I think I originally posted this in the wrong spot (damn rookie)

I am looking for a low recoil short action (non-magnum!) deer rifle that I wouldn't feel bad shooting at a Mule deer from 250+/- yards. These two are interesting.

Any thoughts?


P.S. Why hasn't anyone put a .277 bullet in that .308 case?

If you don't reload get a 7mm-08. It's a 7mm bullet in a 308 hull. It's very tame on recoil but still shoots pretty flat despite how little it kicks. With a 140 grain bullet it's hot death on whitetails and although I have never hunted Mule deer I can't see why it wouldn't be just as effective on them. I have one in a Browning A-bolt and it's a great little deerslayer.

The 260 is a great caliber and definately would do the job equally well but for what ever reason the gods of gun popularity just never smiled on it. Unless you reload you may have a tough time finding a variety of ammo to choose from at most sporting goods stores and some may not have it at all. You also won't see any at the large retail stores like Wal-Mart or K-mart either. I actually wanted to buy a 260 about a year ago but had a devil of a time finding a rifle I liked chambered for it. Most of the major companies have discontinued the 260 from their line up.

Both are great deer guns. Many argue that they are the "perfect" deer guns. Both shoot 140 grains as a base bullet (ballistically about equal). The 7mm can load heavier and the 260 can load lighter.

I don't know why everybody on this board says the 260 is falling out of favor. On another board everybody says it's getting more popular. Nobody ever has real data to support either contention. The only way I can figure is that Remington, Ruger, and Kimber still make rifles for the 260. Remington makes a 120 grain accutip and a 140 grain core-lokt. Federal makes a 120 grain ballistic tip and a 140 grain gameking. All for about $20 a box. For deer, I don't know why one needs more than those choices. You can special order bullets from 100 grains to 160 grains in a variety of bullet choices for the 260.

Both are good guns. I don't think you can go wrong with either. I own two 260s and I have a brother who shoots a 7mm-08, both will put a deer down at 250 yards without blinking an eye!

You would not go far wrong with either caliber, but I agree with Todd1700 on ammo availability, at least in my area. If ammo ever gets scarce you can order it online through Midway, www.midwayusa.com.

Even if you reload, you may find a few more bullet choices available to you in 7mm. I reload for 6.5x55, and while you can get anything you want off the internet, the local stores don't seem to carry much variety in 6.5mm bullets. No matter, just about any 140 grain 6.5 bullet is accurate and penetrates very well at even modest velocities.

I am a big fan of the 7mm-08, but I wouldn't mind having a 260 as well. These calibers really are giant-killers. look at this ballistics table comparing it to the 150 grain 30-06. I like the 30-06 too, don't get me wrong it's awesome, I just don't think people realiize how stout the 7mm-08 really is.

Hey just in the interest of starting an argument, wouldnt a 7mm08 on a big mulie be kinda like a .243 on whitetail. Not that I dont condone .243 on whitetail, its quite the opposite...I STRONGLY support it. I have one and LOVE it. I just noticed that noone has even thought of knocking the 7mm08 on mulies or moose, etc.. however, several on this board seem to think that the .243 is "minimal". Just a thought....

I've worked with just about any cartridge you can think of, but the 260 Rem. isn't one of them unfortunately.
I hunt strictly handguns, which includes the TC Encore/Contender, and the Savage Striker.
My one Striker is chambered in the 7mm-08, and due to the velocity difference between the 15" barrel and rifle lengths, I load rounds that will perform the same (or similar) as do the higher velocity rifle loads which use heavier bullet weights.
Using a Nosler 120gr Ballistic tip and Varget, I get 2750fps with groups at an inch or less at 100yds.
I neck down Federal .308 Match brass to 7mm, and the round itself is just inherently accurate as it's not overbore. Meaning that it's powdercharge/case dimensions are more in relation to it's bore size. Much the reason the .308 operates as accurately as it does.....even more so with the 7mm08.

I know folks who take deer with the .22-250 in Encores, so I don't doubt the utility of the 260 Rem either.

My 2
Take care,
Bob

There is a world of difference between a 1000 lb moose and a 270 lb mule deer. That said I will also say that both those rounds are great but that the .260 is best left to a handloader. They both are incredibly close to the .270 win in performance and many people think that that .270 can handle anything with a pulse.

Either one is good . The .260 is a .308 necked down to .264 (6.5mm) and the 7-08 is a 308 necked down to .284(7mm). There are slight neck shoulder diffrences to prevent interchangability for saftey but ballistically they are the same. Handloaders have a great selection of bullets in either caliburs. Choose the gun first and if it comes in either cal fine. I lean towards the .260 as It can be loaded down for small varmints slightly better than the 7mm-08 IMHO

Both are excellent rounds. I have had both and it would be a hard choice. The 260 is a little hard to find a good supply of factory ammo.