My project - 260 INCH

[The Gun Pimp]

I took the neck down in small increments with a 308 body die. Then I trimmed off about quarter of an inch, then ran it through a 260 Rem. body die. That's it - took me about five minutes. Use Imperial Sizing Wax on the neck.

30-06 brass is about half the price of 284 brass and it should do the same job with 52 - 54 grains of powder and a 139 bullet.

I always chamber a barrel on Christmas Day - just to wind-up a gunsmith friend! - so this Christmas it will be the 260 Net.
Just a matter of running the 260 Rem. Match reamer in another few millimetres. can't wait to shoot it!

Cheers
Vince

[ovenpaa]

It sounds to be an easy enough process then. I will often go out in the workshop and see how I can modify a case using the dies at hand and always with Imperial Sizing wax, it never ceased to impress me and I use it for everything including necking down and even neck turning.

I assume you are using Lapua 30-06 brass?

I always chamber a barrel on Christmas Day - just to wind-up a gunsmith friend! - so this Christmas it will be the 260 Net.
Just a matter of running the 260 Rem. Match reamer in another few millimetres. can't wait to shoot it!

Good luck with the chambering and at least you don’t have far to go to try it and it seems like a worthwhile activity on Christmas day. My hero was a chap called Don Whillans (He was fairly local to you so you may recognise the name) Don was a climber who used to pack a bottle of Whisky in his pack and head off on Boxing day to walk and climb on the edges until he had finished the bottle. Being a climber I also used to trudge out across the Derbyshire edges come Boxing day (Without the bottle) to climb and walk, in my case until my fingers were too numb to feel the holds and/or I had decided I had enough extra bruises.

[The Gun Pimp]

Yes - it was Lapua 30-06 but it was a case I'd fired several times - I was surprised it necked-down so easily as they do tend to harden - best to start off with new 'soft' brass.

I'll pick up a box at Hannams next week plus a Hornady 30-06 body-die to cut down.

Funny you should mention Don Whillans - I used to live opposit Paul Braithwaite's sister at one time and I had the pleasure of meeting him once in my local in Delph. A short but real heavily built barrel-chested guy - I couldn't believe he been up Everest.

Cheers
Vince

[woody_rod]

Mr Gun Pimp, it might be more prudent to just ask rather than make guesses.

You are correct - a longer neck would be better.

Well, actually, this is not correct. Ovenpaa has it thought out, as Laurie Ingram did. The longer neck of most brass is simply because others did it that way, and rough handling for military calibers, no other reason to have a longer neck.

The neck tension is the one thing that got me when I first loaded this round. I have pulled a bullet from the first case at least 10 times, it still seats and holds the bullet. I have never seen this with a longer neck.

Going further with the metallurgical theory (RGC can jump in here), the design of the short neck also has a few other positive influences. The main one is that the shoulder being more involved with the neck tension, and that the front end of the neck is very close to the shoulder. Even with the proper size inside the neck, the 260 INCH has a lot more neck tension than one with a longer neck. The short neck just does not seem to get to the elastic limit of the brass material - not sure why.

The other main positive is that the neck seals very well in the chamber. There is very little carbon on the outside of the neck, which is always prevalent on our other cases.

[ovenpaa]

Well, actually, this is not correct. Ovenpaa has it thought out, as Laurie Ingram did. The longer neck of most brass is simply because others did it that way, and rough handling for military calibers, no other reason to have a longer neck.

The neck tension is the one thing that got me when I first loaded this round. I have pulled a bullet from the first case at least 10 times, it still seats and holds the bullet. I have never seen this with a longer neck.

It will be interesting to read RGC's views on this.

Come on Robert, you must have had your breakfast by now!

[The Gun Pimp]

Well Mr woody-rod,

You do your thing and I'll do mine but with regard to neck-length, ever heard of a thing (theory) called 'turbulance point'?

Cheers
Vince

[woody_rod]

Well Mr woody-rod,

You do your thing and I'll do mine but with regard to neck-length, ever heard of a thing (theory) called 'turbulance point'?

Cheers
Vince

I just believe what the target says. All the theories in the world don't make for much in the real world. The idea works, just like the rear locking action works, even though many people say it doesn't. We don't follow others, we do our own thing, which so far is working out very well.

[The Gun Pimp]

Woody,

Absolutely! If we don't try different things - like short necks - we never find out.

My only concerns were (as you mentioned) rough or careless handling of rounds. I dropped a box of ammo. at the Europeans (dozy bast**d) but they were fine. It might be another story with an ultra-short neck.

I'm going to build the 260INCH - or at least my version the 260NET - for a lady who shoots 1000 yard benchrest and wants her 6.5-284 re-chambering for something a bit cheaper to shoot - the 6.5-284 brass is getting on for a pound a case here in the UK!

In 1000 yard benchrest - where we are trying to get five shots off in about 15 seconds or less - rounds do get chucked about a bit!

Cheers
Vince

[woody_rod]

Woody,

Absolutely! If we don't try different things - like short necks - we never find out.

My only concerns were (as you mentioned) rough or careless handling of rounds. I dropped a box of ammo. at the Europeans (dozy bast**d) but they were fine. It might be another story with an ultra-short neck.

I'm going to build the 260INCH - or at least my version the 260NET - for a lady who shoots 1000 yard benchrest and wants her 6.5-284 re-chambering for something a bit cheaper to shoot - the 6.5-284 brass is getting on for a pound a case here in the UK!

In 1000 yard benchrest - where we are trying to get five shots off in about 15 seconds or less - rounds do get chucked about a bit!

Cheers
Vince

Ok, sounds good. The neck would be fine in handling, I would suggest being nicer to the ammo...

I think the fast shooting technique has issues, no matter what range. I see so many train wrecks doing this, but each to their own. On the other hand, I can see the theory behind it. I hope people here keep doing this, so I can get higher up the leader board.

The 260AI might be a good one for what you are looking for.

[The Gun Pimp]

At Diggle, we frequently shoot in 15 to 20 mph winds. In the 1000 yard benchrest game, you need to 'catch' the wind - no good trying to read it as shots aren't marked until all five shots are on target.

If the wind lulls or picks up during your 5-shot string, expect a 20 inch group with a 7mmWSM or what we call an 'inside leg measurement' (over 30 inches) with a 308!

The key is shooting very fast and a low-recoiling cartridge enables you to do this better - which is why the 6BR still holds the 1000 yard World Record for five, 10-shot groups.

Cheers
Vince