264 win mag

[DUNEZRUNNER]

I have a Winchester Mdl 70 .264 Win Mag that I am going to be using for this years elk hunt. I am going to use 140gr Accubonds and wanted to try RL25. I am having a hard time finding any info on using this powder for this gun. Accurate list a max of 60 grs and that is it. Has anyone else used this powder bullet combination? Does anybody have any insight or experience?

Thanks

Thomas

 

[RT2506]

I have no doubt that the 140 Accubond will get the job done. I use the 130 Accubond in my 264 Win mag on deer. I live on the wrong side of the Mississippi so no elk experience. I have only recovered one 130 gr Accubond every other has exited even as close as 80 yards. The one that I recovered was from a large body buck shot at 111 yards that was almost facing me with just a slight left shoulder angle toward me. Bullet was placed on the edge of that shoulder and deer drop on its butt and fell over dead. On dressing it I discovered that the shoulder was smashed, lungs were wiped out and while cutting up the meat I found the bullet against the smashed ball socket of the right ham. Bullet was a text book mushroom that weighed 87 grs. If it will do all that to a deer I am sure that the 140 will hammer an elk. Bullet left the muzzle of my 27 3/4" Shilen barrel at average 3350 fps. I use 66.5 grs Retumbo, CCI 250 primers, WW case reformed from 7mm Rem mag cases, with the 130 AB at COAL 3.450, average 3350 fps and drives tacks.
I have never tried RL25 but have heard good things about it in the 264 Win mag. If you have a max of 60 grs listed then back off 10% and do a work up and see what you get. It all depends on YOUR RIFLE. My rifle has a tight chamber and I can not get to the max loads listed for Retumbo without too high pressure. A friend of mine uses 1 grain over max listed which is all he can get in the case in his rifle with no pressure signs because his rifle has a somewhat sloppy larger chamber. Good luck and good shooting.

 

[DUNEZRUNNER]

That was my plan on how I was going to load it. I was just hoping others had tried it before me. I have used the 130 accubond with success as well. Recovered a bullet from a large mule deer shot broadside in the front shoulder at about 200 yards. Destroyed the first shoulder it hit, heart and lungs disappeared and broke the offside shoulder into pieces. I found the bullet under the hide on the farside. It weighed around 80 grains. The deer crumpled in its tracks.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Thomas

 

[DUNEZRUNNER]

Never could get that bullet to shoot for me. But I can't get a decent load with a 130 gr Accubond (tried IMR 4831, Retumbo) or 120 Sierra's( tried IMR 4831). I am at max load with all the powders and only getting 3033 FPS with the 120 gr bullets and the 130 gr were getting 2900 FPS. I am missing a few hundred FPS from somewhere. I don't know if I should be trying a slower powder or what. I am going crazy trying to get this gun to shoot consistent. I cant get it to shoot under 1.5" and the velocity is all over and low. Is this a sign of a worn out barrel?

Thanks

Thomas

 

[TJAY]

I checked my load data site and max load of Rl-25 goes up to 65 gr, with various 140 gr. bullets.

I have worked up to 66 gr. of Rl-25 with 140 hornady and 140 Nosler partitions. Norma data shows 64.9 gr. of MRP2 which is said to be the same as Rl-25.

I have gone to slower powders for better results. I think Rl-33 would be a better choice but have not worked with it.

 

[Gunpoor]

I used H1000 in my 264W behind 140 grain bullets, but never shot the accubond, with good accuracy and consistency. H1000 is an excellent powder if not compressed.

 

[DUNEZRUNNER]

I appreciate all the responses. I am not sure what I am going to do with this gun. When I last had it out I could not find any consistent loads for the gun. The best load was only shooting at about 2850 FPS with the 130 gr bullet. I should be at 3100-3200 in this gun. It wasn't showing pressure signs, but was at the book max so when I made up my test loads that where I stopped. I am going to make some more up from the current best load and work up until I start seeing some pressure signs. I did notice that there was a lot of soot on the necks of the brass. It has me thinking that I am not building enough pressure to seal the chamber or I have chamber problems. This gun has me frustrated as I was supposed to use it on my Elk hunt on the 20th. I just can't get a group. I ended up ordering a 338-378 Weatherby mag for the hunt as I just cant trust this one.

thanks

Thomas

 

[lloydsmale]

my 264 is a ruger hawkeye and its a finiky gun, typical ruger! I tried about every bullet and powder i could find and the only load that shot moa was 70 grain of re25 and 120 nos ballistic tip with a fed match mag primer. I was skeptical about using this bullet but have shot probably 20 deer with in in the last couple years and its actually performed great. Very seldom do i not get an exit wound and put in the right spot (behind the shoulder) it does no more meat damage then any other bullet and drops deer like they were hit by the hammer of thor even out past 400 yards.

 

[BrentM]

Have you checked the head space etc? Could be a bad chamber that is not allowing consistent and correct pressure to build. My savage has a tight chamber and I can't load to max either. I also had to bump the shoulder back to get head space back.

 

[383sbc]

use 125 nozler partion with hodgen h4895.2 different barrel shot less than 1/2 at 100 yards. mule deer 425 yards