264 Win Mag

[YoteSmoker]

I've been tossing around the idea of getting a 25-06 barrel for my Encore but recently found one 26" 264 barrel for sale and am thinking it would allow for even further range than maybe even a 257 Wby, with the high bc bullets available in 6.5mm. I've also read that brass is easily necked down from 7mm Rem Mag and I have plenty of it.

For those of you with experience with this cartridge, how is the recoil? I know it shoots pretty flat with slower powders. If I got it, I'd like to try a 140 AccuBond. Do any of you use this bullet? Would you shoot elk with it past 400 yards? I'm interested in anything you care to share with me about this cartridge.

I like having the ability to try different cartridges with the switch of a barrel in my Encore, however I do not wish to shoot high recoiling magnum rounds such as the 300 win mag in this rifle, due to its size and weight.

 

[mladucer]

I would jump on the chance for that .264 WinMag barrel. Regarding recoil the 264 to me isnt any worse then a .270 or 30-06 with a little more muzzle report, may even be milder considering the weight of your gun. I personaly use the 130 AccuBond for the hunting i do, i really dont run into much more then a big muley. My first two deer with the 264 win were dropped dead in their tracks. The doe was at 497 yards and the buck i shot was around 400.

The powders i've had luck with were Reloader 25 and Retumbo and CCI 250 mag primers.

YoteSmoker,There are many more members that can fill you in alot better then i can since ive only had the gun for a lil over a year now.

 

[Powerstroke]

Yote,

Carefull - you may get bitten by the 6.5 bug !

I have yet to put any of the 140gr Accubonds down the tube of my .260's I think the 130's are best suited for my smaller cases.
I wouldn't hesitate with proper conditions taking a 400yd + shot with that combo you mentioned.

What is the barrel twist your looking at ?

If you end up not liking the recoil, you can always lighten the bullet weight up and have one screaming round.

 

[1Shot]

If you put elk into the mix yes go with the 264 mag. I have a custom 700 Rem with a Shilen 27 3/4" barrel. It will send a 130 AccuBond 3350 fps with 66.5 grs Retumbo, CCI 250 primer, A reformed from 7mm Rem mag Winchester case (Just run the 7mm case into the 264 FL die and presto you have a 264 mag case.) My rifle shoots best with the 130 AccuBond ten thousands off the lands. I have only hand this rifle for one deer season. This past fall I killed 4 deer with it. BANG FLOP, from 98 to 275 yards. I have a custom Rem 700 25-06 about the same weight as my 264 mag and there is not much more recoil with the 264 shooting 130 than the 06 shooting 117 gr bullets. The 264 does shoot flatter waaaaaaay out there than the 25-06 and the wind does not mess with the bullet as bad. The 130 Accudond is a real super bullet. I recovered one. The deer was shot at 111 yards facing me with a slight left shoulder angle. I placed the bullet on the edge of the left shoulder which was destroyed the bullet made soup of the vitals and was found in the right ham when I cut up the meat. The bullet was a text book mushroom and recovered weight was 87 grs. That bullet had to be still going around 3200 fps when it struck the deer. For a bullet to hold together like that and penetrate like that I would not be afraid to shoot and elk through the lungs with it. Just keep in mind that the 264 mag is not a target rifle that you want to go out and shoot a lot punching paper. You will shoot the throat out quickly if you shoot the barrel hot and run a lot of rounds through it. If you find your load quickly without a lot of rounds and just check your zero before hunting and hunt with it the rifle will last you a life time or two.

 

[hardpan]

Yote,
I have a 264, it was my first big game rifle. It shoots very sweet, easy to load for, in general a great gun. it is pretty light for elk at any range. I started with 140gr partitions at 2950 fps or so, and that is a little light for elk, but a great deer load. I also have a AB at 3000 or so FPS but only 130 grs. Both the ballistic tips (120 and 100) hammer deer, and in spite of a lower BC, I have taken deer at 400 yds.

But, in general, I don't like to see anything smaller than a 7mm (284) at 160gr for elk. I have seen too many wounded elk or slow kills and require the heavier bullets on my range.
Hardpan

 

[YoteSmoker]

Thank you all for sharing your experience and information on the cartridge. I ended up buying the barrel and dies on gunbroker, so now all I'll need to get together are some bullets to try. It sounds like I may need to rethink the 140 grainer and give the 130 AccuBond a try due to a nice BC combined with velocity potential. It sounds like a smoking deer/antelope round for sure!

