Problems with .260 reloads

[Mt_Medic31]

Hey all, I need some advice from the long time handloaders on here.
I found a good load for my .260, but it doesn't carry well for Rams. I think the lower velocity drops off so fast that it makes it difficult to put it on the rams, kind of like it's coming down at a Steep angle to the Ram, so less target to hit, if that makes sense. The load the gun likes is low end/low velocity, so do I just need to go hotter?

Anyway, Setup:
Ammo: Lapua Brass (243 necked up), CCI primer, 36.5 grains IMR 4831, 140 gr Sierra Match Kings
Rifle, R700 action, 24" Lilja #5 barrel in 1:8 twist

I get 0.44 inch groups from the bench with the above setup at 100 yards, but was still right at about 1" for max powder charge. It just doesnt seem to carry well for the Rams. I have a buddy that spots for me, and he says compared to my 108gr Lapuas for the other animals, the 140's drop off rapidly at 500 meters (watching bullet trace). The rifle dials in great at the lowest powder setting, should I go a little hotter than the listed high loads to see if i can get to the next "resonance" that the gun likes? I did buy some Berger 140 Gr VLDs to try but haven't yet. Should I try the Hodgon 4831SC so I can fit more powder? Is this a bullet problem that would be solved with another type? I'm kind of at a loss here. thanks.

[JCalhoun]

My favorite 1k load is 42gr H4350 with 139gr Lapua Scenar. This is with a 30 inch barrel F-Class rifle so I'm not sure how helpful that is.

It's a good flat shooter though using 15moa of elevation at 600y and 28moa at 1000y from a 100y zero.

I have a box of 140gr Nosler Custom Comps but have not tried them yet.

[yankee]

You need to test for accuracy at each distance.
Just because a load shoots good at 100 doesn't mean it will do good at 500 at your low velocity. I would estimate your 140 velocity around 2000 to 2100 fps. That is real slow I am kind of surprised your necks are sealing up. Are you getting a lot of soot on the neck and shoulder of the case.?
From 20 some years experience with the 6.5 x 243 or 260.
1. Your IMR 4831 is really on the slow side for all but the heaviest, longest bullets such as 155 or the 160. You will be better off to go to IMR 4064 or Varget and start about 35 or 36 grains and watch your problems go away.
2. Your load of 36.5 grains of IMR 4831 is really really on the low side. My books are indicating 44 is max.
3. You should see an elevation change of 9 to 10 minutes between your chicken setting and your ram setting. This works out to be around 2650 fps give or take.
4. I used to think that 2600 was the magic velocity to be able to knock over the rams but have moved that figrue down to say that 2400 will do it nicely.
5. The 140 MK is one of the easiest bullets to get to shoot and they work pretty darn good, no need to change. You can stuff them into the lands or back them away 40 and most rifles don't know the differance.

[Jason]

Like Yankee said, your loads seems very slow. I can't find any load data that lists that small an amount of IMR 4831 powder to even guess at your velocity. Out of a half dozen loading manuals, the lowest that I found using IMR 4831 with a 140gr bullet in the 260 Remington was the Lyman. Its showed a minimum charge of 37.5gr with a muzzle velocity of 2263fps. With that muzzle velocity and the quoted ballistic coefficient for the 140gr MK of 0.535, at the 500m ram line you'll have somewhere around 1500fps for velocity and that's with one grain more powder than you're using. That's definitely not enough to reliably take down rams when you hit them and I'd guess you're probably borderline on still having enough rotation speed to stabilize the long bullets. Are you sure you are using IMR 4831 in a 260 Rem? Where did the load data come from? Let's make sure of the details to make sure we're giving you safe advice.

That said, my current ram load in 260 Rem is a 139gr Lapua Silver Scenar over 41.5gr of H4350 with a Fed 210M primer. It's wonderfully accurate all the way out to rams and up until this past weekend I had never rang a ram with it. Now the total is a whopping one and I hit it very low on the body just behind the front leg, which is pretty much the worst place for ringing rams, and the rams had a fairly stiff breeze coming from behind them at the time. I tried using Varget with those bullets but it couldn't push the velocity that I wanted to consistently take the rams down, even though it was scary accurate with a couple of the higher end loads. I was getting well over 300fps more velocity than your loads and it wasn't enough. If I were you, I'd ditch the IMR 4831 powder for this task.

[Jerry G]

Meet me at a rifle range soon and shoot your load over my chronograph and we will know where you are at.

[shakes]

Jason I rang a ram also at the Iron Man, perfect shot just about dead center and it stood there. I was using 37.5grain of Varget with a 142mk and a fed 210m primer as well. All the ones I did hit went down with no problem. I think your right about the wind or the setter set it to far forward on the rail. there were a lot of rams rung this year.

My normal 260 ram load is 43grains of Reloader 19 with a 142mk and a 210m primer no problem at all with that load. Takes em down every time.

[Mt_Medic31]

I think I will try some Varget, and some high loads with the 4831, it's just the damndest thing how it shoots so well at low velocity.

I do get a very dirty barrel from the low loads.

All my load data came from the Hornady manual.

A guy I trust at the local gunstore says I should try some Superformance powder, but I can't find jack for load data. Anyone using it in a .260? I know all the stuff bout it being caliber specific, but I'm gonna try it anyway.

I did hear the Ironman went very well in Missoula, I was disappointed to miss it, but I can't leave my puking feverish 2 year old with a babysitter. Oh well, I'm headin to Lander in July as long as somethin else doesn't come up. Plus, gives me some time to work out these load issues. Thanks for all the input guys.

[Jerry G]

I shoot a 6.5 x 47. I use 37 gr of Varget to push a 142 Sierra and it squirts out at 2650 fps. I would think something real close to that would work well in a 260.

[Joaquin B]

44.0 grains of H4831 gives 2670 FPS with Sierra 142 gr. MKs in my .260 HUNTER rifle, in Winchester brass, using Fed. 210M primers. Any and all rams hit with this load have gone down.

[Another Dang 9]

I've been using Re15 with good results. I could not find Varget when the powder/primer hording was going on and so I tried it. I had almost exact performance with it comparied to varget and it runs about 3 bucks less per pound.

[lone ringer]

I've been using Re15 with good results. I could not find Varget when the powder/primer hording was going on and so I tried it. I had almost exact performance with it comparied to varget and it runs about 3 bucks less per pound.

I went to Powder Valley to compare prices and Re 15 was $18 per lb if you buy 5 lbs and Varget was 17.50 per lb. if you buy 8 lbs.
How much do you pay for Re 15?

[Another Dang 9]

It looks like prices have been stable for a while now. The prices I was using were back when things were nuts. I was paying $14 per pound before now its about $22. my bad. but a pound of anything was jumping to almost $30 and primers were $50 if you could get them. Just got a chill up my spine remembering that.