My .260 is a very expensive piece of JUNK! [Lots of pics]

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afy, for the record, i don't own a 260rem. i'm mostly using the 6mmXC and 308win (I have actually shot live bugs at 100m though :D ), but yeah, i can't imagine the problem is the caliber.

i have shot a lot of VV powder even though it's quite expensive over here. love it.


howard and jlbraun, so how far off trajectory will those forces push a bullet?
 
Boris ..> Aube France. The rifle is built by FMR-Unique

35 Wheelen.. the stock comes off but no chance of a wobble.

IMGP0029.jpg

The general construction of the rifle is very very solid. No complaints what so ever. If only it would shoot. :)
 
I feel your pain, and hope this gets settled to your satisfaction. Any chance the bore diameter is Italian spec 6.5?... i.e. .268"?

I enjoyed the process of watching and helping a bit when my custom .243 was built in 1984, but had nagging apprehension too. My worst fear was having happen what has happened to you, and having the maker say it's good and you say it's not. I was so relieved that my rifle was a true sub .25"/100 yard tack driver w/o fancy ammo prep, and a joy to own.

If it were me, and I had the ability to be at the maker's shop I would personally watch them shoot groups at various ranges to prove the rifles accuracy, and then shoot some myself. Like having an O/U that you shot well but after patterning you know shoots off point of aim, the psychology remains, and at times can not be overcome.
 
JLBraun even assuimg the 8000 calibers to settle down ... for the .260 that is about 50 meters.

I still cant figure out how a 7 inch group will shrink to 1.12 inches at 300...
 
Pretty new here but found this very interesting. Did the gunsmith mention how far off the lands the bullets were? Adjusting the seating depth can make quite a difference.

Just a thought.
 
I have never swallowed the "sleepy bullet" theory. There was a guy on the benchrest board who set up an Oehler Accoustic Target at 100 yards and a paper target at something over 300 yards. He said he had never fired a group that was smaller in angular measure at 300+ than the same bullets at 100. No statistics, no talk of a smaller group at 300 on Thursday than at 100 on Wednesday, the same bullets plotted at two different ranges.
 
Afy, I understood already that you were using the recipe they gave you. For that kind of money, I never thought you wouldn't go that last little step to get good results. That's why I have no confidence that they have ever gotten the results they're saying they did from your gun.
 
Afy,

If it weren’t for bad luck you’d have no luck at all.

Hope you get your rifle fixed (shooting good) before you spend $5,000 for ammo.

Good Luck and let us know how this turns out.

I want to see your next thread about how good your rifle shoots!
 
I have never swallowed the "sleepy bullet" theory. There was a guy on the benchrest board who set up an Oehler Accoustic Target at 100 yards and a paper target at something over 300 yards. He said he had never fired a group that was smaller in angular measure at 300+ than the same bullets at 100. No statistics, no talk of a smaller group at 300 on Thursday than at 100 on Wednesday, the same bullets plotted at two different ranges.
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Well, that's exactly what can be expected if the twist is correct for the bullet weight.
 
also, in a no-wind situation, the bullet wouldn't exhibit that spiraling, right?

i mean, the flow field (all those arrows coming from the right) basically means wind, right?
 
I too don't buy the "sleep" thing with bullets. Case in point:

I own a custom 6.5x55 built by my father in the '60's. It was barreled by E.R. Shaw. I first noticed a problem when looking at targets fired with loads of 160 gr. Hornady RN bullets (the old style bullets). I'd have a nice group, almost always under 1" @ 100 yds., but the bullets holes looked peculicar all having a sort of grey smudge at one edge of the hole.
I finally realized that the bullets weren't stabilizing as they should. I checked the twist of the barrel and it was, for whatever reason, 1 in 9"! Of course this isn't nearly enough to stabilize the old Hornady 160 gr. RN's as they were an incredible 1.28" in length!

Anyhow remembering the "sleeping bullet" stuff, I thought I'd try it. I set a target up on the 200 meter (220 yd.) target stand and fired a few groups, and although the groups were proportionately OK, the bullets were still tipping and had not "gone to sleep" as some had predicted.

