260 rem powder choices

I'm getting ready to do some load development in my newly built 111 260 rem with a 24" Criterion match chamber. This is a hunting rifle and it will be shot in summer and winter so I need a temperature stable powder. The first bullet I'm going to try is the 140 VLD in Lapua brass with CCI 200 primers. I'm aware that H4350 is a very popular powder for the 260 but it is nonexistent right now. I have varget and will try that but I would like to try a couple others as well. Any help will be appreciated.

Run your specs through Hodgdon's online load data page for suggestions. There are twelve suggested loads between IMR, Winchester, and Hodgdon.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

I have had good success with IMR 4350 with 140's. Hogdgon only lists one load at 43grns, and that is what I go with. It worked better for Me than Varget. I was able to pick up a pound of H4350 last month, but haven't been able to try it yet. I am anxious to try it to see if all the hub bub is justified. :-)

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Originally Posted by wjarrell

This is a hunting rifle and it will be shot in summer and winter so I need a temperature stable powder. .

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Just keep in mind, that most will parrot Hodgdon's marketing garbage, and don't understand the truth.
"Extreme" powders, marketed as temp stable, are NOT a universal property. Making an extruded powder stable is from careful designing around a specific set of conditions. If you take that powder outside of those conditions, you may not have the same results. The next bit is about "Un-stable powders" unless you are talking VERY old tech in first generation powders, this is mostly overblown.
Dr. Denton Bramwell's who used to write along side the lines of Litz in the Varmint hunter magazine, has done a good amount of work on this topic. Unlike the non-existant test info relayed by Hodgy, he does. When testing 55gr binders in the 223, Varget was BY FAR the worst powder for being sensitive. The very old H335 line was the best, and despite what Hodgdon tells you it on fact was NOT designed for the 5.56 anyway... So Varget was very sensitive to temp in those tests, does that mean it resulted in poor accuracy? Not at all. It never ran away, just wasn't super-magic; because that is not where it was designed to be such.

There only powder that is a very early generation, and known to be problematic with run aways(if pushed hard) is H414/Win760/AA2700. They are all three the very same powder.

I found H335 to be very temp sensitive in .223. Maybe I had a bad lot.

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Originally Posted by gbflyer

I found H335 to be very temp sensitive in .223. Maybe I had a bad lot.

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Nope... it makes nice groups at 100 but when you take it out a little further and each time you go out your poi moves vertical. Applied ballistics app gets where I need to be with most loads and rifles but it's not even close with h335. I still like it at 100 and dont mind adjusting the turrets at the beginning of each ousting. It's the only powder I'll use in my progressive for 223. Varget on the other hand always lands where applied ballistics tells me it will.....

My 22" pencil barrel Savage shooting 120gr bullets likes 4064 better than H4350. I also have H414 to try but haven't got to it yet.

The new IMR 4955 should do great in the 260 and is supposed to be stable at all temps. I use it in the Swede and speed/accuracy are right up there with H4831sc that I was using.

If you are worried about the powder being temp stable or not, the best advice I can give you is to shoot the rifle in the extremes of what you expect, from the hottest of days to the coldest, and build your dope card off of that. I would find the best powder that groups the best at the range and condition you plan on shooting. I've had great luck with H4831sc in my 260. It doesn't give quite as nice velocity as Reloader 17, I will try that powder eventually, but it does give me very nice groups shooting Lapua brass with Berger Hybrid 140.

I would try to get it to shoot H4831sc because it seems to be readily available from PV or other powder suppliers.. My 260 shoots lights out with H4350, however it is hard as hell to find at times. Some people claim R-17 to push same projectile much faster, however I have not tried despite having some on hand. Best of luck to you, the 260 is a fine choice IMO...

H4831sc
H4350
IMR4350
IMR4451
RL-17

Take your pick all of those will make your 260 shoot...I'd also suggest you shoot something other than VLDs.


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I am going to second 4831sc and 142 smks. I am also shooting a 28" barrel so, theoretically, I may be getting a little more from the slower powder. LongRange has never steered be wrong so find out what you can get a few pounds of and start experimenting.

ps 4831sc is everywhere around here and I can load .260, 25-06, 300 wm and if everything works out, 7 SAUM with it. Results still pending on the .300 and the SAUM is a pipe dream.

I also endorse H-4831sc... It might give up a little velocity (only because most of the time I find best accuracy below max) but it always guarantees superb accuracy.

As a side note about H-4831... I find my 243win barrels last much longer with H-4831sc than other powders.

