Best Way To Get A 140gr .264 Bullet To ~3000fps?

mmattockx

mmattockx

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
100   0   0
Location
Done with sheeple
As the title says, what is the best way to get a 140gr .264 calibre bullet up near 3000fps? Additional contraints are that it fit in a standard long action, feed from a mag, use a 24" barrel and not eat barrels in less than around 1500 rounds.

I reload, am not adverse to fireforming cases and will be using a modern action, likely a Savage.

"Best" is probably defined as the cheapest/least oddball or most common/least brass prep work cartridge that will accomplish the goal.

Thanks,
Mark
 
mmattockx said:
As the title says, what is the best way to get a 140gr .264 calibre bullet up near 3000fps? Additional contraints are that it fit in a standard long action, feed from a mag, use a 24" barrel and not eat barrels in less than around 1500 rounds.

I reload, am not adverse to fireforming cases and will be using a modern action, likely a Savage.

"Best" is probably defined as the cheapest/least oddball or most common/least brass prep work cartridge that will accomplish the goal.

Thanks,
Mark
Click to expand...

With your criteria or guidelines , out of the top three in the .264 caliber there are two possibilities I'd consider.

The 6.5mm-06;
2900 f/sec with a 140gr
Brass basically formed from easily obtainable 30-06
Not excessively hard on barrels
The 264 Winchester Magnum;
3000 f/sec with a 140gr, 3100 f/sec possible
Brass easily formed, as I've been told, from 7mm Remington Magnum
Barrel life, not great

Oh, There's also the
6.5mm Remington Magnum;
2900 f/sec with 140gr
Brass forming 'might' be a little more difficult to form than the two above
Not excessively hard on barrels
 
6.5/06.

With 24" barrel, lapua /06 brass, r22 to retumbo, mine would nudge 3000fps.
However primer pockets didn't last too long. Nor the barrel, with fine accuracy falling off at 1000 rounds.:bangHead:

IMO if 1500 round barrel life is a high priority, you'll have to settle for 2800 - 2900fps.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
I thought about that one as well but I was 'guessing' that brass a little on the oddball side like that may be a little harder to come by. 'Least oddball and most common' was stipulated.
Click to expand...

Peter has brass..everytime I order, I find it easier to get Lapua brass than any other brass..and it comes right to my door..:D
 
6mm is a better route. There are numerous cartridges that will get a 115 DTAC to over 3050 fps with far less powder. Compare the ballistics...

I hit 1517 rounds with my 6mm Crusader (32 deg. AI) yesterday and it's still holding its accuracy. It feeds from a mag in my short action M700.
 
the 260 AI or the 6.5X55 will do it, and barrel life will probably reach 1500. You will need a 30" barrel to be sure though. This will be "red line" for both though, and I will not guarantee good accuracy when you are balls to the wall with VLD bullets.

No effing way a 6.5-284 will reach 1500 doing 3000. Lapua does make brass for it and it is very easy to get. My last was done at 750 rounds shooting the Berger 140. The best i could comfortably and accurately get was 2925 fps
 
kombayotch said:
6mm is a better route. There are numerous cartridges that will get a 115 DTAC to over 3050 fps with far less powder. Compare the ballistics...
Click to expand...

Ballistics is where it falls apart. The 115 Berger and 115 DTAC in their non-pointed form only have G1BC's of about .550

The 140 Berger in 6.5 is above .610 and that makes a whole bunch of difference.

I completely agree with your argument as compared to the 6.5X47 Lapua, because the 130 6.5 Berger is about equal to the 6mm 115 berger.
 
I haven't owned all the rifles, but I have done allllll the reading and research. Had a .260AI, I was in the very low 2900's with H4831SC, pretty stiff load. I am working on load dev for a 6.5x55 on a Savage action, have seen 2950 but backed off from that and will likely run 2900 or just a hair under....I do want to try RL17 though.

The big qualifier that's going to be imo impossible is the 'barrel burner' aspect. Settle for 100fps less, do a 6.5x55 on a long action and you can seat the bullets out as long as you like and they will still mag feed.

I think 6.5x55 is also an awesome LOOKING cartridge...book length is 3.025", these are longer to reach lands. Top is Berger VLD, bottom is Amax, both 140gr:
65x55-1.jpg


You'd think there was hardly any bullet left in the case right? BZZZZT wrong :)
65x55-2.jpg


Oh, and Lapua brass is quite reasonable to buy.
 
Last edited:
It seems like about 2900 fps is where that point of deminishing returns is hit with 140 grain 6.5's. As has been pointed out, one can approached that with a 6.5x55 but it's a struggle to get past that speed even with larger cartridges. A 6.5-06 won't beat 3000fps reliably; nor will a 6.5/284. These two cartridges seem to have gone past that point where barrel life starts to really suffer. The important thing is, to me, it doesn't really matter. If accuracy is good at 2900, you have what is, potentially, a winning combination. Going another 100 fps, even if accuracy is maintained at the same level, isn't going to turn an also-ran into a winner. That's up to the shooter.
Going to much slower powders which will allow near 100% loading density, in the 6.5/06 or the 6.5/284 can allow you to hit 3000+ but accuracy usually suffers to the point that the rifle is likely to be uncompetitive. Again, barrel life is likely to suffer as well. Regards, Bill
 
I think all the cartridges already mentioned would be great. However, they will almost all fall short of your requirement that they not eat barrels in less than 1500 rounds. The way around that may be to get a barrel that you can set back. Technically, then, even though the throat will be gone at around 1000-1300 rounds, setting it back might get you another 800-1000 rounds.

Any time you push alot of hot powder gasses through a small hole (overbore) you will of course wear your barrels out quickly. I have a 300 win mag that has shot out barrels at 850, 950, 975, and I am now on #4 that was set back at 850 rounds. It has about 400 rounds through it since the set back, and shoots .75 inch at 200 yards with 185 grain Lapua Scenar, 68.5 grains of IMR 4350, Winchester cases, Fed 215 primers. With Sierra 190 MK, it shoots about 1.1 inch at 200 yards. Velocity is around 2960fps with the SMK bullet.
 
Redhouse, what is your freebore length? I shoot a 130 berger out of my 26" 6.5-284 at 3200fps. I found that unless you are shooting competition that the 130 berger is the way to go for those 600 yard coyote and deer shots.
 
6.5-270WSM (Know as 6.5MM Rock), will get you easily to 3000 fps in a 24 inch bbl.

Brass is easily made from 270WSM, and Lee makes a die for this, it is a one step process.

Need 65gn of H1000 and you can get this at 56000 psi this is well under a max of 65000 psi.

Overbore index is 1340

Estimated useful bbl life is : 1278 rounds
 
no one said:
I think all the cartridges already mentioned would be great. However, they will almost all fall short of your requirement that they not eat barrels in less than 1500 rounds. The way around that may be to get a barrel that you can set back. Technically, then, even though the throat will be gone at around 1000-1300 rounds, setting it back might get you another 800-1000 rounds.

Any time you push alot of hot powder gasses through a small hole (overbore) you will of course wear your barrels out quickly. I have a 300 win mag that has shot out barrels at 850, 950, 975, and I am now on #4 that was set back at 850 rounds. It has about 400 rounds through it since the set back, and shoots .75 inch at 200 yards with 185 grain Lapua Scenar, 68.5 grains of IMR 4350, Winchester cases, Fed 215 primers. With Sierra 190 MK, it shoots about 1.1 inch at 200 yards. Velocity is around 2960fps with the SMK bullet.
Click to expand...

Any truth to stainless steel barrels lasting any longer?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom