260 Ackley Improved for hunting?

[BlackGreyhounds]

As someone who owns and has hunted with a 260AI a lot my recommendation is a 6.5 PRC

Thanks for your for real-world experience/opinion

 

[wyosam]

Can you expand on that?

I get the hassle with 260AI about fire forming, wildcat dies, and throating long to make use of longer bullets.
But once that is all accounted for, is it there something about the cartridge comparison I should know?

Like if 260AI were a factory option is there still a big argument for 6.5 PRC?

260ai dies are pretty available, so not paying custom die prices or waiting. Unless you’re just buying a different tikka, the prc requires a magnum bolt- can likely arrange a swap here, but still a consideration. Unless you’re shooting game at really long range, no functional difference with the little increase in velocity with the PRC. The only reason I’d do prc would be if you wanted factory ammo available. Which you can always shoot factory 260 just fine. 260ai also means good small rifle primer brass available, not sure if that’s an option with PRC.


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[Wrench]

I have built a bunch of 260ai rifles. I use lee collet dies for 260 rem and have great success. I have been able to get many firings on the brass with just the collet. My chambers are cut on the minimum side so case stretch is pretty low.

140's at 2900 is easy.

 

[turbobrick]

Would love to read more about 277 brass used for other calibers. Is there a thread or other resources?

There is a good amount of info out there, not sure of a single good source though. Personally I just bought some 1x fired stuff, did my normal brass prep and annealing, and sized it to 338 Federal. Then I looked in a bunch of manuals for 338fed loads that weren’t compressed with the projectile I was using, and I loaded up to and well beyond max. Results were great, I definitely found the velocity limit with the lighter projectiles, so I plan on going to heavier ones and seeing how that works. With 260ai I’m going to do the same, but probably just try to maximize velocity with the projectiles I’m already using. If you search around there are people using the hybrid brass for 308 and 8.6blk, and I’m sure others.

 

[Mike D Texas]

You can get 2900+ easily. I run 144LRHTs in my 260AI, 24” barrel with H4350 at a mild 2950. If I push it with SRP Alpha brass and RL26 I can get near 3050. Don’t let the CM/PRC fanboys sway you.

With Fireformed Sig Fury Hybrid brass I can get 3200+.

The only downside I can see is if you are running a non Tikka rifle, you will have to have the load port opened up and run with Hawkins Hunter, AICS or UM DBM (which isn’t a bad thing).

I suppose you could run a Baney box and floor plate but I prefer DBM.

Point is, throat it to seat the bullets to be ideal in the case. Mine are just over 3” COAL.

 

[cal30_sniper]

The other thing that may be worth considering is a 6.5x55 Tikka. With readily available Lapua brass and SKAN reloading data, they get up and go.

 

[6.5Express]

I am a big 260 ai fan. We built one for my three boys to start hunting with as a shared rifle. My youngest just wrapped up his first season with it last fall with two pronghorn, a muley buck, and a bull elk.

In three seasons now, that rifle has 19 filled tags under it's belt including a couple bulls just past 500 yards. It is a very efficient and what I'd consider optimized cartridge for western big game.
We built a second one for one of my twins, and last year he killed a black bear, an antelope buck, a bull elk, and a big bodied mule deer.

It's a great cartridge.

 

[MHWASH]

I am a big 260 ai fan. We built one for my three boys to start hunting with as a shared rifle. My youngest just wrapped up his first season with it last fall with two pronghorn, a muley buck, and a bull elk.

In three seasons now, that rifle has 19 filled tags under it's belt including a couple bulls just past 500 yards. It is a very efficient and what I'd consider optimized cartridge for western big game.
We built a second one for one of my twins, and last year he killed a black bear, an antelope buck, a bull elk, and a big bodied mule deer.

It's a great cartridge.

Which bullets were used? Thanks

 

[sveltri]

My daughter killed her first elk with her grandpas 260ai, I like Ackley cartridges. I was in a similar boat least year deciding between a 6CM and 243ai. Ended up going with the ai, no regerts at all. I do think the 6CM is a cool and highly effective choice as well.

 

[6.5Express]

Which bullets were used? Thanks

All animals in the first 260 ai were killed with a 127 barnes lrx. The second one is using 135 bergers currently, and took the spring bear with an eld m straight 260 fire forming load. But, we had planned to swap that over to the lrx as well.

 

[Robobiss]

The other thing that may be worth considering is a 6.5x55 Tikka. With readily available Lapua brass and SKAN reloading data, they get up and go.

Maybe this is a stupid question, where are you finding this reloading data?

Dad had a 6.5x55 tikka that I have been eyeballing, I haven’t seen any “hot” data for it but maybe I have been looking in the wrong place. For example the hornady app/data says it is slower than the 6.5 creedmoor.

 

[stealthgoat]

Most US 6.5x55 load data is 'lawyered' to lower pressures, supposedly because of old Norwegian Krag actions.

