300 of them sat here on my reloading bench.

Fixed it...

Try the old skool .256 gibbs / 6.5 dutch..........................

That would be be £600 +

Not much good sat there are they?

 

All primed now, powder next. Now what shall I use, N160, N550, N560, RL15 or RL17.  Probably going to try the 160 first with either 123 or 139 Scenars.

N160

I haven't found anyone who has used R17 yet. On paper it's perfect for 260.
I'm told R15 works well with the lighter bullets ( 123gr)

How much was the brass? I need a new batch (of  500 ideally  ) and I don't fancy necking up 243  and removing the doughnut in the case neck after the first firing again.

N160 and Lapua Scenars or Norma GT 139 grains, thats my favorite load for up to 600 meter field shoots in 6,5x55.
Soren

Expensive

42 grains of Hodgdons 4350 and either a 140 grain smk or a 139 scenar bugholes in mine, and gives around 2750 fps.

Going to go with the N160 as I have plenty of that but will also try some RL17 as I also have plenty of that.

Max Load Data from Lapua for their .260 Cases tops out at 40.6 grains for N160, anybody using more?

All loaded then, max'd out at 41.1 grains of N160.

Hopefully will be able to test them on Thursday at 100m over a chronograph.

Well....?

Well I finally got a chance to shoot my ACRC Surgeon .260 Remington today.  I had been holding off while waiting for some of the new Lapua .260 Remington Brass and that arrived last week.

Decided on using N160 as I have several tubs and started at 38.0 grains working up with a CCI BR-2 underneath and a 139 grain Scenar on top set 0.010” off the lands.

The Lapua Data sheet download gives a maximum N160 load with the Scenar at 40.6 grains giving 2529 fps out of an 18 3/4” barrel with a 1 in 9” twist.  My barrel is finished at 26” so I suspect the velocity to be higher (it was at 40.5 grains I was getting 2623 fps).

The plan was to shoot over a chronograph as the charge weigh incremented up, I had started to load batches of ten rounds in each increment but at 39.2 grains started to load just 5 rounds in each step.

_Charge____Av fps____ES______SD______Group Size (Centre to Centre)
…38.0……....2441…......…22…......…6……....…..0.466”
…38.4…...….2476…....…..26…......…7……....…..0.655”
…38.6…...….2494…......…44….....…13……...…..0.945”
…38.8…...….2523…......…30…….....11…....…….0.489”
…39.0…...….2528…......…14….....…4…….......…0.562” (10 shot group)
…39.2…...….2539…....…..11….....…4……..........0.813”
…39.4…...….2561…....…..17….....…7……......….0.294”
…39.7…...….2575…......…14….....…6…….......…0.321”
…39.9…...….2581…......…18…….....7……......….0.703”
…40.1……....2603…......…24…….....7……......….0.710”
…40.3…...….2608…......…43…....…17…......……0.698”
…40.5…...….2623…......…18….... …5…….......….0.580”
…40.7…...….2636…......…10….... …4…….......….0.476”
…40.9…...….2654…......…20….... …7…….......….0.778”
…41.1…...….2669…......…18….... …7…….......….0.520”

I was a little disappointed with the ES on each charge increment as I had trickled each one up, more care and cross checking with the Mxx123 next time.

The groups, all shot at 100 metres were not spectacular (probably my bench technique which I’m sure could be improved upon and there was one hell of a mirage from my barrel today; hot and sunny and no wind in the covered firing point. I also know that I pulled to odd shot but I have given the whole picture below and not edited any shots) the best at 0.294” and next at 0.321 followed each other so there may be a sweet spot at around 2570 fps.

What I was impressed with was the 0.562” 10 Shot group at 2528 fps.

For what I want to use the rifle for groups around ½ MOA will be more than acceptable.

Looking at the cases fired at 41.1 grains there is an ever so slight ejector button mark so I don’t think I can go much higher with the N160 but will chance maybe another 0.2 grains on the now once fired cases.

Well, looks like 39.5 for the 139's then. Get back out there with the 123's . Then do it all again with R17..........
Meanwhile , if I can just sell a kidney, I'll be able to buy enough 260 brass and bullets
for the next year..... ( or two, the way my time is being eaten up again this year)

Do you favour the 123s over the 139s? What do you use in your T2k at 600?

I use 41.3gr of H4350 with the 123's .
It's just  a touch hot in the Tubb so I might drop that back to the previous accuracy node when I get new brass, which was about a grain less.
It's absolutely  fine in the Remmy though. It was the best compromise in accuracy for both rifles. and it's 28MOA up from a 100 yard zero to get to 1000yards in the Remmy.
Haven't shot the Tubb past 600 yet.