WidenersTitan ReloadingRotoMetals2Reloading Everything
MidSouth Shooters SupplyInline FabricationRepackboxLoad Data
Lee Precision
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 31

Thread: Not having success with 260 Rem

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    171

    Not having success with 260 Rem

    I’ve been having quite a time figuring out 6.5mm cast loads. I’m using the RCBS 6.5-140-SILH cast of Lyman #2 sized .264 and .265 and lubed with Saeco green. I’ve tried it with published loads of A5744, non-published loads of Unique (10 – 13gr.), 2400 (15-16gr.), and IMR 4831. I’ve seated the bullet from .02” off the lands at 2.725” to jammed into the lands. The best I can manage is 3” at 50 yards, but not if I fire more than three shots. I always get fliers and sometimes several in a row.

    I’m neck sizing, trimming to 2.025, expanding with a Lyman neck expander, taking the bell out with the Lee factory crimp die, and completing sizing and seating with RCBS dies.

    I’ve never come to a point where a bullet just will not work. I’m curious if I may be at that point, and if so, what other bullets may give success. The only thing I haven’t tried is casting with straight Lino but I wanted to post this in case I didn’t think of something more obvious.

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    2,911
    Have you slugged the bore or pound casted the gun?
    Are your boolits 2 thou over diameter?

    some guns have larger bores than others. I have a 9mm Llama that slugs out at .358

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Ala.
    Posts
    1,190
    My 260 Rem is a Ruger M77, it has a 1 in 9" twist. That might be what you're dealing with. I've never tried cast in it. I've saved it for my long(er) range deer rifle and only shoot 120 gr J-words, which it does very well.Alloy hardness, speed of the powder,velocity, bullet length, get a little more potentially finicky as the twist rate increases with cast, in my experience. Tight twist puts a lot of torque on a cast bullet. They ain't near as hard as j-words no matter how hard cast they are. Got to get the combo right and it might be a little more challenging- but fun!

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    171
    My Savage is a 1 in 8. Maybe harder alloy?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    Mr Peabody's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    923
    I used that boolit in a Tikka 6.5x55 to no good results. The same rifle cut clover leafs with the NOE 129gr boolit for the Grendel. Might try a shorter boolit and see.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    I shoot cast in my 260 Rem. Its a struggle and pain. I tried the RCBS 6.5-140 SIL and it was a fail. I noticed that nose on the bullet was too fat for my bore and nose sizing to .255 +/- .001 corrected the absurdly deep seating and make it a better bore rider. The problem i think you are having is the same problem i had. That 140g bullet is over an inch long. You may not be getting the velocity to achieve the proper RPMs to stabilize it before you over pressure the lead or it could be just bad fit and design. That's my hypothesis anyways. I tried everything but powders in the 5744 and 4064 burn ranges. I haven't given up on that bullet but it went to the back burner for now.

    I have the 6.5 Grendel and the mold NOE 266-125-GR mold. Alas that nose is also super fat and forces an absurdly deep seating. Nose sizing that down to my bore helped a lot. I can now shoot that rifle with 13.8g or 2400. I haven't fine tuned that load yet but its a taste of success after so much failure. Do not seat into the lands. That causes a significant pressure spike. The goal is to get these bullets up to speed with out over pressuring them. That 125g bullet is significantly short (less than an inch) and since i can see some accuracy may add some validity to my earlier hypotheses. I had a Reloader 7 load for hunting, but sadly it wasn't repeatable so i need to retune that load.

    NOE has 6.5 Creedmoor mold that matches the dimensions of my rifle. I ordered it and it will be here on or about the 5th for me to try out. I hoping to be able to skip the nose sizing. With a better fit i am hoping to hit about 2000fps with around MOA accuracy. That is my standard at least. I keep spereminting till hit it.

    Yes, do a pound cast and get your groove and land dimensions and throat dimensions. Size the nose to around the land dimensions (you want it to ride it like a railroad, some recommend a light scratch of an engraving). Then pick you school of dark arts magic by sizing to .002 over groove or size to throat. I am with the throat sizers. Then we control the pressures without spikes to quickly or too hard that it deforms the bullet or degrades accuracy.

