I have a .260 that's got 1300 rounds on it. I have a 6.5mm Barlein sitting in wait for when it's needed. I thought about going A.I. on that barrel. I've been told they can have feeding issues. Is that true? It will be on a Savage action with CDI bottom metal, and A.I mags.
- Thread starter Garvey
- Start date
Guy I know has a custom 260ai. He is happy with te performance - but admits it doesn't feed perfectly.
Well there's one for the negative side. I don't want to be in the middle of a comp and have that happen. If I were a bench rester with plenty of time, I'd probably do it. But, like many shooters, I'm on the clock.
Thanks for the reply.
Thanks for the reply.
Terry Cross used to run 260AI. He won a lot of matches with it. He didn't stop using it because of feeding issues, he stopped because FFing brass is extra time, expense and effort...and the little extra horsepower wasn't needed for the tacmatches he was shooting.
Personally, I love the look of an AI, with nearly cylindrical case and sharp shoulder. However, I lose WAY too much brass at matches to use one. Remember, when you choose specialty cartridges, you'll be "invested" in each piece of brass. Maybe that works for you. It doesn't for me.
Some other thoughts:
6.5x55 will match 260AI, and Lapua brass is cheap.
6.5x55 improved (several flavors) rival 6.5-284
Robert Whitley has a 30° 260 improved... regular 260ai has a 40° shoulder.
Whitley also does a 6.5SLR, which has 30° shoulder and long neck, doesn't require FFing.
Personally, I love the look of an AI, with nearly cylindrical case and sharp shoulder. However, I lose WAY too much brass at matches to use one. Remember, when you choose specialty cartridges, you'll be "invested" in each piece of brass. Maybe that works for you. It doesn't for me.
Some other thoughts:
6.5x55 will match 260AI, and Lapua brass is cheap.
6.5x55 improved (several flavors) rival 6.5-284
Robert Whitley has a 30° 260 improved... regular 260ai has a 40° shoulder.
Whitley also does a 6.5SLR, which has 30° shoulder and long neck, doesn't require FFing.
turbo54,
Good points for sure. I hate loosing brass at a match, as it is. I'm O.C. about recovering it. But if A.I. brass is lost, new virgin brass has to be fire formed before I can use it.
Good points for sure. I hate loosing brass at a match, as it is. I'm O.C. about recovering it. But if A.I. brass is lost, new virgin brass has to be fire formed before I can use it.
If you're OCD about finding brass, AND you intend to shoot tacmatches, an improved cartridge is not for you.
If you are staying with 6.5mm, stick with 260 or 6.5 creed.
At tacmatches, you'll have no problem policing up as much 260/6.5creed as you fire.
If you are staying with 6.5mm, stick with 260 or 6.5 creed.
At tacmatches, you'll have no problem policing up as much 260/6.5creed as you fire.
I have one. I love it. But, I only had the barrel on my repeater action long enough to cycle some dummy rounds. It seemed to feed fine. Now I have the barrel on a single shot and use it as a 600 yard F-open rifle. Its not any more work really. If you want to ensure 100% feeding at a tactical match just use fireforming loads. They are just as accurate as formed loads.
Whaaa?????
6.5x55 is among the cheapest brass Lapua makes.
I have one and absolutely love it; it is my most accurate rifle right now. I also have not yet had a single feeding issue; it's fine.
turbo54 is right, though, that losing your fireformed brass sucks. There is one encouraging thing I can say on that score: just shooting .260 Remington Lapua brass pre-formed, it's still wickedly accurate. I started off with the cream of wheat fireforming junk to avoid barrel wear, but almost immediately discovered that I could build up normal loads with brass right out of the box and get excellent results, so that's all I do now. As always, YMMV.
-David
turbo54 is right, though, that losing your fireformed brass sucks. There is one encouraging thing I can say on that score: just shooting .260 Remington Lapua brass pre-formed, it's still wickedly accurate. I started off with the cream of wheat fireforming junk to avoid barrel wear, but almost immediately discovered that I could build up normal loads with brass right out of the box and get excellent results, so that's all I do now. As always, YMMV.
-David
What an I going to gain 50 fps? Maybe. I'm conservatively pushing a 140 A-max out of a standard. 260 at 2800 fps. That load shoots sub..2 MOA at 500 yards. I had another load making 2850 fps, and shot 1/2 MOA at 500, but accuracy is paramount so I went with the tighter shooting 2800 fps load. An A.I. 260 may very well cook a barrel faster than a standard 260. Would I shave .1 Mil off my wind hold at 5 mph? Or .2 Mil off at 10 mph, full value?
