Definately a handloaders cartridge. Factory ammo selection is poor.I builta 260about 4 years ago for myself. I used a commercial FN Mauser and Hart barrel.Even thoughthe 260 isbased on the reliable 308 Win case, it's a bit finicky about certain powder/bullet/primer combinations.

Load component selection is poor. I was hoping that after the cartidge was adopted by Remington, cases and bullets would get more plentiful. As it is the only cases I can find with any regularity are Remington and Federal. Fed's are ok, but my Rem's tend to be brittle in the neck area and primer pockets get stretched sometimes. Even with moderate loads.

Handload manuals always list load velocity higher than what the average Joe can achieve. 260 data seems even more over rated. Every load I've worked up dissapointed me greatlywhen I chronographed it. Maybe if I was at 6000 feet bove sea level and shooting in a climate controlled tunnel I could get 2800 fps out of a 140 gr bullet like Remington and Federal haveclaimed. Sure as hell can't do it in the woods at 400 feet above sea level.

I used a 1/9" twist barrel. Most factory rifles, the last I checked, use the same. I wish I had gone with a 1/8.5" or 1/8". Longer, heavier bullets don't shoot really well from my rifle or the factory Remington's I've shot.By "really well" I mean 1/5MOA.My most accurate load is with a Sierra 85gr hp. My deer load is a 120 gr Pro Hunter (no one in my house is allowed to deer hunt with this rifle anymore!). I think the best bullet weight/length would be a 110 gr sp. Anything heavier/longer just doesn't stabilize as well as most shooters are used to.

I've spent more time on the range with this rifle than any other I've built. At first I just couldn't understand why it wasn't living up to all the hype. I re bedded the stock twice, took the barrel off and checked all tolerance with the receiver and chamber. Re crowned it, you name it. I've probably put over 4000 rounds through it, trying to magically make it as good as my other rifles and handguns.

I enjoy coyote hunting with this rifle and my wife has killed a few deer with it. Every deer she's shot with it ran quite a ways after being hit. All but one were lung, heart, and shouldershots.

Overall I prefer the 308 Win and 7mm-08 Rem. The only advantage the 260 has over the two old cartridges, for me, is with light weight bullets. I've threatened to re-barrel this rifle to a 7mm-08 many times. However,I really like shooting the 85 gr Sierra load at 3000 fps so I think I'll keep the gun around just for coyotes. Once the barrel is shot out, I'm done with 260's.