Gunsmithing 6.5X.308 Vs. .260 Remington?

[Catfish Magic]

New member here. I've been lurking on Sniper's Hide for a while, and I've found some good info. Just decided I would register and join in!

Anyway, I've been looking to re-barrel my Rem. 700 PSS. It's current factory cambering is 6.8 SPC. I like the cartridge, but not for the setup the rifle is in.
I have my sights set on a 6.5 due to the extremely high BC of the projectile and how flat they shoot. My question is: Is there any difference between the .260 Remington and 6.5X.308 chambering? From what I have read, the .260 chamber is identical to the 6.5X.308 except for the longer throat that Remington added. Is this true? I don't really like Remington's factory throats. They are just too long for my liking.

BTW, Redding lists the .260 and 6.5X.308 as different die sets, but aren't these cartridges the same? Maybe the seating die is different.

 

[long range newbie]

I had the same dilemma but I read stuff saying they were different then they weren't so I just got a 260 rem and I can make brass out of 7-08, 243 and 308 brass

 

[MarinePMI]

There are many different variants of the 6.5x.308, some of which are drastically different that the .260. The .260 is a direct copy (IIRC) of the 6.5 x.308 A-Square wildcat...hence the confusion by the references often made of the "6.5x.308" being the same as the .260. It all depends on which "6.5 x .308" one is referencing when the comparison is made.

 

[Mike]

Don't screw with the 6.5x308. Why make life more difficult?

Just get a 260 and be done with it. Or if you don't want a .260 get a 6.5CM. All these stupid wildcat variants are for people that don't shoot enough and want to reinvent the wheel.

 

[fdkay]

That's odd, they discontinued the PSS years before the 6.8 was invented.
IIRC they only made two 700 models in 6.8, they made a run of the 700P LTR with a 20" medium contour barrel and a 700 SPS with, for some stupid reason, a 26" barrel.
Keep in mind, you'll either have to open the bolt face (and install an after market extractor) or buy a new bolt. So, you can add another 200 to the cost of the rebarrel.
Not a deal breaker though, PTG makes a one piece bolt that is far superior to the remington bolt (they also make two piece bolts). You can just strip the firing pin, spring etc.. from your existing bolt.

 

[Catfish Magic]

That's odd, they discontinued the PSS years before the 6.8 was invented.
IIRC they only made two 700 models in 6.8, they made a run of the 700P LTR with a 20" medium contour barrel and a 700 SPS with, for some stupid reason, a 26" barrel.
Keep in mind, you'll either have to open the bolt face (and install an after market extractor) or buy a new bolt. So, you can add another 200 to the cost of the rebarrel.
Not a deal breaker though, PTG makes a one piece bolt that is far superior to the remington bolt (they also make two piece bolts). You can just strip the firing pin, spring etc.. from your existing bolt.

It's a PSS alright. There was a small run in 6.8 for law enforcement use. They were a flop at best.
Thanks for the info on PTG.

 

[Catfish Magic]

Don't screw with the 6.5x308. Why make life more difficult?

Just get a 260 and be done with it. Or if you don't want a .260 get a 6.5CM. All these stupid wildcat variants are for people that don't shoot enough and want to reinvent the wheel.

I know what you mean. I might go with a 6.5x.308 made to my specs so I can load for it as a precision rifle. The .260 is still an option though.

 

[lizard1]

hey catfish
i have a few 260 rems and a few 6.5x47 lapuas,and i would be hard pressed to pick a favorite ! whatever you pick , will be the right choice.........dave

 

[bohem]

Catfish, you can load a 260 to your specs too. You're getting a new barrel put on it and going to have work done on the bolt head (both 6.5's you're talking about don't share a case head dimension with the 6.8) so it's going to be a full custom job on the barrel adn bolt head right?

There is no functional difference, not for reloading, not for performance, not for getting the rifle builder to put a barrel on to your ideal setup. Another comment though, you might just tell the rifle builder what bullet you want to shoot and let them advise you on the reamer spec to use.

 

[Catfish Magic]

Catfish, you can load a 260 to your specs too. You're getting a new barrel put on it and going to have work done on the bolt head (both 6.5's you're talking about don't share a case head dimension with the 6.8) so it's going to be a full custom job on the barrel adn bolt head right?

There is no functional difference, not for reloading, not for performance, not for getting the rifle builder to put a barrel on to your ideal setup. Another comment though, you might just tell the rifle builder what bullet you want to shoot and let them advise you on the reamer spec to use.

Good point on the .260. For me, refacing the bolt, squaring the action, and even going to a new extractor are a given. As you said, this is going to be a full custom job. I'll even be putting a new lug on my action and rebedding the stock.

As to what bullet I want to shoot, I still haven't decided. The Lapua 139 gr. Scenar looks like a good option. Thanks for the input, it looks like having the maker of the barrel set up the barrel for the bullet I'm going to shoot is the best option for me.