The Firearm Blog

ArmaLite has their new AR-10T chambering 7mm-08, a very popular hunting round. Interestingly they are also offering it in the the relatively obscure .260 Remington. The .260 is now 11 years olds and gaining popularity as a flat shooting and low recoil 6.5mm cartridge.

AR-10T. Click to expand. Photo Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission.

The new line of Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact Rifles are very very cool. They are 16.5″ carbines chambered in the intermediate .223 Rem, 7.62×39mm and 6.8mm SPC cartridges as well as the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum, .243 Win. 7mm-08, .308 Win. and .260 Rem.

Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact 6.8mm SPC.

They feature a shorter stock and proportionately shortened forends and buttstocks. This shortened forend makes the rifle look longer than it is in the above photo. The intermediate caliber rifles weight 5 3/4 lbs.

I think these will be big sellers, especially the models chambered in intermediate cartridge where the short barrel will not have a significant impact on performance.

From the press release:

These 16-1/2 inch barreled rifles have an overall length of 35-1/2 inches, making them ideal hunting rifles for rugged terrain and heavy brush. The Hawkeye Compact rifles are available in a Hawkeye Matte Blued with an American walnut stock or the Hawkeye Matte Stainless model with a black laminate stock. The slim American walnut stock offers wrap-around cut checkering on the forearm and more rounded contours on the bottom of the stock and top of the pistol grips.

The Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact rifles are offered in eight short action calibers, including .300 RCM, 7.62X39 and 6.8SPC. The walnut and blued models weigh approximately 5.75 pounds, while their laminate and stainless counterparts average 6.25 pounds each. Magazine capacity is 4 rounds.

The M77 Hawkeye Compact rifles feature the smooth and crisp Ruger LC6™ trigger, Mauser-type controlled feeding and a powerful claw extractor. A 3-position safety, hammer forged steel barrels and Ruger patented scope rings (provided at no charge) that install on the integral mounts and never shoot loose are also standard fare on all Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifles. The steel floorplate, bearing the distinctive Ruger logo, provides easy unloading and eliminates accidental “dumping” of ammunition.

DEMIGOD has written a comparison of the 6.5mm rounds: the .260 Remington vs. 6.5×47 Lapua vs. 6.5 Creedmoor.

It’s been a good year for 6.5 mm. The .260 Remington has hit full stride after a ramp-up of several years, with top competitors at most field-style long-range matches shooting it. Lapua’s 6.5×47 saw the first wave of custom LR rifles built around it in 2007 and proved to be just as good as people hoped. Finally, Hornady is announcing its new 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge at SHOT 2008. How do these three mid-size 6.5 mm cartridges stack up against one another? I spent much of 2007 figuring out the answer to that question.

6.5mm Creedmoor

More here.

DEMIGOD LLC has an interesting article on the .260 Remington, a necked down .308.

The .260 Remington provides long-range ballistics conventionally limited to the magnum calibers. Because its parent case is the ubiquitous .308 Winchester, building a rifle in .260 can be as easy as fitting a new barrel. The .260 provides much less wind drift and drop than .308 but has less recoil.

The hunting pedigree of 6.5 mm in Europe proves the caliber is formidable for practical use. For long-range shooters who want a better cartridge than .308, but don’t want the costs associated with big overbore magnums, the .260 is just the ticket.

More here

This is a new limited edition model 700 that is chambered for the .260 Remington.

You can try to keep this limited edition rifle in the box, but one shot and it’ll be your big-game rifle of choice for life. Chambered for the accurate, flat-shooting 260 Remington,® the Model 700 CDL Stainless Fluted Ltd. is the ultimate embodiment of our world-famous action’s sleek lines, good looks and unrivaled out-of-the-box precision. The 260 Remington is an incredible all-around big-game cartridge. To commemorate its chambering in our newest limited edition rifle, the floorplate is intricately engraved with the cartridge and “260 Remington.”

The rifle’s receiver is heavily roll marked with “Model 700 Limited.” To achieve optimum velocity, the magnum contour barrel is a full 24″. It features Light Varmint-style fluting for rapid heat dissipation, and the action and barrel are solidly bedded in our distinctive CDL walnut stock. And prepare to be amazed by the shot control and breaks-like-glass feel of our X-Mark Proâ„¢ trigger.

Engraved hinged floorplate commemorating the 260 Remington cartridge

24″ magnum-contour 416 stainless barreled action with Light Varmint-style fluting

Special receiver heavy roll marked Model 700 Limited

CDL walnut stock with black fore-end tip and grip cap

X-Mark Proâ„¢ Trigger

More here.