I just started load development for my 260 with Re19 and the 123 AMAX. I've heard it's sensitive to temp, but it was on clearance and the book velocities are what I wanted, which is what I got. 2975 fps at 46.5 grains in a factory 26 inch Savage LRP. I need to do some fine tuning, but the initial test looked promising.

I will continue to play with it this winter and see what I can push, but the challenge may be when the temps start to increase and we get those 100 degree days. Time will tell.


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RL-19 is another great powder as well as...
IMR7828
norma MRP
RL-22
RL-25
IMR4831

and yes ive tried all of these and a few i cant remember...if you want pin point accuracy H4350 and H4831sc and 140g berger hybrids or 142g SMKs...if you want very accurate and stupid fast RL-17 and the same bullets....i spent about 7 years playing with 260rem loads and theres not much a 260 wont shoot well.

I run H4350 and 142 SMK. Shoot very well. Have shot past a mile with mine

Another for RL-17. But want to give RL-23 a try, as it's supposed to have less deviation to temps. Little slower as well so....

RL-22(same as 23)is a great powder in a 260 ...as far as 23 being temp insensitive I doubt it is as it's still a double base powder.

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You think? So do you think 23 would be a waste over 22? The 22 I can get easier. I would just do that if that's the answer.

I shot RL-22 exclusively in my 300wm and never seen the huge temp swings everyone claims...it worked very well in my 260 but I had to pack it in...I'd shoot 17 over 22 if I had the choice of both


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Hmm, well reading the website, Alliant specifies 23 as having "TZ" Technology for the reduction in temp swings, and specifies it as ideal for long range shooting. These two items aren't listed for 22. But wouldn't surprise me if it's just a bunch of hoopla! Well, I'll worry about it in the summer. I won't be through my 17 until then. I may end up just sticking with it. It's the powder I read specifically for 260rem. Before the 260, I was pretty set on BLc2 for my 223s, 4350 for the 30 06 loads.

i dont know about the "TZ" Technology sounds like a catchy sales pitch to me just like IMRs Enduron line of powders claiming to reduce copper fouling and be less temp sensitive.

IMR4350 is my "go to" powder for the 260 Remington. Looking through my data, I have tried 4064, H414, BL-C(2), and RL15 as well. 4064 and H414 gave similar velocity and accuracy as 4350. Accuracy was good with RL15 and BL-C(2), but velocity was slower.

Here are some other powder possibilities. Granted I only tested match/target type bullets as this rifle will only be used for target shooting.

Savage Mdl 110C 260 Rem 28" 1-8" Shilen

Sierra .264 140gr MatchKing HPBT
	Powder	C.O.L.	Start	Max	Most Accurate	Group
Retest	BL-C(2)	2.765"	34.0	36.6	35.0	.595"
GoodToGo	Viht N550	2.765"	33.2	38.0	37.5	*.179"	* 4 Rounds Measured
GoodToGo	IMR4064	2.765"	32.0	37.1	37.0	.361"
NoGo	H4350	2.765"	41.5	44.5	44.0	.700"
GoodToGo	IMR4831	2.765"	41.0	44.0	42.5	.379"
NoGo	IMR3031	2.765"	30.0	32.5	31.5	.510"

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Originally Posted by LongRange

i dont know about the "TZ" Technology sounds like a catchy sales pitch to me just like IMRs Enduron line of powders claiming to reduce copper fouling and be less temp sensitive.

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I'm unfamiliar with the TZ business, but the Enduron line came from roughly a year ago when General Dynamics totally rebuilt their plant in Quebec(formerly IMR). The "Copper Cleaners" are French tech from about 1900, you can read about it in Hatchers Notebook. Originally it was only Tin Compounds, General Dynamics has added a series of Bismuth compounds as well, and tweeked the amounts. The tin compounds for cleaners has been in 760/414/748 for essentially ever; Olin just didn't promote it well. Temp sensitivity works, just have to know what a thing is designed around. One of the things that many don't know, is that when a powder tries to compensate for heat soak in the primer, the powders burning rate actually speeds-up, or slows somewhat. To see this on a chrono it needs to be good, and have someone shoot through it frequently. Can get a bit interesting if you are loading extruded by weight instead of volume, makes the movements difficult to track without some pressure equipment. For the average Joe, do a simple heat soak test. So shoot enough quick rounds to get the barrel good and toasty, through the chrono. Then follow up five rounds, with various amounts of time sitting in that hot chamber; you can see it on the chrono then. Kind of interesting.

reloader 17, is the best

I used IMR4064, H414, BL-C(2), RL15 and IMR4350 when I developed loads for my 260 Remington before settling on IMR4350. It appears very stable to me as shots during December posted identical velocity as shots fired in July.