Just ordered a new DPMS 260 rem, looking for load advice

[ArmyJerry]

What loads are good with the 123, 140 SMK and 130 GMK in LC necked down brass, I have Varget, 4064 and H4350 to use as powder? I would put this in reloading but I think you semi auto guys look here more often. I currently shoot 140smk in lapua brass with 43.1 h4350, shoots one ragged hole most f the time. Thanks for any advice.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I would start with the 140 gr SMK and H4350. This seems like a reliable combination for this cartridge.

 

[BC83]

I would start with the 140 gr SMK and H4350. This seems like a reliable combination for this cartridge.

ShtrRdy is right about the powder, not so sure about the 140smk's.. Iv'e found the 142 smk's and the 139 lapua scenars work the best for me. The only down side to the .260 in a AR is you don't have alot of room to play with bullet seating depth due to the COL.

 

[502Chevelle]

JP will tell you to go with the 123s to leave more room for powder. H4350 is pretty much the go to powder. Of course there are other powders like IMR4350, varget and rel 17. There are lots of good bullets of course, but the bolt guns are a little different, and a bunch of people will post what works good in their bolt gun, but these gas guns are a little different. I know everything that JP says is not written in stone, but there are some people that I tend to pay attention to, and JP is one of them.

 

[LRRPF52]

For me with the .260 Rem gas gun, 130gr is the sweet spot. I like the 130gr VLD, but my chamber was cut by GAP for VLD's in mind, feeding from the mag, so I don't have crazy jump to the lands.

Necking down .308 brass is going to be tedious, as you will have to neck trim, especially with the DPMS chamber. I have to full length size virgin Lapua brass to get it to feed in my current .260 Rem.

If you can't get 130gr VLD's, 130gr Norma GT's are awesome, as are 129gr SST's. I also agree that H4350 is a go to powder in the gasser. Mine shoots the 139gr-142gr target pills really well, but I beat them for trajectory and match them for wind because of speed.

Remove the aluminum DPMS gas block and get a quality steel one from JP, Badger, etc. Aluminum gas blocks expand and lose the seal, causing gas leakage and short stroking. They don't belong on a .260 Rem gas gun, and I don't think there is a place for them on any other AR15 or AR10 either for this reason.

43.0gr of H4350 behind a 130gr from Lapua brass is too hot in the gasser for me. I'm really pushing it if I go over 41.0gr behind a 130gr with Lapua brass, but I'm ok when using necked down 7mm-08 brass, which has more capacity than Lapua .260 Rem brass in the lots I have of both.

I have permanently damaged at least 4 FPRPins over the years, and I'm now using an enlarged firing pin to fill out the .080" FP hole of the DPMS bolt face, which does not support the primers enough in this caliber when shooting H4350 and long pills. The new pin seems to be working as designed, but the best solution is a smaller pin and hole, like on the Armalite guns with their .068" hole.

 

[lte82]

41.8 gr of 2000mr with a 139 scenar @ 2.79 oal produces sub moa groups @ 2750 fps in my Dpms 260. I've also had great luck with the 123s.

 

[LR338nut]

I load for a friend who has one. 140SMK's with 42.5gr of H4350, Win 7-08 brass, Fed 210M primers. Solid sub 1/2 moa shooter.
Hope this helps.

 

[502Chevelle]

I didn't get specific on loads because I'm shooting a 6.5cm, but posted my info above due to the fact that they are first cousins. Right now I'm shooting R17, because everyone was out of H4350. When you look at the Hornady online reloading manual, the two powders are almost identical, but the 4350 groups better. Another example of some guns just being finicky eaters.

 

[rg1911]

AR-10 with Krieger barrel. 42.0 grains of H4350, Lapua Scenar 139-gr, Lapua brass, and Federal GMM primers. 2759 fps and sub-1/2 MOA. Also has no problem hitting the 1,000-yard target.

I tried the Sierra MK and Hornady in the 140-grain category bullets and they were running 1 MOA in my rifle.

Richard

 

[Ryguy]

I am getting a little more velocity and better accuracy with 46gr H4831sc and the 142SMK from a DPMS 260. Replacing the gas block is a must. Averaging 2784 fps at .38 MOA at 100. SD is the singles and low ES.

 

[ArmyJerry]

Thanks for the info guys, I will try a series of Varget with 130's and h3450 and 140 smk's,this barrel has a 8.5twist so I will order up some 140 amaxes, my 8 twist bolt hates the amax for some reason. I will load 50rounds of Lapua to mirror the LC series loads just in case I have feeding issues.

 

[LRRPF52]

The 140gr A-MAX is a bullet that I didn't see impressive results with either. Every other 6.5mm target bullet I tried shoots great, so I left the 140gr A-MAX alone.

Make sure you replace that abortion aluminum gas block with a steel one.

 

[ArmyJerry]

LRPF, I see myself putting a bartlein on soon enough, will get the proper adjustable at that time.