Hunting & Fishing for those of you who go out of town...

[Sixfivesavage]

For those of you who hunt places other than your local woods, do you find 260 ammo abundant enough to make you chamber a hunting rifle in that over something like a 6.5 Lapua or a 6.5 4s? Now I know that you don't stand a chance of finding those two at a mom and pop place in the Youkon but is the 260 gonna be there often enough either? I'm trying to decide if it's worth buying back into the 260 again for or if I can just stick with the Lapua since I already have one and the components.

 

[long range newbie]

6.5 rsaum 4s is a great cartridge from what I heard great barrel life and a speed demon. I have a 260 and it works amazing. If a 6.5 lapua is a 338 necked down that would get around 800-1000 rounds barrel life. total flamethrower to the throat. Ive never heard anyone using one. If your buying ammo you should go with 6.5 creedmoor. Your not gonna find any 6.5 factory ammo really anywhere, but you can find it usually at bigger gun shops or sporting goods stores. Also 6.5 saum 4s I'm pretty sure only one person sells it and IDK if anyones sells 6.5 lapua.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

Your misunderstanding me. I know what a 260 is capable of as well as the 6.5 4s and I already have a 6.5x47 Lapua. What I'm asking about is for those "shit, the airport lost my ammo" times when your away from your normal environment. Is the 260 gonna be available more often than not enough to sway you to build one of them over something that wasn't know isn't gonna be available at some gas station in Alaska or wherever. I know what the performance of them all is, not looking for advise in that regard.

 

[wfjames22]

I travel to hunt a decent amount and have never had to "find" ammo at my final destination. I am not saying that it can't/doesn't happen, but I think that the odds are in your favor that you will never have this problem either. If you are truly worried about this then the 260 is not ideal. You need to stick to 223, 243, 270, 30-06, 300wm, 338wm, etc...since you can buy ammo for those chamberings nearly anywhere.

 

[Hairball]

JMHO but any cartridge outside of mainstream use will be more difficult to find the further from "civilization" that you travel. If you are concerned that the ammo could get lost you could always ship the ammo ahead to the location of where you will be hunting so its there (you can verify before you leave home) and not worry about it. Finding lapua anything is not easy and even though I live within reach of several large firearms stores, I generally have to order anything lapua on a special order

 

[BoilerUP]

I have found 260 (typically Rem 140gr PSP or Federal Fusion) at every Bass Pro and Cabelas I have ever been to in this country.

That said, the two largest LGS to me do not carry 260 ammo of any kind.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

I understand you will be able to find stuff like 300 win mag and 308 and all and obviously I'm not going somewhere and then looking for ammo. What I'm really asking is for affirmation of my line of thinking that I have no reason to build a 260 over another 6.5x47 Lapua because I stand as good of a chance of finding the Lapua as I do 260, meaning I'm not gonna find either. So since I am already invested in the Lapua, no reason to buy back into 260 cuz it ain't gonna matter in the end.

 

[565fitter]

The walmarts around here usually have a box or two of 260 on the shelves, and as mentioned before cabelas always has it.

 

[psinclair]

Take two rifles.....the one you want to hunt with, and a 30/06 for backup. Chances are you won't have to use the 06', but ammo for that one can be had anywhere in the world...

 

[Sixfivesavage]

Take two rifles.....the one you want to hunt with, and a 30/06 for backup. Chances are you won't have to use the 06', but ammo for that one can be had anywhere in the world...

That's true. You're the man I've been hoping to hear from since I know your prowess with the 260. I'm torn between the 260 and 6.5 4s now but don't really feel like making the brass. For one hunting rifle, do you have a reason I should make one over the other?

 

[charvey9]

I don't see much of any of those calibers in the smaller stores, but easy to find at the larger chain stores. Why not just take some ammo with you?

 

[Easy_E]

The 260 is out there we are a smaller shop and have some Remington on hand. You could do the double insurance thing ship and pack ammo so either way it will be there. On the other hand the odds are the same that your rifle might not make it ? So the two rifle plan might be better...

