.260 Rem: The ultimate deer rifle

[.260deerSlayer]

I got a Savage .260 for christmas 2 years ago, and it has worked wonders for me. I have shot 5 deer with it, every one of them dropped in there tracks. In my opinion this gun is the most versatile rifle on the market. People even shoot elk and moose with this caliber. What is everyone elses opinion on the .260.

[Gmoney]

Well I don't know about most versatile but it can be used for many, many different types of game animals as well as hunting situations... I shoot 120 grain ballistic tips in mine and it has done a good job for me in the past. Mine is also a Savage and is very accurate....

[sbeach]

The .260 is alot like a modern 6.5-55 swede which is one of the most popular hunting rounds in sweden where it is used to hunt things much larger than deer. I think it may be stag, but I know from what I have read that they run in size from elk to moose. The .260 is very efficient.

[periscope_depth]

Considering the fact that I decided about 3 months ago to make the .260 my whitetail deer rifle in a 24" barrel Thompson/Encore....I certainly hope you are right.

It certainly has enough power to down a deer as far out as I can see them.

It is accurate enough and shoots flat enough to hit them out to 300 yards (further than I can shoot off hand).

It's a mild and pleasant round to shoot....with bullet ranges from 85 to 160 grns.  I guess if black bear or elk lived in Missouri and I could make sure of a broadside shot...I'd have just the ticket with the 160 grn bullet.

Unless you are hunting something that claws and bites....and weighs more than you do....the .260 is all the gun you'd ever need.

[Kanibal]

The .264 caliber bullet has a great sectional density. It is very popular for game from deer size up to caribou in Alaska and Canada. A lot of caribou have actually been taken with this cartridge.  Very decent if you ask me. I am considering a 260 or 7mm-08 in a rifle for my girlfriend.

[periscope_depth]

How often have we heard sub 30 caliber rounds being suggested as a "ladies gun" or "a good rifle for my boy to start out with"  ???

The .243 is one of the most mis-cast rounds in my opinion for that very reason.  Hey, if the hunting conditions and the game require more gun....then teach your kid or wife to shoot a rifle with more power.

As for me.....I can shoot nearly any fire breathing super magnum you put in front of me.  I'll shoot it once maybe 3 times for a group.  Then I won't want to do anymore shooting for awhile.  

Shooting is suppose to be fun....trading punches with a .338 Magnun ain't too much fun.

The 260 shoots as flat a .270.....penetrates like a 30-06.  Kills as good as any rifle on deer sized game yet only kicks slightly more than a 30-30.  

What more could a Missouri hunter as for?

[periscope_depth]

The .260 Remington in a T/C Encore was quite a bit more power than what was required to bag a deer yesterday.
 
I followed a doe running up a creek into a clearing with the crosshairs of my rifle.  When she reached the clearing.....my finger touched the trigger and the bullet landed precisely were I had intended to shoot.
 
The deer I shot could not be deaded than if blown up with a hand grenade.....had I been armed with a .300 Ultra Mag or a 7MM STW I could not have killed her any faster...but the recoil might have pulled the shot a bit.

[Daryl (deceased)]

Congrat's peri!  Good shooting!
 
:)
 
Daryl

[periscope_depth]

Thanks Daryl.

The shot was truly a perfect one.

I had aimed high in the chest towards the neck aiming for the neck but on the chest side so that if I was off by a few inches either way...the result would either break both shoulders or hit the neck resulting in the deer going down immediately.

It hit EXACTLY where I had aimed and the animal went down so fast....it really stunned me.  I had expected her to take a few steps or even run a bit before lying down dead...but this deer was literally knocked down like she was hit with a sledgehammer from the side.

I am totally convinced that I could have made a killing shot with a .357 Magnum.....or even a 32-20.

I am thinking that even a .223 would have knocked her flat.  But of course, my shot placement was perfect...the distance to target was only 45 yards and the deer presented a broadside target.

The only thing a larger bullet (or a faster one) would have done was make a bigger mud hole in the creek after exiting the doe's neck.

[nrthrn_maine_hunter]

HEy 260deerslayer and periscope depth, what type and wt bullet are you using to anchor these deer?

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

     Hmm cannot see what all the fuss is about with the .260  surely it's just another 6.5mm cartridge one I can manage with out  however I do have 2 rifles chambered for 6.5x55 Swedish and 2 6.5mm Mannlichers, one rimmed and one rimless so ............................. why bother with the .260 Rem ?

    Now were you folks aware that Norma makes 2 bullets of 77 grains weight in 6.5mm, a RN FMJ and a Spire point soft point ( I have some factory loaded cartridges of both types in 77 grain here) ,now the 160 grain bullet really does whack home and I decided it was too much after being launched by 44.0 grains of Reloader 19 from my Swedish sporterised Mauser. On the Roe Doe it badly bloodshot the off side shoulder on a 90 yard shot. That load would be perfect for Fallow, Sika and Rer Deer though :D  accurate and hard hitting.

   Now as mentioned in Scandinavia the 6.5x55 is used on larger game. Were you aware that they have White Tailed Deer there? and of course they have Moose as well as European Brown Bear. The standard heavt bullet load is actually a 156 grain bullet and this is loaded by Sako and Norma, I have a few of the Sako factory cartridges here although I have never tried them.

[nrthrn_maine_hunter]

Well to play the dev's advocate, it looks to me that the 260 rem out performs the 6.5x55 swed in all ballistic catagories with more factory ammo availability.:D  Dont know much about the Minnlichers, so you might have me there, probly not on the factory avail though, feel free to inform me;)

[Brithunter]

Hi there,

    Well the .260 Rem falls down like a lot of "modern" cartridges as the heavier bullets need to be seated too deep and they intrude into the powder space. The .260 is also loaded to higher pressures.

   In modern rifles if you were to run the Swedish cartridge to the same pressures that the .260 has then which do you think will perfom best? Hmmmm?

   I suppose the .260 was designed with the "Short Action Mantra" in mind :LOL .

    Now as to the Manlicher pair, they both have the same performance just one is rimless and one rimmed . The velocity of the 160 Grn bullet is about 2350 fps. Yes slow by todays standards but both of the Manlicher 6.5mm cartridges have prooved them selves on Large and dangrous game in Africa, yes they were used to collect Ivory from Elephants and also have been used on Lion. At one time the Mannlicher .256" (6.5mm) was "THE" stalking cartridge for use on the Hill in Scotland. I am sorry to say that with it's classice 160 Grn loading it's no longer legal due to the Scots stupid velocity restriction of requiring a minimum velocity of 2450 fps.

    According to the Scots a .458 Win Mag is not capable of a clean kill on Red Deer as it does not reach the magic 2450 fps . Anyway I will stay wiht my 6.5mm's and I am sure that they can perform any wonders I require of them quite happily and the beasties shot with them will never know it's not the new super kid on the block from Big Green .

   One thing I can be sure of it that in many years time the 6.5x55 will still be available not so sure about the .260 though .