    My .260 Remington is Savage 11 Hunter.

    Brass is match prepped from .308 brass. Necked down, neck turned to .012, then annealed. The bullet at the moment is the NOE .266-125-GR nose sized to .255 and then checked and sized to .266. COL is 2.665. WLR primers and charge is 13.8g Alliant 2400.

    Target is at 50 yards from rest with a scope. Not as tight as I want but it wasnt fine tuned. Was doing .5 increment load test. Accuracy was between 13.8 and 14.8. Accuracy degraded rapidly afterwards. For perspective, the dot on the target is about an inch. So that is 2 moa group. Good enough for hunting, but not bragging. 13.8g is repeatable with accuracy.
    Last edited by Rcmaveric; 07-05-2018 at 12:04 AM.
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...r3lq60264s17s1

    Link to the grendel mold I used.

    http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...oducts_id=4700

    Link to the creedmoor bullet mold I ordered.

    The throat drawings of the creedmoor and .260 look simmilar enough to my untrained eye that it may work.

    Those rcbs-6.5-140 bullets are ment for the 6.5 mausers, japs, and 6.5×51 with their worn throats. The fit may be the issue aswell since we have nice new guns with tight chambers.
    Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Rcmaveric; 07-04-2018 at 11:54 PM.
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    171
    Thanks for the response. I'm using a Savage 11 TH XP, so we essentially have the same rifle. I have put 1,700 rather hot jacket loads through it and was chasing the lands. I'll try the suggestion for shorter bullet and larger diameter.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    I only put about 100 jacketed bullets through mine to break it in. They say small bore guns are the hardest to get cast to work with. Just dont give up and dont get frustrated. Irritation clogs the imagination. Been afew times i had to set that gun down and take break while i wade through my notes and information for fresh ideas.

    I have also had to break down a lot of failed experiments in that gun. My gut still tells me that AC 5744 may be the ticket. I havent worked with anything slower than RX7 in cast though. My imagination invisions the bore filling with gas. A larger bore will need a faster powder to fill that void while a smaller one may need a slower powder. I have noticed this trend in my riffles.

    Side note, seating gas checks below the case neck doesnt apear to affect accuracy.
    This also one of the only guns i have yet to lead bad while experimenting. **knocks on wood** because i have 25 test rounds loaded up.

    I really do think my biggest problem is lack of good bullet design and fit for the .260. Really limited on the 6.5 cal cast choices. And powder choice. Or it may be some thing completly simple and once we find the key all the other peices will fall together and all the powders will start working.

    With cast in the creedmoor being a new thing i hope the 6.5 cal choices take off. I would like to take a deer with a cast bullet from this gun. My velocity goal is 1850 to 2000 fps with this gun.

    Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    My alloy is 1 part COWW to 1 part Range scraps and then air cooled (the range scraps is fluxed with sulfur a few times with 2 tbls of sulfer). Then its air cooled and aged. I dont add tin, i just crank up the heat. Most of bullets are a month old before being shot due to how i do my restocking. Think the BHN comes out a round 10 or more. Maybe i should heat treating?

    I want to try a copper enriched alloy.

    Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    171
    I'd like to try that 134 gr. FN Kurtz in double GC but not brass. Guess I'll have to wait for them to make another run.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master JMax's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    NOVA
    Posts
    540
    blue32 I had similar issues with my Norwegian Krag in 6.5 Swede in that no normal 6.5 cast bullet would work with the short throat in my Krag. I worked with Swede at NOE resulting a nice bore rider that shoots 2-3” groups at 100yards with peep sights in my rifle. It’s called the hunter and is 145 grains .268”. Let me know if you want a few to try and I will include some gas checks as well.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

    RedlegEd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mountain Home, AR
    Posts
    573
    Quote Originally Posted by Rcmaveric View Post
    I only put about 100 jacketed bullets through mine to break it in. They say small bore guns are the hardest to get cast to work with. Just dont give up and dont get frustrated. Irritation clogs the imagination. Been afew times i had to set that gun down and take break while i wade through my notes and information for fresh ideas.

