260 remington

[GooseGestapo]

I believe the Savage M110 in .260Rem has a 1/8” twist barrel…
This puts it in league with the 6.5Creedmoor.
At least when I was looking circa 2001.
It’s something I’d check on if interested in the rifle.

My .260 is a Remington Model-7 I picked up at a local pawn shop.
Unfortunately it has, by actual measurements a 1/11” twist. However, it is capable of stellar accuracy with SOME bullets. With 140gr Speer flat base HotCores, or some discontinued Sierra 160gr RN, over RL22, it’s sub MOA.
Mostly, I’ve killed deer with 120’s. Best are/were some Speer 120gr HotCores.
Got this deer in Oct ‘21 in my back acres. 17yd heart shot… 120gr HotCor over 43.5gr of IMR4350.
Mostly, it’s the Indian, not the arrow that matters…

 

[citizenconn]

I believe the Savage M110 in .260Rem has a 1/8” twist barrel…

My 4 Savage .260s all have 1:8 twist barrels and all were purchased within the last 2-6 years. Savage seems to offer less and less .260s as the years go by though...

 

[citizenconn]

I've put any number of speed goat in the freezer with .260--it has a place in hunting, and in our hearts (or at least mine).

Do you use copper bullets for the .260? I'd love to do some antelope hunting here in Texas but even though I have some farming family in the Panhandle they say they never have antelope on their land.

 

[small town life]

Do you use copper bullets for the .260? I'd love to do some antelope hunting here in Texas but even though I have some farming family in the Panhandle they say they never have antelope on their land.

I live in the panhandle of Texas and antelope are far and few. Lipscomb County has lots of them! Southern Gray Co has some, Hansford and Ochiltree Co might have some to the east and I think I've seen some in Swisher Co? In Hemphill there used to be lots until the early 80's and I do see some on occasion on my property.

 

[Gun-Reck]

Do you use copper bullets for the .260? I'd love to do some antelope hunting here in Texas but even though I have some farming family in the Panhandle they say they never have antelope on their land.

Came across some 130 gr. TSX for the 6.5x55mm, but haven't gotten them on the load schedule yet.

At around 2800 fps., they should be torpedoes.

 

[CptnAwesome]

Pretty much the reason I stuck with it. That, plus dies competition seater and a a lot of brass!

The .260 Rem will do pretty much what the 6.5C will do. With hunting bullets it's gets a little more speed as it's got slightly more capacity. When shooting the heavy high BC bullets you'll have to seat deeper and loose some capacity, but they'll still be neck and neck for MV. I originally bought a Rem M7 in .260 for my son as a starter rifle and loaded 100 grain bullets at 2800FPS as a "youth" rifle. As he grew I stepped up my loading to the 120s. He killed 8 or 9 whitetails with it and I killed a couple more, all 1 shot from 130yds to a little over 300yds using the 120BT. I wouldn't bother shooting deer with 140+ bullets, just not needed.

It does what it's supposed to do as far as a hunting cartridge, Remington was just shortsighted when it came to the twist. A couple years ago I had the rifle "rebuilt" using a PacNor 20" 1:8 twist 3 groove barrel, Timney Elite trigger, Graphite Black CeraKote and a Manners EH8 stock as my idea for a stand/blind rifle that could stretch the distance if I had to. It's just at 7lbs all up due to the 2B barrel profile:

Accuracy is sub moa with everything I've put through it while wearing a 2.5-8x36:

With the 120s I get 2930 FPS and with the 130ABs I get 2840FPS from the 20" 3Groove barrel. As it's set up now it's easily a 400+yd deer rifle, that's pretty handy in a blind. IF I mounted a different scope I could take it further, but it'd screw up the handling, which is about perfect now.


Buuuut,

IF I was starting from scratch, didn't reload and the deal on the rifle wasn't a killer, IE too good to pass up etc. I'd walk away. The 6.5C will do the same thing and can be found on a Walmart shelf.

That's a nice rifle!!! Beautiful!!!

