260 rem AR 10 for long range

[Pearjaw]

i'm looking for some advice on the AR 10 build I am working on for my Father. I shoot some long range tactical shoots throughout the year and my father has become interested in participating but he has a little trouble with the mag changes in my bolt gun and we have decided to try a semi auto gun to see if this will help speed him up. I've started collecting some parts and i have a DPMS lower and I'm wondering what upper we should go with and what barrel length i should use to get the best performance. the gun will be chambered in 260 rem and i'm planning to shoot lapua brass and 140 bergers as long as i can get them to shoot. Also what speeds can i expect out of them?

Thank you very much for your thoughts.

 

[scatterbrains]

check out lija for drop in 18, 20, and24" barrel. other than that I can't help.

 

[LRRPF52]

I have owned 2 different .260 Remington AR10's, and currently use my GAP custom build with a 22" Bartlein barrel. If the matches you shoot involve running and position shooting, you really need to consider your barrel profile. Your dad will also have to familiarize with a more complex manual of arms on the AR receiver, particularly with charging and correcting malfunctions with the rifle.

This caliber in a gas gun basically runs on hand-loads, especially if you use a DPMS pattern Bolt Carrier Group with its large firing pin hole. The Armalite BCG is much better if you can find one.

Armalite actually makes a production 22" .260 Rem AR10T with a Douglas select match barrel.

If you build off your DPMS lower, there are a number of uppers to choose from, a matching DPMS one will be the most available and affordable.

With my 22" barrel, I can push the 140gr class pills to 2740fps max. I prefer the 130gr Berger because I can run it at 2810fps.

With the Lapua brass, I found that I had to run all mine through the sizer for my chamber to get it to feed and extract, but the necked-down Winchester 7mm-08 is what I started with. Both have been excellent brass.

.260 Remington is a fun round to shoot long-range without a doubt, as it's very flat, not much recoil, and it bucks the wind better than a .300 Win Mag. It delivers a lot of energy on steel, and has very short flight time to target, especially with the 130gr VLD. Love it.

 

[endurokids]

I'm watching this thread too. I also am considering the .260 AR build.
My first choice will be chambered in 7mm 08, if I can find a good barrel.

 

[lte82]

My 260 rem AR is a blast to shoot and has very little recoil. I shoot a heavy 24" barrel, but would probably go to a 20" medium profile barrel with a light handguard if I was going to be packing it on an all day event. I shoot the 123gr smk at 2750-2800 fps, which isnt very fast but makes tiny groups.

I have heard that the 140gr bullets dont group well out of gas guns as a general rule but it sounds like voodoo to me. I havent tried it yet but plan to soon.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

This question has already been answered for me by the by the NY SAFE Assault Rifle Ban. If things had gone better, the AR-10T would get my vote; but as an LR freak, I'd be looking for a 24" heavy stainless barrel.

My .260 shooting to date has been largely done with bolt guns, single feed followers, long bullets, and hand feeding.

Since seeing how well they did at Raton in 2002 on the 1Kyd line, I have developed a preference for the 140SMK (which was widely used at Raton prior to the 142SMK's subsequent emergence) in my new Savage 10 Predator Hunter Max, which has the factory D/M. The 140SMK is noticeably shorter than the other bullets in this weight range, and may hold better potential when feeding from a magazine. With a conventional predator weight 24"-26" barrel, I think it had potential all the way out to 1Kyd. It might do well in the AR-10T, etc., too.

Greg

 

[DavidAR10]

I'm watching this thread too. I also am considering the .260 AR build.
My first choice will be chambered in 7mm 08, if I can find a good barrel.

Grizzly.com

 

[Danco411]

The .260 and Ar10 platform are like peanut butter and jelly. Just made for each other. I did a Mega Keymod build with the 20" Lilja barrel. Just badass. Sadly I sold it which was a mistake. I rarely miss firearms I sell but this one I do. I was loading the 142 SMK and 140 Amax in Remington and Lapua brass with RE19 and H4350. 2850 FPS with 3/4 MOA accuracy.

 

[FALex]

Got an LRP-07 in .260. I am a .260 fanatic, and shooting it out of a gasser is a lot of fun. When choosing, don't forget the mag differences between using DPMS and Armalite lowers. For some folks, that makes a lot of difference.

 

[Pearjaw]

Thanks guys you are giving me lots to think about. At this point i think i will be going with a 22" barrel and shooting either 130s or 123s. Ill shoot the 140s in my bolt gun. I'm gonna try to keep the weight down a little cause i might end up running with it some also.

 

[conksarmy]

This is a build i am considering. I am newer to the ar 10 series but have built a dozen of the littler guys. I dont wanna hijack the thread but gimme a quick rundown on the mag situation if you dont mind. I am un aware

 

[ace of hearts]

consider 6.5 creedmoor

The .260 vs 6.5 creedmoor debate has been done to death, but lots of folks feel the creeds shorter oal makes it a little more semi auto friendly with similar overall ballistics. Lots of opinions on this but it is something to consider. Gap 10 in 6.5 cm rocks.

 

[Newtrick]

I bought an inexpensive DPMS in .260, 24" bull barrel ($1200). Dropped a good trigger in it, and a good optic on it. It's a hammer. Shoots close to .6 with my loads, and very well at 1000. Great value.

 

[Pearjaw]

Does anyone know if there is an advantage to the 24" over a 22" or even a 20"?

 

[Unknown]

If the matches in your area have many stages where there are position changes going into and out of a doghouse, in and out windows, changing sides on barricades and similar exercises, you might want to consider how the longer barrel, and weight of the barrel will slow your Father down.

The extra velocity you get from a 24 inch barrel would be nice, but that long tube would make the rifle so awkward that many stages would be considerably more difficult. Additionally, the weight of the barrel effects how fast you can move the rifle from one target to another, and how much effort it takes to stop that motion once it has started. A heavy barrel is slower to start moving, and slower to stop moving.

The distances at which you shoot also help determine barrel length. If a 20 inch barrel gives sufficient velocity to get your bullet out to the most distant target that is adequate. Many of the good 6.5mm bullets for the 260 will reach out to around 1500 yards before going transonic. If a muzzle velocity of 2600 fps gets your bullet to 1700 yards, do you really want more barrel length and weight?

For these considerations, I would go with a 20-22 inch barrel that is between light and medium light profile with fluting to stiffen it. Then I would look for a lightweight tube forend and mounting system to save weight on the rifle. This weight savings and the shorter barrel length will make the rifle handle much faster and seem more "lively" for movement stages.