130gr 6.5 bullet alternative

[Texas10]

I found RL-17 and 130 VLDs were a good combination, but I don't shoot competitively.

[psharon97]

I'm currently running the 130gr TMK in my 260 for much the same reason as the OP has mentioned. I hate spending 50 smackers on a box of bullets, and I further hate not being able to buy the components. A good powder to try would be IMR 4451.

[SageRat Shooter]

so off to the 200yds range again today, results were surprising, i was saying that my barrel likes the 130's better, the 140's with H4350 at 200 i have to be really on my game to get 1 inch, so i loaded up some 140's this morning with Hornady brass, gm215M primer, 45grs Superformance and the sierra 140smk.at 2.790 OAL. the groups shot good, first 4 shot were with 5/8" blew the last one to near an inch. so the question is I have not tried Lapua brass yet, being the case volume is less than the Hornady, approx how less would be a good start from 45grs of SF. I am thinking 43.5grs hoping the Lapua brass will give me the same groups. so the chronograph will be on my next trip to the range and see what this SF powder in getting. are RL-16 17 or 26 worth a try.

Chetc,

I used Hornady brass to start with when I began load development on my .260 (upsized .243 brass) While I could load up to 42.8 grains with a 143 ELD-X in that brass, I found it to be showing some pressure signs when fired. I also found that the primer pockets got pretty loose pretty quick with that load. I switched to Lapua for the same reason everybody else does... The case is thicker, and handles the pressures better. I bot 100 cases to start and yeah, they are expensive. But I'm on my 5th or 6th firing of those 100 cases with loads that are MAX in my rifle, and they are still going strong. I shied away from them because of the price for a long time, but now I wouldn't use anything else. There is a little bit of volume difference, but very minor... I can get 43 grains of H4350 in mine with the long pills... I think you can probably get 43.3-43.5 grains in there if you compress it.

I tried a lot of different powders during my load development: H4831, H4831SC, VItavory, 7828, RL16, RL17, RL25, RL26, Ramshot hunter, IMR 4451, H4350... H4350 was the best of both worlds in my barrel giving me the MV and the accuracy I wanted. H4831SC gave me the best accuracy, but lacked the MV I wanted. I found the RL16-26 powders to be very dirty (left a ton of carbon in my barrels) and I never got the MV from them that other guys have experienced... Particularly the RL26. Also... As another bullet option and should be cheaper is the Hornady 130 ELD-M I've heard good things about them too.