264 WIn Mag - Tell me about reloading it...

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thepitchedlink

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Morning Guys, I've got a 264 on the way and I'm trying to get the things together to be ready when it arrives. I've been loading for about a year now, several calibers including 6.5x55, but nothing belted. What are the choices out there for dies? I really like the Lee Collet dies so would like one of those, but not sure is available...Does anyone make a 3 die set? Brass, I'll get new Win if I can but I guess 7mm works just fine. Also, COL, I like the lee case length gauges 'cause there cheap and easy, but they don't make one. Is the case length the same as the 7mm as well? I'm thinking that polishing a 7mm length gauge down to 6.5 wouldn't be that hard. Is it true that full length sizing of belted cases is "harder" on the case then doing the same to a regular case? Because they only stretch from the belt up? What's this I read about the "2 step" bullet for the 264? I'm thinking that means that the throats are kinda short and bullets have to be seated deep, so heavier bullets have trouble achieveing good speed b/c they take up too much powder room....OK, that's what I know, what do you fellas know..thanks in advance.
 
Out of all the 6.5 calibers I have played wth the 264 is one of the most finicky I have had to deal with to get to shoot.

I have found a combo that works and just stuck with it over the last 10 years when i aquired the gun.

velocity is great, and it works on any hunting aspect you can throw at it. I ended up going with 120 grain bullets and H-4350 at a lower velocity, but its easy to ramp it up in horse power however accuracy suffers a bit.

I would try the 140 VLd berger next time i develop a load for it, but i have a life time of rounds for it as it sits.
 
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I also found the one I had a very finicky cartridge/rifle. It only really liked a couple of bullets and to get accuracy the load had to be almost stupidly hot.
 
264 Win Mag

I've had a couple model70s in this caliber, for hunting the 160gr was the best weight. For case length the lee system works but you would be better off investing in a rotary case trimmer. It's a fine caliber and with the 160gr it's good for Moose and everything down in size. Enjoy Bill
 
With the 140 and 160 gr bullets, you're looking at powders in the RL25, H1000, Retumbo and US869 range.
 
In Handloader mag,John Barness wrote an article on loading the 264 with the new slowpowders. For a 264 reloader,it is a must read.Since it was designed around a two diameter bullet,and Olin didn't have DuPont IMR7828 powder,they used a two diameter bullet to keep bearing area smaller and thus the pressures down.To keep accuracy, they short throated it. That's where most of spikeyness comes from.If you get a gunsmith to "normal" throat it,as a lot of 264 shooters do, it's much easier to load for.Still it's a small hole with a lot of powder.You need a lineral powder,such as IMR7828. I found slower Magpro and Magnum the best powders.Avoid RL-25 as it's doesn't do well with warm chambers.You can get a 140 to do 3200 ,which is a bit of balistic magic.
 
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For the Lee gauge, you will have to call them, they will make one for you, I think I paid 25$ shipped. no need to widdle down your 7 RM gauge. Win brass is ok, ive been throwing them out as they crack at the neck.

If you have Model 70 and have a short throat you should either get it modified or use bullets that you can seat far out enought like a Hornady 160gr, Remington 140 gr. pspcl, Winchester 140gr PP . Im still playing with mine, gonna try US869 as a powder next. I did get some good groups with a 130 gr. Barnes TSX and RL-22 but Im not getting the velocity that I would like.
 
H1000 powder and 140 Sierra SBT works good for me, I get 3100 fps in my 26" bbl with no pressure signs and excellent accuracy. Three die sets are available from most manufacturers either as a two die set that you add aneck sizer or a three die from factory, Redding has nice sets but they all do the job, collet dies are good but the Bonanzas/Foresters are my favorites from all of them
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264 die set

I had a problem with 264 Hornady seating die. The floating bullet seater hung up,vaccum maybe??,mangling the edge. I put a chamfer on it and drilled a breather hole.They should come from the factory like that.
 
I have quite a bit of experience with the 264 Win Mag, and since mine were all custom rifles but one, I had the throats cut to the longer dimension, and experienced none of the finicky-ness some have described. In a 26" Pac-Nor barrel with a 1-9" twist, I was able to get 3300 with the 140 Partition, using H5010, and it would shoot three into around ½" at 100 and into under 2" at 300. It was a deadly combination that I shot big muleys, Elk, Moose, goat and black bear with. I cannot remember having to shoot any animal twice to kill it. Shoots flat as a laser beam, too. In actual shooting, I sight in 3" high at 100, and with that setting, the 140 Partition was down only 16" at 500!! Enjoy your 264, it's a great chambering! BTW, other powders that worked well were H1000, Magpro, & Retumbo. Regards, Eagleye
 
Can't get the neck die I want

Hey thanks for all the replys. I'm having problems finding the dies I want. I've got a couple of sets of 2 piece dies located but the neck sizer is hard to find. I know Reddington makes a set but at 125$ I'd rather stick with Lee. I called them and asked about having a 264 Collet die made, but they tell me they will only make the die if I send them 2 fired cases and a bullet....I can't quite understand how hard is could be to make a neck die from they're standard blanks....My next idea is to get a 7mm Rem Mag collet die, pull the mandrel out and have it reduced to .264 or slightly under, maybe I'm wasting my time.... So 7mm is what, .284? so need to reduce it .020? couldn't be that hard eh...machine shop could do it in about 3 seconds
 
The .264 Mag. is not my cup of tea but, I have come to really like the Redding deluxe die sets, as well as the Forster sets w/in line seater. These dies combined with new Forster Co-ax press have brought "run out" down to min. on all my bench guns.
 
thepitchedlink said:
Hey thanks for all the replys. I'm having problems finding the dies I want. I've got a couple of sets of 2 piece dies located but the neck sizer is hard to find. I know Reddington makes a set but at 125$ I'd rather stick with Lee. I called them and asked about having a 264 Collet die made, but they tell me they will only make the die if I send them 2 fired cases and a bullet....I can't quite understand how hard is could be to make a neck die from they're standard blanks....My next idea is to get a 7mm Rem Mag collet die, pull the mandrel out and have it reduced to .264 or slightly under, maybe I'm wasting my time.... So 7mm is what, .284? so need to reduce it .020? couldn't be that hard eh...machine shop could do it in about 3 seconds
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huh ? I use the hornady 6.5mm neck die....I think its 20$ bucks available all over the place. I ordered from russells.
 
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