.260AI?

KeithR41

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Minuteman
  • Jul 20, 2009
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    Oregon
    Ok, going to be selling some mining equipment to pay for a new rifle. I was thinking of .260 or .260AI. I would like a calibre with easy to get brass. I already shoot a .308 and would like to stick with the 6mm cals. Already got a 700SA lined up for the build. Any other suggestions?

    Keith
     
    Re: .260AI?

    If you plan to keep it forever, the AI has a small advantage. If you want to sell it down the road, stick with the 260. If you want the best 6.5 medium capacity, get a 6.5x55 on a long action. Then you can seat out those VLDs and exceed 260 performance.
    Good shooting.
     
    Re: .260AI?

    The .260AI is a great cartridge, velocities within a whisker of the 6.5-284 with the advantages of a short action.

    I have one reservation about this cartridge in a standard 700 SA repeater using its conventional staggered magazine. On many builds the short (.308 length) AI doesn't feed very well from this kind of magazine. Something about the rather sharp shoulder angle on a short case feeding from a short action gives problems. If you're building a repeater consider this and investigate it before jumping in blindly. Of course, going to Badger bottom metal with its AICS magazines will fix the problem.
     
    Re: .260AI?

    Ive got a friend that shoots Long range Prairie doggin. Thats there thing. 1000 Yards plus or they dont shoot, well maybe 500 plus. Anyway they think the 260AI out shoots there 6.5x284. Why or how they think this i dont know. But they swear to it!!!! I will have one soon i am sure! Oh Ya, They use regular remington 260 brass and they dont have any trouble with it. Lee
     
    Re: .260AI?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KeithR41</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ok, going to be selling some mining equipment to pay for a new rifle. I was thinking of .260 or .260AI. I would like a calibre with easy to get brass. I already shoot a .308 and would like to stick with the 6mm cals. Already got a 700SA lined up for the build. Any other suggestions?

    Keith </div></div>

    Unless your going to have a FF barrel chambered at the same time, stick with a straight 260. I built a straight .260 and it's one of my favorite rifles now.
     
    Re: .260AI?

    I am currently thinking about a 260ai build as well. I figured with a reasonable barrel length the most velocity I would expect to get with 139 scenars is 2900. Some get 3000 with hot loads.

    I had my mind all set on it but I figured I would have to go with a long action to be sure I couldseat the bullets long to make the most use of the case capacity.

    Then I saw the 6 mm crusader thread. Slightly lower bc bullets that are a little lighter going 300 fps faster without scary pressures. And the wind drift and drops are less
     
    Re: .260AI?

    If you already have a short action, the 6.5-06AI or Zhat custom version (260 Hawk?) of that round won't fit for a repeater. The 260AI has a great writeup that was already linked on here.

    The 6.5 Swede can run an AI version and then it will run with the 6.5-284

    I'm guessing that the reason the guys are liking the 260 AI more than the 6.5x284 has a lot to do with the ability to fire more than 3 rounds in a row before you have to wait for the barrel to cool, and the barrels last a lot longer than 900 rounds.

    More and more people are talking about running this or the 260 and I'm really starting to itch on building one for one of the spare mausers I have sitting in my cabinet.
     
    Re: .260AI?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: swarrick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know this is probably a mistype but if not I would suggest the .243 </div></div>

    Yeah, it's looking to me like the 243 Winchester with the 115gr DTAC and the 260 Remington with the 139gr Scenar are very similar out to 1000yds.

    The 243 should have less recoil (and flatter trajectory), and the 260 should have better barrel life.
     
    Re: .260AI?

    Max speed....28-30", carry rifle, maybe like mine, it will be in an XCR stock. 21.5-23" max, fluted varmint contour. Stiff but portable, not too muzzle heavy, stock not too bulky.

    Mine is a rifle to be used for an all around rifle, fine for paper, fine for a deer stand, not extreme to carry for hunting. It will be an 8" Bartlein.