As some of you may have noticed, i am on the quest for the perfect (for me) caliber to use as an all around low recoil hunting/target rifle.
to be honest i wasn't even considering the 260 rem but now after all the research and help from the forums, i cant see a single down side for some one who reloads,
i like the 6.5 swede more but the limited (more so than the 260) rifle selection and harder to come by brass puts the 260 on top in my opinion...
before i make my final decision, what are your opinions on it?
in europe they use the swede for everything moose and all... i wont go that big with it but it just proves its worth as an elk caliber.
thanks for any of your input.
Last edited by Shane.rawlings; 09-16-2011 at 08:17 PM.
Just finished up having a .300 Win. Mag. built by Hill Country Rifles, and talked a little about what might be cool for the next build. We talked about a light weight .260 or 7mm-08.
Not a TON of bullet weights out there, but how many do you really need for what that cartridge is intended for.
You should check out the custom .260 Hill Country has available to sell on their website. www.hillcountryrifles.com
Don't know what your budget is, but they make incredible rifles
The 260 is a great round. The only down side to that I could think of is bullet selection. I have one in a Remington XP100R pistol, it is a great shooting round. Like Big Z mentioned a 7-08 is also another great round that is based on the same case, the bullet is slightly larger, 7mm vs. 6.5mm. The 7mm has way more bullet selection, and if you dont handload the 7-08 is way easier to find ammo for. Everey mom and pop gun store from coast to coast will have ammo for the 7-08 but probably not for the 260 Rem.
No downsides. If it comes right down to it you can make excellent brass from 7-08 stock. The bullet selection runs from 95 gr. Vmaxs to 160 gr. RN so I don't see the problem there. Its as easy to load for as anything that uses a base .308 brass and they tend to be pretty accurate too.
i agree, i have a .223 for anything smaller than a 95 grain id need, and cant think of anything that needs more than a 160 gr id hunt. i just cant believe the 260 isn't more popular and i hadn't heard about it sooner
I don't reload, so ammo selection locally is a problem for me. I have a Sako 75 in 260 and love it. I can find 140 gr. ammo locally, but 120 gr. is a little harder to come by. I was drawn to the caliber by the ballistics, the same way I was drawn to the new 6.5 Creedmoor. Great choice IMO.
I see no down sides to the 260 Rem. Excellent cartridge choice for deer.
But I just have to say this about the 6.5x55 SE. I have found that factory ammo for both the 260 Rem. and the 6.5x55 Se are about the same as far as being available locally around Birmingham, Al. The MSRP for each is comparable .... about $20 to $37 per box of 20.
I have used rifles chambered for the 260 Rem. (Rem. 700) and 6.5x55 SE (1932 vintage Mauser). Factory stuff is not hard to find fr the SE. It is available from at least Wolf, Nosler Custom, Norma, Remington, Federal and Winchester. I have found both Remington and Federal at the local Wally-World
The main reason I like the 6.5x55 Se better is because I have found that my rifle, a 1932 vintage Mauser, handles bullets from 120 gr. to 156 gr. ... grouping loads in the 2700 to 2550 fps (respectfully) very well, with excellent groups. The 260 Rem. I had ... past 140 gr. it would not group worth a hoot, and the bullet started to (I suspect) sit well back into the cartridge. The 6.5x55 Se is not a "under gun" by any means. It is one of those cartridges that does great, but has never caught on ... and in my opinion, never will. It sends a 156 gr. bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2550 fps +/- with a rather mild load ... and that will drop any white tail that ever walked .... out to distances of 400 yards ..... no problem
Not having a lot of ammo locally isn't that big of a deal anymore. I order most of my ammo online so I can get pretty much anything I want. It's usually cheaper too!
My carry round for my G22 and G27 is Federal 165 gr. HST. My carry round for my SW1911 is Federal 230 gr. HST. I've never even seen them locally and my magazines are full and I have more then enough to refill them.
Are there any down sides to the 260 rem?
