.264 Win Mag

[thirty06]

Gidday Bosveldjag,

How goes the licencing of your 264 winmag. Still waiting on the beaurocrats I'll wager. Glad we don't have those problems here. I'm hanging out to here how it performs on the plains game at long range.

As I said on another thread I think with a 24" barrel it would be perfect alpine cartridge and am looking for my next project.

Also think it would make a devastating bunny/hare buster with 85 - 100 gr projectiles.

Has anyone else tried this cartridge for varminting?

[Rapier]

Gidday thirty06,
6.5 nut back again. The 264 really does need a 26-inch barrel as it has a lot of powder that burns in the barrel. Winchester published all of the data with a 26-inch barrel then promptly dropped the factory barrel to 24 inches. If you reduce the barrel length on a 264 to 24 inches you might as well go with the 6.5x06 or the 6.5x284. Either of the smaller capacity cartridges will just about duplicate the 264 in a 24-inch and burn about 1/3 less powder in the process.

The 6.5x06 will do 3,700 with an 85gr Sierra and the effect on a bunny or chuck size critter is, let's say, extreme. The impact sounds like a second shot.

Ed

[bosveldjag]

Rapier,

Thanks for the feedback, especially the 1-8 twist makes a lot of sense to me.

Due to the fact that it takes ages to get a license under our new Firearms Control Act in South Africa, there is still more than enough time to finally decide on barrel type - appreciate your input.

Seeing that you are 6.5 man, could you tell me more about the following:

Never knew there is something like a 6.5 Rem Mag!

Can you perhaps tell what is the difference between the 6.5 Rem Mag and the .264 (6.5mm) Win Mag:
Cartridge wise as well as
performance wise with the same weight bullet?

Is it simply different makes of exactly the same thing or is there more to it?

thirty06 -
Still in process. The local Central Firearms Registry told me last week 2006 is not far off anymore!!!
They are killeing our firearm industry with this new act.

[Rapier]

The 6.5 Rem Mag and 246 Win Mag are two different cats, entirely.

The 6.5 Rem has a case capacity of 68 grains of water, same as the 6.5x284 or 6.5x06. The 264 Win Mag has a case capacity of 82 grains.

The 6.5 Remington was designed for use in a short action, specifically the 600 Remington. However, Remington, God love them, can get things about as wrong, by accident, as anyone could, on purpose.

Due to the long 6.5 bullets and in order to feed in the magazine, the 600 action requires that all but the lightest bullets be seated deep into the case, well past the neck. Thus loaded the pressures are erratic and the accuracy drops off. What you end up with is something like a 260 with a belt that does not shoot .25 inch groups.

Were it not for the 264 Win Mag, the 6.5 Rem Magnum chambered in a long action would be a premier cartridge. As it is, it will probably become a footnote in history.

[Downwindtracker2]

It looks like they took a page from us in Canada,our's takes a couple of months to get Possession Acquisition licence,a firearm safety test and a couple of references.But woe to you if you have a vindictive ex.

But it sure has knocked the stuffings out of the used rifle market,for a while the old " 303 in the closet " were being given away.As it is now,a nice sporter 303 is under $100 in gun shops.

That's how I got into 264WM, a "as new" FN (it was unfired) $425CDN

[bosveldjag]

Thanks again Rapier, I'm so glad I didn't even know about the 6.5mm Rem Mag now that I know what the differences are!

I'll stick to my .264WM at all costs.

Downwindtracker2 -

Ye, they must have taken all your pages PLUS!!!

Apart from that our local CFR (Central Firearms Registry) has due to bad admin procedures, a backlog of thousands of new applications, appeal board cases and license renewal applications to handle.

Só hopefully sometime in the future I'll see my new .264WM.

Will keep you posted if you will just be patient with me thru all this!

[thirty06]

Gidday Guys

thanks for the input about the barrel length on the 264 winmag there Rapier. I have always had a thing about the idea of a 6.5-06. You see i have heard that the magnum cartridges are just a lot of noise until you go to heavy for calibre projectiles and now when you say that you get nothing until you have the longer barrel it has sort of made up my mind for an alpine rifle. 6.5-06 it is.

The magnum would be good for alpine work if I could get away with a 24" barrel but I don't need the extra length getting hung up when I am crawling around an ice face looking for tahr or chamois. Also either of these are knocked over with 140 gr hot cors in the boiler room. At the moment I am using the 30-06 which handles the job easily but when you drop down the hill a bit you run across wallabies and bunnies and hares who need to be shot as well and it may be that an 85gr hollow point is the answer.

Hey Evan03 maybe this would outperform your 25-06. Would love the oportunity to try and see which would be the better on a tough animal like tahr. A friend of mine uses a 25-06 on them and it took him 5 shots to drop one at 432 metres measured with a leica 900 rf two weeks ago.

Maybe you should come over and show him how its done. I'm sure you would have a great time. Just stirring it up

Regards Hamish

[kailua custom]

Dear Jagter,
I have hunted all over with the 264 Win and it`s never let me down. I use H-870 almost exclusivly. Several reasons.
1. Fills the cae.
2. Lower pressure in the higher temps. Not so temp sensitive.
3. Excellent accuracy!
4. Ball powder I think[?] helps barrel life.
My pet load for hot climates has been 74.3/H-870-140 Sierra Gameking. Sub MOA accuracy, good, fast-clean kills and minimal meat damage. Try and find something that burns like a yule log, is a BALL powder and you should do fine. Accurate 8700 and Vita Vouri 170 are vey close but remember!! My load and these other powders will require working up in your OWN rifle under YOUR conditions. Be careful and work up gradually to the max[accuracy] in your rifle. My own 264 rifles all have 1-10 twist and this alone will give less pressure than your 1-9.

Aloha, Mark