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

The 260 Remington, the forgotten GREAT AMERICAN middle child. An atrocious injustice market wise what CR advertising has done to erode interest. I had a 260 Remington in a SakO TRG22. Magnificent cartridge. (YES, BETTER THAN YOU 6.5 CR ninnies!) Very easy to load for. Shoots middle weights and heavies with easy. Brass lasts forever if cared for. If you ever run across older Hornady 160gr. round nose bullets they are a treat in the 260R. (depending on your chamber and throat-lead) Recoil is small BUT quick. If you put a break on it. two things will happen. the quick recoil and sudden dampening effect from the comp will make very heavy scopes move in the rings. (ARC M10 ring tested with a very heavy Valdada scope). If you're not going to use a comp then don't even worry about it. I will tell you now, your package sounds good. Great cartridge!

 

[Litetrigger]

Add me to the long list of hunters and target shooters who are fans of the .260 Rem because I was using it in NRA High Power OTC competitions long before Remington adopted it and named it .260 . That was back in the 1980's, when weary of being beaten up by rifles in .308 Win. caliber (Which followed generations of even more brutal .30/06 as prevailing caliber of choice in High Power competitions .) I finally got smart enough to do what other shooters were doing and switched to lighter and gentler calibers like the .243 Win. Compared to the .308 the .243 was a dream to shoot, especially in the rapid fire stages but downrange performance left much to be desired, which had to be compensated for by hotter loads, and barrel life plummeted. Damn. A few shooters, myself included, tried necking the .308 to 7mm, calling it simply 7mm-08, which worked well across the course and Sierra even offered superb 150 and 168gr MK bullets. But the recoil with those bullets was so similar to the .308 there was no point in making the switch. But it also offered promise as a big game cartridge for lightweigh short action rifles so Remington adopted it as such, even retained the name given by wildcatters. The folks at Remington also figured their new 7mm-08 would appeal to Sillhoutte shooters and introduced a varmint weight rifle for the purpose, which attracted only a few buyers for the same reason it never caught on with the High Power crowd. What the target shooting world was questing for was a cartridge like Goldilocks' Baby Bear's bed: not too hard and not too soft. European hunters and target shooters had been shooting such cartridges for generations, with 6.5mm caliber rifles in a variety of designations and it seemed logical to adopt one of the European 6.5's. like the 6.5X54 MS, or better yet simply reneck .308 easily available brass to 6.5. same as with 7mm-08's. A 6.5-08 should be Goldilocks Baby Bear on the target range, combining mild recoil and superior downrange punch in a short action rifle. But there was a problem: a shortage of match quality bullets. Which is why many of us target shooters who rebarreled our match rifles to 6.5-08 were reloading our ammo with pricey match bullets imported from Europe. (I still have a supply of 6.5mm bullets made in Sweden and Norway.) The 6.5- 08 became the caliber to beat in High Power target circles and also gaining fans in the Silhouette game. American made hunting type bullets like Speer's 120 grain spitzer had the accuracy and energy to knock down even the heavy steel borragos at 500 meters and custom gunsmiths were promoting it as an all-purpose round for North American big game, especially when combined with lightweight short-action rifles. Then behold, Serra began making 6.5 MK bullets even more accurate than the imports and the 6.5-08 blossomed even more. The 6.5-08 had been a well kept secret until one of the major outdoor magazines published an article about it with the author calling it the 6.5 Panther and the secret was out. Soon after, Remington, knowing a good think when they saw it, claimed the 6.5-08 as their own and introduced it as the .260 Rem that we know now. Sorry this got so wordy, but I still get excited about the .260. Here are pics of a Remington Custom Shop Model Seven and Remington XP-100 .260's and also two more .260's used in Silhouette competitions.

