NVMIKE

I'd go with the 7-08. I think its sixes or sevens as to the performance, but when you've the same caliber bullet as the 7mag, 7stw, 7ultra ect... you will always have a large selection of bullets and the factory offering will be more numerous as well. There is nothing wrong w/ the 260, but the main reason it was pushed was to stroke the ego of a certain writer. It does nothing to fill a hole in the overall caliber scene.

WAredneck

I am also trying to decide on which to get too. Maybe we could get some more information from the guy who shot an elk with a 260 and maybe Rebel Hog could give us some of his words of wisdom on the subject. I like what I read about both but, have no experiance with either.

Mike from Texas

I have a 700 Mountain rifle in .260 and wouldn't trade it for any other gun period. As a matter of fact, I just built a T/C Encoe pistol in .260 as well. I love this catridge. I just can't understand why it hasn't become more popular. Since you will be handloading, I can't think of anything you can do with a 7-08 that you can't do with a .260. The 6.5mm is an awesome caliber.

Jeep4x4

I'd go with a 7mm-08 for several reasons.
1: its more popular
2: more powerful
3: more available factory loads
4: more loads in reloading
5: more bullets available for reloading
6: the 7mm ballistic tip is perdier' than the brown .264" ballistic tip

oldelkhunter

I can't figure it out either..it is a very underrated cartridge as is the 6.5x55

trailer

I didn’t expect to get this type of responce and thought for sure it would gone from the fisrt page by now. I still wasn’t sure which one to get even thought I had previously posted but ended up placing an order for my new rifle in the 7mm-08. Now for the wainting. Thanks for all your comments.

aimiablerooster

Looks like I found you cousin! I was having the same battle a little more than a year ago and as fate would have it the used Ruger showed up at SIR. Brian suggested I give it a try and I have to admit that this is my favourite rifle now. Mild recoil, and very effective on deer. I was using a 140Gr Hornady SST last deer season and I guess I could have been in the 70yd area. The little 6.5 went throgh ribs on both sides and the exit hole was probably big enough to stick a 12Guage barrel through and rattle it around some! My hunting buddy is a .30cal fan and doubted the 6.5x55SE. He called it a Coyote bullet. The end results left no doubt that it is plenty of horsepower for deer.

Both cartridges are great...I sometimes wonder about the Remington Mountain LSS in .260...or the Remington model 7 in 7mm-08....maybe later!

aimiablerooster

Tell me about it! I love the 6.5mm bullets! I just can't understand why it doesn't catch on. In my opinion, it might be the most efficient caliber for small to mid size game. If I had money, I'm sure I'd go broke buying .264 calliber guns...that are available. I just ordered a .270Win only because .264 calliber cartridges weren't available in that rifle, otherwise it would have been a no brainer. I'm licking my chops at the possibility of a 6.5-284 production gun coming out soon...or maybe a 6.5-300WSM ?????

I sometimes think that I should sell off a few rifles, and get a custom made 6.5-284!

aimiablerooster

As a deer round, the .260 wouldn't offer anything more than already exists...for that matter we would really never need anything more than the 30-06! As a round that can be reloaded for predator/varmint, the .264 will offer lighter bullets with better BC...better Sectional Density. If the .260 was pushed to satisfy one writer, then we owe him a debt of gratitude as far as I'm concerned. The 7mm-08 is a great round as well, and I've often though of replacing one of my .308 with one!

trailer

Welcome aboard, see what happens when we bump into each other shopping at the same store. Happy to see you picked up the sport. We should together sometime to go shooting. Give me a call.