264 Win. Mag

[264junkie]

I walk into a local shop the other day and while ringing up my purchase (a few MTM cartridge boxes) the cashier makes some comment about loading and I let him know I was itching to spend some time at the bench working up a Accubond load for my 264WM and how I loved that caliber.......He kind or rolls his eyes and says "Oh..Everyone's got one of those"....I left shaking my head....Has the 264 really made that much of a resurgence in the last 15 years? Last I checked no one in New England had even heard of it

 

[wvcountryboy]

I only know one guy that has one and i'm pretty sure he's scared of it, he never shoots it. How do they shoot? I have always thought 264 was a neat caliber.

 

[Gene]

I have one, a Sako Finnbear L61R, four digit serial no, with McMillan stock, up for sale. I have not shot it in years, but it is a very good long range caliber. Some feel it is a barrel burner, but if reloads and /or factory ammo are within reason, it will last a long time.

 

[RT2506]

The old tag of the 264 mag being a barrel burner is a misnomer. Yes when it came out in the 50's compared to the 30-06 class rifles it was a barrel burner. But today with better steels and comparing it to other mags like the 7mm Rem mag there is really no appreciable difference in barrel life. Like any mag you should not shoot it hot and you should keep it clean and it will last a long time.

Yes there has been a resurgence of interest in the 264 Win mag the past few years. Remington started making their 700 Sendero with a proper 26" barrel in 264 Win mag a few years ago. In the USA the .264 calibers have not really done well until just the last few. The 260 Rem kind of kicked off the .264 interest and today you are seeing a lot more .264 rounds coming to life and people are seeing just what a good bullet can do at long ranges.

I got my first 264 Win mag two years ago. I traded my hunting buddy out of a custom Rem 700 action with a 27 3/4" Shilen #5 CM barrel on it. I put it into a Hogue full bed stock and put a Meopta Meo-star 3-12X56 scope on it. I found THE POWDER for the 264 Win mag as the new Hodgdon annual manual also states. RETUMBO

I found that with a WW case reformed from 7mm Rem mag or a standard WW 264 Win mag case, CCI 250 primer, 66.5 grs Retumbo pushing the 130 Nosler Accubond in my rifle will do average 3350 fps and will shoot 1/2 MOA. I have hammered DRT 5 deer with it the past two seasons from 80 to 250 yards.

MY favorite caliber is the 25-06 but my 264 win mag is running a VERY CLOSE second.

 

[264junkie]

Good to see I wasn't completely crazy!
As you probably noticed I've been in love w/ the 264 for a long time but have only gotten serious about handloading for it in the last year. When I fell in love with it back in the the early eighties it still had the barrel burner label but I didn't care...It's amazing with all the hot loads out there today the label has still stuck??
I just worked up some test loads with the 130 Accubond which I have absolutely zero experience with and hope to test in the next week or so.

Thanks,
Junkie

 

[roninflag]

they are rare. my brother has a sendero, rem also made a cdl sf . his son got a coues with it this year. i don't know what to say about the store clerk's remark.

 

[RT2506]

The sweet spot that my rifle liked best was 10 thousands off the lands with the 130 AB. Like I stated above RETUMBO is the best powder I found. I tried the 4350's AA3100, H-4831 and with all bullets Retumbo gave the best velocity by a long ways and the accuracy is out standing. I was getting a little over 3600 fps with 120 Nosler BT's and under 1/2 MOA accuracy. I was working up deer loads and was afraid to use the 120 BT because I get shots from point blank to about as far as you want to try one. The BT would probably explode on the hair at that velocity inside 200 yards or so. I have used it in my 6.5X55 Swede at 3000 fps and at 50 to 100 yards it makes a mess of a deers front shoulders.

The 130 AB has worked perfectly for me. I did recover one bullet from a big buck shot at 111 yards that was almost facing me. Went in the front edge of left shoulder and was found in the right ham when cutting up the meat. Weight was 87 grs and text book mushroom.

 

[roninflag]

.264- forgot , doug burris shot the WORLD REC0RD TYPICAL MULE DEER with a .264 ( recall correctly) . it will make you eyeballs pop out. tremendous buck. good story.

 

[MEV]

264Junkie, I have one in a Winchester Model 70 from 1958. I have used it for bull Elk, Mulie bucks, blacktail bucks, wild hogs and coyotes. My rifle has the original barrel and still puts three rounds inside 2 1/2" at 300 yards with my handloads, which are a 130 grain Barnes TSX at 3300 FPS. Shoots flat, hits hard, penetrates like a heavy with light recoil. My nephew just built one on a model 70 action, again shoots very accurate. I know several others with .264's who love them. MEV

 

[Don Ward]

We only offer 3 versions of our rifle and the 264WM is one of them. Its a very cool round and a great western hunting cartridge. We launch 140gr VLD and it is a seriously flat shooter. Lots of folks have heard it discussed for years but never looked into what it is.

I didn't realize everyone in Maine had one

 

[Nomosendero]

We only offer 3 versions of our rifle and the 264WM is one of them. Its a very cool round and a great western hunting cartridge. We launch 140gr VLD and it is a seriously flat shooter. Lots of folks have heard it discussed for years but never looked into what it is.

I didn't realize everyone in Maine had one

Don, I am not asking for specific powder charge wt, but what powder are you using & what vel?
Looks like I will have Win cases. I bought a Lipsey Ruger Number 1 in 264WM, yea maybe not best accuracy choice, but I could not resist trying it!!

 

[Don Ward]

We use Retumbo and get just over 3200fps in our chamber. Normally you will max out below that speed in a standard chamber, but it will still be impressive.

 

[MEV]

I use IMR 4350 with CCI 250 primers and Win. cases. Cases are with one grain, necks turned and trimmed. Barnes 130 grain TSX factory crimped for my throat. 3300 FPS. I have a 26" factory barrel and found slower burning powders max'ed out on pressure well before I got good speed. MEV

 

[JPH]

We use Retumbo and get just over 3200fps in our chamber. Normally you will max out below that speed in a standard chamber, but it will still be impressive.

Don: That 140 VLD combo is deadly on what I have seen with whitetails and muleys. I would think the 140 VLD would also make an elk or moose lay down and die quickly, do you guys have hunting experience with this caliber/bullet combo with them?