264 antelope bullets

30 August 2010, 23:51

Going to be using a 264 Win Mag for antelope season in October. I won't have a chance to work up loads, so I will be purchasing some Nosler Custom ammo for the hunt. They have a large selection of bullets and weights, I was hoping I might get some insight from anyone with experience!

They have
100gr Partition
120gr Ballistic Tip
125gr Partition
130gr Accubond

I realize 'lopes are not large nor very tough animals, but I included the AccuBonds as I saw some reports of people having favorable results on antelope with them. All the prices are really close. Is the 100gr too light, even in a Partition, for lopes?

Thanks for the help! BTW, the new *to me* rifle is a pre-64 with a 26" barrel

31 August 2010, 00:24

30 Caliber Mag Fan

MileHighShooter-

I would go with the upper end of the bullet weight spectrum. Thus, I would go with the 125 grain Partition or the 130 grain Accubonds, simply from the standpoint that I load 140 grain partitions. It is wonderful medicine for Antelope and White-tailed deer.

31 August 2010, 00:56

Antelope Sniper

MHS, the 120gr BT is a great bullet, but they do not hold together well at impact velocities over 3100. For that reason, I'd go with the 130gr AB. Goats won't know what hit them.

31 August 2010, 01:48

TomP

quote:
Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
Going to be using a 264 Win Mag for antelope season in October. I won't have a chance to work up loads, so I will be purchasing some Nosler Custom ammo for the hunt. They have a large selection of bullets and weights, I was hoping I might get some insight from anyone with experience!

I use 85-grain Partition Bullets in a 6mm-284, good point-blank range. Wind is enough to hold my attention without wondering about range too.

31 August 2010, 03:31

Fish30114

Wind can be a real factor hunting lopes, so I would go ahead and go the 130 AB. Any of those bullets will put the hammer on any antelope, but depending on your personal max range, you may find the heavier bullet is worthwhile as it is better in bucking the wind. With a 264 WM it will be plenty flat shooting! Good luck!

31 August 2010, 03:37

Doc

quote:
Originally posted by Fish30114:
Wind can be a real factor hunting lopes, so I would go ahead and go the 130 AB. Any of those bullets will put the hammer on any antelope, but depending on your personal max range, you may find the heavier bullet is worthwhile as it is better in bucking the wind. With a 264 WM it will be plenty flat shooting! Good luck!

31 August 2010, 04:29

larrys

I would use which one shoots best in your rifle. Antelope aren't big enough to care whether or not the bullet held together.

I use the 120 BT in my 6.5-06AI and no deer has taken more than 5 steps at ranges from 10 yards out to 400. My 264WM likes the 125 Partitions, so that is what I use in it. Any of them will do.

31 August 2010, 05:23

MileHighShooter

Thanks for the replies guys! I guess I will try a few different ones (probably the 120, 125 and 130) and figure out what shoots best.

I know the 130 has the BC to help at distance (my max would be 400, and I'm hunting a very low pressure area so I won't have to deal with as-spooky 'lopes hopefully) but I was thinking the lighter bullets, while hardly and flatter, do have a shorter TOF, I figured that might lend a hand in the wind.

31 August 2010, 05:26

MickinColo

quote:
I realize 'lopes are not large nor very tough animals

I’ve seen antelope take as many as 16 hits, I was there watching, sometimes through binoculars, sometimes I was right there in the mayhem. I watched a guided group of 6 hunters jump out of a Suburban and unload their rifles on a doe. Shot the crap out of her but she was still standing when they ran out of ammunition.

Antelope season can get a little ugly around here. That’s the reason the DOW loves Antelope Season, they hand out more tickets during Antelope Season than any other big game season.

I’ve watched my wife walk down a multiply wounded doe through a hail of overhead bullets, crying, to cut it’s throat and end it’s misery.

It really doesn’t make a damn what bullet weight you use, just be accurate with it. It’s hard to judge distances on antelope without practice, good luck.

31 August 2010, 05:56

Fjold

In 264 I've taken them with the 100 grain BT and the 120 grain TSX. They died either way.

31 August 2010, 21:19

TomP

quote:
Originally posted by MickinColo:
quote:
I realize 'lopes are not large nor very tough animals

I’ve seen antelope take as many as 16 hits, I was there watching, sometimes through binoculars, sometimes I was right there in the mayhem. I watched a guided group of 6 hunters jump out of a Suburban and unload their rifles on a doe. Shot the crap out of her but she was still standing when they ran out of ammunition.

Driving around can work, but it's a poor substitute for studying their habits and planning an ambush, and frequently results in having to hurry up a long shot...

31 August 2010, 22:31

Stonecreek

Unless you know ahead of time which of those are going to shoot well in your gun, then it's a roll of the dice. An antelope hit well with any of those loads should be toast, but which of them will actually "hit it well"?

I would try them starting with the heaviest weight (130) and work my way downward until I found the one which would shoot in my gun. Of course, at the inflated price of Nosler ammunition you may very well spend more on finding the right ammunition than on your hunt. Keep your fingers crossed that the first box you try fires a reasonable group.

I have no experience with Nosler factory ammunition in the .264, but if you were shooting either Rem or Win you might as well be shooting a .257 Roberts. A box of Win 140's I chronographed a while back was failing to break the 2800 fps mark. The .264 Winchester is a long-time favorite of mine, but it is truly a handloader's cartridge.

01 September 2010, 00:53

Doc

Regarding speed, though a little off topic, I was pleasantly surprised to see 3100+ fps in my friend's 270 with factory Federal loads. The cheapest stuff. It shot about a 2" group at 100.

