260 or 308

[03mossy]

I will be ordering my first ever non take off aftermarket centerfire barrel on Friday and had thought I had hashed out my decision on cartridge earlier but am having second thoughts. I will be going with an 18" barrel for thick woods hunting. The purpose of this build is a foul weather backup to my nice wood stocked '06. I hunted with my '06 in a mix of freezing rain and then 4" of snow fell and it made me cringe. Gun will be used for deer, coyotes, and hogs every couple years I hope, and paper killing. I already have a .473 bolt head and 243/260/7-08/308 go and no go gauges so it needs to be one of those.

Here is my pros and cons list a made with a friend a few weeks ago

260

Pros-
Always wanted one
great ballistics
Plenty for both coyotes and deer
Has the cool factor
Will need to reload for it to afford to shoot it
Its the caliber my kids will have there first big game rifle in
lower recoil

Cons-
Expensive ammo
Expensive brass
Ammo tough to find in a pinch
Will need to reload for it to afford to shoot it
Who am I kidding that I have time to reload with 3 kids and one more on the way!



.308

Pros-
Cheap ammo. Can get loaded ammo for what the cost of just .260 brass is
Share reloading bullets with my 30-06 and 300 weatherby if I need to.
Cheap brass
Ammo everywhere
Don't have to reload as I can find cheap mil surplus ammo
Cheap ammo
Ive had oddball calibers before and hated not being able to find cheap ammo. Love the fact with my '06 I can get cheap ammo anywhere. a 308 would be even better
Cheap ammo Id more than likely shoot it more.
(notice the theme of cheap ammo)


Con's
Boring...(no offense)
Over kill for coyotes. But dead is dead right

[WinnieTheBoom]

The .260 is in a different league than the .308 for any type of long range shooting. I'd go with it solely because of its superior performance compared to its .30 cal brethren.

[scope eye]

If you reload 260 if you don't 308, if you don't the novelty will wear off really fast. simple as that.

Dean

[03mossy]

The .260 is in a different league than the .308 for any type of long range shooting. I'd go with it solely because of its superior performance compared to its .30 cal brethren.

The furthest range I have access to is 200 yards.

[03mossy]

If you reload 260 if you don't 308, if you don't the novelty will wear off really fast. simple as that.

Dean

I do reload. But finding time to reload is even harder than finding time to shoot.

[stomp442]

Boring is an understatement when it comes to the .308. Its like driving the short bus as compared to a sports car. The .260 Remington is a fantastic cartridge and a much better performer at long range. That being said if you plan on cutting the barrel off at 18" and limiting the performance of the round in the process just as well go with the .308. Like you said you could share components between your 06 and Sierra just released a new 135gr Varmint bullet that would just hammer coyotes.

On the other side of the coin though here is some more Pros for the .260 Remington.
Brass can be made from .308, 7-08 or .243 cases all of which are easily found and cheap.
Not any more expensive to reload for than the .308, bullets and powder run about the same.
cheap factory ammo rarely shoots very good; if you need to plink for the need of plinking use a .22. If you are going to shoot at something with the intent of hiting it just as well get serious about it.
Nosler makes excellent brass for the .260 $60/50 and will last you forever.
.260 has the killing power / effective range of the .308 with 190/200 grain bullets.
No need to load different bullets for different tasks. Stuff a 140gr Berger VLD in it and kill anything you want, prairie dogs to elk.

[Stockrex]

Quoting "long range hunting"
308 is practical while 260 is sexy.

[hafejd30]

I own both. My 308 is a configuration like you want. Closer hunting. 260 is long range hunting and target shooting. For the reasons you mentioned I'd go 308. It really doesn't give a noticeable difference between the two inside 200 imo

[scope eye]

I also have both and Meh they only hold 40 some odd grains of powder, my pistols hold more than that.LOL

Dean

[Rob01]

The furthest range I have access to is 200 yards.

200 yards is a waste with a 6.5. Stick with the .308. If you wanted to get a 6.5 then look at the Creedmoor. Factory ammo is cheaper than the .260 but you get equal ballistics.

[03mossy]

What about if you add .243 into this covversation? Was just playing on ammo seek looking at 308, 260, and 6.5 creedmoor ammo. Looked at 243 out of curiosity and wow that ammo is cheap! Maybe a bit light for deer though? Perfect for coyotes.

[Rob01]

A faster twist .243 is a good option. You can load heavier bullets for longer ranges or lighter bullets to hunt. A lot of people hunt deer with a 243.

One thing you have to watch when looking at "cheap" ammo is that you get the old garbage in, garbage out when it comes to accuracy. I shoot with guys at the range shooting cheap 147grn mil surplus ball ammo in their 308s and shooting big groups and don't know what's wrong. I let them shoot some of my Hornady 168 AMAX loads though the rifle and the groups tighten right up. Just be wary of cheap ammo.

[03mossy]

Double post sorry

[LongRange]

From what youve said so far i think the creed would suit all your needs and then some...good factory ammo..plenty of knock down power and a great long range shooter.

[big honkin jeep]

I consolidated bore diameters a while back. Nice being able to share components in quite a few cartridges and .30 is probably the most versatile bore diameter there is.
I have a thing for fast flat cartridges and though I haven't had much luck in the past with light .30 caliber bullets I stumbled on a great load with 130gr TTSX in .308 running almost 3200fps with excellent accuracy.
Same bullet is working well for me with Hodgdon youth load data as well. Now I'm starting to wonder about the potential in -06, Win mag, and RUM
Just when I thought the .308 was mediocre the light TTSX has shown me how truly versatile it can be all over again.

PS the Lee hand press is a Godsend for busy individuals who cant stay in front of a bench for extended periods.

[hafejd30]

In my opinion. If you go a custom barrel route then get a 6.5. Same reason long range said but you can also reload with a good selection of components when you decide to. If it's just a brush gun and your planning to shoot the cheapest ammo you can find then I'd get a
308 takeoff for $80-$100. A custom barrel with crap ammo will provide little gains

[cowtownup]

I think deep down inside you want that 308... Go get it and enjoy...

[03mossy]

I think deep down inside you want that 308... Go get it and enjoy...

I really have no idea... this is a big purchase for me and I don't want to screw it up. My gut is telling me 260 cause I've always wanted one but logic is telling me 308 for the ammo availability since my reloading time is limited due to the young family. And now I'm looking at the creedmoor also...

Either way I am making a decision by friday. Even if it has to end in a coin toss.

[cowtownup]

Well, I started with a 308 and enjoyed it.. Recently I bought one of those model 12fv rifles at Cabelas and put a ER Shaw 260 Rem barrel on it...(because I had the headspace gauges already... Hahah) and it has been a much easier rifle to get dialed in.. I reload so I don't have a clue about factory ammo availability. Funny you mention the coin toss because sometimes it comes down to that for me too...

[psharon97]

My first custom built rifle was a 308. To this day, I absolutely love shooting it. I have added a 7mm rem mag, a 223, and a 260. With the exception of the 233, all are custom builds. The 308 has a few advantages over the 260. If you choose not to reload, you can go to any store/gas station/hardware store/walmart/cabelas/bass pro. In other words, you will be able to get ammo for. The same can be said for components. 308 brass, and bullets are available to the extent that your wallet can afford. Also, the components are much cheaper. 100 pieces of Lapua brass for 308 costs $63, while 260 will run you ~$90. Also 6.5 bullets aren't nearly as available as .308 bullets.

If it were me, I would not get a custom rifle barrel in either caliber chopped down to 18". Personally, I would get an axis, chambered in 308win. Put a better trigger and go hunting.