All,
Looking at 6.5's. Have a 6.5-284 being built. Published velocities on 140 gr bullets are stopping at 3000 fps. Any way to wring more fps out of it? It is a 26 inch tube btw. This brings me to the jist of my question.

The 264 Win mag is supposed to be a rocket, right. Published data does not wow me in this case. 3100 with the Barnes 140gr XBTC. This is no better than the old published data from back in the day. Why? Do the new manuals think slow because of the old rumor of the 264 Win mag as a barrel burner? Or they sheparding us to other cartridges? I would figure something more akin to 3300 fps or so. I thought the old timers said 3200 fps out of 140 gr.

Are these figures correct? What do your 264 Win Mags and 6.5-284's produce velcity wise with 120 gr and 140gr bullets. I would love to know as I am about to be recieving my 6.5-284 Norma.

Lastly, would the 6.5-300WSM offer more velcoty? If so how much? If there are other 6.5's out there offering more I would love to know about them. I read about 6.5 Baer, and 6.5 Super, and 6.5-284 Shehane. Any of these offer more velocity with those bullets weights? I would love some more info since I am building at least 2 more rifles in 6.5 as gifts.

Thanks,
Jason

I had a 26 inch barrelled 264 for awhile but only tried H 870. 120gr. ballistic tips generated 3110 fps. and 140gr. Hornady A-Max were actually a little faster at 3130 fps.

The .264 had a two diameter bullet, only the part after the cannelure was driving, reduced pressures and increased velocities, also were measured in 26" barrel.

I've been considering a hot 6.5 for some time, and my conclusion was, if I wanted 3300 fps, I'd have to use 120 gr bullets. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as if you use the Barnes X bullet, you'll get similar penetration to the conventional 140 gr bullets. Unless you go to a 30" tube, then IMHO, you're wasting your time burning more then 60-70 grs powder.

Convert 2933 fps to miles per hour and it comes to 2000 MPH. Now that is really fast. The thing is to be happy. Your new 6.5 is going to be powerful and fast so don't dwell on numbers unless that's what you ordered it for.

There is a diminishing returns with all powder increases. It seems that the 264 Win is at that limit.

I can safely get 3100++ fps in a 6.5 WSM with 140 Partitions. I've gotten over 3200, but wouldn't call it safe. 3150 is fairly easy with a 26" tube. You are probably correct on the Barnes, but going to a conventional 120 grainer will loose everything that is great about the 264's. I would like to try some of the 120 Barnes, if I just knew that they'd shoot before wasting $30. We'll see. I am hooked on the 6.5's as well as the 35's. A pair is all you'd ever need.

I cannot answer you questionas to "soft" or "hard" data for the 264 Win. I look at it almost daily compairing figures. Seems 3030 fps is a popular quote for 140 from one of the books. I think it'll do much more, and I don't expect my 6.5 WSM to do 3200++. It is what it is.

I am doing load development with a 264WinMag,so this is an interesting question.So far in my rifle I have seen with a 140 Hornady in a 22" barrel 2950 H-1000 and 3050 IMR 7828. Those are MAX.Both powders can spike.

if you go with long barrel over 27 inch you can reach the 3200 FPS with a 140 gr ( in a 30 inch ) I use a wilcat base on 264 WIN ( with 35� shoulder and a real throat , WIN factory throat single taper is poor design )

264 case capacity need long barrel to achieve hight velovity without terrific muzzle flash

original 264 WIN factory bullet have a drive band (two diameter bullet) but regular bullet works well in the 264 WIN ,

264 WIN seem the max powder capacity in 6.5 ,the big 6.5/300 WEA doesnt give lot of more velocity and is very sensible to the carbon fouling .

Good shooting

DAN TEC

I get 3300- 3400 fps with 120 gr bal. tips out of a 24 inch M-70 with RL 25 . RL 25 does NOT get you excessive muzzle blast in the 24 inch barrel . 129 gr SST s top out at around 3200 in that rifle with several different powders . I have seen several people on the net claim 3300 with 140 s and 26 inch barrels and some of the very slow surplus powders , but I think 3200 is more realistic with 140 gr/26 inch . I really think a good 120 gr is all you need for any game the 264 is really suited to ; unless you just want to slow things down for less meat destruction ......then you end up with the eqivalent of a 270 that burns more powder.....

[ 02-06-2003, 19:17: Message edited by: sdgunslinger ]

On the banded bullet posts, they still make them. GS Custom out of South Africa makes a banded bullet. Would that get me back up to the velocities I was looking for? I get great velocities out of my 25-06 AI with them. You just have to buy a bunch of them at once since it took me 4 months to get the first batch. Thoughts?

JS

I just bought a second 264 because I liked the first one so much. One M70 SG and a 700 SS both
sport 26" tubes.
With 140 NP's I'm getting over 3,300 fps with the Win 70. I'm using 68 grains of 7828 and RL 25.

