Is the 264 Win Mag a hot commodity?

I have a pre-64 Model 70 in 264 magnum. Stainless barrel so it'll take the hotter loads if I wish to reload some hot ones.

LOL ! :rolleyes: Who told you that :confused: Chuck ? :p RJ

I'm surprised you don't already know the answer to your "who told you that" question but nevertheless; stainless steel is more user friendly with higher velocity bullets so Winchester used stainless steel barrels on both their - 220 Swift and their 264 Magnum.

With WP steel (chrome moly) the high velocity loads rapidly heat up the steel and hasten barrel and throat erosion. But advances with stainless steel barrels, especially with cryogenic treatment, have extended barrel life considerably with the .264 Win. Mag. and many other cartridges like the 220 Swift. .

As such I'm able to handload rounds that equal the original hot loads for both my 220 Swift and my 264 Magnum.
 
Last edited:
That is because the manuals that list new powder have been dumbed down... and lawyered up.

What actually happened - and it's been well documented although not well publicized- is that the companies producing manuals got newly available, accurate and affordable pressure testing equipment.

There have been many manuals published "back in the day" without the use of proper pressure testing equipment.
 
I agree with todbartel as to velocities attainable with the 264 Win Mag.
With 26" barrels, and no signs of excess pressure [This includes measurement at the belt]
Loading for one I reached 3250 with the 140 Partition, and with the other I
flirted with 3300. These are flat-shooting, effective killers on everything up to and
including Elk and Moose.
My pet loads early on utilized H5010 [7x gr] and later Retumbo and Vihtavuori N570 have
achieved similar results. FWIW, both barrels were Pac-Nor. Dave.
 
Yes but the 264 isn't the only one that's been dumbed down.

But we are only talking about the .264 WM and my point was specifically about the .264 WM and comparing old vs new. There are many obvious "lawyer" adjustments made in recent manuals.
 
[

I'm surprised you don't already know the answer to your "who told you that" question but nevertheless; stainless steel is more user friendly with higher velocity bullets so Winchester used stainless steel barrels on both their - 220 Swift and their 264 Magnum.

With WP steel (chrome moly) the high velocity loads rapidly heat up the steel and hasten barrel and throat erosion. But advances with stainless steel barrels, especially with cryogenic treatment, have extended barrel life considerably with the .264 Win. Mag. and many other cartridges like the 220 Swift. .

As such I'm able to handload rounds that equal the original hot loads for both my 220 Swift and my 264 Magnum.

WOW ! :p Great to know about that Special SS and being able to load HOTTER loads in the OLD Winny 220 and 264 ! Thanks ! :rolleyes: RJ
 
Last edited:
I agree with todbartel as to velocities attainable with the 264 Win Mag.
With 26" barrels, and no signs of excess pressure [This includes measurement at the belt]
Loading for one I reached 3250 with the 140 Partition, and with the other I
flirted with 3300. These are flat-shooting, effective killers on everything up to and
including Elk and Moose.
My pet loads early on utilized H5010 [7x gr] and later Retumbo and Vihtavuori N570 have
achieved similar results. FWIW, both barrels were Pac-Nor. Dave.

Good info, nice to see details backing up the claims. My experience with the 264 was limited to factory M-70's with 24 and 26 inch barrels, neither of which got anywhere near these velocities with the powders we had available to us in the seventy's and eighties. I shot several head of antelope, deer and Elk using 100, 129 and 140 grain bullets, mostly Game Kings and even at the slower velocities I was getting, nothing ever ran away and stole my bullet!
 
Back
Top Bottom