Playing with the 264 Win Mag

Ruger007

Ruger007

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I have recently picked up another 264 Win Mag. This time in a Winchester M70 Extreme Weather. The other is a Ruger Hawkeye.
Winchester 26" barrel, Ruger 24"

I have worked up a load with the Ruger that seems to work well.
WW cases, Fed 215M, 140gr accubond, 75gr US869.
Consistently shoots 3/4 at 100yds. 3 shots 2975,2999,3017fps
Shows signs of pressure at any more powder.

Chrony at 15'

Tried some WC872 surplus powder as i have 24lbs.
WW cases, FED 215M, 140gr Speer hotcore
Average of 2 shots over the chrony
74.5-2883
75 -2967
75.5-3039
76 -2997
76.5-3118
77 -3126
77.5-3136- 6 shot average
78 -3177- 3 shots

On to the M70
Same US869 load for the Ruger. 2995 in the Winchester

WC872, FED 215, 140gr SST. Gevelot Brass
Average of 3 shots
77.5-3070
78 -3016
case is full at 78.5
Dirty powder, getting old also.

H870, FED 215, 140gr SST. Gevelot Brass
73 -2891
74 -2923
75 -3091
Down to 1/2 pound so need to go onto something else.

I have some new combos to play with:

N170,N570,IMR7977,RL33.
CCI250,FED215 Lots of both
143ELD-X and 142 Accubond LR
400 Gevelot Brass

Any ideas on starting load for these powders? Not a lot of info one these in this calibre.

I noticed that the Winchester seems to be slower than the Ruger even though it has an extra 2" of barrel. All the above loads show no signs of pressure.

Thanks
 
You'll find Re33 to be a bit faster than H870. I use 66.0 grs of it (a compressed case) in my 6.5-06 under a 155 gr bullet. I'd start at 71.0 grs in the 264 WM under a 140 gr bullet.
 
I like H1000 in my 264 with a Sierra 140 SBT good for 3150 in a 26" M70.
I would caution you in trying loads without published data, extrapolating loads can be tricky.
Your Gevelot brass might be on the heavy side with reduced case capacities,
they were in some 308 brass I tried, keep that in mind and check their capacity compared to WW or RP and adjust accordingly.
bb
 
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I have been finding the Gevelot brass to be pretty good. Any ideas for the N170 or N570? I have never used that brand before. 1kg packages are nice.
 
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75grs US869 should be fairly mild, the speed reflects this.

RL33 should be the ticket, it works great in the 26 Nosler with the same 140gr AB. 3300 fps from 26" barrel, 264wm won't lag behind far. N570 should give better velocity than N170 and likely better accuracy
 
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I don't exactly have a ton of experience with the .264 but have played with it a bit. Mine's a SF11 with 1-9" twist. It never really impressed me with speed with the 140 VLDs and accuracy wasn't really that great either. Partly on a whim, and partly because I wasn't overly convinced that a 1-9 was optimum I decided to go old-school and tried 120 NBTs and all the H1000 that Hodgdon's would sign off on. Although I did end up backing off nearly two grains in deference to hot weather and primer pockets the end result was a chronograph stuck on 3300 fps and at least a few 500 yard groups that could hide behind a quarter. Hard not to like that. ;)

Since I had a pile of 140 VLDs and a 1-8 barrel I put together a 26" 6.5-300 Win on a shot-out Sako. That one seems to thrive on the 140 VLDs and RL33, but accuracy started dropping off long before the rifle said uncle due to pressure. At what is basically an idle it puts out 3170 fps. On paper it should humiliate the wimpy little 120 NBTs in the wind but it seems like nobody told the targets.

On a only marginally related topic; does anyone else hate the smell of RL33? It's like sticking your head in a paint can and doesn't get any better after it burns.
 
