You have entered the home of data for the Terminator family of cartridges. Like all loading data this is just a guideline to help you and not absolute information. This is simply what worked for us in just one or two rifles with our lot of powder, bullets primers etc. It is still your responsibility to follow safe loading practices and make your own safety decisions. It is not a safe loading practice to take your rifle chambered in one of these rounds even though we built it and simply start with the max load. It is still a required practice that you safely work up to a safe pressure and load. Load date can change from lot to lot with components, ambient temperature or any other number of factors. Please be safe and use this info as a guideline. Have fun and good shooting.
Shawn
We currently make 2 different dimensions of 260 Terminator, a PRS version and a Hunting version. The PRS version was designed to work out of an AI detachable magazine and the Hunting version out of a center feeding 3.000″ mag box. Load data will be designated PRS or Hunting. Please pay attention to this and make sure you are comparing the same components we use as your guid line. We tested both Remington cases and Lapua cases in this chambering and there is two full grains difference in case capacity between the two brands. We will add load data as we get more developed. For an extensive article on the 260 Terminator go to Panhandle Precision’s website to read their review on it.
Panhandle Precision’s – 260 Terminator Review
260 Terminator – PRS
Case: Lapua 260 Remington
Case Capacity Formed: 55.8 gr. H2O
Max Case Length: 2.045″
Trim Length: 2.035″
Primer: CCI BR2
Bullet: Berger 140 gr. Hybrid Target
Max OAL to Lands: 2.842″
Powder: RL 26 (most upper end loads need a drop tube to get powder in)
Max Charge: 52.0 gr
Best Load: 51.5 gr RL 26, OAL 2.827″ (-.015″ off lands)
Performance: 3 shots @ 100 yards .237″, ES 4 fps, ave velocity 3037 fps
260 Terminator – Hunting
Case: Lapua 260 Remington
Case Capacity Formed: 55.8 gr. H2O
Max Case Length: 2.045″
Trim Length: 2.035″
Primer: CCI BR2
Bullet: Berger 140 gr. Hybrid Target
Max OAL to Lands: 2.978″
Powder: RL 26 (most upper end loads need a drop tube to get powder in)
Max Charge: 53.0 gr
Best Load: 52.0 gr RL 26, OAL 2.973″ (-.005″ off lands)
Performance: 3 shots @ 100 yards .339″, ES 13 fps, ave velocity 3073 fps
All Terminator series rounds are improved rounds with our patented +P throating technology. As such the brass for these rounds must be fire formed prior to loading. Once the brass is formed, loading and load development may proceed in a normal manner. Here is what we recommend:
1. Purchase formed brass from us and you are done, go straight to step # 8
2. If you choose to form brass yourself get the parent case prepped and primed.
3. Load the appropriate powder and forming charge (see below).
4. Add cornmeal or grits to take up space in the case, do not shake while doing this as it mixes the powder and cornmeal together. Fill until the case is full all way up the neck.
5. Take a small piece of paper towel or tissue and plug the mouth of the case. Take care not to over pack as this can cause higher than normal pressures. It should be just enough to keep the corn meal and powder tight and not shift around.
6. Now in a safe place (shooting range) fire the round through the rifle. The paper patch could be a potential fire hazard in certain conditions use caution here. Now fired, the case is 98-99% formed, the shoulder should be forward but not completely sharp at the edges.
7. Clean the chamber and barrel of debris every 5 rounds or so, this doesn’t require a full tear down cleaning but a removal of the chunks of filler. This is also a good time to let the barrel cool down. You do damage to your barrel anytime you shoot it hot even when there is no bullet going down it.
8. Now that your Terminator brass is formed you are ready to resize it and start normal loading procedures.
The following forming loads are used with filler and a paper patch as described above.
338 Terminator 25.0 gr Winchester Super Field
300 Terminator 25.0 gr Winchester Super Field
260 Terminator 15.0 gr Winchester Super Field
260 Terminator – LH Rem 700 action, Hart barrel, Mega Arms Chassis, NF 3-15x NXS