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gap ar-10 260 remington loads

kcshooter

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 31, 2008
622
14
Oklahoma city,OK
I am about ready to load for my 260. I have 139 grain lapua scenar bullets and h4350 powder with cci br2 primers. The gun is a gap ar-10 with a 1-8.5 twist 22" bartlein barrel. What would be a good starting load?

Thank you in advance.
 
Re: 260 remington loads

I'm running 42.3 grains at about 2860 fps out of my Savage 10FCP with a Shilen 26" barrel.
Start low at around 40 grains and work up slowly watching for any pressure signs.
At about 43 grains and up the bolt got a little sticky and didn't want to open well. No primer craters, but it was getting a little hot.

Work it up easy and watch your brass and primers.
 
Re: 260 remington loads

Consult with GAP. Personally, I think the H4350 could be abit slow in the burn rate for a gas gun. H414/W760 loads for the 142SMK are published by Hodgdon as 41.0gr min/43.5max.

Greg
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

H4350 was too slow in my GAP AR10 in 260. I switched to Varget and 140mk's and it was good.

My brass also came out chewed up. I put an adjustable gas tube on it and the brass came out as if it were shot in a bolt gun. Functioned flawlessly and was easy on brass.

Keith
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

.. yep, and then there's good ole Varget...

Brass gets chewed up because the gas port presure is too high, which is usually the case when a slower powder's pressure curve has a longer duration than the faster selections. This is why faster powders favor the gas gun.

R/S TAC and 120SMK/Nos BT/123 Scenar's are a good AR10 combo, but may not go the full distance reliably.
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

When someone asks about AR's, let's stick to AR's.

Actually here's the irony. For those of you who "say" H4350 is not good in a GAP 260. If you go to GAP's website and see a bald guy shooting a tan AR, that is a GAP built 260 and that rifle LOVES H4350. I have personally seen it hold sub MOA at 900yds with handloads. I am now in possession of said rifle (as I am holding it for the owner) and can attest to its both accuracy and H4350. So lets keep the answers to those who have experience with the subject in question, not conjecture from the peanut gallery.

I would start at 41gns and work your way up...carefully.

 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">When someone asks about AR's, let's stick to AR's.

Actually here's the irony. For those of you who "say" H4350 is not good in a GAP 260. If you go to GAP's website and see a bald guy shooting a tan AR, that is a GAP built 260 and that rifle LOVES H4350. I have personally seen it hold sub MOA at 900yds with handloads. I am now in possession of said rifle (as I am holding it for the owner) and can attest to its both accuracy and H4350. So lets keep the answers to those who have experience with the subject in question, not conjecture from the peanut gallery.

I would start at 41gns and work your way up...carefully.

</div></div>

If you're referring to my post I tried h4350 in my GAP built AR10 and I couldn't get any velocity before I ran into pressure problems. I really wanted h4350 to work with 140mk's or 142mk's but it just didn't. I don't doubt your bud's will do it, mine just wouldn't. I called George and talked to him about it and he suggested Varget which DID work.

I do agree that the OP asked about h4350 in an AR10 which is a completely different animal.

AS far as "the peanut gallery" comment...not sure what that's all about.......

Keith
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">KS, the comments were not directed at you. </div></div>

Roger that.

thanks,
Keith
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

I have a GAP AR260 and tried the 42grs of H4350.
After blowing a few primers I switch to N550.

39grs gives me 2600fps, it's slow but very accurate.

Rem brass/CCIBR primers.

I plan to test the H4350 again and see what speed is possible without blowing primers.
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

From the peanut gallery, and sticking with AR's, which I neither own nor shoot (anymore); gas port pressures are a matter of port diameter and spacing, and yes, one can probably build an AR10 with tolerates H4350 very nicely. But it's a special configuration, not the norm, and having a firearm which is specifically designed to use non-standard ammo is not my own particular preference.

I salute your conspicuous perspicacity, and extend warm waves of copacetic appreciation. Have a nice day.

LOL!
laugh.gif
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

Kcshooter, I use 43.0 of H4350, Br-2 primers, Rem. brass and 123 Scenars in my semi 260. I get 2775fps with this load. It is 1/2 moa all day long. I am on my 8th reloading, no loose primer pockets. I have had it out to 1000 yards with no problem.

PM me if you want more info.