As you well know please start low and work up your loads. I get no pressure signs with this load. No marks on the head and easy bolt lift.

With 120s I get 3,490 fps
With 100s I get over 3,700 fps.
These loads are just devistating on deer and elk.
The 140 load is my most accurate and my favorite.
On a good day it will shoot a .6.

I know others who get the same velocities that I do with no problems.
good luck

SU35---- What primer are you using in your SG . I too have a Supergrade that is a decent unit but I have yet to attain your velocities with 140 gr bullets.

BR

BR I'm using Fed 215 primers and Win cases couple
this with 7828 and you have a very serious no
BS load for everything in the 48

I have been shooting a Win 70 classic 26 inch 264 for several years. I have experienced pressure spikes on several occasions while working up loads with 140 gr. partitions. This has happened while attempting to acheive velocities in excess of 3200 fps with H1000, RL 25, and H 870.
I have determined that 3100 fps is about the maximum safe level for my rifle with this bullet. The 140 partition has a very long bearing surface, which I assume contributes to my rifles sensitivity to increased powder charges.
I have observed that my rifle is more prone to give pressure spikes when the bore has been neglected. The first ten to fifteen rounds after cleaning give predictable velocity increases with increased powder charges, but twenty to thirty rounds after cleaning, velocity increases become very eratic and I have experienced blown primers and expanded case heads.
I have loaded only 120 gr bullets lately because of these concerns.
I now have a 260 Rem to shoot 120 gr bullets and am I anticipating that I will soon be working with 140's again in the 264. I intend to try 140 gr spitzer boat tails, for the decrease in bearing surface. And moly coated bullets might reduce friction or fouling enough to be worth a try.
Having read of many other persons experiencing pressure spikes with the 264 and 140 gr bullets, I reccomend that one should be very careful when aproaching or exceeding loading manual maximums in this regard.

Idaho Shooter

I have been loading for the 264 Win Mag for a couple of decades now and presently own two. One sports a Factory 24" tube, the other a 26" Pac-Nor. Both have 1-9" twists. I get just shy of 3200 with the 140 Partition in the shorter barrel and just over 3300 in the 26", which is throated specifically for the 140 Partition so I can seat it with the base flush with the bottom of the neck. My pet load with the long barrel is 75 grains of H5010, with 72 grains of H1000 coming pretty close. The short barrel will actually take one extra grain of 5010 behind the 140. Please work up carefully to these charges, they are close to working max in my rifles. I have never experienced any "spikes" in pressure or velocity using H5010. Very consistent velocity and very good accuracy. The 264 is worth examining if you want a true magnum 6.5mm., but it only works well with slower numbers. I am going to try Retumbo next to see what might be the result. Hodgdon tells me it's burning rate is between H5010 and H1000. Regards, Eagleye.

H 5010 (now discontinued) is very similar to the obsolete H 570. Both are good in a .264, but so coarse as to make dribbling them through the little .264 neck quite maddening.

I found WC 872 a few years ago. It's a surplus ball powder that burns even slower than 5010. It works wonders in my two .264's with 140 grain Noslers. There is also a similar WC 860, but the lot I have tried has not been as satisfactory as the WC 872. Be cautious -- surplus powders tend to vary in burning rates from lot to lot, so work up carefully.

I have found 7828 to be too fast for the .264 with any but the lightest bullets. I think the same is probably true of H1000, althougth I've never tried any. RL 25 and Retumbo, along with the slowest of the VV line are possibilites, but with the low cost of the WC surplus powders, I won't ever get around to finding out.

Note: WC 872 also works well in the 7mm STW, as it should in the 7mm Ultra.

The 264 Winchester got a bad rap with the barrel burining. Then again if you spend a summer shooting ground hogs with one, yea you will shoot a barrel out pretty quick. As for not going fast enough at 3100 fps with 140 gr. bullets, gee's that plenty fast and plenty flat too. I don't currently have a 264, I did once a long time ago, but like a fool, its one of the few rifles that I ever sold. I like the 7mm Remington/Weatherby cartridges a little better, all my 6.5's are either the 55 swede or the 54 MS. I never thought I need more out of a 6.5. Besides when its all said and done the 264 dose not give you a whole lot more than what you can get out of a 270. And I do like the 270 a lot. On the other hand if I did not have a 270, I would build myself a 6.5-270 winchester and call it even.

[ 02-10-2003, 23:58: Message edited by: George Semel ]

I found my lot of H-1000 faster burning then my lot of IMR7828,but my FN has very short throat so I MAXED out with H-1000 at 63.6 and IMR7828 64.5.I have spiked with a clean barrrel twice and IMR 7828 at 65 with an easily fouled barrel.I just relay this as a caution.How is Reloader 25 ?

I'm working with a 15" 6.5-284 XP-100, and I'm getting 2900 with the 129 gr. Hornady SST bullet-- I took a bighorn sheep and elk last season with it at >300 yds., with perfect performance from the bullet. I suspect that the 140 ought to be something to investigate.