Post by Bullshop on Feb 11, 2017 16:32:11 GMT -7
Today was the day I finally got around to putting together a 260 Remington. I have been wanting to try this cartridge for a long time. Even though I have not yet sold this winters coyotes the number of nice furs I will have going to auction in a couple weeks seemed to justify ( at least to me) the purchase of the needed parts to build a rifle.
I pretty much have a standing order at our local gun shop for savage 110 actions. They got in a clean rifle in 30-06 and let me have it for $200.00 As luck would have it this older rifle has the 4 way adjustable trigger, the one they want $150.00 for now as an aftermarket part. SWEET !!!
Second was a barrel purchase from EABCO a company I have wanted to try for barrel quality for some time as well. I bought the 260 Rem barrel kit for $250.00 This kit contains a medium heavy 26" blued chrome molly barrel with 1/8" twist as well as a barrel wrench and adequate action wrench. It also contains a barrel break in kit with cleaning and polishing compounds. While at their sit getting the barrel kit I also saw something else I had been wanting to try for some time and it was on sale, THAT VERY DAY!!! That other item is a stock designed by Major John Plaster one of the men responsible for creating the Marine sniper program and also one of the men involved with training Carlos Hatcheck . I figured he had a good understanding on what would make an accurate field stock. The stock was on sale at $175.00 with an additional $20.00 off if purchased that day.
So I got it all assembled today and mounted a 10X Falcon optics menace scope on it. Rather than go through the boring standard barrel break in procedure I opted for my more fun break in method of simply shooting a bunch of cast bullets through it. First off I want to say I like the stock! It is too heavy for field carry for an old guy but it is a precision tool with enough adjustments to solidly dial in any shot from any position.
Now the interestink part. I was about 50 to 60 rounds into my disappointment when I decided to try a more radical procedure. The reasons for the rad procedure were several. First the two .266" and .267" diameter bullets a 143gn Lyman and a 130gn Ideal were both showing signs on target of bullet instability with oblong holes. Second was small lead deposits on the case neck. And third was crap for groups.
Now with the superior reasoning ability and wisdom of the wizard of Oz I set about to determine why. I had a feeling the new throat was maybe a little on the sharp side and the long fat bullets having to be deep seated in the cases likely was doing nothing good. My idea on how to battle the situation was quite simple actually. The 260 Rem is a .264" groove but a 257" bore. I simply ran some bullets nose first into a 25 cal bullet sizer die in the lube sizer press. A top punch that fit the base of the bullet and allowed for the two bottom most drive bands to remain at 6.5mm caliber but the rest of the bullet to be sized at 25 caliber was found among my extensive TP collection.
OK now back at the shooting bench, BINGO !!!! shrunken groups and perfectly round bullet holes. No refined loads and tiny groups yet but at least I think I am on the right track.
I decided to quit on a high note for the day and join in on BS Jr #3 20th birthday celebration. By the time I get a couple hundred cast bullets through this new barrel on the BS barrel break in procedure I should also have learned something on refining a cast bullet load in this 6.5mm caliber barrel as well.
So very interesting, don't you think?
I pretty much have a standing order at our local gun shop for savage 110 actions. They got in a clean rifle in 30-06 and let me have it for $200.00 As luck would have it this older rifle has the 4 way adjustable trigger, the one they want $150.00 for now as an aftermarket part. SWEET !!!
Second was a barrel purchase from EABCO a company I have wanted to try for barrel quality for some time as well. I bought the 260 Rem barrel kit for $250.00 This kit contains a medium heavy 26" blued chrome molly barrel with 1/8" twist as well as a barrel wrench and adequate action wrench. It also contains a barrel break in kit with cleaning and polishing compounds. While at their sit getting the barrel kit I also saw something else I had been wanting to try for some time and it was on sale, THAT VERY DAY!!! That other item is a stock designed by Major John Plaster one of the men responsible for creating the Marine sniper program and also one of the men involved with training Carlos Hatcheck . I figured he had a good understanding on what would make an accurate field stock. The stock was on sale at $175.00 with an additional $20.00 off if purchased that day.
So I got it all assembled today and mounted a 10X Falcon optics menace scope on it. Rather than go through the boring standard barrel break in procedure I opted for my more fun break in method of simply shooting a bunch of cast bullets through it. First off I want to say I like the stock! It is too heavy for field carry for an old guy but it is a precision tool with enough adjustments to solidly dial in any shot from any position.
Now the interestink part. I was about 50 to 60 rounds into my disappointment when I decided to try a more radical procedure. The reasons for the rad procedure were several. First the two .266" and .267" diameter bullets a 143gn Lyman and a 130gn Ideal were both showing signs on target of bullet instability with oblong holes. Second was small lead deposits on the case neck. And third was crap for groups.
Now with the superior reasoning ability and wisdom of the wizard of Oz I set about to determine why. I had a feeling the new throat was maybe a little on the sharp side and the long fat bullets having to be deep seated in the cases likely was doing nothing good. My idea on how to battle the situation was quite simple actually. The 260 Rem is a .264" groove but a 257" bore. I simply ran some bullets nose first into a 25 cal bullet sizer die in the lube sizer press. A top punch that fit the base of the bullet and allowed for the two bottom most drive bands to remain at 6.5mm caliber but the rest of the bullet to be sized at 25 caliber was found among my extensive TP collection.
OK now back at the shooting bench, BINGO !!!! shrunken groups and perfectly round bullet holes. No refined loads and tiny groups yet but at least I think I am on the right track.
I decided to quit on a high note for the day and join in on BS Jr #3 20th birthday celebration. By the time I get a couple hundred cast bullets through this new barrel on the BS barrel break in procedure I should also have learned something on refining a cast bullet load in this 6.5mm caliber barrel as well.
So very interesting, don't you think?
