Remington Model 7: .260 or .308?

[GunNut]

I've currently got a Remington Model 7 SS in .308 w/20" barrel.

I've been considering swapping the .308 barrel for a 22" .260 Remington.

The .308 heats up very quickly, and starts to string after just a few rounds. Plus, with anything hot, it kicks like a mule.

I've got a Savage 10FP in .308 for target shooting, and have been considering adding a 25-06 or .260 for mule deer hunting.

So, should I rebarrel my Model 7 or sell it and buy a smaller bore gun?

Steve

 

[longspurr]

If you intend the Rem mod 7 as a gun you carry a lot then put a 260 barrel on it & experiment with bedding the barrel to eliminate the impact change. The 25-06 is a good cartridge for mule deer-but it needs a long action and barrel to be right. The 25-06 will end up 2-4 pounds heaver than the Rem mod 7. Do you reload? The 260 can be loaded up from what the factory is putting out. [according to chrono reports from 4 years ago]

 

[GunNut]

longspurr,

Just this weekend, finally started to reload. Loaded up some snot kicking 45/70 loads, boy were they fun to shoot. I also loaded some .308, my scope should be here tomorrow, then I can go shoot the 10FP.

The .260 really has me interested.

Shot some .308 Hornady 150gr light magnums in the Model 7 last year, reminded me of my .338 w/250gr loads.

But, I did get a 5 point with the .308.

Steve

 

[Art Eatman]

Not really hollerin' "You should..." or "You shouldn't...", but I sorta think a heavier bullet than .25 caliber would be a bit better on mulies. I sorta lean toward at least a 7mm08. That's just me, though.

I say this because I pulled off a bit on a mulie that only dressed out at 125 pounds. Hit about two inches behind the heart, with a 150-grain '06. He sorta humped up and looked insulted. He was slowed enough that putting him down was easy...Maybeso 90 yards.

IMO: For a hunting rifle, the group-size for anything over two or three shots is irrelevant. Doesn't tell you anything useful, at all. "One shot, meat. Two shots, maybe. Three shots, Vienna Sausage or salami." However, it might help to tweak with the bedding of the forearm. Free-float and shim and all that.

It would be comparatively cheap to install one of these fairly-new Kick-Eez recoil pads. Folks say they work better than Pachmyr's pads; maybeso 20% less felt-recoil.

$0.02,

Art

 

[Maestro]

.260Rem....very efficient caliber
Good ballistic co-efficient
Can be reloaded to do what the .270 does
Short action,lighter rifle
Less recoil than .308
My skinny 15yr. old son shoots one without problems
my .02
Good luck.

 

[chieftain]

I have the same model 7 you have stainless 20" barrel etc.

I also had the barrel cryod'
The action bedded
and the trigger worked.

I usually don't need more than 3 shots while hunting and never found that heating up a thin barrel to be a problem.

The 308 does everything I need a hunting rifle to do.

I put a compact Burris 3X9 on mine and it shoots point blank to 275 yards. 2.2 hi to 5.4" low.

I hunt usually with Remington 150gr corelock. I would think if you maintain a thin barrel profile the faster rounds your suggesting would make the barrel even hotter!

A thicker barrel profile, re: rebarreling the rifle would solve the heating problem. I would then go to a heavier rifle in the first place.

It works for me.

For extended shooting with the 308 I usually use my M1A or M1 Garand rebarreled to 308.

I am only looking for accuracy for 2 rounds in my hunting rifle but have found most will work for the whole loading.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

Fred

 

[357Man]

re: .260 or .308

If the rifle as it currently is doesn't suit you, by all means make the switch.
I'd go with the .260 simply because of lighter recoil, if for nothing else.

 

[Delmar]

You could also handload that 308 down a bit to take some of the meanness out of it.

 

[GunNut]

Ok, I've decided to keep the .308 a .308 and I'll just have to go and buy another rifle.

So what caliber should I go for 25-06 or .260?

See other post to help me.

Steve

 

[HankL]

GunNut , What do you have against the 7mm/08? A Nosler Partition 140 gr. at around 2700 fps. is pretty good deer whopper considering that it's comming out of a nice compact 20" bbl. rifle.
Believe me when I say that justifying a new rifle is easier and more fun than converting one. Just get a Model 7 in 7mm/08.

 

[JohnKSa]

Art,

The 260 Remington actually shoots a .264" diameter bullet, it's not a .25.

 

[Gewehr98]

7mm-08 vs. .260 Remington...

Take a looksie at the BC and SD numbers for both rounds. Then take a look at the bullet selection for the two. the .260 Remington, aka 6.5mm-08, has a noticeable edge.

 

[Art Eatman]

JohnKSa, yeah; I was thinkin' 'bout the other comment re the .25-'06.