When I had my rifle in 6.5 bore built, I considered the 260AI. I went with the straight 260 for the same reasons Terry cross stopped using it, and some considerations:
1. The 260 doesn't go transonic for a very long distance. Is the extra effort and expense to fire form brass worth the few times you MIGHT benefit from the extra 100-200 yards of distance the AI gets you compared to the standard 260?
2. With The standard 260, you have a chance of buying "off the shelf" ammo in a pinch. Not so with the AI.
3. How often do you actually shoot at such distance that you truly NEED the extra reach of the AI?
4. You need to know dope and wind corrections for both rounds. Practice will give you more of an advantage with wind, and elevation than going from the standard 260 to an AI.
I have had my standard 260 for 3 years now, and have NEVER regretted not getting the 260AI.
1. The 260 doesn't go transonic for a very long distance. Is the extra effort and expense to fire form brass worth the few times you MIGHT benefit from the extra 100-200 yards of distance the AI gets you compared to the standard 260?
2. With The standard 260, you have a chance of buying "off the shelf" ammo in a pinch. Not so with the AI.
3. How often do you actually shoot at such distance that you truly NEED the extra reach of the AI?
4. You need to know dope and wind corrections for both rounds. Practice will give you more of an advantage with wind, and elevation than going from the standard 260 to an AI.
I have had my standard 260 for 3 years now, and have NEVER regretted not getting the 260AI.
i ran the 260AI for a long time (about 30 matches over past 3 years). i'll go back to it if i can't get my 6cm rebarreled soon.
i've run it from 3047fps to 2960fps. (i'd target 3000fps on a new bbl to save primer pockets)
i don't mind the fire forming at all, and since i wouldn't run new brass in an important match anyway, i'm essentially fire forming every caliber. so what difference does it make? besides, fireforming brass is what F-class matches are for.
further, i got over 10x firings on the cases i managed to keep and never had to trim a single one. i would probably scrap 3-5% before the first shot because i neck up from 243win and then fireform (so necks would split before i even shot them) but the ones that survived pretty much would last until i lost them at a match. (or ran them so hot that pockets wouldn't hold a primer)
early on, i had feeding problems but that was mostly the action. once i got it sorted out, it's been reliable enough for matches.
barrel life for me was 1500 @ 3047fps, 2600 @ 2970fps, 2400 @ 2970fps, 2000 @ 3000 fps. i put more rounds on several of the barrels, but that's about where they started flaking out on me
edit: btw, you can fire standard 260rem in a 260AI. how do you think you fire form it? and it shoots well enough to win f-class matches while fireforming.
i've run it from 3047fps to 2960fps. (i'd target 3000fps on a new bbl to save primer pockets)
i don't mind the fire forming at all, and since i wouldn't run new brass in an important match anyway, i'm essentially fire forming every caliber. so what difference does it make? besides, fireforming brass is what F-class matches are for.
further, i got over 10x firings on the cases i managed to keep and never had to trim a single one. i would probably scrap 3-5% before the first shot because i neck up from 243win and then fireform (so necks would split before i even shot them) but the ones that survived pretty much would last until i lost them at a match. (or ran them so hot that pockets wouldn't hold a primer)
early on, i had feeding problems but that was mostly the action. once i got it sorted out, it's been reliable enough for matches.
barrel life for me was 1500 @ 3047fps, 2600 @ 2970fps, 2400 @ 2970fps, 2000 @ 3000 fps. i put more rounds on several of the barrels, but that's about where they started flaking out on me
edit: btw, you can fire standard 260rem in a 260AI. how do you think you fire form it? and it shoots well enough to win f-class matches while fireforming.
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++++ Double WTF?
6.5x55 Lap brass is like $75/100. Cheap.
I have one build by a local smith. It is a heavy Palm counter 28" barlein barrel 1x7.5 twist I think... I am shooting the Sierra 142gr Match and H4350 aroung 2870fps. I shot the Manatee bench rest match at 565, steel plate about 5 or 6" I think... Everyone was shooting bench rest rigs, I won the match using a Harris bi-pod and rear-bean bag. I have pics of the match, just need to post them. Anyhow, fire-forming the brass adds another step, I am thru my 2nd set of dies from Reeding because the first was not within specs. I was getting huge amounts of run-out. If you are willing to monkey with the brass bc of the fire forming step, go for it, otherwise 260 Remington will do just fine. My two Cs...
Thanks everyone. I'm still on the fence. I WILL NOT shoot virgin brass at a match anyway. How bout a pistol powder load to practice positional with?
