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Posted: 8/17/2009 7:49:49 PM EDT
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I am trying to work up a hunting load for my Remington Model 7 with a 20" barrel and have not had the best of luck yet. I am using Hornady 140 gr SST bullets and I did try some 140 gr Bergers with no luck (the magazine limits how far out I can seat the bullet and I don't want a single shot). I am using H4831SC for powder. I also have Varget, IMR -4064 and RE19 that I haven't tried yet. If anyone has experience with this rifle please let me know what is working for you. I want to stick with the 140gr bullet for the hunting that I will be doing this year. So far my best group is 1.5" @ 100 yards. I have free floated the barrel and lightened the trigger. I would prefer to shirk the group size down to sub-moa. I shoot one ragged hole groups with my Remington 700 .308 Win w/ 168 gr Bergers and I am hoping to get closer to that accuracy.
What powder should I try with the 260 Rem 20" barrel to achieve the best possible accuracy with decent velocity for big game? Slower burning or faster? Any advice would be great! Thanks |
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A flatbase 140 would probably stabilize, especially at higher elevations. The lack of a boattail makes for a shorter bullet, and therefore the stability factor isn't as critical. Any good hunting bullet you recommend with a flat base? Oh, I've had good luck with Hornady Interlock soft points. The Nosler Partition is a flatbase, as is the Swift A-Frame. They're not as sexy as a lot of the new bonded polymer VLD polycarbonate ultra bullets, but they, particularly the Partition, have been killing big animals for a long time. |
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I don't have a Mod 7, but if you want to shrink down to sub MOA, it may require using some precision brass, sorting through the 140 grain bullets to find the most precise ones, carefully controlling neck tension, and concentrating on keeping assembled runout to a minimum. Of course, the Mod 7 bbl needs to be well broken in. I suppose though, since you shoot ragged holes with your .308 '700 you know all of this.
Other powder choices might include the new H100V. Looks like that one would require a compressed load to get max chamber pressure, which helps assure no overcharging problems. Also, it would not hurt to chronograph several rounds to check speed variation. (edit) |
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Do the 1.5 inch groups look nice and round, or are they elongated?
Horizontal spread implies wind. Vertical spread points to a bedding or shooting rest problem. How does the scope's parallax look at 100 yards? That will affect the group size, too, and parallax error means you need to be careful to anchor your head behind the scope in exactly the same position for every shot. |
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Do the 1.5 inch groups look nice and round, or are they elongated? Horizontal spread implies wind. Vertical spread points to a bedding or shooting rest problem. How does the scope's parallax look at 100 yards? That will affect the group size, too, and parallax error means you need to be careful to anchor your head behind the scope in exactly the same position for every shot. Groups are round and parallax is good. |
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OK back from the range. Out of all the powders I tried, H84831SC is the clear leader.
I shot a 3 shot group @ 100 yards with light wind and about 73 degrees out. The group measures 0.247" center to center. Basically one ragged/cloverleaf group 
The load is fairly stout and above max in the reloading books, but I am not getting any signs of excessive pressure. It seems my rifle with the shorter barrel and a 140 gr bullet really likes to be pushed fast for accuracy. 260 Rem brass 140 gr Hornady SST COAL 2.780" 47.0 gr H4831SC |
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47 grains, huh? Yeah, that's kinda warm. But hey, go big or go home, right? I'm not a fan of starting at the bottom or the middle. All the way into the lands and right at max... Sounds like you're good to go, if you don't have any pressure issues. Yeah it's warm, but no real pressure signs. Primers don't look any different than the lower charges. Bolt is easy to open and no ejector mark on the brass. I am not fond of the very compressed load, but it's working. I will load 15 more and chroro them to see how fast they are moving. At least the rifle is shooting well now. I was starting to really become discouraged with it's accuracy. |
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I don't get so worried about compressed loads if the powder is on the slow end for the bullet and cartridge.
I'll bet that load is right at SAAMI maximum. You might want to keep an eye on the pressure at higher temps. I would be interested to hear back if the primer pockets are loose now, or if they loosen up after the next time they are fired. I'm interested in the speeds you measure, too. |
| I have a .260 in a Model Seven. Using Sierra 140gr Gamekings, IMR 4064 has given me the best accuracy with this bullet. I have tried RL19, IMR 4350, H4831SC, RL15 and the best group was around 2" at 100 yards. With IMR 4064 I can shoot consistent 5 shot groups under 1". I do not have a chronograph so I cannot tell you the velocity. |
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Not sure if yesterday's group was luck, but it still shot decent under 1" @ 100 yards. It was about 10 warmer today so maybe that was a factor. I am still going to load up 15 more and try it out again.
Chrono results 15 shots Lo 2655 Hi 2685 Av 2674 Es 30.04 Sd 7.54 |
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I have a .260 in a Model Seven. Using Sierra 140gr Gamekings, IMR 4064 has given me the best accuracy with this bullet. I have tried RL19, IMR 4350, H4831SC, RL15 and the best group was around 2" at 100 yards. With IMR 4064 I can shoot consistent 5 shot groups under 1". I do not have a chronograph so I cannot tell you the velocity. I may have to play with 4064 as I have quite a bit of it because it is my powder of choice in my 308 How many grains of 4064 are you using? |
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It seems my rifle with the shorter barrel and a 140 gr bullet really likes to be pushed fast for accuracy. Not unexpected, Remington has always used too slow a twist in the 260 IMHO. They should have used 1 in 7.5 like the Sweeds did for 6.5 x 55. For me, the high BC bullets is what the 6.5 calibers is all about. sounds like you found a good load though. |
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The most accurate load was with 36.5 grains of IMR 4064, anything between 36.5 and 37.0 worked good. I was getting very slight primer cratering with 37.0. Sierra's max load with 140gr bullet is 37.1 grains, IMR lists 36 grains as max.
I read an article on the .260 Rem that suggested that the best powder for this cartridge is IMR 4320. I did not try Varget because I didn't have anymore. |
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