    I have also had to break down a lot of failed experiments in that gun. My gut still tells me that AC 5744 may be the ticket. I havent worked with anything slower than RX7 in cast though. My imagination invisions the bore filling with gas. A larger bore will need a faster powder to fill that void while a smaller one may need a slower powder. I have noticed this trend in my riffles.

    Side note, seating gas checks below the case neck doesnt apear to affect accuracy.
    This also one of the only guns i have yet to lead bad while experimenting. **knocks on wood** because i have 25 test rounds loaded up.

    I really do think my biggest problem is lack of good bullet design and fit for the .260. Really limited on the 6.5 cal cast choices. And powder choice. Or it may be some thing completly simple and once we find the key all the other peices will fall together and all the powders will start working.

    With cast in the creedmoor being a new thing i hope the 6.5 cal choices take off. I would like to take a deer with a cast bullet from this gun. My velocity goal is 1850 to 2000 fps with this gun.

    Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
    Hi. I've got the same NOE 140gr bullet and a newly rebored .260 Rem (24" bbl, 1:8 twist.) I just finished breaking in the barrel, and would like to start working on a good cast load using that same bullet. How did your development efforts go?
    TIA,
    Ed
    ______________________________________________
    Growing old is mandatory, growing up is totally optional!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master



    Echo's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tucson AZ
    Posts
    4,603
    Quote Originally Posted by blue32 View Post
    My Savage is a 1 in 8. Maybe harder alloy?
    How about a slower powder? I know you said that you had tried 4831 - how about 4350? My thinking is that fast (2400, for example) hit the boolit harder than a slower powder, the slower giving the boolit more of a shove than a whack, and seems that the boolit would be less likely to skid on the rifling.
    Echo
    USAF Ret
    DPS, 2600
    NRA Benefactor
    O&U
    One of the most endearing sights in the world is the vision of a naked good-looking woman leaving the bedroom to make breakfast. Bolivar Shagnasty (I believe that Lazarus Long also said it, but I can't find any record of it.)

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    So far so good. Work, kids and life keep from the range alot. This bullet definitely works better than the RCBS 140-SIL. Also works better than my Grendel bullet and doesnt require any nose sizing. I think the fast twist of the 260 Rem is the limiting factor. The fast twist over exaggerates minor defects. Think of an out of balance gyro. Low RPMS and you wont notice a thing but speed it up and wobbles and chatters. There are a few articles on here by Mr. Gibson on the topic of over RPM.

    I have 4 test groups loaded up for the last fine tune ladder test. I have not chrono'ed any of the test as of yet. I was waiting until i got the fine tune and chrono'ed those rounds before i updated my 6.5mm thread. My quickloads has me under 2000 fps, but normal my bullets are faster that what quickloads predicts.

    It took my first test and chopped all those in half:

    Tight Group/ 6.5g/ for 14594 PSI @ 1155 FPS = a .75 inch square group at 50 yards. No gas check on those. Left that load as is for the kids to plink with. My tune latter but i am satisfied.

    2400/ 14.2g/ for 19341 PSI @ 1654 PSI = a 1.5 inch round group at 50 ysrds. This group was either coming to gether or flying a part. Didnt do any more testing with 2400 running low on stock and velocity was similar to 4198.

    4198/ 17g/ for 13568 PSI @ 1542 FPS = a nice 1 inch group at 50 yards.

    H4895/ 26g / for 19710 PSI @ 1837 FPS = a nice .75 inch after excluding a flier caused by an extremely hot barrel. The H4895 made the barrel really hot. After allowing the barrel to cool between shots, it kept the groups tight.

    The above was the preliminary test redone to find a starting point and it was very encouraging without any leading. My first test fell apart because i started my load developing too hot.

