Anyone else load .264 Winchester?

[Andy Griffith]

Or am I one of the few lone hold outs on a "overbore" cartridge.

Yes, I know many people at the range have told or asked me, "Isn't it a bit overbore?" I usually counter with, "...and a .300 Remington Ultra Mag isn't?"

The one I have is the last one my father ever bought new, which he planned on going out west on a hunt in Idaho, Colorado or somewhere else, that never materialized because of his health. It's one of the Remington 700's with the blue "stainless" barrels and had a beautiful Fajen stock put on it- which I've never seen another one like.

Anyway, I need to get it back out, because I got a call and was offered 160 brand new, yet vintage .264 Winchester cases from one of the members in the club. He said they were in the white boxes with the red "W" on them.

Anyone have any good, pet loads that you want to suggest with some of the newer powders? It seems to me that I've read about some loads with Benchmark and perhaps Retumbo, if I recall correctly, but want some input before I invest some money in some new powders rather than my old stand by lot.

 

[duman444]

Andy,
I have a 1965 Winchester Model 70 in the .264. I only have one load worked up for it, 59 grains of IMR 4350 under a 120 grain bullet. I have never chronographed, but it shoots 1/2" at 100 yards and with that accurary I neck shoot all my game so speed and bullet weight are not a big factor for me.
I don't have a single .264 case that started it's life as such, all of my cases are necked down 7 mags.

 

[perrazi]

think benchmark will be somewhat to fast burning rate. imr4350 and slower are your best bets here. you are lucky to have one of the 700's with stainless barrel. not a lot of them left around. the heavier the bullet, the slower burning powder you can use. might look at some of the slower vihta-vuori powders. usually clean burning and accurate with excellent velocity. in case you don't already know, don't shoot to fast and get the barrel heated up. the hotter they get,the quicker they burn out. especially with overbore cartridges. 264 is one of my favorite numbers in hunting type cartridges.

 

[greenmachine]

I have a .264 Winchester model 70 with a 26 inch barrel that I hunted with in Wyoming and Montana back in the '70's and 80's. The serial number dates it to 1960. I used a 140 grain Hornady with 60 grains of 4831 for my hunting load. I remember it being very accurate but I haven't shot it for years.

 

[Davwingman]

I have had a Rem 700 like yours for quite awhile. All I ever shot out of it was Sierra 100 gr. HP & H-4831. Never saw any need for anything esle. I use my for deer & coyotes.

 

[WILL TERRY]

I have been shooting 264winmag rifles for 45 years or somesuch.

I started out with a Winchester M70 WESTERNER in 264WINMAG. A collector offered me a pile of money for it so off it went to safeland. I ended up with a 264WINMAG built on a commercial FN 98 magnum Mauser action with a SAKO trigger, a 26" medium heavy Douglas XX barrel, a HERTER AAA grade french walnut stock, and of all things, a Weaver 3-9X scope. The rifle shoots like ten million bucks and good handloads will take 120gr Spitzer bullets to 3400fPS quite easily. It shoots flatter than a moonbeam, "makes a hell of a noise, and packs a hell of a wallop"....does anyone remember that sales slogan for the W-W WESTERNER rifles ???
I'd love a new Ruger #1 in 264WINMAG with a 28" or 30" barrel.

 

[greenmachine]

"The .264 Winchester Magnum, Its Makes A Helluva Noise And Packs A Helluva Punch"

Yup.

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
I have one on a sako action with a Dougless barrel.
3/8 at 100yds with rem factory 140s less with 100 hp varmit bullets.
but could never get 140 Matchkings to shoot [they would Keyhole]
The normal bullet for the 264 is a 2 diamiter one of 140 gr
and except for factory I never found any..
I hit a 2l water bottle at 100yds [ shot at the cap] with a 100gr
hp at about 3500fps. Nothing but mist [yea I hit the cap]

 

[Snapping Twig]

Almost...

I shoot a 6.5-06 in a Remington 700 as my prime hunting rifle.

I use 120g NBT, but I also have some 125g & 140g NP loads worked up as well.

 

[bubbaokie]

I have had a Rem 700 like yours for quite awhile. All I ever shot out of it was Sierra 100 gr. HP & H-4831. Never saw any need for anything esle. I use my for deer & coyotes.

In my 264 mag.....I use the Sierra 100 grainer and 66 grains of H-4831...and for the 85 grain Sierra I use 69 grains of same powder....by the way they both shoot to the same POI. That's handy. I use the 100's for deer and the 85's for coyotes.

 

[38-44HD45]

I inherited my Dad's Safari Grade FN Browning .264, which was the first centerfire rifle I ever shot, and .264 is the first cartridge I ever reloaded. Dad used his exclusively as a varmint rifle, and always loaded 100 gr. bullets over max. or near max. loads of H4831. The terminal effect on coyotes and feral dogs was amazing to behold! A few years before Dad died, I loaded up a bunch of 120 gr. bullets for him, also over max. charges of H4831. I have some of the ammo, but will have to look for it to find the charge weight.

 

[Wickahoney]

You said it in your intial post. The 264 is a grossly overbore cartridge. Nothing wrong with that, especially for a hunting rifle but the 264 and all other grossly overbore cases don't get you much if anything down onm the bottom with light bullets. The greater case capacity in any/most cases requires more powder to drive the same light weight bullets as fast if maybe a tiny bit faster than the same caliber in a better bore balanced case.

Sort of the 257 Weatherby thing. Great with 120s, a POS with 75s.

I don't use any of the numerous overbore belted mags I own for varmints on any kind of regualr basis.

I do use a ciustom barreled Ruger#1, with a 26" tube and 130s or heavier with the slowest powders around, IMR 7828, H1000, Retumbo, Norma MRP . That's where the 264 really shines as an antelope rifle at LONG range across the wide open.

Yes you can butrn out a barrel and on yours it would be a shame. On the other hand used rationally there is no reason to ever heat it up to the point you are causing damage.

Cousin Wayne and I were discussing our 7mm STWs a while back and he was worried about burning out the barrel on his.

I pointed out we used them 2 or 3 times a year to actually huint with and a trip to the range to sight in with 7 or 8 rounds. So Maybe if we get sloppy or lucky, 20 rounds a year. Both his and mine have well less than 300 rounds through them. I pointed out that with both of us in our 60s and hunting less, not more the likelyhood of us wearing out any barrel is getting slim and even slimmer.

The wear out a barrel in this day and age is either a serious bench rest guy or somebody that just doesn't care.

E#ven the horror stories of the Swift were when few if any guys owned a dedicated varmint rifle and the idea that he owned 2 or wven three to allow thing to cool down was unheard of.

Heck, if I'm doing anything other than driving around and shooting at the occassionalcoyote I usually have at least 4 and usually a lot more dedicated VARMINT rifles with me.

If it were me I'd stick to bullets, heavy for the caliber with very high Ballistic Coefficients and slow powders.

The only thing I load the 264 Win Mag for is long range antelope and that's with a 140 Noslers putting along at 3200+ fps with most of a case full of IMR 7828 and a mag primer.