 

[adcoch1]

Add me to the long list of hunters and target shooters who are fans of the .260 Rem because I was using it in NRA High Power OTC competitions long before Remington adopted it and named it .260 . That was back in the 1980's, when weary of being beaten up by rifles in .308 Win. caliber (Which followed generations of even more brutal .30/06 as prevailing caliber of choice in High Power competitions .) I finally got smart enough to do what other shooters were doing and switched to lighter and gentler calibers like the .243 Win. Compared to the .308 the .243 was a dream to shoot, especially in the rapid fire stages but downrange performance left much to be desired, which had to be compensated for by hotter loads, and barrel life plummeted. Damn. A few shooters, myself included, tried necking the .308 to 7mm, calling it simply 7mm-08, which worked well across the course and Sierra even offered superb 150 and 168gr MK bullets. But the recoil with those bullets was so similar to the .308 there was no point in making the switch. But it also offered promise as a big game cartridge for lightweigh short action rifles so Remington adopted it as such, even retained the name given by wildcatters. The folks at Remington also figured their new 7mm-08 would appeal to Sillhoutte shooters and introduced a varmint weight rifle for the purpose, which attracted only a few buyers for the same reason it never caught on with the High Power crowd. What the target shooting world was questing for was a cartridge like Goldilocks' Baby Bear's bed: not too hard and not too soft. European hunters and target shooters had been shooting such cartridges for generations, with 6.5mm caliber rifles in a variety of designations and it seemed logical to adopt one of the European 6.5's. like the 6.5X54 MS, or better yet simply reneck .308 easily available brass to 6.5. same as with 7mm-08's. A 6.5-08 should be Goldilocks Baby Bear on the target range, combining mild recoil and superior downrange punch in a short action rifle. But there was a problem: a shortage of match quality bullets. Which is why many of us target shooters who rebarreled our match rifles to 6.5-08 were reloading our ammo with pricey match bullets imported from Europe. (I still have a supply of 6.5mm bullets made in Sweden and Norway.) The 6.5- 08 became the caliber to beat in High Power target circles and also gaining fans in the Silhouette game. American made hunting type bullets like Speer's 120 grain spitzer had the accuracy and energy to knock down even the heavy steel borragos at 500 meters and custom gunsmiths were promoting it as an all-purpose round for North American big game, especially when combined with lightweight short-action rifles. Then behold, Serra began making 6.5 MK bullets even more accurate than the imports and the 6.5-08 blossomed even more. The 6.5-08 had been a well kept secret until one of the major outdoor magazines published an article about it with the author calling it the 6.5 Panther and the secret was out. Soon after, Remington, knowing a good think when they saw it, claimed the 6.5-08 as their own and introduced it as the .260 Rem that we know now. Sorry this got so wordy, but I still get excited about the .260. Here are pics of a Remington Custom Shop Model Seven and Remington XP-100 .260's and also two more .260's used in Silhouette competitions.View attachment 1174950View attachment 1174952View attachment 1174953View attachment 1174954View attachment 1174955

That model 7, oh boy! Dream rifle right there...

 

[horsemen61]

That model 7, oh boy! Dream rifle right there...

Oh yes!

 

[Hookeye]

I hunt and have a reloading press
IMHO 200 cases should last me for whatever.
Not an expense worth concern

A Ruger #1A in .260.rem would be hard to beat for a deer rig. They did make em in 6.5 CM.

 

[CraigC]

When the .260 came out, I wanted one in the worst way. I lusted after a Model 7 like the one in post #33. I wanted one for all the same reasons I had also wanted a 6.5x54 and a 6.5x55 before that. I thought they were far more appropriately sized deer cartridges than the ubiquitous .30's. Never got any of them as bolt guns have always been lower on my priority list. Before long I forgot about the .260 as I have focused mostly on revolvers and leverguns.

Fast forward 25yrs and the 6.5's are again on the brain. Except this time I have several. First a Ruger Precision 6.5CM but I decided long range shooting just wasn't my thing. Now I have the cartridge in the Predator, along with a 6.5JDJ Contender and four Grendels.

For me, since I'm not shooting long range and it's going to be a hunting rifle, it's going to come down to the rifle itself. Given the choice between two identical rifles, one a .260 and the other a 6.5CM, I'm going with the CM every time. The Savage 110 just doesn't appeal to me, never has, in any chambering. However, if it were a Remington Model 7, the .260 would be coming home.

