.260 Remington vs .308 Winchester

[Don Martin]

Then why not get the 6.5 Remington Magnum? It's a Magnum, it's short action length also and it "outperforms" the 260 Remington!

That's the one to get. Oops it's obsolete! Forget it.

[9mmepiphany]

wasn't the problem with the 6.5mm mag, in the remington 600/660, the fact that the magazine was so short that the bullets needed to be deep seated into the case, thereby impringing into case capacity

i believe that the 6.5mm rem mag was a more efficient cartridge than the .264 winchester magnum (yup, another 6.5mm)...

the big advantage that the .260 and 6.5x55 have over the big boys...6.5-06, .264 mag... is the lack of objectionable recoil

[-Yo-]

Recoil #s from Point blank software--

260:
120gr 2900 fps 38gr powder 10lb rifle

8.79 ft/lbs recoil force 7.52 fps recoil velocity

308:
170gr 2600 fps 46gr powder 10lb rifle

13.73 ft/lbs recoil force 9.4 fps recoil velocity

36% less recoil. And it's delivering more energy past 700m. What's the gripe again?

[Gewehr98]

I've watched folks compete against .308 guns in 1000 yard matches with their .260 Remingtons. Very efficient and long range cartridge. I'd get one myself, if I didn't already have a 6.5-06. (Which doesn't really kick that much, thanks to George Vais)

[DoctorXring]

I'm sure Jack O'Connor would have loved it.

[Zorro]

Jack O'Connor

Not really!

.270 Winchester is SUPERIOR in all respects except recoil.

NEWS FLASH!

.270 Doesn't really have any recoil!

[DoctorXring]

He also loved the 7x57 Mauser which ballistically
is inferior to the .270 Win. (Just as the .260 Rem
is to the .270 Win). But for the same reasons he
loved the 7x57 I believe he would have liked the
.260 Remington. Low recoil, extremely efficient
case, excellent external ballistics, excellent terminal
ballistics.

Objective utility places it somewhere in the land between
the .257 Roberts and the .270 Winchester. A very nice
spot indeed.

For a few hours of pure enjoyment read Jack O'Connor's
"The Hunting Rifle". I just love his pragmatic attitude
towards firearms. Also his experience level.

dxr

[mountainman454]

I must admit, my experience with the 260 is limited, but my experience with the 308 is not!
I have carried a 308 into the field for over 25 yrs. and I can tell you it may be one of the finest non magnum calibers around. It does'nt have the zip of many other rounds but it will take anything walking on this continent. Here in Montana, I've shot everything from prarie dogs to moose and never felt undergunned. With handloads, I can launch 125g hornady spire points at 3000fps safely and accurately, or I can put a 180g out at 2600. With a 30 caliber, you have a great choice of different weights to choose from. It also is not finicky about what powders you use and it is inheritently one of the most accurate of all time.
I carried a m40A1 in the Marines for 3 yrs and have staked my life on it.
It may not be as flashy as many other rounds and can be beaten in velocity and trajectory but like any shot, with good shot placement it will do the job for you everytime. What more could you ask?

[629 shooter]

Yep , I'm with you mountainman! I'll take a .308 anyday!

[BluRidgDav]

If I were buying a rifle for myself, I'd probably pick the .308.
No wait, I already did that, and I chose a .30-'06 (heh-heh).
Then again, I'm a 225 lb guy who has shot guns all my life.

But, when I bought a rifle for my wife, who's new to hunting;
I picked a lightweight REM model 7 in .260 caliber.
She can carry and shoot it well, and it will kill game alot better (for her),
than a .308 that weighs too much or kicks too hard.

[JohnKSa]

So far, I've seen the following questions answered:

Which cartridge do you like best?
Which cartridge do you have the most experience with?
Which cartridge has the heaviest bullets?
Which cartridge has the biggest bullets?
Which cartridge recoils the most?
Which cartridge is most widely available?

The question was:

Is there anything that one can hunt in North America with the .308 that you can't effectively hunt with the .260.