One way of looking at the whole deal is that the smaller the cartridge, the greater the necessary precision on the part of the shooter, and the less margin for error as to a bad hit. A problem with any of these sorts of forums is that we can't really know that much about the folks who post here--background in shooting and all that. And, newbies read this stuff as well as old-timers.

Newbies are part of the reason I often make a more general comment than to get real specific. Just tryin' to get folks to think and figure out "why". (Heck, sometimes even I have at least a vague idea 'bout "why". )

Art

 

[Delmar]

A suggestion-the 25-06 is not close enough to the 270 Winchester and is out performed in the varmint role by the 6mm Rem and the 243. The 260 is rather limited in bullet selection but its getting better all the time. The 7mm-08 has as many choices as the 308 Winchester, but if recoil is a concern, you might want to look at the 260 or smaller. I can't see where the 7mm-08 would recoil all that much less than a 308, but then, I'm sure someone will come to the little 7's rescue shortly
Don't even know if they make it, but the 257 Roberts, especially in the +P loads, is pretty much neck and neck with the 25-05 if you like the quarter bore, burns less powder for about the same velocity.

 

[wanderinwalker]

If you reload, I highly recommend the .260!! My Mountain Rifle, in .260, is 3/4 minute accurate with 140gr GameKings, light to carry, and VERY easy to shoot. My current recipe has those 140gr bullets moving at roughly 2600 fps, which is enough for my needs. I could probably get another 50-150 fps by switching powders and playing, but I already have sub-MOA accuracy. What more does one need? In short, I suggest the .260 Remington.

 

[Art Eatman]

The 700Ti is a bit pricey, but I managed 6-1/4 pounds with scope, ammo and sling. The recoil from the benchrest isn't bad with the 7mm08; less than my '06 from a 9-1/2-pound rifle, seems like. At any rate, it doesn't seem to beat on my arthritic shoulder enough to notice.

From Mr. Hornady's data book, I'm getting around 2,900 ft/sec with a 140-grain bullet. 22" barrel...

FWIW, Art

 

[Gordon]

I have a .308 mod. 600 Remington customized by Brown Precision into a 5 3/4 lb. with Burris 2-7 compact . It has shot into less than 1' for 4 rds(the capacity) for 20 years. Sure the ported 18" barrel kicks , but this is a HUNTING GUN that a HUNTER who walks all day can carry at any altitude. I use 150grain partitions launched at 2750fps by Win 748 in 18" barrel! I shoot a bigger gun on elk and up.

 

[cratz2]

I would tend to think that smaller, higher velocity bullets heat barrels up quicker than slower heavier bullets. If this is really a consideration, the larger diameter slower bullets should allow for more shots before the barrel gets too hot.

Never shot a 260 but I have compared a 308 to a 7mm-08 in both the 10FP and a Winchester 70 Compact. The 7mm kicks a bit less than the 308 but not enough that anyone would call the 7mm a pussycat compared to the tyranosauratic 308. But every little bit helps if recoil is a problem. The 7mm is a bit less than the 308 and the 260 should be a bit less than the 7mm.

I'd tend to lean towards the 7mm for perceived wider bullet selection even though last time I was in my local shop, the only weights they had in stock in 7mm-08 or the 260 was 140 gr. Higher sectional density with the 260 but should be very similar in recoil.

 

[JohnKSa]

Art,

Ya kind of surprised me with that glitch. I remember wondering what was wrong with you since I know that you are typically very knowledgeable about such things.

It wasn't until the next day or so when I saw the second thread that I figured out what had probably happened...

Oh well, how does that saying go? "Once I thought Art was wrong but I was mistaken..." or something like that.

Good shooting,

John

 

[Art Eatman]

I've missed a clue or cue a time or two...Shades of Dennis

In general, for a hunting rifle, rate of heat buildup is irrelevant, seems to me. What's most important is that the first shot from an ambient-temperature barrel always go to the same point of aim.

In general, for the medium range of cartridges from the .243 to the .30-'06, recoil shouldn't be particularly objectionable unless the stock doesn't really fit correctly. And, the change to a buttpad like the "KickEez" (spelling?) should be quite helpful...Proper stock fit and a soft pad let one concentrate on the more important things--like proper shot placement.

Art

 

[Delmar]

Heat build up is going to be figured on the barrel thickness, the expansion ratio-powder amount vs bore size (and length of the tube to a minor degree) and pressure. You can lower the flame temp slightly by using ball powder which burns a bit cooler, but pressure and temp are pretty much in lock step, so not much you can do about that but sling arrows Unless you are going to hunt varmints with it, a 3 shot group, spaced reasonably apart, with a 5 minute cool down between groups is not going to burn the barrel out very quickly. If you pay close attention to the cleanliness and avoid getting the barrel too hot, you should be able to hold accuracy for 6-10,000 rounds depending upon the load.