260 rem or 6.5 cm or leave it 308 win

[want2ride]

A decade ago when i told my brother i was going to buy my first long range target rifle. He had used a .260, 6.5 creedmoor and a 6.5x47Lapua in competition and recommended the 6.5 Creedmoor. He said that the 260 and 6.5x47L didn't have enough advantages to justify the disadvantages compared to the 6.5 Creedmoor. It really is a close comparison between the 3... but the advantages of any of those 3 compared to a 308 Win is pretty stark.
It isn't the drop that you care about, but the wind drift. The wind calls on my 300 WSM is only just marginally better than my 6.5 creedmoor... so close that it is usually .1 MIL or less. The 308 is a pretty substantial amount more wind drift. That means more hits on target. the math doesn't lie.

If you are using it for hunting white tail and smaller game, I personally believe that the 260, 6.5 creedmoor, 7mm-08, and 7x57 are all about perfect for that. They all generate about the same energy, all run out of steam about the same distance (the 7mm's run out of steam marginally faster) and are all pretty similar in recoil. I traded off my last 7mm-08 (Kimber Adirondack) last fall on a Savage Ultralite in 6.5 Creedmoor. They do really similar damage on a deer.

[MtnOak]

I’m contacting one other barrel maker tomorrow, if they can’t get one out fairly soon then I guess I’ll just wait until they or a more reputable barrel maker can get me one out, I hate waiting but I’m not gonna go the cheaper route and regret it…

[Stumpkiller]

I have a .260 Rem (Savage M11 with 1:8" twist) that I like a bunch. It is my whitetail deer rifle. If you reload the .260 has an edge over the 6.5 Creedmoor, but only slight. I can set out to 2.880" C.O.L. and the action, magazines and throat/leade of the barrel accepts it. But with my current favorite bullet (Swift Scirocco II 130 gr) I stay well under 2.800 O.A.L.

If you don't reload - go with the 6.5 CM. On thing I am happy of is that the Creedmoor has brought a LOT of interest to the 0.264" bore. As mentioned earlier - go with the 1:8" twist.

Another fun choice would be the 6.5 PRC if you were serious into extreme ranges. I only hunt out to 300 yards, 400 for fun and gongs, so the .260 Rem is a supurb deer choice for me. Hasn't been an elk locally since the state was a colony of England.

[Dave Hoback]

Stumpkiller, I agree with much of what you said. Some valid insight there.

MtnOak: I wouldn’t worry about it. Ya wait 6-9mo and it’s over. Ya know? Don’t sell yourself short. And yes, you WILL regret going a lesser route. Go with what you truly want & remember that with the waiting game, this too shall pass.

[wbm]

I am happy of is that the Creedmoor has brought a LOT of interest to the 0.264" bore.

Me too.

6.5x55 Swede anyone?

[charlie b]

My question would be how do you intend to use this rifle?

I paper punch so the heavy CM instead of light .260 or .308.

I do like the .308, simply because most of my shooting is with cast. When I want to shoot longer than 500yd then I load up some 155 Bergers or 175SMK's.

[yobuck]

My question would be how do you intend to use this rifle?

I paper punch so the heavy CM instead of light .260 or .308.

I do like the .308, simply because most of my shooting is with cast. When I want to shoot longer than 500yd then I load up some 155 Bergers or 175SMK's.
So Charlie, if you were going to shoot at some milk jugs at say 800 to 1000 yds, would you prefer to shoot your 260 or your 308?

[Dave Hoback]

Me too.

6.5x55 Swede anyone?

I originally was planning a 6.5x55 build before choosing 260. However, I knew early on I was a Chassis/AICS Mag shooter. The Swede won’t fit short Action magazine length. That was my entire prerogative. And why I love the 260. Can load them for Mag length. If I’m just doing groups, working up loads, they a be long loaded, 2.90”+ in a throated barrel. It also allows AI, while still able to fire SAAMI 260Rem. I wanted the most powerful .264 cartridge, that fits standard SA AICS mags but I dint want it to be Magnum. (So, no 6.5PRC). I know, I know.., I was being being picky. But hey... I accomplished my goal, so yah for me!:surprise:

Oh yeah.., and I didn’t want to do what everyone else was doing. I enjoy doing “different”.