 

[Sixfivesavage]

I don't see much of any of those calibers in the smaller stores, but easy to find at the larger chain stores. Why not just take some ammo with you?

I'm not intending to buy ammo!!! My point is that the only reason I can think of to buy dies and brass and invest in the 260 when I already have shit for the 6.5x47 Lapua would be if I were ever in a dire position where MY AMMO that I took with me or shipped was not available and had to look for some. That's it, I have no intention of ever having to look for it somewhere. That's just the only reason I could see to pick that over what I already have. That being said, I think I'm correct in thinking that it's no more likely to be found than the Lapua so no since in buying back into the 260.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

You're over thinking this. Shoot your x47 and go on. Put your ammo in the case with the rifle. If they loose one they loose both and you're fucked anyhow. Have plans for a back up gun. Would you trust any shelf ammo and know the data and velocity to do what needs done anyhow if you had to buy it?

 

[coldboremiracle]

I agree, Pat's idea is the best suggestion, but you are overthinking this. Shoot the x47 and dont worry. Loosing your ammo and having to buy some is just one of a million scenarios that could happen on an out of town hunt. Load up plenty of x47 and keep some in every bag.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

I agree with you guys, just always hear people say they pick something over the other because if they loose their ammo they can find it easier. In the case of 6.5s it isn't going to matter, just as I thought. Guess I needed to hear it from someone else.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Every one always talks about loosing ammo, what about loosing the rifle? Or broken scope, or malfunction of some other kind? Like I said, ammo is just one of a million things that could set back your hunt.

 

[Jig Stick]

If bullet availability is that important to you, then look at 30.06, .270, 7mm, or 300wm. Those you WILL find just about everywhere. FWIW, I've seen white tail deer hit with a .260 that run run run run run and are never found. My buddy won't let anyone on his property hunt with them anymore. I personally hunt with 30.06, .270, 300winmag, and 6.5x47, depending on the season and where I am going. my 270 is by far my favorite. It "zaps" everything

 

[coldboremiracle]

My buddy won't let anyone on his property hunt with them anymore.

Your buddy would be far better served by requiring a marksmanship test. Id wager the majority of the incidents had far more to do with the shooter than the caliber. There isnt a deer on earth who wouldn't fall to a .260 to the boiler room. I'm taking mine on a big bull elk hunt next month.

 

[Fuzzy Bunny]

II've seen white tail deer hit with a .260 that run run run run run and are never found. My buddy won't let anyone on his property hunt with them anymore. I personally hunt with 30.06, .270, 300winmag, and 6.5x47, depending on the season and where I am going. my 270 is by far my favorite. It "zaps" everything

Wow, a 260 gets banned, but a 6.5x47 is ok. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[psinclair]

If bullet availability is that important to you, then look at 30.06, .270, 7mm, or 300wm. Those you WILL find just about everywhere. FWIW, I've seen white tail deer hit with a .260 that run run run run run and are never found. My buddy won't let anyone on his property hunt with them anymore. I personally hunt with 30.06, .270, 300winmag, and 6.5x47, depending on the season and where I am going. my 270 is by far my favorite. It "zaps" everything

FWIW?......Your statement is worth nothing. And totally exposes you as knowing absolutely nothing about hunting.

 

[RobertB]

If bullet availability is that important to you, then look at 30.06, .270, 7mm, or 300wm. Those you WILL find just about everywhere. FWIW, I've seen white tail deer hit with a .260 that run run run run run and are never found. My buddy won't let anyone on his property hunt with them anymore. I personally hunt with 30.06, .270, 300winmag, and 6.5x47, depending on the season and where I am going. my 270 is by far my favorite. It "zaps" everything

THat makes no sense. I've lost a deer with my 260 but I don't blame it on the cartridge. Poor bullet choice 142SMK.... since I've used others I have no problem. And what also throws a red flag is you list a 6.5x47. Same bullet with less case. How is that a better hunting round than a 260? If you know where to put em and how to get em there a 260 is an AWESOME round