Anyone want to answer the original question??? I'd love to hear of failures to take game in N.A. which can be attributed to a deficiency in the .260 compared to the .308...

[KP95DAO]

JohnKSa,

The answer is, no. That being the case I was thinking about getting a 260 until I priced bullets for it. In every case they were more expensive. Since I spend most of my time punching paper I decided against getting a 260.

[Art Eatman]

JohnKSa, one thing I've noticed through the years is that folks who buy a rifle chambered for an "oddball" cartridge tend to be above-average at hunting and shooting.

These people tend not to have problems, and so take it for granted that such as a .260 is equal to a .308. After all, they're successful in their efforts.

For the average deer hunter, it doesn't much matter what is used, from .243 on up to '06. They all work. For the world of elk hunting, the total numbers of hunters is less, and I'd bet that most of them use "mainstream" cartridges. Thus, there just isn't that much data available about success or failure of a .260.

FWIW, Art

[Gewehr98]

I've witnessed several 500-1000 yard groups that came a lot easier to the .260 Remington shooter than his counterpart shooting the .308 Winchester.

As stated above, the wonderful BC and SD of the 6.5 bullet makes the .260 Remington, 6.5x55 Swede, 6.5-.284. and 6.5-06 reach way out there. There is a better bullet selection for the handloader than the venerable .270, and the selection is getting better each year.

Last I checked for paper punching, Sierra MatchKings were typically $2.00 more per 100 for the .30 caliber versions (168gr HPBTM) as compared to the 6.5mm versions (120gr HPBTM). Source - MidwayUSA.com

Not that I use MatchKings in my 6.5-06, I went with the Nosler Ballistic-Tips and Hornady A-Max, better BC and darned effective on the whitetail and antelope I've taken. Now these are indeed expensive 6.5mm bullets, but are expensive regardless of caliber.

Now I gotta get that spare 6.5mm barrel out of the safe, all this talk makes me wanna build another one, darnit!

[JohnKSa]

one thing I've noticed through the years is that folks who buy a rifle chambered for an "oddball" cartridge tend to be above-average at hunting and shooting.

Art,

Good point.

By the way, that's not the first time I've heard that. The other was from a Constable in my area who was doing research on handgun shootings to try to determine which calibers were most effective.

After some figuring, he finally had to throw out nearly all the shootings involving an officer armed with a .45 Auto. Reason? His assessment was that the unusual success associated with this caliber was due mainly to the proficiency of the shooter. His realized that during the time period he was studying, the .45 was not an issue weapon for the vast majority of police departments. Police officers armed with .45 Autos invariably were carrying personally purchased weapons. Not coincidentally, these "gunny" officers tended to practice more, and were, as a consequence, much better shots than the average officer on the street.

However, while I see your point (and his), the fact remains that the .260 is easily capable of taking elk-sized game. The only shooter who posted with personal hunting experiences involving the .260 stated that the elk he shot with that cartridge went down like a ton of bricks. Hardly sounds like the work of an inadequate cartridge.

I think that many shooters rely on caliber, velocity, or what have you, to do the job for them and I think that too many people make their recommendations for guns based on this type of thinking. The idea is that a larger caliber will give a better margin of error. That thinking is flawed! A larger caliber will require MORE proficiency to attain the same shot placement. Instead of making it easier for the shooter to do the job, a larger caliber will actually make it HARDER.

Furthermore, the idea that the .260 will not take elk-sized game effectively is not based in fact nor is it based on experience. With reasonable shot placement and the proper bullet choice it's going to do the job every time.

Good shooting,

John

[Glamdring]

I would vote for the 260 over the 308 for anything. The 260 is to the 6.5x55 like the 7-08 is to the 7x57. The same cartridge for any practical ballistic purpose.

The 6.5x55, 6.5x54MS, and other similar 6.5's have a long, VERY successful, history of taking every creature on the planet except for elephant. With old ~160 grain soft point bullets at ~2200-2300 fps.

