I've tried reloading my 264 winmag according to the reloading manuals.
On every loading I have been unable to get anywhere near max!!
for instance 69gn of H4831 with 95gn v max should give 3680fps, the most I have been able to get is 3300fps with 63gn H4831, anything more is showing signs of pressure and difficult extractions. Two other loads(129gnSST'S/140gn nosler) have shown the same characteristics, and I have had to back off with the powder!
The rifle is a winchester model 70 xtr with a 24" tube, Am I missing something here and doing something fundamentally wrong...

regards
griff

All I can tell you is every rifle is diff. If that is what your rifle's max. is then that's it. I can only suggest you try diff. powders, sometimes the effect is dramatic.
BTW, I can get 3300fps w/ 95grV-max in my 26"bbl. .260ai. Your .264wm amy do better w/ heavier bullets.

What your missing is that minimum diameter chambers and minimum spec bores with short tight throats (like the test labs use) get higher velocities, at the same pressure, than oversize slophole factory chambers / barrels with roasted throats do.
IOW it's the gun that is the cause of your low velocities, and it's unlikly that you will ever reach book velocities.

griff, how many rounds have you got through that rig? I've got a buddy who has one, and it's accuracy started to fall off. He had about 250-275 rounds through it. We decided to chrono it, and it's velocity was way low also. We looked at the barrel with my borescope, and it was toast. Hard to believe with only 250 rounds or so, but it was true. He had it rebarreled and it is shooting awesome, sub 1/2 MOA at 200 yards, and the velocity is back as well.

Just some food for thought.

Good Luck--Don

My favorite .264 load:
Bullet: 140 Grain Sierra HPBT
Powder: 73.0 grains ofH-870
Primer: Winchester WLR
Case: Winchester
Firearm: Winchester Model 70
Velocity: 3132 FPS @ 15' from muzzle

If you are looking for "max velocity" I would suggest for the 95's:
RL-22 From 60.0 grains to 67.5 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

For 129's:
H-450 From 64.1 grains to 68.4 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

For 140's:
H-870 From 65.2 grains to 78.3 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

As for H-4831:
H-4831 From 54.7 grains to 71.0 grains
Winchester WLR Primer
and not the best choice.

thanks all

Fish,
the gun was brand new when I got it and the accuracy was abysmal! it now shoots ok, not great but ok. It has had about 400 rounds through it,so shouldn't be STF.
To be quite honest my 25 performs just as well as this 264, apart from the heavier bullets.

Fred.
jon1 has just dropped off 2 tubs of H870 so will try thr 140gn nosler partition with it.
All I am looking for is 3100fps with the 140gn for wild boar..
Tried the 129sst's with a previous tub of H870 and could only get 3280fps.
I am getting P.O with this gun, and if I could find a gun of similar calibre that would not be a bitch to load then I would send it to the gun graveyard...

regards
griff

Griff, I'm in the same situation; in my rifles I could NEVER reach the max loads (nor the velocities) indicated on manuals, and I often have to stay 3-4 grains lower. For instance, few days ago, on the Medium bore forum, I read about a guy that affirms he loads his 270 Win. with Nosler BT 140 gr. and 59 gr. of IMR4831; Nosler manual indicates 53.5 gr. as max! I trust him but I'm puzzled...

Wildboar,
These loads just don't add up! If there was another cartridge of the same caliber with the same performance I would not have bought this 264!!!
Just coming over to your area on the 24th April, going to Grosseto to look at some wild boar shooting in Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan.

regards
griff

Griff, Grosseto district is a great place for boar hunting; I live in Bordighera, 450 KM north-west of Grosseto. Feel free to send me a PM; we could meet and I could show you the surroundings. We have beautiful high mountains 40-50 km far from the sea.

Ricciardelli,
thanks for that info I am going to try the H870 this weekend with the 140gn noslers.
Another problem I have is: I have just bought 200 new winchester 264 cases and the primer pockets appear to be too deep!the primers are about 7 thou below the case head when fully seated, I have had 1 misfire which is the first one for a long time!! Is there a primer that is slightly longer than the Federal LRM's that I am using.

regards
griff

quote:

Originally posted by wildboar:
For instance, few days ago, on the Medium bore forum, I read about a guy that affirms he loads his 270 Win. with Nosler BT 140 gr. and 59 gr. of IMR4831; Nosler manual indicates 53.5 gr. as max! I trust him but I'm puzzled...