Just a friendly observation.
35W
 
Galil: No idea if its an italian 6.5 however given that the 'test' load was with Lapua 139 scenars... doubt it.

Varminthound: The COAL is at 2.925 inches or 74.5 mm.. lands are still a little bit off. 75 mm

35Wheelen: The Lapua 139 is 1.358 inches, The 140 SMK is 1.309, the 123 Scenar:1.303

I am not seeing any smudging on the targets. Though the 300 M one does have a little.
 
If you're shooting hollowpoint bullets, you won't see smudging. The gray smudge I was seeing was caused by the lead tip of the bullet contacting the target paper in an area outside of what should've been a perfectly round bullet hole. With the target bullets, there's no exposed lead.
FYI, According to the Greenhill Formula, your barrels twist for the 140 SMK should be at least 1 in 7.75". You may already know this as I haven't read all the threads.
35W
 
Man I hope you get that fixed. I think I'd be asking him to do it while you watch.
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This is the only real solution. Pack the rifle up along with some cartridge components and head out to the manufacturers place yourself. If they can replicate their original results (which I doubt), then the fault is with your technique or your ammo.

"Prove it or give me my money back."
 
That rifle is just so awesome looking though. Maybe your "gunsmith" just shouldn't be making barrels? Perhaps a Lothar Walther would fix your problem.
 
Srat81: Did that exactly....


The group is not from my rifle. Its my barrel on another rifle... :banghead:

Anyhow the rifle is with the manufacturer who will test all fitment tolerances and the shooting. And on Saturday morning will demonstrate the performance to me. In person.

Also am going to load up my ammo and take it along. Just in case I am doing something screwy with my loading.
 
The group is not from my rifle. Its my barrel on another rifle...
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DO WHAT!

What kind of mickey mouse fly by night manufacturer are you dealing with? You're getting a $300 rifle style runaround on a $5000 gun.

So in essence they did NOTHING to your gun on the previous trip back to the manufacturer.
 
Krochus...

They did replace my barrel.

However due to the peculiar arms rules in France... couldnt give my rifle to their tester...

So he took the barrel... fitted it to his rifle ... did the groups and returned the barrel.

But they havent tested the mating on my rifle... nor verified the performance. So they are doing this during the week and demonstrating on Saturday...

Welcome to france... :banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
There is your problem. Boy I would send it back and get my money back then go to someone else and get a new rifle built.

They are more than likely using a rail gun of sorts with a universal reciever. Like the Bullet manufactures use.

Something is off in your rifle. I am now willing to bet money that the chambr has not been cut inline with your action. There for causing you the problems. It is however inline more so with the test action.

Dude I think you need to move across the pond. Then you would not have these problems.

Why can't the gunsmith who built this POS test fire it and and then give yu his load info? I know a few that will do that here as part of getting the rifle.
 
Strat... that is what another french manufacturer does.

Christian Salva... he has a 6-6.5x47 featured on the 6mmbr Gun of the week.

My guy also uses the Salva trigger and stock on some of his rifles. I have a Salva trigger on mine... it breaks like glass. My pull is set at 1.5 lbs... but can be lowered to 250 grams... or about 1/2 lb.
 
krochus is right, I'm sure you're beginning to wonder about the competence level of these people. We'll just have to wait to see the next phase of this saga. We're pulling for you.

NCsmitty
 
I did live in US for six wonderful years. In MA and did quite a bit of shooting at Smith and Wesson.

While in the US my trip was cars... so in Six years I went through 2 Corvettes(C5 and a Z06), 1 Viper, a 308 Ferrari, a Mustang GT, a Supra and a Grandam and cleica. (The celica was my first car, and the grandam the winter beater).
I did total the Viper though.

Shooting was mainly handguns.. 9mm/10mm/44MAG etc.

I am giving them until Saturday to fix things. Paitence in Europe is the only way things will get done... Remember in France the customer is always wrong.

The manufacturer even pulled a couple of my bullets today to verify the charge was correct. Measured COAL etc. Went to the VV manual.. and as e was looking it up.. I let im know that the current charge is actually 4.13 grains over max, and that I have actually verified the estimated pressures etc with Quickload. Loved the look on his face.
 
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