264 Winchester Magnum

[HOGGHEAD]

Not wanting to get flamed or start any argument. But I am looking for some hot loads with a 140 grain bullet in the 264 Winchester magnum from a 26" barrel. The action will be a Ruger #1, so it is a good strong action. What hot loads have you guys worked up?? Have you tested and chronoed. the loads? What kind of velocity were you getting?? Is it safe to push a 140 to 3200 or slightly higher in the 264??

I load for a couple of 264's for a couple of friends. But we do not run them hot. However I am wanting to put together a hot one. So fire away. Thanks, Tom.

 

[NRF]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

What are you tring to gain by running hot loads?
Paper and steel don't move and deer won't out run you anyways.

If you have reloaded these before why don't you just load up 1 grain increments on your powder charge start with the low end work your way up and check for pressure signs, If you see pressure signs don't shoot the one's that are hotter, be sure to pull those bullets of the hot loads so they don't get mixed up with later reloads.

This seems alot easier than asking here being that every gun shoots a little different and shows pressures and different charges I could have tested a 10 round 1 GR. increment group in the time it took me to write this LOL

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

Since you asked, I will try to explain it.

I am building a custom Ruger #1. And I am wanting a 6.5 caliber cartridge. I am looking at the 260 Remington, 6.5X55 Swede, 6.5 CreedMore, and 264 Winchester Magnum. Those are my cartridge choices. I was leaning toward the Swede, although the performance is pretty close between them all(except the 264WM). So I was trying to decide, and one factor would be if I could load the 264 up hotter if I needed or wanted to load it up hotter, I would have that option. If I can't get 3200 from a 140 from the 264 WM then I would go with one of the other cartridges. So when you say why-that is why.

Most listed loads for the 264 are watered down loads. So I was trying to find someone who had some experience stoking up the 264 WM. We do not stoke ours up, so I have no experience with it.

I can not try working up the load because the rifle is not built yet. And I do not want to experiment with someone else's rifle. And neither have 26" barrels. So if someone had experience they could be helpful. Rather than asking why. Tom.

 

[BobinNC]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

Hogghead,

From my loading notes circa 1999:

Winchester Model 70 Westerner, 26" Barrel:

Load 1) WW Case, CCI 250 Primer, 62.5 Grains H4831, Nosler 140 gr Partition, AVG. 3169 FPS, COAL 3.35", MAX Load.

My Note: 63.5 grains flattened and heavily cratered primer, above MAX....

Load 2) Same as above except, 61.5 H4831 AVG. 3124 FPS I used this as my working load in that rifle.

I used those loads starting in the mid-80's, but did not chronograph them until the late 90's.

Those loads were worked up from Ken Waters' Data as published in Handloader Mag. July 1971.

Bob

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

Bob, I have a Hornady Reloading manual from 1979. And it shows H4831 with a max load of 66.0 and a starting load of 57.3 for a Hornady 140 grain bullet. Ain't it funny how loads can be all over the place on these rifles.

And then I go to the Hodgdon site and they say that 55.0 grains of H4831 is max load with a velocity of 2900 fps.

This kind of wild up and down in loads is very consistent with what I am seeing for loads for this 264 Winchester Magnum. That is a pretty big difference??

But I have found some good back up to the load you are using. So I am sure your numbers are dead on. Thanks for the assurance. And especially thanks for the velocities. That helps alot, and fits right in with what I believe is the real truth. Thanks Again, Tom.

 

[BobinNC]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

Tom,

I checked some older manuals for data:

MAX Loads From Hodgdon Data Manual 26 (circa 1992) for a 140 Gr Bullet - Case 264 Win Mag

H870 73.0 3163 FPS 54200 CUP
H1000 68.0 3019 FPS 51500 CUP
H4831 61.0 3065 FPS 52000 CUP (Minimum load 56.0 2794 FPS 47100 CUP)

Bob

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

Even Hodgdon has changed their own data by 6.0 grains. That is a full 10%. Pretty hard to believe. They are all over the place with their data. I have not seen this much difference since I started loading for a 45-70.

Tom.

 

[BobinNC]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

Tom,

This is nothing new from Hodgdon. I got my first 7mm Rem Mag in 1992, the same year I bought Hodgdon's Data Manual # 26.

I worked up to the max load listed by HodgDon for H-1000 and a 160 Grain bullet of 72.5 Grains. It was a good safe load, in my Rifle.

The Min load that year was 69.0 grains H-1000.

Hodgdon Data Manual 27 came out about 1996. Here's the H-1000 data published for the 7mm Rem Mag and a 160 Grain bullet:

Minimum 63 grains Max 66 Grains


So 1996's Safe MAX is now 3 grains Below 1992's safe MIN


There was no note to cause such a change. Other cartridges did not change H-1000 loads, just the 7mm Rem Mag.

And no I did not change my load for that rifle and it did not self disassemble itself. But I did not show it the book, either.

Oddly enough that was the last Hodgdon Data Manual I bought.

Bob

 

[JamieD]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

140 A-Max - 59 grains H4831sc is my accuracy load. I've ran it to 61 with no pressure but accuracy wasn't there. Love the caliber.

Good luck
JamieD

 

[Bob Roach]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

I have worked with several loads over a few years.
Bullet 142 SMK Federal 215M Primer 61.0 RL22 @ 3150 fps very good shooting load with loose primer pockets showing up way to soon. Backed off the load to get better case life.

New Milder load 59.0 RL22 @ 3000 fps. Good accuracy, and plenty fast enough.

I worked with 7828SSC some good speed, but bad case life.

 

[stickboy]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

I run 120 TSX's in my Sendero a little over 3200 fps. I am quite a bit under max, just happens to be where accuracy is. I do recall a fella claiming over 3200 fps for 142 SMK's (RL 22)with a 30" barrel. If what you want is to break 3200 fps you may want to look at a minimum 28" barrel.

I love the 264.

Good luck man!

 

[Red Ryder]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

I've studied 264 loads for quite awhile. I have manuals from the 1960s and when I compare them to the loads the current manuals are suggesting as "maximum" I wonder what the hell powder manufacturers are doing - is the chemistry of the powders<span style="font-style: italic"> that</span> much different than the powder of 40 years ago? Or are the powder companies just being ultra-stupidly conservative out of fear of litigation?

 

[RTH1800]

Re: 264 Winchester Magnum

I would say it is #2. Also, to give them some credit, pressure testing methods and equiptment have improved alot.