Hey wildboar

My load for my 270 is 140 gr TSX with 59 gr IMR4831. My spreadsheet shows that I start over 2 years ago loading IMR4831 at 52.5 gr and only got 2634 fps. I worked up in .5 gr increments to 59 looking for pressure signs all the way and now get 3200 fps. Am I over the pressure limits - maybe, but it shoots like this




I have shot this load a hundred times.

For the 264 I wound up for the 140 gr TBBC at 62.5 gr H4831 for 3300 fps or the 130 gr TSX with 60 gr IMR4831 for 3400 fps. But with the 270 shooting like it does, I decided not to wear out my Pre-64 264 win mag.

START LOWER, WORK UP

I'm probably gonna get flamed for this!

All,
If I mollied the bullets would this reduce pressure?
regards
griff

My take on this is that you're experiencing something I ran across in a .243 I had years ago. Even factory 100-gr loads showed serious pressure signs (like primers trying to fall out). Mine turned out to be a really short throat. You could try getting a new barrel to fix this issue.

Griff,

Working up loads takes time and patience which is why it's essential IMHO to have another rifle to actualy shoot. Otherwise you start to rush, chop and change, get pissed off and the bloody thing is disliked forever after. Whenever you get pissed off with it leave it and come back later.

For what it's worth I think you must be pretty near. 3,280fps with bullets only 11gr less than your desired weight is pretty close. Same powder, reduced charge weight, work up, take time over groups and you'll be there.

Ditch the 95gr - wear for nothing!

1894mk2
Your right Adam I dislike this rifle!my overiding problem is that this rifle in its present state will not do anything that my 25 wouldn't do!!
the 95grainers work well on foxes and are cheaper than the nosler partition, I understand your concern about wear but the sooner it happens the better, Will get it rebarreled! and hopefully it will shoot better.. or get rid..
Simon at Reeves offered me a Weatherby in 270 Weatherby, Tempted!!

regards

griff

Griff,

The Wby with the freebore has a great potential to be out the frying pan and into the fire!

You need a cheap as chips old tikka 270 from McLeods of Tain to tide you over! 90gr TNT for fox, 130gr for deer and 150gr for boar

Never thought I would be espousing the 270 but they're a lot of them about, they're cheap and they do the job!

I got rid of my 264Win (a pushfeed M70)
for similar reasons. It's reaction to different loads was erratic under the best of circumstances.

Then I realized that there was nothing that my 264WinMag would do with 140's that my 7mmRemMag wouldn't do better and it was pretty insensitive to loading in that it would shoot 140's to published velocities (200fps FASTER than the 264) with three different powders.

For lighter bullets my 25-06 was also a happier rifle
(it wouldn't shoot 115/120's worth a damn but I had a 7mm so didn't really need it to)

So I sold the 264 with the brass and dies and relegated
the remaining .264 bullets I had for use in my 6.5x55swede.

comparing notes with other shooters and reloaders most have the same experience with the 264, that it is a cartridge with a very narrow "happy zone".

If you stumble into that happy zone early in your load development you will probably love the cartridge forever.
If you have the experience most people have with it
you'll get rid of the rifle and probably replace it with a 7mmRem....

that is unless you are one of the people who hates the 7mmRemMag for some irrational reason...

AllanD

1894,
would they be the ex forestry commision rifles?

Allan,
will try the 140's this weekend, if I cannot achieve 3000fps, re-barrel 7mm rem mag.
regards
griff

Griff

Thats not a bad option. you know i am a big fan of the 7mm mag. You would have the versatility of light bullets for foxing also.

Jon2,
I knew if you read this post you would be chuckling to yourself all day!!

see ya soon
griff

What's the verdict Griff? Have you got that 7mm barrel on order yet?

Best wishes,