Reloading for .260 Remington

WWShooter · Mar 16, 2016

Now that the weather's getting bearable, I'm doing my first test ladders for a stainless steel Tikka CTR in .260 Remington in a Manners stock. I'm loading Berger 120 gr. bullets over 47.8 to 50.3 gr. 4831SC (that's a pretty full case!), Berger 130 gr. bullets over 44.5 to 46.9 gr 4831SC and 139 gr. Lapua Scennar over 43.6 to 46.0 gr. 4831SC.

I've colored my test rounds (my granddaughters covet my markers) in the hope that I'll be able to identify which charge weights hit where.

I'll post results of the testing when I can get out to the range.

Goosebrown · Mar 17, 2016

Nice let us know what you find.

Greenbug · Mar 17, 2016

Try some Ramshot Hunter powder, the 260 absolutely loves it!!!!

edslhead · Mar 17, 2016

Those should make a nice rainbow pattern inside your barrel

WWShooter · Mar 20, 2016

Well, it was beautiful yesterday, so I went off to the range to do some testing at 100 yards.

The rifle is a stainless steel bolt action Tikka CTR (20" threaded barrel, 10 round detachable magazine) in .260 Remington in a Manners stock mounting a Vortex Viper 6x24 – 50 HS scope. I shot off a bipod and a rear bag. (The Manners stock, by the way, is a work of art.) I'm still breaking in the barrel, so I cleaned between each 5 rounds and ended up "wasting" some of my lower charge weight ladder loads as fouling rounds. (Note to self - next time take some foulers so as not to waste ladder rounds.)

I shot the 130 grain Berger ladder. The color transfers moderately well from the bullet to the paper, and with a larger distance between where each of the rounds was printing on the paper, it would be a pretty useful technique. Unfortunately, the 22 rounds I shot (including the sighters to foul the barrel after cleaning, but excluding the first cold barrel shot - lower right and the four fouler rounds I used on some pretty tempting gongs), printed in less than 2" overall, with two pretty tight groups. As a result, I wasn't able to derive any really useful information from that ladder, other than that the .260 Remington is a pretty damn fine round. There are at least 13 rounds in the upper cluster, with at least a 1.2 grain charge weight difference between the lightest charge and the heaviest, all within about 5/8". I'm looking forward to seeing how well this rig can shoot with consistent charge weights in the optimal range for the rifle.

I'll go to another range the next nice day to try it again at 300 yards to make sure the group is large enough to result in more distinct impact points, although I'd love to have the same problem at 300 yards.