What about the 264 WM?

[Deleted member 25294]

There's a lot of talk out there about the 6.5's but the 264 Win mag never seems to be in the discussion.

It seems to me that a 6.5 capable of launching a 140 VLD at speeds around 3100-3200 would be getting more attention, especially with cheap available brass.

I know nothing about the 264 WM, are there any real disadvantages when compared to some of the popular 6.5's? Or is it just a boring old belted magnum that lacks mystique...

I really am curious, and would appreciate some info on this round.

 

[codyadams]

Or is it just a boring old belted magnum that lacks mystique...

Boom. There is nothing wrong with this cartridge, some people do not like the belt, and it doesn't look as sleek as say a 26 nosler. But as for performance, it's no slouch. With the right loads some will push the 140's over 3200 fps with safe pressure, and 3150 is pretty easy in a 26" tube. And as you stated, it is MUCH cheaper to load for compared to the other high capacity 6.5's as brass is significantly cheaper.

The 264 win mag is greatly overlooked and underestimated. It is an excellent cartridge.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

Great cartridge that also got a bad rap when it was introduced almost half a century ago, it never out grew that throat burner reputation that was hung on it's neck, undeserved but it stuck to it. It will handle just about anything you'd care to shoot with one easily. I don't think brass is all that big of an issue either, been awhile since I've seen one at any of my local sportsman's club.

 

[gkempf]

There was a member on here that said ( Shoot the rifle, that when you pull the trigger puts a big smile on your face.) Well that is how my 264WM does me. Pushing a 143gr. ELD-X at 3222. And the accuracy is phenomenal. Puts a big ole grin on my face.

 

[just country]

morning, isn't the .264wm a necked down .284remmag?. as said the .264wm got

a real bad rap for burning throats and under achiever. loaded with the proper hunting

bullets this cartridge is a very good and accurate round. fast and flat.lightbulbgun)

 

[sable tireur]

morning, isn't the .264wm a necked down .284remmag?. as said the .264wm got

a real bad rap for burning throats and under achiever. loaded with the proper hunting

bullets this cartridge is a very good and accurate round. fast and flat.lightbulbgun)

There is no such cartridge as the '.284remmag'. There is the 7mm Remington Magnum (or Rem. Mag. for short).

The .264 Win. Mag. was released in 1958 while the 7mm Rem. Mag. waited until 1962, so obviously the .264 couldn't have been made by necking down the 7mm cartridge.

The .264 Win. Mag. is a superb cartridge left alone to wither away because of the ignorance of the popular writers of the time. The only powder they could conceive of for reloading was H-4831 which was too fast for this cartridge. Given the 25 degree shoulder and the short neck length, 0.204", this powder, when turned to plasma, was aimed directly into the throat severely eroding the throat. Stupid design and bad powder choice.

Nowadays, of course, we have significantly better powder choices and better steel from which to make barrels. In essence, the throat erosion can be minimized and the cartridge can be used to it's greater potential.

Slower, cooler burning powders can and will provide the oft vaunted 3200 fps. while still using the 26" barrel and 140 gr. bullets.

VVN-570

H-1000

Re-26

Regards.

 

[Mikecr]

The reason overbore cartridges are fading from popularity is shooters are seeking better accuracy over speed. Good bullets, good reloading design, excellent brass, and reasonable barrel life are prerequisite to long term accuracy.
I personally believe accuracy is more powerful than knock down numbers.

 

[gohring3006]

The reason overbore cartridges are fading from popularity is shooters are seeking better accuracy over speed. Good bullets, good reloading design, excellent brass, and reasonable barrel life are prerequisite to long term accuracy.
I personally believe accuracy is more powerful than knock down numbers.

I agree with Mike, better bullets and ballistics apps....


Back when the 30-06 was brought out, no one would ever believe it was capable of launching a bullet with 1500 fps and 1100 ft lbs of energy at 1000 yards..
How far we've come....