 

[SJB358]

Man, the 264 Win Mag is the first cartridge I learned to reload. My Gunsmith buddy had a M70 with a 26 barrel and man, that thing would shoot. He used 125gr Partitions I think? It was awhile ago. I have wanted a 264 since then, but haven't found one with a 26" tube, other than the Remington CDL SF and I didn't have the money for it. I thought that would be a dynamite rifle. I wouldn't be too scared of putting one in an elk. Not my first choice, but many will use a 270WIN with a 130gr bullet and the 264 has a better SD and BC at that weight. Again, I wouldn't hunt elk specifically with it, but I wouldn't pass one up either if one happened to walk into me! Good luck with your new rifle barrel. I bet you are going to like it. I still need to get me a 6.5. I wished Winchester would chamber one in their Sporter with the 26" tube. Scotty

 

[Powerstroke]

Yote,

The 140gr A-bond is the newer of the two bullets so this isn't a very good apples to apples comparison, but I've been able to find the 130's much more available.

 

[RogueRiver]

I have not tried the 140 accubonds, but the 130's shoot good. I have have had good luck with Ramshot magnum powder. no chrono so don't know the speed I'm getting. I have one of the rem 700 cdl's w/ 26" fluted barrels. I had the throat lenghtened and put a HS precision stock on it. It is now a shooter. went from 2-3" groups to 3/4 to 1 " at 100 yards. I have yet to shoot anything w/ this rifle. I always end up seeing game when I have my old 35 whelen w/ me. Yep I like 6.5's and 35's

 

[hardpan]

Yote,
I know that you already know about setting the cartridge length. Mine is about 10 thousandths off of the lands. Here is the load
57.5 GR IMR 4831
Fed 215 Primer
140 GR Partition. The BC on this bullet is fantastic!
COAL 3.225 +/_ 1/1000

I also use 4831 with both 100gr ballistic tips and 130 GR AB.

Here they are:
100 Gr BT
67.0 Gr imr 4831 (* very fast! 3440 or so)
Fed 215 primer
COAL Same 3.225

130 GR AB
57 Gr 4831
3050 fos or so,
Fed 215 primer
COAL 3.225

My gun loves imr 4831 and federal primers. Got lucky here. My brother made this gun 30 years ago and gave it to me. He worked the original load. I tried 7828, retumbo, 4350 and CCI Primers.

The primers did not make much difference in accuracy, but the powders did. Rarely do I ever shoot a larger group that 0.5 inches with the above loads and blame my lousy shooting when I do. I have lots of single hole groups. Sweet gun!

Best of Luck. I hope that you like it as well as my brother, me and my son that I gave it to....
Hardpan

 

[JD338]

Yote,

You are going to have a laser flat gun with the 130 gr AB.
Let us know how she shoots.

JD338

 

[reflex264]

I have a .264 Encore. It is my choice for crop sniping in teh big bean fields. The 130 AccuBond in my gun shoots way flatter than it is supposed to. It may be a product of this one havong a 1:8 twist. I can sight it in so the load impacts on my first stadia line above center at 100 yards and hold it right in the ribs of a deer at 430 yards. The laod I am doing that with only clocks 3139fps. By all means grab it. I have used mine on deer out to 620 yards with the 120 ballistic tip. The second stadia down held right on a deer's back that far means a dead deer. I have a thread here about the first experiments with the 130AB. I will dig it up. reflex264

 

[reflex264]

Here is the link to the thread.

http://noslerreloading.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 11&start=0

 

[reflex264]

Here are some photos showing the Encore set up while doing depredation kills. The deer with its chest blown off is exactly how we found it when we wlaked up to it. It was hit with a 120gr BT at 275 yards. Both legs were broke and the rib cage is split in half which is visible in the picture. The 3 deer in the photo in the dark were all shot with the Encore in about 30 seconds. Who says a single shot wont shoot fast? reflex264

This is why I use the .264. this field is over a mile long.

 

[1Shot]

I sure am gad that I decided to go with the 130 AccuBond instead of the 120 ballistic tip in my 264 Win mag. If it did that to a deer at 275 yards I would hate to see what would happen at 100 yards. My 27 3/4" barrel was pushing the 120 BT 3600 fps. Can yo say explode on the hair :shock: . The 130 worked perfect. It killed the first deer I ever shot with it so quick I like to never found the deer. It came up quickly into a waste high green soy bean field at 275 yards and acted like it was going to take off so I had to shoot quick. When the gun came down from recoil the deer was nowhere to be seen. I did hear the bullet SMACK. I walked all around that deer before I found it. It dropped in it's tracks with it's legs folded up under it like it was laying down to go to sleep. The tall green beans covered it as it lay between the rows. I almost stepped on it before I saw it.

 

[reflex264]

This was an exception and not the rule. Despite the explosion the bullet completely passed through splitting the rib cage in the process. I have wondered if the deer was about to jump and the stored energy in the muscles coupled with the little bullet at over 3000fps did this. reflex264