.264 WM Madness!

[jmad_81]

I think there is something in the air around here. Two friends have called and asked my thoughts on the 264 WM in the last week. One is wanting to build one on a savage like I did with my 280 AI. Then today at work my bro came into my office and said that I would be proud of him that he is thinking about finally getting a gun with magnum in the name, guess what it was. Yep, a 264 WM.
We got to looking and comparing the 130 TTSX that he shoots out of his 308 @ 3150, Vs a 130 AB out of a 264 WM @ 3250. The difference at 600 yards was very considerable. I don't have the 140 Ab in my QL yet, but that thing would be a super all around Pacific Northwest gun. We (and all my buddies that called about it) hunt open country, and I think that the 264 WM was made for the open west.

 

[JD338]

The 264 WM is a cool round and it is on my want list. I think there is some magic with the 6.5mm's.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

Thirty years ago a rancher friend who hunts elk and deer in Montana had only one hunting rifle, a .264 Winchester. It seemed a little light for elk to me, but he just flat laid 'em out.

 

[DrMike]

I think it is a great cartridge. I regret there isn't one hiding somewhere around my house!

 

[BK]

A .264 is not necessarily on my 'I gotta have it now/soon', but I'm a sucker for an out of the ordinary chambering. I imagine if I saw one, I might pick it up, but as far as building one, it's pretty far down the list. Solidly mid pack. (Now just watch, next year on my annual kokanee fishing trip, when I make my pilgrimage to a funky little gun shop, I'll walk out with one.)

 

[jmad_81]

Dr. Mike, you and me both! Some day maybe I'll have one. And I went back to the Nosler book. I do have to admit, I was about 100 FPS over on my 130 gr .264 load. 3250, acording to the Nosler book is not within reach. Still impressive though,

 

[FOTIS]

I sold my 257 Roy to get a sendero II in the 264. What a round!

 

[SJB358]

That Sendero and 264 seem like they were made for one another. I saw one a few weeks back, but it looked a little too beat up for what they were asking for it. I am looking to fill the 6.5 area once I have squared away my .257 cal deficit! Scotty

 

[Jim1 AB]

6.5/375 Ruger

120 TTSXs @ 3600 ft/sec One buck antelope days ago.
130 ABs @ 3400 ft/sec Hunting load for deer this season.
140 A Frames @ 3260 ft/sec
160 Woodleighs @ 3080 ft/sec

 

[ACLakey]

The 264 will serve your buddy well for an all around western rifle. I had a 6.5-06 built a number of years ago and it performed flawlessly, the 264 has just a bit more umph. Enjoy.

 

[jmad_81]

Jim you have to post a few pics of that 6.5-375R case! That sounds like a lazer flat round!

 

[Jim1 AB]

Sure isn't much to look upon. The "gunsmith" that originally built it butchered the stock by tearing the aluminum bedding block out of it and the fill job to re-bed it looked like some elementary school kids art class project. It's setting in an old 700 BDL stock at present. The barrel had to be turned down, way to heavy for a hunting rifle we had discussed, the chamber had to be re-cut, it was cut so shallow even 120 gr bullets were deep in the case body. He was told to cut the throat to seat a 140gr bullet's base at the bottom of the neck. The trigger had to be replace with a worked Remington X Mark Pro, the one he installed had a wire for a trigger. Not to my like at all. Before the fixing the bill was $3500 not including the cost of the brand new rifle I sent him. A Remington 700 SPS.
With all that said it shoots quite well now. LOL
Here's a bit of a photo of it and the goat I got a few days ago.

 

[Jim1 AB]

Oh of the case. I read it wrong the first time. I thought you wanted a photo of me. LOL LOL Just went out to take a photo with my phone.
257 Weatherby 100 TTSX
6.5 120 TTSX
6.5 130 AB
6.5 140 A Frame
358/375 Ruger 225 AB (just something to do)
300 Win Mag 180 E-Tip

 

[SJB358]

Jim, very nice looking rifle and antelope. Those cartridges lined up are very impressive! That 358/375Ruger is a pretty awesome round. It stirred a little fire in me! I think that is Nukapialik (sp) of some such name, but man, what a big game cartridge. those 35's get in my blood a little. I love my 338 Win Mag, but a 358 Win Mag would be right up my alley, if they made one! Scotty

 

[DrMike]

That 358/375 Ruger (called the 358 Nukalpiaq) looks like an interesting cartridge. It would be a thumper. Those 6.5 bullets sure make for a long cartridge, don't they.

 

[jmad_81]

WOW is about all I can say. Those are impressive. I have toyed with the idea of rebarreling my 338 WM into a 338/375R someday. Think it would be between the 340 bee, and the 338 Rum. That 358/375R looks pretty good to though.

 

[Jim1 AB]

I should have stuck the STA in there for comparison. I've thought if I ever burn the STA out this is the way to go. Very surprising more people have not jumped on the 35 cal. band wagon. Not to discredit the .338 but in my opinion, and I have so few LOL the 358s are just that bit better. As for the 6.5 has a 3.640 OAL with the 130 ABs

Jim

 

[Jim1 AB]

It would be nice to see Ruger come out with a 300 or a 338 full length cartridge if for now other reason than to have less neck to turn off. Even with that said if I was building a 338 or 358 on this case I'd have the neck in the chamber cut to accommodate the neck thickness of the 375 necked down. I don't do anything with the necks of the 375 H&H brass I use in the STA.

 

[Jim1 AB]

Scotty sorry I missed your post. Thank-you. The rifle really needs a decent stock. I've had it sit in a CDL stock and it really looks good in it. I think that is the way I'll go. Drop it right in and bed it, done. The antelope has the impala horn thing happening. Not real big but kind of neat. Not very many big ones this year where we were in southern Alberta. The bio-techs guys were out aging them and 13 1/2 -14" guys were five years old. They should have been a lot bigger, I would have thought. I've seen a 16" for quite a bit north of where we were. So they do make big goats in Alberta but just not a lot of them.

 

[1Shot]

If the rifle has a 26" barrel it is easy to get 3200 fps with the 130 AB using Retumbo. I have a Rem 700 with a 27 3/4" Shilen barrel and I average 3350 fps with the 130 AB and 66.5 grs Retumbo. It shoots very flat and has hammered every whitetail deer, 5 of them, I have taken with it. I just got the rifle last year and took 4 deer with it and I just took a buck with it last Friday.