Three books that Barnes & Noble carries about people who used 6.5's in the good 'ol days are: Dragon Hunter by Charles Gallenkamp, Writing on Ice by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, & The Wilderness of Denali: Explorations of a Hunter-Naturalist in Northern Alaska by Charles Sheldon.

Sheldon and Stefansson used their rifles to keep themselves and others in meat while living in the far north.

Sheldon's book is my favorite, though I have not finished it yet. He shot a LOT of caribou, moose, and bear while studying the geography, plants, and animals around Mt. Denali to feed himself and his sled dogs.

IIRC Bell tried the 6.5 on elephant but decided the 6.5/160grain FMJ's bullets were too long and were bending sometimes on impact with elephant skulls so they wouldn't travel in a straight line. But he liked it for getting meat for camp using soft points on anything smaller than elephant

With modern bullets like the 125 grain nosler partition you can get 2900fps+ safely [Rem's 125 partition factory load is rated for 2900] with a trajectory similar to the 270/130 @ 3000 [ie factory loads]. The BC and SD numbers favor the 6.5 and the recoil is noticably less than the 270.

[Gewehr98]

If somebody ever came out with a selection of low-drag .277" bullets for the .270 Winchester. Sierra and Walt Berger come to mind.

In the meantime, those beautiful 6.5mm bullets keep flying straight and true!

[cracked butt]

I shoot the both the 6.5x55 and the .308 and love them both. I wouldn't hesitate to use either for Elk or moose.
My only gripe with the .260 is that the few sporting goods stores in my area that stocked 6.5x55 ammo have replaced it with boxes of .260. One owner even told me that they won't carry 6.5x55 anymore now that the better .260 round is out. :barf:

[P-990]

Given the lack of recoil and good accuracy of the .260 Rem, I would not feel undergunned for any non-dangerous game species. Except maybe black bear, but I have a deep-rooted respect for those critters. Knowing that the .260 will hit exactly where I point it, it is only a matter of using the proper bullet to get the job done. YMMV, and, as always, CONFIDENCE COUNTS MORE THAN BULLET SIZE. Oh yeah, if it can be cleanly and reliably taken with a .45 or .50cal muzzleloader using round balls, I feel that it can easily be done with a .25 or larger centerfire smokeless round. Just my opinion.

[pilon]

I have no experience with 6,5 mm but I read an article - same sweed huntig mag. where they compered running distance of animal after being shot with difrent calibers (most time they don't fal l down like a brik
) .

Data was colected for a long perion - a few hundred animals per calibre.

I recall only three from witch the shortest distance from being shot to drop down had 7 mm remMag, than 6,5 x 55 and the longest run had .30 -06 .

So .260 rem or 6,5x 55 are both adequate for elk, moose and deer and it kicks less than .308.


win-win , no brainer

[pilon]

I forgot to add- the animal in test was MOOSE

[BigG]

6.5x55 Not to disparage the cartridge but the reason it and other military cartridges are around is because you can (or could) buy a rifle for it for a song.

A 94 Mauser is not everybody's idea of a real cool rifle for hunting.

How many of you honestly have a Winchester Model 70 or commercial rifle in one of the military calibers? I know they made em. 7mm Mauser too.

[9mmepiphany]

maybe we are influenced by the availability of surplus rifles and ammo. i doubt i would have ever have shoot the 6.5x55mm if big 5 hadn't had them on sale for >$100. but it has almost become a passion only restrained by my wife and checkbook.

i surely covet the collection a co-worker has amassed of serveral m96 and a beautiful sporterized carbine as well as the most commercial bolts in that calibre i have were seen...

1. winchester m70
2. remington 700 classic
3. ruger 77
4. sako - somthing

and i think he was trying to aquire a blaser too

[BigG]

Cool. I always wondered who had the stones to buy a 6.5X55 or 7mm Mauser Model 70 instead bowing to peer pressure of a 30/06 or 270.

[midnight]

There was a Kimber rifle in 6.5x55 listed for sale here several weeks ago that I would have picked up in a heartbeat, had I had the money.