Savage .260 Remington Twist Question

I recently picked up a Savage Model 16 Stainless in .260 Remington for a steal. Searching the serial number, it is a 1999 production, so fairly early as the cartridge was introduced in the mid 1990s. Researching the web, I've read Remington "carelessly" specified a 1:10 twist rate initially and the cartridge developed a reputation as inaccurate. After this, Remington changed the spec to 1:9.

Now, the cold weather is about over here and I have the rifle ready to go and have all I need to start developing my hand loads. The question I have is, what twist rate did the Savage have? Did they follow Remington and initially produce the rifle in 1:10? How can I determine for sure?

Hope this makes sense,

Kansan

you can check the twist in any barrel with a cleaning rod with a brush attached.
insert the rod into the barrel. mark the rod where it enters the action with a fine sharpie.
also scribe a line on the rod top for about 1 foot. push the rod further into the barrel
untill the scribed line is again on top. then again mark where it enters the action.
remove the rod and measure the distance between the marks entering the action.

Yobuck,

You're the man! Using your method, I came up with a 1:8 twist, which is in line with current production Savage .260 Remington rifles. Thank you for the awesome method.

Kansan