264 win mag

[.270]

Can anybody tell me anything about the 264? My grand father has told me great stories about it but I have never seen one and I can't find any info on it.

[Reloader]

Announced in 1958 and produced in 1959 the 264 Winchester mag is based on the 458 Winchester case.  It is a fast moving flat shooting cartridge that quickly got a bad rap as a barrel burner.  Some feel that it is a poor trade off to use extra powder and experience the extra muzzle blast when just about the same thing can be done with a 270 Winchester.
I've got one in a Model 70 and have used it on a couple of antelope hunts as well as locally for deer hunting.  

The most accurate bullet and load I've found for mine uses the 120 grain Sierra, but the 125 grain Nosler Partition shoots plenty good enough for hunting use while having the reputation of being a bit tougher to hold together at the higher speeds  the 264 produces.  For bigger game I would probably go with a 140 grain bullet.

I believe that Hornady made a 140 grain bullet with the 264 Mag in mind that featured a two diameter surface which would allow seating the bullet out a bit further in short throated rifles thus making maximum use of available powder space.

[quigleysharps4570]

I think it's a fine cartridge. My brother-in-law has one I've been trying to talk him out of for a long time. No go.



Here's his 2003 buck he shot using that rifle.

[Lawdog]

A excellent cartridge when using today's modern powders and bullets.  Not the barrel burner that many would have people believe.  I too am on the look out for an original Win. M70.  Lawdog
 

[while99]

I had a pre-64 Model 70 in .264 with a 26" barrel.  I used H-870 powder and the 129 grain Hornady bullet.  It was very fast and killed deer like lightning.  This is one cartridge that needs a 26" barrel.  Part of the problem with the loading data is that some of the manuals use rifles with 24" barrels and they list powders that are way too fast burning for this cartridge.  If I ever get another .264 I'll use nothing faster than H-4831 and I think powders like RL-25, H-1000, and IMR 7828 would be ideal.

[anthony passero]

This is my favorite cartridge. I Had a post 64 Model 70 XTR with a 24" tube. It only shot 140 grain factory ammo a little bit over 2900 hundred fps, but man did it shoot! I never seen a more accurate  big game rifle or load then that rifle with the old Western yellow box 140 grain 2 diameter bullet. It bucked the wind, gave amazing penetration and dropped everything I shot with it in the animals  tracks. The only thing wrong is it destroyed huge amount of meat. I miss that gun. I never had confidence in a rifle like I had in that one. It had beautiful wood too. Also it did not kick although it was loud. It was heavy and it could not do anything a 270 couldn't do, but I had more confidence in it  then my .270. Also ammo was expensive and hard to find. Anthony

[riddleofsteel]

I always thought it interesting that the 264 Magnum was always talked down as a barrel burner and a poor caliber but the ever popular 7mm Mag was just a 264 Mag necked up to accept a slightly larger bullet.

[Jaydub in Wi]

I have a classic sporter lt in 264. I had to wait 2 years for it to come after my dealer ordered it. I use barnes x bullets to minimize meat damage.Works great on whitetails. A fine cartridge that's underrated. I loaded some 95gr V-max bullets with rl 19. Fast and accurate load. Now, I just need to find some yotes.

[tuck2]

the Feb 2004  No. 233  Handloader Ammunition Journal  has an artical ( New Powder In The .264 Winchester Magnum) in it. I have a 26 inch barreled Mdl.70 Win. classic sporter that like new.  After reading the  seven page artical  I,m going to try reloading some of the new powders and bullets. May use it for big game hunting this fall-it,s flat shooting with plenty of power.

[glock29]

Now this is one sub-30 caliber cartridge I wish would have a revival, especially if the factories use 26" barrels on all the rifles produced...NO CARBINES !
I think this round could have been a little bit better if they would have used the slightly longer 300 Win case as the base instead of the 338 case.

[acearch72]

Jaydub,

What Barnes are you using in the 264?  

I'm thinking of loading up some 120gr TSX if I can get my hands on them.

[tuck2]

140 Gr. Speer Bullet--* 64.0 Gr.Alliant RL-25 @ 3,130 FPS, * 64.0 Gr.Norma MRP2 @3,114 FPS, * 65.0 Gr. Accurate Magpro @ 3,207 , *65.0 Gr.Hodgdon Retumbo @ 3,171 FPS , *69.0 Gr. Ramshot Magnum @3,240 FPS .                                                        Next----130 Barnes TSX Bullet-- * 66.5 Gr.  Magpro @ 3,326 FPS                        Next---120 Gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip--* 66.0 Gr. RL-25 @ 3,440 FPS . --- Federal Match GM 215M Large Rifle Magnum rifle primes were used on all reloads.  --- *  All loads are max powder charges.--  I have not tryed any of the above loads but  the 130 Gr Barns TSX  grouped .84 inches in the test rifle which will my first test.   Old issues of the Handloader can be ordered from   Wolfe Publishing Co. Tell # 1-800-899-7810   WWW.riflemagazine.com

[264 Mag]

tuck2

Thanks for the load information. I am looking forward to trying some that you listed!

[Jaydub in Wi]

acearch,                                                                                                I used the old style plain jane X in 120 gr wt with a healthy dose of imr 7828. I see Barnes is replacing those plain x bullets with the xlc and tsx bullets. I haven't decided what to try once those loads are gone. Out of the 4 deer taken with the 120 gr x, only one bullet didn't exit. That one was a lengthwise buck that made it into the guts all the way from the brisket. It really didn't matter much as he fell straight down. Any of the tsx or xlcs should work. Good luck

[jim21]

I have a older Winchester model 670 in 264 caliber.Its in excellent shape,
probly because I never shot a whole box of shells threw it.Its one of my
favorite rifles.The bullet goes where its aim to go.As for a 264mag.bullet
its a great round,it just got to expensive to buy.