Need some load info for 260 Remington

W

Wendyj

New member
Been shooting 140 grain smks through 8 twist Tikka CTR. Great groups but wanted to try some 129 Hornady SST. Picked up a hundred today. Not sure if the 8 twist is good for these but going to try. Anyone use 8 twist and some H4350 loads with these. I have other powders but chose this one because it done so good with the Barnes 80 grains in my 243. Powders on hand are h4895. IMR 4895. IMR 3031. IMR 4064. H414. IMR 4831. Reloader 15 and RL 20. Maybe enough Varget and Benchmark for 10-15 loads.
 
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"

Hodgdon says:
H4350 .264" 2.780"
39.0 gr 2,530 fps 51,900 PSI
42.0 gr 2,677 fps 58,800 PSI

A google search will show some guys using as much as 45 gr.
 
I've liked every 6.5mm rifle I've ever shot (except the .264 Win Mag.), but I don't own or reload for one. I don't know if 1:8 twist would stabilize the 129s as well as it would the 140s, but they're close enough in weight (thus, bearing surface), that I would EXPECT the 129s to work with at least "OK" results.

It's been my experience and observation that (CETERIS PARIBUS), as bullet weights drop for a particular cartridge, the use of a faster-burning powder tends to yield as good or better ballistics. This is readily discernable in the .30-06 and 7.92x57mm, so I expect the smaller-bore 6.5s to be equally sensitive to it, if not more so.
 
I had my buddy in Fl work up a load in Quickload for my rifle using Hornady 129sp. After putting in various powders, this is what QL came up with as the optimal combination. Keep in mind that this is for a rifle with an 18.5" barrel with a 1-in-9 twist.

42.5 gr of RL17 seated to an OAL of 2.800. QL predicts a velocity of 2725 from this combination of barrel and load with a 99.63% burn and 92.1% fill at 57,222 PSI.

We loaded up a box of 20 and they did shoot pretty well. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to chrono it or to tweak it up or down for accuracy. Now that I'm back into reloading with my own press and dies, I'm going to pick up that load again and see what it really does.
 
I originally bought this rifle just to shoot from the bench but it shoots so good with smks that I thought I'd give it a try with some ssts for hunting. I started last night loading some starting at 38.5 and working up 1/2 grain increments. Think I'm up to 41.5 with 3 each of h4350. Still got some more to go. I think my Hodgdon shows max 42.5 for 130 grain bullet. Hornady manual has loads but they are mostly powders I use in my 7 mag. Reloader 22 IMR 4831 and H4831. I'm trying more of the powders I use in my 308 and 243. Case size close. Bullets are lighter but just going off the 130 grain loadsince 129 isn't listed. I've got 20 inch barrel. Sako muzzle brake and 1-8 twist. I personally wouldn't have added the muzzle brake but it does make it shoot like a 223 as far as recoil goes. Topped off with 6.5x20x50 Vortex Viper. So far it's been a real shooter.
Before my dies came in I shot a box of 140 Rem cor loks through it to get the brass. Even with factory I could get 3/4 or less. Best so far with 40.5 grains of IMR 4831 was .297. Don't have a chrono yet but that's getting ready to change.
 
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My Remington Model 700 has a 1-in-8 twist, 26 inch Krieger barrel and it shoots well with everything. Can't help you with the powders you have on hand but this is the load I developed. Not maximum, but it shoots well.

Bullet: Hornady 129 gr. SST
Powder: Alliant Reloader 19 45.0 grs.
Primer: Federal 210
Case: Nosler
LOAL: 2.818 (2.213 base to ogive for 0.050 bullet jump to lands)
Average Velocity: 2833.56 fps
Extreme Spread: 37.31
Standard Deviation: 15.90
Comments: Best group at 200 yards was 1.712 for five shots.

The Hornady 129 gr. SST is the only bullet I've used with Reloader 19. My two favorite powders for the .260 Remington are IMR-4350 or XMR-4350
 
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