    I have the following fine tune loaded up that I haven't shot yet:

    Reloader 7:

    16.7g @ 1461 fps

    17g @ 1487 fps

    17.3g @ 1512 fps

    17.6g @ 1537 fps

    18g @ 1562 fps

    18.4g @ 1487 fps

    18.7g @ 1639 fps

    19.1g @ 1639 fps

    Shooters World Buffalo Bore aka Lovex D060-1

    15.5g @ 1609 FPS

    16g @ 1650 FPS

    16.5 @ 1690 FPS

    17g @ 1768 FPS

    17.5g @ 1769 FPS

    18g @ 1860 FPS

    H4895

    24.8g @ 1771 fps

    25.1g @ 1798 fps

    25.4 @ 1819 FPS

    25.7g @ 1839 FPS

    26g @ 1860 fps

    26.3 @ 1880 fps

    26.6 @ 1901 FPS

    So the results thus far are good and I will have more information next range visit. Hopefully next weekend. The above data is quickload generated, be that what it is, it can be off. I have seen my quickload as much as 150 FPS lower than what i get in real life. But it is close enough.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    639
    Rcbs 140 Gr Sil, 17 grains of IMR 4198, I in 9 twist 260 remington Cooper rifle...…..10 shots @ 100 yards. 10 shots @ 1" CTC, 9 shots @ .660" CTC
    Last edited by Herb in Pa; 09-17-2018 at 02:31 PM. Reason: Clarified caliber & rifle mfg
    "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." - Ernest Hemingway

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    Thats some good results. I am not familiar with the 260 Cooper.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

    RedlegEd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mountain Home, AR
    Posts
    573

    Range Report

    Hi all. Went to the range today and here are the results of my cast loads using Blue Dot (other powders to follow, next up is AA5744.)
    Ed

    Basic Data:
    Rifle: Remington 722, .260 REM, 24" Bbl (make unknown), 1:8" Twist (recently rebored from .22-250)
    Bullet: NOE 140gr FNGC, #2 Lyman (mine averaged 141.2gr w/GC & lube), Sized 0.266, BAC followed by TL
    Powder: Blue Dot, No Filler, each load weighed
    Primer: CCI 200 LRP
    Brass: R-P (resized from 7mm-08)
    OAL: 2.350 (Comparator), jump 0.02"

    Overall observations: easy shooting, barrel tends to heat quickly at higher charges, and some inconsistent velocities. I didn't get the first two MV at 7.5gr because the sensitivity on my Magnetospeed wasn't set correctly (needs to be Hi-1 for this bullet.) I did noticed obvious wobbling at lower velocities that seemed to go away at/about 1220 fps. It could also be that shooting at 50 yds vs 100 or 200 yds didn't give the bullet a chance to stabilize. I got no pressure signs at all, so I think I can safely push higher than 9.5gr (which was the very best group of the bunch.)

    Ed

    Attachment 227352Attachment 227353
    ______________________________________________
    Growing old is mandatory, growing up is totally optional!

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    Thats good stuff fora nice plinking and small game load.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    Finally made it to the range.

    Riffle is a Savage Hunter 11 in .260 Remington. Barrel is 22 inches and 1 in 8 twist. I think the twist rate is the killer.

    Bullet is the NOE-266-140FN (designed for the Creedmoor). Cast from half RS and COWW for BHN of 10. Lube is SL-68B.





    Odd flyers. Could be anything from state of anneal on the cases to neck tension. These cases are neck turner though. Unless i bugggered that.







    Obviously the first group is the best. Next group opened alot. The subsequent groups started verticle stringing bad. Buffalo Bore is a hot powder. Had to take 2 shots let the barrel cool and repeat.

    Saddly i dont think i can hit my 1850 fps goal. But, bright side. The gun is shooting cast accurately. So it is a win.

    I made a rookie mistake with H4895 group. The plano case was broken. I didnt mark the cases. I droped them and mixed them. You would think i would learned that lesson years ago after the 5th time i did that.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Rcmaveric; 10-08-2018 at 12:18 AM.
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check