Lance
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

24" DPMS 260. 41.5gr H4350, Sierra 142HPBT, Rem brass + CCI primers about 2750-2780
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

So, it would appear I'm dead wrong about all this. Thanks for the help, guys.
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So, it would appear I'm dead wrong about all this. Thanks for the help, guys.</div></div>

Yes, your lack of experience-specifically with AR's not the .260-dictates that you should refrain from further comment seeing as how we who actually SHOOT and USE the subject in question prove that H4350 <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> the norm, and not your imprudent misinformation..."it's a special configuration, not the norm"

Greg, you bring a lot to the table however I lack the intellectual capacity to comprehend your insistence on interjecting opinions on subjects of which you know nothing about. This thread illustrates my point perfectly.

Whatever you do, feel free not to respond.

Oh, and BTW, you are welcome.
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

Mike;

I'm genuinely sorry to have engendered your displeasure. I try to help, and as you say, sometimes I stick my nose where it may not be most fitting.

I would have preferred to get through this without the blindsided bitch slap, but folks like myself sometimes need to be taken down a notch, and if you are to be the annointed deliverer, so be it. For what it's worth you scored an 'X'.

Enjoy the ride...

Greg
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

Honestly Pat; I'm having real trouble recalling that. That's a considerably lighter load than I use myself.

My own load is just under 44gr of H4350 with those components, but it's for a bolt gun, I generally refrain from suggesting loads for .308/.260 based AR's, and H4350 has never been one of my choices for anything besides bolt guns. For gas semi's, I like to stick with propellents like H414/W760, R/S Big Game, IMR4064, Varget, and faster. I also prefer bullets lighter than the 140's for them.

I guess it goes back to the days when my only semi gas rifle was a Garand (those days are back, by the way), when I was instructed to limit bullet weights and powder burn rates. The M1A was somewhat more tolerant, and my AR even somewhat moreso. But my ventures always stayed rather conservative in those respects. My AR was A Colt Match Target MT6700 .223, my heaviest laids were 69's, and I never used powder faster than Varget. It never gave me any problems, but in the end, the reasons I had bought it for had evaporated, and it served as the basis for the trade that brought me my first Savage, a .308.

While the AR is certainly more tolerant, my view on that is that it simply tolerates the kinds of loads that would not be as wise in M1A' and Garands, and that tolerance itself may not necessarily be a reliable indicator that all is well; but rather more of an invitation to to get into deeper difficulties futher down the road.

But as Mike so ably points out, I honestly don't really know. I just like to err on the side of caution.

From this point on, my only responses on any AR-related topics will be direct responses to direct questions, so the rest of you can rest easy on that subject. Nobody can say I don't try.

Greg
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

I have been running a .260 (DPMS LR-260).
1:7.5 twist 20" stainless barrel and MOLY COATED BULLETS.
I topped out at 42.5 H4350 with the 139 scenars but needed 35 moa up from 100 to get to 1000.
Accuracy was good and the case was not full.
I've run up to 45.0 H4350 with the 123's and have not hit the top yet. Only required 29 moa to go the same distance.
(My poor man's chrono)
accuracy still good and case still not full.
Based on my experience I'd say that H4350 is a tad fast for my rifle and 139's but I usually get my best accuracy on loads that are just lean of peak and that is where H4350 is.
I'm still probably going to stay in the 120 grain bullet range because of how fast they are getting to 1k though.
 
Re: gap ar-10 260 remington loads

Just wanted to update everyone on my gap ar-10 260 loads. I just got back from the range and wanted to share my experience with h4350. With 139 lapua scenar bullets i loaded 41 grains of h4350 to 42.5 grains of h4350. The best groups came from 41 grains of h4350 which shot 1/2 moa consistantly. No pressure signs and the brass was not chewed up. (Mike thank you for the load data.)
 
When I started looking for a starting load, I reviewed all the threads with info about the cartridge/rifle combination I was interested in. When the components in the postings matched what I had to use, I would record all that data. I ended up with plenty of various powder charges using the powder/bullet/primer/brass/rifle I would be using. Then I averaged the loads everyone was using, and started my loading around that. Of course, I started below the average charge just to be safe.

My final load was within .5 grain of the average powder charge that my data showed. I have used that system with both gas, and bolt guns, and although the final charge is almost always within .5 grain, I still start low and work up. This system gives you a starting point that many other shooters have found works well for them.