I think the 264 shines with an accurate 140 pill. Curiously, it is gaining popularity among LRH, and IMO, in large part, due to the increasing popularity of the Berger VLD "hunting" bullet.

01 September 2010, 01:17

MileHighShooter

Doc,

HSM is offering factory ammo with bergers now. Its listed as back ordered on Midway,

The Nosler stuff is pricey, but the options are limited in 264. I will handload when I get the space and time again to do so, as well as all my rifles, but for this year its gonna be factory and the Nosler seems to be the best of the bunch! I may just buy 2 boxes, the 120 and 130 and see what does best.

01 September 2010, 03:19

Doc

quote:
Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
Doc,

HSM is offering factory ammo with bergers now.

Yes, I've seen that and was checking out their website just last week. Thanks for the reminder though.

The only problem I have with buying expensive factory ammo is what if it doesn't shoot well in my rifle? You're paying a lot of money for a premium bullet, primer, likely good brass...so the components increase cost but it may not shoot well.

01 September 2010, 03:26

Sauer 9.3x62

quote:
Originally posted by 30 Caliber Mag Fan:
MileHighShooter-

I would go with the upper end of the bullet weight spectrum. Thus, I would go with the 125 grain Partition or the 130 grain Accubonds...

I agree!

01 September 2010, 07:08

MickinColo

quote:
Originally posted by TomP:
quote:
Originally posted by MickinColo:
quote:
I realize 'lopes are not large nor very tough animals

I’ve seen antelope take as many as 16 hits, I was there watching, sometimes through binoculars, sometimes I was right there in the mayhem. I watched a guided group of 6 hunters jump out of a Suburban and unload their rifles on a doe. Shot the crap out of her but she was still standing when they ran out of ammunition.

Driving around can work, but it's a poor substitute for studying their habits and planning an ambush, and frequently results in having to hurry up a long shot...

Tom,

I have no problem with driving around looking for antelope. You need to glass a lot of land to find them sometimes. The year my wife lost control and walked into the line of fire to cut a doe’s throat was 1996.

The Suburban guys chased a group of does and young up to the spot were we were sitting at the time. That bunch of hunter managed to hit one of those does sometime earlier and somewhere else but she kept up with her group. She was hit in the right hindquarter when I first saw her and trailing behind her group.

To make a long story short, the Suburban boys showed up. Shot the hell out of her and then turn their attention to the rest of the group and left.

She was hit through both hips. Her left leg was almost shot off, the only thing holding her foot off the ground was a loop of her intestines.
She had 2 low hits on her chest, and 3 high hits on her back. She had 3 gut shots.

The only reason my wife could run her down was because she couldn’t take a step with her good rear leg without pulling out another loop of her guts.

We didn’t recover much meat off of her.

I don’t know if that is tough or not. It’s tough enough in my mind.

01 September 2010, 08:01

MileHighShooter

Doc,

Same could be said, to an extent, about buying components as well, granted you have more room to work up a good load. Trust me if I still had a place to reload, and I had some where to actually go out and test it besides expensive shooting ranges that won't let me crono my shots this wouldn't be an issue! Its kind of a last minute thing, and I'm really hoping it works out. Thankfully I have not read a single bad review about the Nosler, many saying their stuff being almost on par with custom reloads. Only problem is money, but a box or two to test out and use for right now just has to suffice. I'm in the same boat with my other rifle too, don't have any surplus loads and I don't enjoy the idea of testing out several boxes of 300wby ammo lol

01 September 2010, 21:46

TJAY

I used the 125 last year and it worked fine. If I have time I will work up some 100 gr. loads for this year. I also took one with a 100 gr. 6mm solid base with great results. Niether loper took more than 5 steps. I would just find the ones that shoot best in your rifle.

02 September 2010, 07:28

doccash

The 125 gr. Nosler partition shoots very well in my model 70 westerner. That bullet is ideal for small deer and antelope. Getting ready for Africa and shotting the really big guns to find the ideal bullet/powder combination was the most memorable and fun part of the whole trip. Dr.C

02 September 2010, 19:03

Quintus

I am a big fan of the 100 grain partition for antalopers and deer. They have shot very well out of both of my 264s and 260s and they make a beautiful wound channel. In this case I like ruduced flight time compared to bullet shape to counter wind drift.

02 September 2010, 20:20

dgr416

I shot my pronghorns with my 264 win mag with 155 gr mega tip Lapula bullets.It TKO them at 350 yards and flipped them in their tracks.I use this bullet for deer and everything else.It knocks a big hole and does not tear up much meat.I shot 3/8" groups at 100 yards with it and 1.5" at 300 yards.I hope to get tohunt them again soon.

03 September 2010, 01:12

D99

quote:
Originally posted by larrys:
I would use which one shoots best in your rifle. Antelope aren't big enough to care whether or not the bullet held together.

I use the 120 BT in my 6.5-06AI and no deer has taken more than 5 steps at ranges from 10 yards out to 400. My 264WM likes the 125 Partitions, so that is what I use in it. Any of them will do.

Very wise advice!

06 September 2010, 09:08

TomP

quote:
Originally posted by MickinColo:
Tom,

I have no problem with driving around looking for antelope. You need to glass a lot of land to find them sometimes.

I've done a lot of that, too. That's how we found the spot where we sit and wait nowadays...

07 September 2010, 03:54

L. David Keith

quote:
Unless you know ahead of time which of those are going to shoot well in your gun, then it's a roll of the dice. An antelope hit well with any of those loads should be toast, but which of them will actually "hit it well"?

I'm with Stonecreek on this. Whichever round shoots the best in YOUR rifle. Personally, I'd start with the Accubond 130s. Should be a fairly stable bullet. If they shoot well, stick with them. Should be fine on Deer as well. Good hunting, David

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