.264 Winchester Magnum
The .264 Winchester Magnum caused plenty
of excitement when it was introduced in 1958. The color advertisement read:
"The .264 Winchester Magnum, Its Makes A Helluva Noise And Packs A Helluva
Punch." And it did. Then came the
7mm Remington
Magnum to steal all the thunder and the .264 Magnums gathered dust on
dealer's shelves. Which is sad since Winchesters cartridge does everything
they said it would do. In the 26" barrel of the Model 70 Westerner, that
is. But shooters wanted a shorter barrel and they go it in the Model 70
Featherweight. They also got plenty of muzzle blast, plenty of recoil, and
.270 Winchester
performance.
Hunter opinion has always been divided on how much big game territory the
.264 Magnum can cover. Some consider it to be a deer cartridge at most while
the opposing team praises the .264 as an excellent elk cartridge. Actually,
both are correct when bullets of proper weight and construction for the job
at hand are used. A 140 grain spitzer loaded to 3100 fps in a 26" barrel
delivers almost a ton of residual energy at 300 yards. It sectional density
is about the same as that of the 160 grain 7mm, and 190 grain .30 caliber
bullets.
For long shots on deer and pronghorn, the 125 and 129 grain bullets fly a
bit flatter and hit hard enough, but for all around hunting, the 140 grain
spitzer wins the contest every time. H4831 and
IMR-4831 are
excellent powders for all bullets up to 129 grains, but
H870,
IMR-7828, and
H1000 take the
lead when heavier bullets are loaded in this cartridge.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
| 264 Winchester Magnum Reloading Components & Accessories | |
Hornady Shell Holder #5
 |
RCBS
Case Trimmer Pilot .26 Caliber
 |
| 6.5mm Caliber (.264) Bullets |
RCBS Ammo Box (#86903) |
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