1-7.5 twist for a .260 Remington?

I think 1:7.5 would work, even with bullets heavier than 140 gr. Most factory 6.5 CM rifles use 1:8 twists and shoot 140-150 gr bullets just fine. But if you wanted to go with a faster twist than 1:8 I don't see where it would be a disadvantage. Not sure it would be an advantage either.

The problem with heavier bullets in 260 is that they have to be seated pretty deep in the case to fit the magazine which reduces powder capacity. When you get right down to it the barrel twist and ability to load heavier bullets is the only real difference between 260 and 6.5 CM.

1 in 7 to 8 is the typical range for 140 gr and up...

If I were doing a long action ...it would be a 6.5 -284 Winchester or a 6.5 PRC

I've got a 1:8 .260 being built now for a blind/stand gun on a REM M7 action with a 20" barrel.

Honestly if I was interested in shooting the long 140+ bullets I would have gone with the 6.5C due to the mag length. This gun will primarily be used with the Nosler 120 BTs and out to about 200. I stuck with .260 due to having dies, brass (.260 and .243) and other rifles for the LR game. IF it weren't for those reasons I'd go with the 6.5C IF staying with a short action and having an interest in the high BC 140+ bullets.

My M700VLS with 1:9” twist stabilizes 140 hunting bullets just fine.



.

My 6.5CM has a 1in8 twist barrel and it shoots 140 and 147 grain bullets really well.

JimKirk said:

If I were doing a long action ...it would be a 6.5 -284 Winchester or a 6.5 PRC

Click to expand...

I'd do a 6.5-06, maybe an AI chamber. Cheap, good brass is a thing of beauty.

1-8 twist will shoot 140 grain bullets accurately, as stated above. It will make a fine deer rifle and light target work with ease. Also, as stated about, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x284, 6.5-06, and 6.6 PRC will also work. One slower, the rest faster then the .260 Remington. Of course you'll need a magnum bolt face for the PRC. The 6.5x284, 6.5-06, and 6.5 PRC would work best on a long action.

I guess I was blessed with my Savage in that I never ran out of room using 140s. Don't forget to check out those 85 and 90 gr hollow points for target work.

If there were another source of brass ...the Weatherby 6.5 RPM .... .473" rim .... extended .284 body .... long action

horsemen61 said:

I am wanting to put this in a long action Tikka T3lite so I’m thinking if I run a long action magazine I can get the bullet further out of the case capacity



also I have a 6.5 Creedmoor already plus a 6.5x284 not to mention I’m getting a 6.5 prc as well I’m wanting something a little different plus I have access to a vast supply of .308 brass and I prefer the .264 diameter bullets to the .30 cals

Click to expand...

As a side note. If you run 308 brass you will need to turn your case necks.
1-8 is enough for 140s in a 260 Rem.
Mine is a 20" barrel so velocity is down. But it still does fine.

For brass, I resized 7mm-08 brass when I wanted something other than .260 Lapua brass, I used for matches. I didn't need to ream the necks. .243 Winchester may work as well without reaming, though I never tried it.

1:8 has worked fine for me in the 260 to distance. The Berger link was interesting. Similar to other responses, I think the perceived need for a faster twist is in or with a long action. My 6.5-284 is a LA but I haven't loaded crazy long >140 ELDs for it. It just simply makes for a better geometry using that case. It's also 1:8. At some point you have to give up the SA cartridge in length and volume. Its pushing the limit in the opposite direction vs the past wildcats with velocity vs BC.

I want to use this for deer hunting and be able to push the 140 grain bullets maybe some light target work

Click to expand...

It's not a gamer target rifle. Don't make it one. At the point of a 7.5 twist (well, even 1:8 target rifles) I am throwing out questions on the chamber specifics and experiences with specified loads.

I would focus on the chamber/reamer, build/barrel quality, and all the other fun wallet empting specifics. If your doing it yourself, the same.

The twist rate for the Swedish Mauser using 160 grs RN, very long, bullets in 6.5x55 was 1:7.87. So any bullet that will fit in a short action magazine will stabilize with a 1:7.5 twist rate. For 140s, 1:7.5 is faster than necessary, although with the likes of the VLD Berger, less than 1:8 may not do the necessary.

taliv said:

I necked up 243win to 260rem then fireformed to 260ai. Went through about 13 barrels in matches and such til I switched calibers.

lapua is excellent. Surprisingly hornady blemished 243win brass gave excellent results. Do not use Winchester brand brass.

Click to expand...

Holy crap 13 barrels! What was the average life of your .260 Remingtons?

I have always - since inception anyway - thought the .260 Remington as the modernized version of the 6.5x55mm Swede. The Swede uses 160 grain bullets with verve and style. As noted above the Swede rifles were twisted quite fast for the long for caliber bullet. However, the Swedes also handled 139 grain bullets very well with the same twist.

A good deal of overspin is less a problem than just a smidge of under spin.

taliv said:

1500-2000 rounds. They were ackley though not straight 260

Click to expand...

I don't have the exact numbers in front of me but my 6.5-06 went ~1,600; my 7mm Magnum 40X went ~1,800; and oddly enough my 6.5 Remington Magnum, which was a SS Shaw barrel I won, went ~2,200 rounds.