Posted: 10/18/2014 11:47:35 AM EDT
| I want to build a rifle for long-ish range. I reload so ammo is not an issue. I would really like to be able to be consistent out to 5-600 and then stretch from there. Target shooting primarily but might also hunt with it. Which is a better fit and why 260 or 308? Thanks! |
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Either but the preference goes to the .260 in my opinion;
.260; less recoil, flatter trajectory, Great ammo components available; 139 Lapua, 140 SMK, 142 SMK, 123 Lapua, I'm not up on the hornady offerings but they have them for sure. .308, tried and true, commonly available off the shelf ammo and will easily do the job at the ranges you spec'd out. |
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Quoted:
.260 if you are a reloader . .308 off the shelf . When I wear out my .308 barrel it will probably go in some form of 6.5 . This is a very good idea. When I shot out my .308 barrel I got a barrel in 6.5CM and the CM is fantastic. Couple that with the fact match ammunition for the CM can be had way cheaper than .308 match ammo it's a win/win scenario. |
| What barrel length? I was considering .260 but went with .308 because I want a compact package (18" barrel) for use with a suppressor. .260 suffers too much velocity loss out of that short a barrel for it to be worth the hassle. I think an 18" barrel is much more useful than a 24" one, but it all depends on what you're using it for. |
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Quoted:
What barrel length? I was considering .260 but went with .308 because I want a compact package (18" barrel) for use with a suppressor. .260 suffers too much velocity loss out of that short a barrel for it to be worth the hassle. I think an 18" barrel is much more useful than a 24" one, but it all depends on what you're using it for. I had a 20" 260...a 140gr Hornady HPBT over 43.0gr H4350 in Lapua brass gave me a consistent 2700fps; bumping up another half grain or switching to RL17 would have easily gotten me to 2750. At least two different 18-18.5" 6.5 Creedmoors on SnipersHide have gotten 2640 with Hornady factory 140 A-Max, and Sin City Precision's 16.5" Creedmoors running 139 Scenars and 41.6gr H4350 have been in the 2550-2575 ballpark with a 123gr/Varget accuracy load north of 2730fps. Run those numbers with typical velocities from a 16.5-20" 308 and I'd say they compare more than favorably... |
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Quoted:
I had a 20" 260...a 140gr Hornady HPBT over 43.0gr H4350 in Lapua brass gave me a consistent 2700fps; bumping up another half grain or switching to RL17 would have easily gotten me to 2750. At least two different 18-18.5" 6.5 Creedmoors on SnipersHide have gotten 2640 with Hornady factory 140 A-Max, and Sin City Precision's 16.5" Creedmoors running 139 Scenars and 41.6gr H4350 have been in the 2550-2575 ballpark with a 123gr/Varget accuracy load north of 2730fps. Run those numbers with typical velocities from a 16.5-20" 308 and I'd say they compare more than favorably... Quoted:
Quoted:
What barrel length? I was considering .260 but went with .308 because I want a compact package (18" barrel) for use with a suppressor. .260 suffers too much velocity loss out of that short a barrel for it to be worth the hassle. I think an 18" barrel is much more useful than a 24" one, but it all depends on what you're using it for. I had a 20" 260...a 140gr Hornady HPBT over 43.0gr H4350 in Lapua brass gave me a consistent 2700fps; bumping up another half grain or switching to RL17 would have easily gotten me to 2750. At least two different 18-18.5" 6.5 Creedmoors on SnipersHide have gotten 2640 with Hornady factory 140 A-Max, and Sin City Precision's 16.5" Creedmoors running 139 Scenars and 41.6gr H4350 have been in the 2550-2575 ballpark with a 123gr/Varget accuracy load north of 2730fps. Run those numbers with typical velocities from a 16.5-20" 308 and I'd say they compare more than favorably... There are several people in my area running 16.5" barreled 6.5x47 lapua with great results. If shorter barrels are your thing then I would say go for it. While .308 is great for getting started, going with one of the 6.5 offerings if you reload can be even better. 6.5 creedmore if you do not reload. I have ran several .308 rifles and have enjoyed all of them. I have now decided it was time for something better and dropped into the 6.5 crowd. You cannot go wrong with either choice, but there are limitations of both options, just be aware of that and you should be able to make the right choice. |