[MtnOak]

So here’s what I went with
preferred barrel blanks
standard shank
stainless steel bead blasted matte
26 inch
260 rem
1:8 twist
810 taperless
fluted barbed wire
8-10 weeks

[Dave Hoback]

You will be very happy with it, I’m sure.

[hamiltonkiler]

.308 is a nato round.
And a .30cal bullet
Unless you shoot over 600yds all the time, you will hardly ever notice a difference.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dave Hoback]

Actually 308(7.62x51) was developed independently by the US. Labeled as 7.62 for US military & 308 for commercial production at lower pressures in 1952. During these first years, the British were developing the .280 British round and tried to get all forces on board. Canada finally concluded they would use the .280, but only if the US agreed to as well. We stood firm on use of the 7.62 and it was finally adopted by NATO allies in 1954.

But on the record, 308 is purely a US round, while 7.62x51 is a NATO adoption.

[want2ride]

Me too.

6.5x55 Swede anyone?

No, but i do have a dandy of a 7x57 shilen barrel. I just took it off my Savage long range hunter action and put it on my Zermat Origin with a MDT chassis.

[charlie b]

So Charlie, if you were going to shoot at some milk jugs at say 800 to 1000 yds, would you prefer to shoot your 260 or your 308?

If it was a heavy barrel, then .260. I don't like thin barrels :) My .308 has a 26" heavy varmint contour (12 BVSS).

[Stumpkiller]

Me too.

6.5x55 Swede anyone?

I'd have jumped all over one if I could have found one. I missed the Classic Remington 700 issue in the mid 1990's. By the time our local game laws woke up to allowing rifles in the 2005 (ish) season and the sudden grab for suitable rifles I jumped on the .260 Rem. Because I couldn't get a .308 WIN, 7-08mm, 7x57mm, 6.5 x 55mm, 6.5 x 54mm (yeah, right) or even a .270 WIN from the 45 mile away "local" gun shop. But the dusty old .260 Rem they did have and were eager to dump sure grew on me in use; and because they had no factory loads or dies on the shelf I got them to throw in some extras so I could reload. Hell, I'd have taken a .257 Roberts or a .25-06 if they had one. At least at the time I'd heard of those.

[Dave Hoback]

There is no distance I would rather a 308 over 260Rem OR 6.5CM. These two .264 rounds do everything a 308 does at shorter distances, and they both far surpass it in extended ranges. Of course if one is so inclined to believe in the nonsense of KNOCKDOWN power... or the myth of muzzle energy “Shocking” the animal to death... well... I Understand the “Why” behind some choosing 308. When I was a defensive pistol instructor, and in studying terminal ballistics, you learn not to rely on “knockdown” power or bullet “Shock” by way of muzzle energy. In that course of instruction, I taught what I had learned & know to be true. That a threat is stopped by one of 2 things by way of gunshot(s); either from blood loss or disruption of the central nervous system. I.E., a bullet severing the cervical spinal chord. That’s it. And this holds true for all game animals as well.

[Fuj']

My284catschoice.

[wbm]

I missed the Classic Remington 700 issue in the mid 1990's

Nah you did not miss a thing.Got one of those in 6.5x55 for my son's first rifle. It was awful! Terrible accuracy. Called Remington and the guy said "Well we are not talking a $600 rifle here." I said "Well my Savage isn't either but it shoots great here!"

The problem in that cartridge was that the bores were out of spec..a bit too large...Even Guns and Ammo and Precision Shooting Magazine wrote about it.Remington recalled them and I sent mine in. The replacement was better but Remington changed the twist rate to 1-9 and did not bother to tell anyone. Traded it!

[charlie b]

I always wondered why Remington did so many stupid things back in the day. The 6mm was another one. Nice round, wrong twist. 788, great rifle with that painful and ugly magazine with an oversize club of a stock. Did they have anyone who even used their rifles on the staff?

[wbm]

if you were going to shoot at some milk jugs at say 800 to 1000 yds, would you prefer to shoot your 260 or your 308?

260! Why? Either of below at 2800fps

140gr Nosler RDF G1 .658 G7 .330

140gr Hornady ELD G1 .646 G7 .326