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Posted: 3/10/2013 8:34:04 AM EDT
| I'm about to start loading for 260 rem. I will be hopefully using it for f class open. Gun is a savage long action with a Shilen select match 26" barrel. I've got Lapua brass and some 142 smk , 140 nosler custom and 123 grain amax bullets ordered as we'll as redding 3 die set. What powders/ bullets have worked best for you guys for long range? Open to suggestions |
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H4350 works well with the 120-123 grain bullets (I'm partial to A-max).
H4831SC works great the 140-142 grain bullets (all of them, but I'm partial to the A-max). Lot's of guys recommend H4350 for the 140 grain bullets, but we've found it just a bit too fast for that weight. Conversely, H4831SC is just a little bit too slow for the 120 grain bullets. Sorry to suggest two powders, but in this (relatively) overbore case, the burn rate of the powder must be matched to the bullet weight for optimum internal ballistics. My 1,000 yard precision loads for the 260 are 43.5 grains of H4831SC behind an A-Max 140 grain bullet, seated .015 off the lands. My 600 yard, and light-wind day 1,000 yard load is 43.5 grains of H4350 behind an A-max 120 grain bullet, seated .015 off the lands. You can get a lot more speed than the loads I use, but they are easy on the gun and the shooter and are sub-MOA at 1000 yards when the nut behind the scope does his job. I don't find more speed important on most days because the 140 grain A-max holds its course well once it's spun up. The guys with the 6.5 mm X .284 rifles only best me on extremely windy days. They can have it for all the angst they go through about firing their precious, barrel eroding loads. My loads are still supersonic at 1200 yards and, probably, beyond. The 6.5 mm rounds are fabulous for long-range shooting. P.S. The Forster dies seem to make an important difference for me. Concentricity is held better by their decapper/expander than other dies I've used. |
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Quoted:
H4350 works well with the 120-123 grain bullets (I'm partial to A-max). H4831SC works great the 140-142 grain bullets (all of them, but I'm partial to the A-max). Lot's of guys recommend H4350 for the 140 grain bullets, but we've found it just a bit too fast for that weight. Conversely, H4831SC is just a little bit too slow for the 120 grain bullets. Sorry to suggest two powders, but in this (relatively) overbore case, the burn rate of the powder must be matched to the bullet weight for optimum internal ballistics. My 1,000 yard precision loads for the 260 are 43.5 grains of H4831SC behind an A-Max 140 grain bullet, seated .015 off the lands. My 600 yard, and light-wind day 1,000 yard load is 43.5 grains of H4350 behind an A-max 120 grain bullet, seated .015 off the lands. You can get a lot more speed than the loads I use, but they are easy on the gun and the shooter and are sub-MOA at 1000 yards when the nut behind the scope does his job. I don't find more speed important on most days because the 140 grain A-max holds its course well once it's spun up. The guys with the 6.5 mm X .284 rifles only best me on extremely windy days. They can have it for all the angst they go through about firing their precious, barrel eroding loads. My loads are still supersonic at 1200 yards and, probably, beyond. The 6.5 mm rounds are fabulous for long-range shooting. P.S. The Forster dies seem to make an important difference for me. Concentricity is held better by their decapper/expander than other dies I've used. 41.6gr of H4350 yields 2800 fps for me with Lapua 139`s. What fps are you getting? |
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Other powders work, but H-4350 is the go to powder for the 260 Rem. when shooting the heavies.
I loaded up 650+ rounds for a buddy and used AA-4350, which is nuts on and H-4350 with 140 AMAX and 142 SMKs. Not saying it's the only way, but lots and lots of people are running H-4350 with the heavies and doing quite well in competitions. Chris |
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