I got 3500 fps using 120 Nosler BTs and IMR 7828 and CCI 250s and I got 3250 with 140 Parts and H870 and either CCI 250s or Fed 215s. Both shot sub MOA from a 24" stainless barrel I made on Bevan's equipment. I know this doesn't help with the powders you have listed but it is what it is. With more modern powders I would be loading RL25 behind the 120s and RL 33, Retumbo, US 869 or H50BMG behind the 140s.

DL.......never noticed the smell and I loaded with some just the other night..........
 
Smells like house paint to me. Mind you, that's a whiff right out of the can not a over-powering stench from being around it.
Shooting into wind though; that's totally lacking in gunpowdery goodness. H1000; well, I could probably eat H1000. :)
 
Took me a while. But played some more today.
Got a new Labradar so a new toy to play with.

Same Winchester Extreme weather 26"

140gr Nosler Accubond.
CCI 250
Gevelot brass. Which is actually considerably lighter than Winchester brass. 214grs vs 245gr. I never actually weighed it before. I just assumed. With a new digital scale makes it easy. Out of the 200 brass i have there was only a +- 2gr over all of it.

VV N570 powder. Very course powder. One kernel is pretty much .1gr
100 yds

Allowed to cool between groups and 2 min between shots.

First up was 69.5gr
3 shot groups.
1.5"
High 3277
Low 3255
Average 3262

Second load
70grs
1.5" group
High 3289
Low 3268
Average 3279

Third load
Just under 1" group. Will play with this again. Different seating depths.
70.5gr
High 3312
Low 3275
Average 3294

There was zero pressure signs. Primers are still nice and have a defined round edge. Not even the slightest tight bolt what so ever.

I loaded up to 72.5gr but I don't think i will shoot them. As this is fast enough

Powder looks to be a screamer in this cartridge. Breaths new life to this old girl.
 
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Ruger007 said:
Gevelot brass. Which is actually considerably lighter than Winchester brass. 214grs vs 245gr. I never actually weighed it before. I just assumed. With a new digital scale makes it easy. Out of the 200 brass i have there was only a +- 2gr over all of it.
Click to expand...

I am shocked that the Gevelot brass is lighter in this caliber than Winchester brass especially since WW brass is usually lighter than others.
I used 308 Gevelot and had to adjust my loads due to lower volume compared to other brass. I have some 270 Gevelot that I will pay attention to the actual volume compared to WW or RP!
bb
 
In my 264 win mags, I found the old, obsolete H5010 to be optimum with the 140 grain bullets, yielding top velocities
and stellar accuracy. The N570 is very close, with more energy than 5010, so may give better velocities yet.
I am using the latter in my 257 Weatherby with great results, chasing the 120 Partition. Dave.
 
I have a large supply of H870, my go to powder for the 264 Win mag. Have a pair of them, a Peterson built P14 and a Sako L61r. 120 and 140 grain Noslers are my favorite bullets i prefer.
 
Another range day today.
Loaded up 69.5,69.8,70.1,70.4 with 140 Accubond again. But I also loaded the same with 142 ABLR.

140AB 69.5gr N570, 3242 fps. Got a nice group of 3/4". But had what i think is a definite pressure signs. Primer started to flow into the firing pin hole. Another almost looked like it was close to a pierce. But today is 30C vs 15C last trip. Will have to drop down a grain and a half and try again. The firing pin hole on the M70 seems a bit on the bigger side vs my Remingtons and Rugers. But didn't get that last time out. CCI 250 primer. No sticky bolt or anything else
New brass

IMG_20200715_211159.jpg

I thought i would try the 142gr. 69.5 N570 got me 3177 no pressure signs at all. 69.8 got to 3185 no pressure signs either. But accuracy was poor with both. 3.5". Maybe the 1-9 twist. Nosler says minimum 1-8.

On a side note I found the bearing surfaces considerably different between the 2 bullets. According to Nosler:

140 Accubond .679"
142 ABLR .459"

Could make a pressure difference.
 

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