I'm trying to develop a load for hunting use in my Tikka T3x CTR in .260 Rem. Using Lapua brass, Nosler 142gr Long Range Accubonds seated to mag length, Winchester primers, Varget. Varget is pretty much the only powder I can reliably obtain locally.

Data is as follows:
Charge weight/Avg Velocity/S-D
   34.0/2379/10.5
   34.5/2401/15.4
   35.0/2427/5.8
   35.5/2481/17.9
   36.0/2503/7.5
   36.5/2518/11.0
   37.0/2565/11.0
   37.5/2605/12.0

All of these charges shot pretty decent groups at 100yd.  I'm not seeing any pressure signs so I'm tempted to keep going. Anything I've overlooked? Any other big game bullet I should look into?

On an interesting note, I was previously using Black Hills Match .308 brass that I resized and velocities seemed to be nearly 30-40fps faster. Everything I've read says Lapua brass has lower volume and would therefore need less powder to produce similar velocities (that's why I started this workup at 34.0gr).

I would take that 36.0 load and run with it. What distance are you planning on shooting? Are you using regular Accubonds or LR?

Distances will vary according to animal. Generally I try to keep it within a few hundred yards but sometimes hunting in the West you have no choice but to take longer shots. I am using the LR bullets. According to Nosler 1300fps is the minimum recommended velocity for terminal performance. If I plug those numbers in to JBM Ballistics I'm good in theory out to 1350 yards.

Eventually I'll develop a load using 120 or 130gr bullets for target use.

If you really want to, since you say you're not getting pressure signs, go hotter. But if it were me I would just stick with that 36.0 load. You have decent velocity for a 20" barrel, you say you're getting good accuracy, and a single digit SD. Going hotter is harder on the brass and LR accubonds are expensive.

I would go 36.3 based on the data provided.

That seems very slow, what did your work up show max pressure velocity to be? Not that you need the speed but because you might find a better load.

My 24" 6.5grendel 140 Hybrid load is 2500fps.

My first step is finding max pressure for MY setup.(or compressed charge but I don't  use powder that will fill 100% at a lower than max pressure)

You have to measure the capacity of the cases fired from you chamber to know anything for sure.


With a case that has less capacity it does generally cause higher pressure for a given charge.
You would reduce the charge to get back to that original pressure.
This doesn't mean you will get the same speed, it means you will likely be slower because you have less powder.


Think of it like a drag race, you have two cars with 1000hp(chamber pressure).
One has enough gas (powder) for a 1/4 mile the other only has enough for an 1/8th  mile.

Off the line they are both at 1000hp (same chamber pressure) but by the 1/8th mile one runs out of gas (powder) the other crosses the line at a higher speed.

Now if they are only racing 1/8th mile(shorter barrel) they will be the same 

Pressure/power over time determines your speed.

Before I got to this post, I was thinking I would load 36.2gr and see how that averages with SD and how it groups at 300yds.

With the 142gr ABLR, you have such a high BC, a bonded bullet, and super low expansion, that it performs way outside of the expectations or capabilities of well over 95% of hunters out there.

The BC is not what is published though:
600yds 1705fps 917 ft-lbs

That bullet will kill large game really well with your set up within distances where you can make it through the vitals.