What is the best choice 260 Remington bullet for Deer size game

[USMC87]

I have a Model 7 Rem 260 cal for my girls next years deer hunt and want to see what you like as bullet choice. The shots are most all the time under 100 yards but may go to 150 at times, I appreciate your feedback on this issue.

[Larry Gibson]

I chose the Hornady 129 SP for use in the 6.5-308 (basically the same as the 660 Rem) for my daughter many years ago. Our deer were in the 130 - 200 lbs on the hoof class (mule deer). At 2700 fps it was very accurate and gave excellent terminal performance w/o too much blood shot meat. Recoil was quite manageable for my 12 year old daughter.

Larry Gibson

[Texas by God]

Perfect advice. I feel 140grs and above in a 6.5 are more suited for tougher than deer game.
Best, Thomas.

[MaLar]

I also shoot a 6.5-08 same as the 260.
I've shot many deer with the Speer 120 Hotcore. Works great!
Never recovered a 6.5 bullet yet. I shoot a heavy charge of IMR 4350 with that bullet.
Very accurate.
I will warn you against a Nosler 120 Ballistic tip. I shot one deer and it acted like a varmint bullet.
Lot of blood shot meat. Big holes three of them actually.

[Cheshire Dave]

I've been using 140 gr. with full power loads and haven't had any blacktails complain. I used some Hornady 129's this year at a reduced speed of about 2500 fps because of the short range shots I get around the house. My son got a nice forked horn with the classic lung shot with full pass through and deer only went a few yards.

[tdoyka]

i use a 6.5 creedmoor in a tc encore and i found 120gr nosler bt that goes 2500-2600fps will do it just fine. next year i'm going to try out a 140gr sst

[C. Latch]

Nosler Accubonds are never, ever a bad choice. A bit expensive, but it's not like you fire hundreds of them at deer every year.

I've shot a pile of deer with the 110-grain .277" AB out of my 6.8SPC and I've saw my dad kill deer with the 180-grain .308" AB out of his .300Wby; I think that fairly represents both ends of the velocity/energy spectrum, and performance has been boringly reliable.

[Texas by God]

Plain old cup and core bullets placed correctly will kill those deer. Buy the latest & greatest if you wish but hardly necessary for venison taking. Hornady Spire points have piled them up for years.
Best,Thomas.

[HABCAN]

For the short range you speak of, and wanting a deer load for a small girl, I'd be looking to play all summer with cast boolits that SHE helped make and load.

[Texas by God]

For the short range you speak of, and wanting a deer load for a small girl, I'd be looking to play all summer with cast boolits that SHE helped make and load.

Good advice. Goes for jacketed loads as well. Let her into the total experience. Worked for my kids. The .260 is perfect. So was the 22-250 and .243 my 3 kids used.
Best,Thomas.

[richhodg66]

That's the same rifle I bought my oldest son for his first deer rifle. He killed a half dozen deer with it. The Hornady 129 grain SST seemed best and we used some of those 120 grain Speer Hot Cores as well. He killed one with a 140 grain Spitzer which worked fine, very small deer very close range though so not sure how good a test it was.

Always seemed to me like the .260 was the perfect deer cartridge, at least with jacketed bullets.

[USMC87]

I really appreciate all the advice guys, In fact I have twin girls who turn 16 this Sunday. Both girls love to hunt whatever is in season, I gotta say I love being a dad who has girls stuck on his side. I am hoping the 260 proves to be a great meat getter for us as we all love venison.

[MaLar]

You will not be disappointed. The gals will love it.

[selmerfan]

I'm generally a "Nosler or nothing" guy with jacketed bullets, but with both of my .260 Remingtons (Ruger M77 and 18" TC Encore custom pistol/carbine barrel) the Hornady 129 IL is where it's at. They shoot ridiculously accurately, are cheap, and the terminal performance is perfection. I've used the Nosler 100 BT, 120 BT, 125 Partition, 130 AB, and 140 Partition on paper and deer. None of them are better than the Hornady 129 gr. Interlock. 44 gr. of IMR 4350 is the sweet load for both of mine. They just require different seating depths.

[USMC87]

I really like nosler and Hornady also, I will try to work up a good accurate load with 130gr or less bullets.

[jhalcott]

My .260 doesnot like 140 grain factory loads. It debullets them when I extract them unfired. It is a browning rifle

[pipehand]

Will add a third vote for the Hornady flat base 129grain Interlock bullet. Also in the 2700 fps range. Just plain works.

[flounderman]

I have used the 260 for years and with the 120 grain bullet. I use the 129 in the bigger 6.5s. I have multiple choices in about any caliber and the only gun I use since I built it, is a little 260. I don't destroy a lot of meat and deer in the next zip code haven't gone more than a few feet. You might destroy a little less meat with 129 grain bullet, and you are going to get a little more recoil. I have built magnums, super wildcats, rifles that needed wheels, and as you get older, a 260, with a 20 inch barrel that weighs about 7 pounds, is the perfect rifle.

[USMC87]

I went to a LGS and searched their stock which is the best I have ever saw, I ended up buying the Hornady 100 gr spire points. I am sure their may be better selections but with my girls who I have a lot of confidence in I am sure the deer will curl up on contact.

[Mk42gunner]

I can't believe your deer in WV are any different than the ones we have in MO; so I would say to buy a couple of boxes of whatever 120-129 grain 6.5 sounds good to you. Make up some loads and let the girls practice over the summer.

My experience with whitetails is they aren't hard to kill, as long as you hit them right in the first place.

Robert