I've given serious thought to rebarreling my Ruger .250 and the 6.5CM would be top choice.

 

[horsemen61]

When the .260 came out, I wanted one in the worst way. I lusted after a Model 7 like the one in post #33. I wanted one for all the same reasons I had also wanted a 6.5x54 and a 6.5x55 before that. I thought they were far more appropriately sized deer cartridges than the ubiquitous .30's. Never got any of them as bolt guns have always been lower on my priority list. Before long I forgot about the .260 as I have focused mostly on revolvers and leverguns.

Fast forward 25yrs and the 6.5's are again on the brain. Except this time I have several. First a Ruger Precision 6.5CM but I decided long range shooting just wasn't my thing. Now I have the cartridge in the Predator, along with a 6.5JDJ Contender and four Grendels.

For me, since I'm not shooting long range and it's going to be a hunting rifle, it's going to come down to the rifle itself. Given the choice between two identical rifles, one a .260 and the other a 6.5CM, I'm going with the CM every time. The Savage 110 just doesn't appeal to me, never has, in any chambering. However, if it were a Remington Model 7, the .260 would be coming home.

I've given serious thought to rebarreling my Ruger .250 and the 6.5CM would be top choice.

@CraigC what a wonderful little rifle that would make in 6.5 Creedmoor!

 

[MrBorland]

I have a couple rifles in .260 Remington and are fantastically accurate. I bought them just before the 6.5CM hit the market and became The Thing. I love the round, but as some have mentioned, while it doesn't take a back seat to the 6.5CM, if one were buying new and doesn't reload, opting for a 6.5CM simply based on relative ammo availability and resale value wouldn't be a bad move, though you can still likely find enough .260Rem ammo to fill your deer tag (personally, I wouldn't use either the .260Rem or the 6.5CM on Elk, especially at 400 yards).

FWIW, my most accurate rifle is my Tikka CTR in .260Rem. With my handloads, it was great on paper and deer, and for fun, I'd make 100-yard keyring fobs with it.

Tikka CTR .260Rem


100 yard Keyring fobs:


The .260Rem is a fine deer cartridge too:

 

[Legionnaire]

@MrBorland, I like the keychain fob idea. I'm going to have to try that. How did you secure the coins to keep them from flying when hit?

 

[Txhillbilly]

Why do people argue so much about 6.5mm cartridges? They are all very well designed cartridges. Remington engineer's were always good at screwing things up, and man did they do that to the 260 Remington by choosing the wrong twist rate. Not the first time for them!
In the real world, the 260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.5x47 Lapua are as close as triplets.

I like my 260 just as much as my 6.5 CM. They are both extremely accurate, and kill game well. The 6.5 Swede is also great, but I prefer the 6.5-06 over it. Everyone has their own opinion, and all are good choices. Things do differ if you don't load your own ammo, then you're stuck with whatever ammo you can find.

 

[troy fairweather]

Oddly the bickering about 6.5s started after the creedmoor came out, must be a manbun thing. it was well agreed on 6.5s were a sweet spot and almost a well kept secret between there users Prior to the cm.

 

[MrBorland]

@MrBorland, I like the keychain fob idea. I'm going to have to try that. How did you secure the coins to keep them from flying when hit?

Heh…you’re thinking way more ahead than I did . As I recall, I just stuck them on some cardboard with some double-stick tape…then spent a bunch of time looking for them in the dirt . I think I pasted & shot about 8 coins - as I recall, in addition to the fobs, 2 others were “winged” and 2 others were never found.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I think 99.99% of people who shoot at deer at 600 yards should be put in jail.

 

[horsemen61]

I think 99.99% of people who shoot at deer at 600 yards should be put in jail.

Very few can do it effectively that’s for sure…..

 

[Weflyfast]

Fantastic cartridge- I have one in R700 and it shoots exceptional if I keep bullet weights under 120-

Nice mild cartridge -