Wow- New Shilen 260AI is a shooter!

**savageboy** · 01-28-2010, 08:23 PM

Just a quick update on the Shilen barrel, we (Mr Wade Hull- Pres. Shilen bbl) and I decided to just shoot the barrel with the existing throating. My last Shilen 260AI shot the Lapua 139's lights out, but wouldn't shoot Berger 140's no matter what I did- powder changes, seating depth changes. So I used the Lapua's all last season w/ very good results.
It has been in the low 60's and sunny here in NC so I have been breaking in and doing some load dev. w/ the barrel the last 2 days and I got several groups- best w/ a 10 thou. Jam w/ the Berger 140's (Target- thick jacket) that I have been wanting to shoot due to their very high BC and quailty, that was unbelievable. 4 touching and 1 opening it up a bit at 110yds. I need a bit more velocity as I purposly decreased the powder charges from my other bbl and the Rem. brass I was using during break in and load development. I am now using Lapua 308 brass necked down to .264 and fire formed to the AI chamber w/ turned necks to 14 thou thickness w/ a K&N turner.
It looks like I really have a shooter here! Now for some more velocity. I was shooting at 2783 Ave FPS w/ 16 ES and 8 SD (best es and sd of the day). H4831SC, Fed 210M primers, Berger 140VLD w/ a 10 thou jam. When I get 2940+ fps I will be a very happy camper (or F class shooter). My last barrel got 2930ish FPS w/ the Lapua 139's and was 2" shorter.

**Hoot** · 01-28-2010, 11:06 PM

If you don't mind sharing your resizing experience. I have a completed 260 (non-AI) Rem in the gun case waiting for the daytime temps to get more than today's Zero :-[ for a high. To help pass the time, the other evening, I tried resizing a few Lake City .308 brass down to .260 in one step. Despite generous use of Imperial lubricant inside and out, the necks came out looking really stressed. To spec, but overworked looking like Damascus steel. I certainly would not load and shoot them. The .308 brass still had the annealing discoloration in them but I wondered if I needed to anneal them again before resizing or neck them down in a succession of decreasing steps? I don't have a 7mm-08 die set. Any tips appreciated.
Hoot

**Blue Avenger** · 01-29-2010, 12:11 AM

I took some once fired 308 BHM brass down to .243 using imperial and a Redding .243 AI FL die in one pass. only lost two. Not as thick as LC brass.

**savageboy** · 01-29-2010, 12:19 AM

Good point, I missed the LC brass. It is thick, tough brass. I use it for all my AR's. In my .223AI I only use Winchester. I fire form w/ IMR 4064 or H4895 and a 60gr. Sierra Varmiter. Ex. accuracy. So, maybe the prob. is mostly the LC brass.

**Hoot** · 01-29-2010, 10:27 PM

Thanks guys. I knew the LC was mil-spec and generally tougher, I just assumed that since they annealed it, it would be more cooperative. I chose the LC because I wanted the resultant cartridge to be tougher. I will see if I have any lower quality brass to use.
Hoot