.

Hammer,
I appologize for the late response but I haven't been on the computer much lately.
The .260 AI rounds feen fine out of the AI mags, I have had no issues.
Ivo

 

[habu]

since my last posting, i have quit using RL-17.

WHY - fouling and FLYERS. pulled all bullets on over 400 rds.

seems as if when your testing [read clean bore] rl-17 shoots like a house afire! second match you start to get flyers - in xtc and palma [i believe] it hold the 10 ring nicely, but in f- with 1/2 min tgt. it will give you a 9! - not by much - but -

in my 6.5x08's i would 1 or 2 at 4 o'clock and once in a while 1 at 2 o'clock - the only way i could beat it was hold at 10 o'clock on the x-riung. that really cuts your vital area.

i've spoken with a number of very good shooters and most experienced the same thing - flyers [not all, but most] one guy tried a wire brush between matchs - but his gun wouldn't always shoot 'well' cold. most guys said RL-17 shot very well in small guns - 6br, etc.

having said all the above, a number of guys shot it extremely well. GO FIGURE.

i provide the info not as a negitive, but, rather as something to look out for.

if it works for you great. i'm going to try it in a .284 ith 175's - we'll see.

ron