Case capacity will vary by brass (and chamber if you don't full re-size brass) but roughly:
6.5 Swede ~ 58.0 gr. H2O
6.5 Creedmoor ~ 54.0 gr. H2O

So assuming good i.e. Lupua brass and a strong action, the swede has a little more capacity. But in real world, I seem to find a sweet spot below 'max' at essentially at Creed velocities for a given bullet....
My favorite 6.5x55 basic whitetail load is "hot' per some books, but duplicates factory 6.5 Creed and clearly isn't over pressure in my rifles...

 

[HandgunHTR]

Maybe this is a stupid question, where are you finding this reloading data?

Dad had a 6.5x55 tikka that I have been eyeballing, I haven’t seen any “hot” data for it but maybe I have been looking in the wrong place. For example the hornady app/data says it is slower than the 6.5 creedmoor.

Here you go: https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloadin...boy-action-shooting/#/imperials/1/70/-1/-1/-1

They have data for 6.5X55 Swede Mauser and 6.5X55 SKAN. Link is for the SKAN

 

[Castle Rock]

Can you expand on that?

I get the hassle with 260AI about fire forming, wildcat dies, and throating long to make use of longer bullets.
But once that is all accounted for, is it there something about the cartridge comparison I should know?

Like if 260AI were a factory option is there still a big argument for 6.5 PRC?

It is the next logical step up from the Creedmoor, they got a lot right with the design of those two rounds.
In real terms the AI has about 100 fps on the Creed and the PRC has a good hundred on the AI

 

[MHWASH]

I’ve had great results with the 130 AB, ELDm and 135 Berger in the plain 260 and CM.

 

[kevin11mee]

I re-barreled a 6.5CM about two years ago and went to a .260AI. It's a short action so I was a bit limited in terms of the 6.5 PRC and 6.5x284. I really have enjoyed the AI so far, I've killed two deer so far with a 127LRX and a 135 Berger. I get just over 3000fps shooting the 127 and just over 2900 shooting the 135. I don't mind the fireforming since I enjoy shooting and I generally fire brass once before developing a load for it.

 

[cottonant]

Had a couple of 260AI barrels years ago. Shot a 2.2 inch group at 600 yards with one during a benchrest match in Memphis one time.

Have a Wilson 260AI Seating Die and a Wilson 260AI Neck Sizing Die I would sell if somebody needs them.

 

[cal30_sniper]

Maybe this is a stupid question, where are you finding this reloading data?

Dad had a 6.5x55 tikka that I have been eyeballing, I haven’t seen any “hot” data for it but maybe I have been looking in the wrong place. For example the hornady app/data says it is slower than the 6.5 creedmoor.

Handgun hunter provided the best link to SKAN data. Some of the older reloading manuals also have good data, but you’ve got to be careful with those as propellants have changed formulas in the ensuing decades while retaining the same names in some (or most) instances.

My 24” 6.5x55 Husqvarna 1640 is running over 2900fps with 140gr Sierras and no signs of pressure. As notoriously unreliable as pressure signs are, these are almost certainly over the 55ksi limit established even for the hot SKAN/SE loads. I’m quite comfortable running above that using top quality brass in an action designed for 62ksi belted mag loads, but those loads don’t go in my old small ring Mausers. They stay closer to 2700fps.

I’d love to fool with one in a Tikka with a threaded barrel. It’s really optimized for the tikka action length and running 140-147s long.

 

[cal30_sniper]

Most US 6.5x55 load data is 'lawyered' to lower pressures, supposedly because of old Norwegian Krag actions.

Case capacity will vary by brass (and chamber if you don't full re-size brass) but roughly:
6.5 Swede ~ 58.0 gr. H2O
6.5 Creedmoor ~ 54.0 gr. H2O

So assuming good i.e. Lupua brass and a strong action, the swede has a little more capacity. But in real world, I seem to find a sweet spot below 'max' at essentially at Creed velocities for a given bullet....
My favorite 6.5x55 basic whitetail load is "hot' per some books, but duplicates factory 6.5 Creed and clearly isn't over pressure in my rifles...

This is a good writeup on the issue: https://chuckhawks.com/case_capacity_matters.html

 

[Robobiss]

Handgun hunter provided the best link to SKAN data. Some of the older reloading manuals also have good data, but you’ve got to be careful with those as propellants have changed formulas in the ensuing decades while retaining the same names in some (or most) instances.

My 24” 6.5x55 Husqvarna 1640 is running over 2900fps with 140gr Sierras and no signs of pressure. As notoriously unreliable as pressure signs are, these are almost certainly over the 55ksi limit established even for the hot SKAN/SE loads. I’m quite comfortable running above that using top quality brass in an action designed for 62ksi belted mag loads, but those loads don’t go in my old small ring Mausers. They stay closer to 2700fps.

I’d love to fool with one in a Tikka with a threaded barrel. It’s really optimized for the tikka action length and running 140-147s long.

I wish I ran viht powders. I don’t have any, but I have pounds and pounds of H1000 and H4350 laying around. Good to know though that if I were to get my grubby paws on that tikka I could throw some lapua brass at it and safely work up to creedmoor velocities and beyond.