.260 Performance.

Buck 243

Member
Anyone know how well .260 performs with a 20" barrel and what sort of velocity can be expected firing 120 grain bullets?
Thinking of a change!!
 
20" is a bit short for the .260. You could look at the 6.5x47 as an alternative.

Neither will give there best performance with a 20" tube and there wouldn't be much in it either ! I think a 20" gun would be lovely , defo make deer legal you just need to decide which 6.5 you fancy really
 
Neither will give there best performance with a 20" tube and there wouldn't be much in it either ! I think a 20" gun would be lovely , defo make deer legal you just need to decide which 6.5 you fancy really

I have a 21" 6.5x47, seems fine.
 
I have a 6.5 Creedmoor with a 22" barrel. No issues here, pushing a 120gr bullet at 2900fps... (H4350).
 
I have a 6.5 Creedmoor with a 22" barrel. No issues here, pushing a 120gr bullet at 2900fps... (H4350).

I'd prefer a 20" barrel or shorter on most rifles due to the use of sound mods here. Reading on the net most across the pond seem to say 22" is limit for the .260?
 
I'd prefer a 20" barrel or shorter on most rifles due to the use of sound mods here. Reading on the net most across the pond seem to say 22" is limit for the .260?

With no suppressors in general use the 22" would seem a good compromise between barrel length and case/bore capacity. I shoot a 6.5x55 with a 24" custom fit barrel but I live in open country so that extra 2" is only a benefit in both velocity and balance.~Muir
 
20" is a bit short for the .260. You could look at the 6.5x47 as an alternative.

I have a .260 with a 20" barrel shooting 129gr. And its great ! Also have a .243 and .308, BUT the .260 it my first choice Deer rifle, I shoot Muntjack and Fallow .


I get an average 2510fps for 43gr with reloader 19 and a 129rn bullet
 
I get 2850 to 2900 fps with Reloder 17 in my 260 with 120 gr BT's.

20.5" barrel.

I dont see how the 6.5x47 can do better given it has less powder capacity - unless you are ruining at higher pressure.

The 260/120gr is a excellent UK deer round up to biggish reds.
 
Have been running me tikka t3 with a pacnor barrel for 2 years with an 18 inch barrel from the action and have had no problems whatsoever with accuracy hole on hole at 100 yards all day with my hand loads have shot deer out to 200 yards no problem
just purchsed a blaser and it is a great shame they do do supply the 260 caliber so had to go to the nearest thing a 6.5x55 swede
hope this helps
​Atb mark
 
Thanks for the reply's folks, some interesting reading, seems like some of you get on fine with the short barrel and some don't. I'm stuck on the idea of going for .260 think the best way forward is to er on the side of caution and go for 22" and take it from there as I could always cut the barrel down an inch at a time if I'm feeling brave.
Just out of interest whats everyones idea of the best calibre to shoot through a 18"- 20" barrel and stay deer legal.
 
Thanks for the reply's folks, some interesting reading, seems like some of you get on fine with the short barrel and some don't. I'm stuck on the idea of going for .260 think the best way forward is to er on the side of caution and go for 22" and take it from there as I could always cut the barrel down an inch at a time if I'm feeling brave. Just out of interest whats everyones idea of the best calibre to shoot through a 18"- 20" barrel and stay deer legal.

ask Brora260 if you want a true experts opinion on the subject, trust me, there's no one better to ask about building them...hence the name ;)
 
ask Brora260 if you want a true experts opinion on the subject, trust me, there's no one better to ask about building them...hence the name ;)

PKL. Hmmm...... Callum Ferguson, Russell Gall, Grant Taylor, Border Barrels and a few others might beg to differ.... Regards JCS
 
PKL. Hmmm...... Callum Ferguson, Russell Gall, Grant Taylor, Border Barrels and a few others might beg to differ.... Regards JCS


Ah John, they're commercial, so commercially they will always think..rather than 'what does this shooter really need'..but that's a can of worms probably best left with lid on... LOL

well in any case, OP,,you've got plenty to go at just from JCS's list above..
 
I run 20" 6,5x55 barrels and get 780-790 msec with 140gr bullets using Norma URP powder. With MRP my V0 is around 740-750 msec.
 
The main issue with a short barrelled 6.5 whether its 6.5x55, 260 or 6.5x47 is not accuracy or velocity, but muzzle energy, shorter barrels may drop below the legal
limit for the larger species of deer, depending where you are stalking. This could be compensated for with hand loads.
 
The main issue with a short barrelled 6.5 whether its 6.5x55, 260 or 6.5x47 is not accuracy or velocity, but muzzle energy, shorter barrels may drop below the legal
limit for the larger species of deer, depending where you are stalking. This could be compensated for with hand loads.

How slow does a 120gr bullet have to be to fail ME requirements?
 
Back
Top