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Best .260 AI Reamer

Hey guys,
I am thinking about building a .260 AI for a F Open rifle and I just wanted to see who makes the best reamer and what dimensions should I be looking at when purchasing the reamer? I am planning to shoot the 140 Berger LRBT, or the 140 Berger Hybrid. Any thoughts, or help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Shades4ever said:
Hey guys,
I am thinking about building a .260 AI for a F Open rifle and I just wanted to see who makes the best reamer and what dimensions should I be looking at when purchasing the reamer? I am planning to shoot the 140 Berger LRBT, or the 140 Berger Hybrid. Any thoughts, or help would be greatly appreciated.

I bought a reamer specifically for that bullet. I like not a "tight neck" but "tight enough" to force you to turn 100pct of the brass on the neck down. I also like "generous" amounts of freebore. With that being said, I have a .295 neck with a .267 freebore. It is absolutely perfect for the .260 A.I. I use the 140LRBT seated 8-9K INTO the lands and 44.0grs of H4350 and a Fed 210GM primer. It gives me (30" barrel) 2930f.p.s with single digit e.s.'s and excellent accuracy all the way to 1000 yards. It is a PT&G reamer>>but any good maker will suffice.
 
Thank you so much for the information. That sounds like a perfect combination and sounds like a good way to go. Are you using Lapua brass? What type of load are you using for fire forming purposes?
 
Shades4ever said:
Thank you so much for the information. That sounds like a perfect combination and sounds like a good way to go. Are you using Lapua brass? What type of load are you using for fire forming purposes?

Yes Sir. I use the "regular" as in "non-Palma" brass. I use a Sinclair expander mandrel and open up the necks, turn them down, then anneal the brass. The Lapua necks walls are 15K thick. After expansion, I turn them down to 13K thick. After annealing, I size them down with a .290 bushing. That gives you 3K neck tension. I jam 123 Scenars 20K into the lands for fireforming with 37.0grs of VVN150. You could easily shoot a 300 yard F-Open match and do very well. Probably not win>>>but you won't drag up the rear either! After fireforming, anneal again and use a .292 bushing>>>that allows for 1K neck tension.

Now you have everything you need to win at 600 and do pretty dang well at 1000!
 
ShootDots said:
Shades4ever said:
Thank you so much for the information. That sounds like a perfect combination and sounds like a good way to go. Are you using Lapua brass? What type of load are you using for fire forming purposes?

Yes Sir. I use the "regular" as in "non-Palma" brass. I use a Sinclair expander mandrel and open up the necks, turn them down, then anneal the brass. The Lapua necks walls are 15K thick. After expansion, I turn them down to 13K thick. After annealing, I size them down with a .290 bushing. That gives you 3K neck tension. I jam 123 Scenars 20K into the lands for fireforming with 37.0grs of VVN150. You could easily shoot a 300 yard F-Open match and do very well. Probably not win>>>but you won't drag up the rear either! After fireforming, anneal again and use a .292 bushing>>>that allows for 1K neck tension.

Now you have everything you need to win at 600 and do pretty dang well at 1000!

Thanks for info....What are you using for dies if I might ask? And, what did you do with body taper if anything?
 
Ben (shootdots),

I was able to test speeds in my straight 260 with 32" barrel with those bullets I PM'd about.
I was able to get 2800-2850 with moderate pressure and less than ideal seating depth. I will be chambering to the AI to test them out more in a 30 or 32" barrel. They should be a hammer with Litz's tested bc on them at that speed.
 
MattPeetz said:
Ben (shootdots),

I was able to test speeds in my straight 260 with 32" barrel with those bullets I PM'd about.
I was able to get 2800-2850 with moderate pressure and less than ideal seating depth. I will be chambering to the AI to test them out more in a 30 or 32" barrel. They should be a hammer with Litz's tested bc on them at that speed.

The A.I. is a considerably better case design and you will benefit greatly by going to it. Let me know the results..
 
I have a 260AI reamer from PTG. .298 neck and .160 on freebore. Shoots 140 Bergers OK considering it is only a 9 twist barrel. I really shines with the 130s.
 
Guys,
So on this .260 AI and planning to shoot the Berger 140 LRBT or the Berger 140 hybrids, what should be the ideal freebore? Also being new to the whole Ackley Improved cartridges, am I going to need to purchase to sets of sizing dies for this rifle?
 
Load your bullets out as long as you want and send them in - they will figure your freebore out.

I bought a Forster sizing die and I already had a 260 Rem seating die. I just ran my reamer into the sleeve on the Forster seater and made it an AI. I have bushing dies for when I want to neck size too.
 
BOB LEE SWAGGER said:
JGS 2022 has a .296 neck. Will this work as a no-turn neck? What freebore for 140 hybrids? Also is .470 at .200 too tight?

It won't with my brass. That's why I have a .298. The Lapua brass is really thick. If you want to use factory 260 Remington ammo with American made brass you will probably be fine. Even necking up .243 brass from Lapua required me to neck turn with my previous chamber (.296 neck).
 

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