 

[RT2506]

The 264 Win mag was not originally made from necking down the 7mm Rem mag but you can make some great 264 Win mag cases by running a 7mm Rem. mag case into a FL 264 Win mag sizing die. That is how I get my 264 Win mag cases. I got an almost new Rem 700, 27 3/4" Shilen barrel (9" twist ) rifle in a trade that I ended up not having very much money in. I load 130 gr Nosler Accubonds, in match prepped WW cases made from 7 mags, 66.5 grs. Retumbo fired by CCI 250 primers. I average 3350 fps and 1/4 MOA accuracy. I have only killed a dozen of so deer with it because I have only hunted with it part time for 4 years. I have killed deer from 25 to a touch over 500 yards and none of them have needed a second shot and only one has taken three jumps after taking that AB and it kangaroo hopped on it's hind legs 3 jumps. Yep the "it is a barrel burner" moniker and Winchester chopping the barrel off to 24" because of the "it is too long and heavy" to carry crowd, and the short throat needing a two diameter bullet or a long sharp nose bullet that was not made back then about doomed the 264 Win mag. But put a long barrel on it and throat it correct and use modern bullets and slow burning powders and it ROCKS. gun)

 

[TMR]

I build a bunch of them for guys. With today's powders 3250 is easily achievable with safe pressure. Accurate and low recoil, what's not to like.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

The reason overbore cartridges are fading from popularity is shooters are seeking better accuracy over speed. Good bullets, good reloading design, excellent brass, and reasonable barrel life are prerequisite to long term accuracy.
I personally believe accuracy is more powerful than knock down numbers.

Are you saying that the 264 WM is not an inherently accurate cartridge like the 7mm Rem Mag? Seems weird to me since they are basically the same case...

I agree that accuracy is super important, but for a long range hunting round so is knockdown power. Is it hard to get the 264 to shoot sub MOA? Is there any reason that a 6.5 SAUM, Sherman, or 26 Nosler would shoot better?

 

[just country]

morning, .264 converts to 6.5 .284 converts to 7mm. does this answer ur

question. I know there is no .284 rem mag. there is a 6.5 rem mag .264. a

a mag. case shorten to accommodate the 350 and 6.5 .264. 6mm .244lightbulbgun)

 

[Mikecr]

blackaj, 'accuracy' is relative, and 'long range' is relative to this.
But I don't consider 1moa to be accurate at any distance.

Complicated or simple, the truth is that nothing is free. Everything falls into a balance.
Can you think of one 'free gain' in this realm?
Truly, the best you can do will always be a best balance.

You can't add a bunch of chamber area and powder to that which is otherwise accurate -without prices paid for it.
The 6.5x47L is accurate, flat out. And with it, you could technically drop any American game with brain shots at distance. But for 140gr bullets(best in 26cal), it's a bit slow, wind drift is still up there.
Bump up capacity 8grH20 to 260AI, and you improve the whole game(to mid node).
But bump the capacity another 10gr to 6.5x284 and things unravel a little. With this you have to pay prices. Great brass still, but it don't last given chamber area, and accurate barrel life drops to ~1200rnds. It is also not as accurate as it is downloaded to the most accurate ~3kfps node (better covered by 6.5x47L & 260AI) for 1/2moa results. This, because higher nodes are not as accurate. Basically, it's too big for cal and has faded from competitive favor.
Bump capacity another 14gr to 264wm, and you're left bragging of viable 1moa in accuracy. You won't sustain 1/2 moa like a 6.5x284, or 3/8 moa like a 260AI, or 1/4moa like a 6.5x47L. There is absolutely nothing 'inherently accurate' about it.
Nothing good about it's brass, case design, chamber area, sizing requirements, barrel life, recoil, or muzzle pressures. You will never see a 264wm holding it's own in competitive shooting.

I know many hunters put destructive potential ahead of accuracy.
But I'm sure fewer will follow this in the future. They'll buy new guns here & there chambered in better cartridges. They'll get used to easier accuracy, and be less tolerant to bad balances of the past.

 

[.284]

Seems like a very valid observation to me