260 reload

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Right to bear arms

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OK I've been gone for a few years but I need some Firing Line Wisdom. Here is my dilemma. I recently bought a nice Savage 110 LA in 260 remington. I've got plenty of .243 brass and RL22(and RL15) powder. I want to load up something in the 120-130 grain area for deer hunting. Does anybody have any suggestions for starting loads and possible combinations for this gun. I know H4350 is the recommended powder, but I'm cash strapped for now. Velocity is not as important as accuracy as most of my SE shots will be 200 yds. or less. Thank you for any response.
 
Well to be honest I haven't worked up any loads yet, mine is still in the works.

I would say however that of the two you posted I would start with the RL-22. The 22 might be a bit too slow. But hey, you never know till you try it, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Looking at the load data listed on Alliant's site, the RL-15 looks a bit fast, whereas the 22 looks on the slow side. However if you take the 10% of due to the listed load being max, and start there with the 130gr bullets, then work up, you might hit on a very accurate load.
 
Yeh, that's kinda what I'm thinking. My instincts now lead toward a 130 grain Nosler accubond with A starting load of 40 grains of RL22. Thanks for any input.
 
I use IMR4064 behind 100 gr Nosler BT's and Reloader 17 behind 120 gr Nosler BT's. For the 130 gr Accubond, I'd try the R17, because I have some. If I had no R17, I'd first try H4350.
 
With the 10" twist in a Douglas 260 barrel, I do well with Nos BT 100 gr.

In a 9" twist Shilen 260 barrel, I am not doing well.

But in an 8" twist ratchet rifling Shilen 6.5-06 barrel with 120 gr Nos BT I am doing very well.

I am using 4895 speed powders in all 6.5mm cases. At the same time I burned up a jug of H4350, but that was in a 7mmRM.

The most common gun question on the internet is how much H4350 with 140 gr in a 260? This replaces the most popular question from 20 years ago, Can I shoot 38 special in my 357 mag?
 
Clark, have you tried 100 grn Partitions for your 6.5-06.
I've been testing this bullet, but haven't come up with anything yet, I still have more powders to try...
 
No.
Just the 100 gr nos bal tips on targets with the 10" twist 260.

This year I will try harder to get the 142 gr long range accubonds to shoot in 8" twist barrels [I have more to build for 2016], by experimenting with OAL.
 
RTBA,

In QuickLOAD the RL15 actually does better with the 120 grain Sierra SP because the RL22 is already compressed 5% before RL22 gets out of the starting load range. 5% is the default compressing limit (you can alter it if you go to extra trouble). But the RL15, being more compact, let me reach a higher pressure and was able to get another 68 fps over the 105% RL22 load as a result. I have to say that while QuickLOAD matches Alliant's velocity very closely, it winds up with a charge that exceeds the Alliant maximum by several percent. So, YMMV.

With the Sierra 130 grain GK the maximum velocity from 105% compressed RL 22 and from a lighter load of RL 15 were very close, with the RL 22 edging out the RL 15 by 10 fps. However, it too 18% more RL22 by weight, to get that compressed load to do that. Hardly worth the powder cost. So, at least with these two Sierra bullets, if you can't buy more powder right now, then your RL 15 is where I would go with it. The wasted and unburned and more massive charge of RL22 will increase recoil about 12% and increase muzzle blast with no useful return on investment unless its barrel time just turns out to be better suited to your gun's accuracy nodes.
 
Thanks a lot for the research. Looking through my junk I found a 1/4 lb. of H4350. I think it is optimal for 120 grain loads. I probably can load 20-30 rounds with it. I just need a good starting point and work my way up to an optimal/safe load.
 
My 8 twist Tikka CTR shoots 120 and 140 with H414 better than six other powders I tried. Also meters great. Chrono graphs 140 Sgks around 2700 fps. Sierra manual below max load of 41 grains he'd accuracy of 1/2 inch if I done my part.
 
The info I mentioned above is for my new 260. With the first 260 I shot IMR4064 behind both the 100 and 120 gr Nosler BT's. Accuracy was great. I suppose that backs what UncleNick said, since R15 has essentially the same burn rate, or close enough for Gov't work.

The only problem with my 260 is that it's just so darn accurate, light, and handy (20 inch barrel) that I have to make myself hunt with my other rifles.
 
With 100 Noslers, my Savage 116 likes 4064. With 120s and 129s, RL19 does the best. BTW, .6" groups with both, all day long.
 
I think of IMR-4451 as an H4350 with anti Copper fouling coating added [H4350 already has temp stable coating].

I am guessing this will be for the heavier bullets. eg 140 gr in 6.5

=--------------

I think of IMR-4166 as an IMR-4895 with anti Copper and temp stable coatings added.

This works great for me for the lighter bullets. eg 120 gr in 6.5-06
 
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