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18 inch .260 or 6.5x47

How're people finding RL17 for temp sensitivity? I'm inclined to stick to Hodgdon powders for availability (in New Zealand, they're made by ADI in Australia) and cost reasons also it's pretty consistent and temp insensitive
 
JCH has an 18" 8.5tw 6.5CM that gets 2810+ with 130gn vlds and H4350 and 3056 with Varget and 100gn Amax. I have found R17 to be too temp sensitive to be worth my time. I actually have a 5# jug unopened that I am trying to figure out what to do with it. I will stick to the H4350 or Varget loads.

Well, he has it for now, but it will soon find its way "home". :)
 
RL 17 & RL 15 are temp stable according to the Alliant site. I have no first hand experience with Alliant powders so cant say myself. I stick with Hodgdon extreme powders

Temp stable in the sense you know what the MV will be as the temp changes. I use RL 15 fairly often and it typically changes a bit more 1fps per 1* of temp changes, at least this has been my experience thru about 20* to about 100* in mid-Atlantic weather. Knowing this, its not hard to take a 1/10mil off or add one for shots past 500yds depending on the temp you are operating in.
 
Any other first hand experiences anyone would like to share, particularly with regards to MV in a 18-20" 260? I just got a LMT MWS a couple of weeks ago with a 20" tube and after my initial load development showed stellar accuracy running a 123 amax @ 2950fps in the gas gun, I started thinking (dangerous I know). I have a 26" barreled 260 that I love but it's too long (with a can), too heavy and not setup for the way I hunt. I primarily hunted with a 20" 308 last season and while I love it, it's pretty vanilla. I think I am going to sell it and build an 18" or 20" 260 to hunt with. Mainly because I have gun ADD but also because I definitely have a thing for 260's.

Someone come along and tell me that I'll have permanent wood while hunting if I build an 18" (or 20") 260 and sling 130 accubonds out of it, and be able to get respectable velocity. It would still be fairly handy with an barrel OAL of around 27" with a 30P-1 on it with an 18" tube. I am ok if you say that's a bad idea as well.