Somebody please tell me what is the most effective point blank sighting point for this caliber using factory ammo. I have the feeling that 1" high at 200 yds will give me good impact out to over 300 yds which is the limit of my ability.

Dr. Duc

assuming you don't have a ballistics software program, try http://www.norma.cc , as in Norma ammunition.

Choose the english language site. You'll notice that when you roll-over "ballistics" that a line of text will appear just underneath it on the left side of your screen. This new line will read "Ballistic . Ballistic metric" Choose the non-metric Ballistic (unless you really like conversions!)

Let the plug-in load, then choose "define your own bullet." Put in the ballistic coeficient and weight, the velocity, and viola!

Play around with it and you can see what your point blank range would be with any number of loads.

One thing though, you should know the actual velocity of a load from your own gun--otherwise it's back to ballparking--and then it would be better, in my mind, actually to practice at longer ranges and see how the trajectory works out.

Good luck!

friar

Since my chronograph is FUBAR I think that I'll do just that. I will probably end up using factory ammo anyway. My reloading has taken a dump in the last couple of years.
I don't plan at shootin over 300 yeds and I have a range that long.
Thanks

Dr.
If you don't plan on shooting over 300 yds., just sight it in dead on at 250 yds. (about 2" high at 100 yds., or maybe just a hair higher), and your worries are over! Most of my rifles are sighted in for 250 yds. You are then easily good to go on any shot to 300 yds. If your gonna shoot factory loads (nothing wrong with that), I have a 264 that will shoot factory Rem 140 CoreLokt's to three bullet holes touching at 100 yds.! Altho I've heard that the Winchester factory loads are faster, I've not gotten around to trying them (why would I). Sight it in 2" high at 100 yds. then shoot it at 250 yds. to fine tune your sight-in and go hunting! Anything up to 300 yds. is easily dead meat, just put the cross hairs on 'em and touch it off! Woila! Dead critter! Nice to see another .264 shooter! Good luck!

If you plan on shooting point blank/line of sight, wouldn't a 6.5 x 55 work just as well?

Yeah, Based on my experience with the 264 last year I figured that if it was on at 200 or 225 I wouldn't have to hold over at 300. I shot a coyote last year at a measured 175 and he went down so fast I thought I had missed. There was a coyote still standing. I kicked myself all day and then my buddy said "Were there 2 coyotes there?" "Naw ,couldn't be". Sure enough there had been another just like him in the tall grass. I was so busy being incredulous I missed what would have been a deuce.
I think Winchester is about 2950 out of a 24" barrel and that puts a 140 gr at about 3" low at 300. In any case I think it will do to site dead on at any range I feel comfortable shooting. I'm not one of those "every shot over 400 yd "guys.
I've missed more holding over than I missed putting the post on the spot. I love a tapered post and fine crosshair for fast shooting.

I guess a 6.5 would work OK and I have a nice Steyr but I've never shot it enough to get used to it. The ammo I've used in it seems a little slow. I would guess about 2650 and I had the feeling it was a little parabolic.

Dr.
Yeah, I know all about shooting over critters! I've missed more by shooting over than by shooting under, myself! But nowadays, with more experience, and with laser rangefinders, I don't do that anymore! (Knock on wood.) By the way, a 264 sighted in at 250 yds. is easily a 450 yd. rifle, (if yours is accurate enough), but you'll have to hold a few inches over the back of a deer! It is best to check the trajectory of your rifle and load by shooting it at these distances, but if you can only shoot to 300 yds., guess you can't.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Duc:
Somebody please tell me what is the most effective point blank sighting point for this caliber using factory ammo. I have the feeling that 1" high at 200 yds will give me good impact out to over 300 yds which is the limit of my ability.

"Factory ammunition" is not specific enough to provide a valid answer to your question. One would have to know both the ballistic coefficient of the specific bullet in your ammo, as well as the MV this load produces from YOUR RIFLE!

I'm guessing 2950 from a 24" Sako with Winchester 140 gr. It is sighted 1" high at 200 yds and this morning put 3 shots in .7" from a cold, fouled barrel at 200 yds.. It shot right to point of aim with all three shots.
I also shot Remington 140 gr but it doesn't shoot nearly as well-2.5"-3.5".
The scope is a Weaver V7 tapered post reticle. I have a new Pentax 4-14 BP reticle on order but I don't think I'll need it. I can't comfortably shoot over 300 yds anyway.

At one time the manufactures (Federal, Winchester, at al.) published such informaton on the ammo one purchased. Has it been that long since I bought any factory fodder??

DUC: I think you'll find factory loaded .264 Winchester to be on the anemic side. The lot of Winchester 140's I chronographed ran in the 2700's from my 24" Sako, but this rifle's throat is rather worn, so a fresher barrel might give you somewhere in the 2800's.

If your current zero of 1" high at 100 is giving you dead on zero at 200, then you're going to be roughly six inches or so down at 300. Raise your 100 yard zero to +2", then you'll only be around 3" down at 300 -- well within the body of any game animal you would shoot with a .264.

Should you decide to hand load for your rifle, use the very slowest powders available when using 140 grain bullets. Hint: H-4831 and IMR 7828 ain't slow powders in this context.

Winchester lists the 264 mag as 3050fps out of a 24" barrel in their new data. If you subtract a "maker factor" it gives about 2950. My Sako is almost new-but 35 yrs old.
The Remington seems anemic indeed. The Winchester is right snappy.
I have some H870 and some Reloader 25 as well as 50BMG and the newer slow "magnum powders".
I have it zeroed at 1" high at 200 yds right now. According to the Norma ballistic program that should be about 3.5 low at 300.

Your H-870, or Accurate 8700, ought to do well in your .264. Reloader 25 may not be quite slow enough, from what I've read. With very slow powders it is reasonable to get 3100 fps with acceptable pressures from your 24" (actually, 24.4") Sako. My standard load for many years was H-570 (virtually identical in burn rate to H-870), and it yielded 3130 fps. I now use WC-872, a very slow surplus powder, and get 3150 with a Nosler Partition.

This bullet at this speed makes for dazzling performance on "any-sized game at normal yardage and normal-sized game at any yardage"

I have a bunch of WC-872 I got when a reloader friend passed away. He could never pass up a powder bargin.

if that 3100 is as fast as the 264 goes doesn't the 270 win outperform it??

quote:

Originally posted by cummins cowboy:
if that 3100 is as fast as the 264 goes doesn't the 270 win outperform it??

To my way of thinking , the .264 shows a very decent trajectory advantage with 120 gr bullets , which you can drive to 3300 to 3400 fps . This gives you a good 50 yards or so extra point blank range over the ballistically equivalent 130 gr .270 bullet .

The 140 gr .264 bullet@3100 also has a good ballistic advantage over a 130 gr .270 , and will shoot flatter and deliver more energy at longish ranges .

quote:

Originally posted by cummins cowboy:
if that 3100 is as fast as the 264 goes doesn't the 270 win outperform it??

Actually this is the nemisis of the 6.5 Magnum.....it's not truly much better than the time tested .270 Winchester and for pronghorns and deer the power is clearly available in both cartridges.....a lot of .264 owners just said...heck with it.....give me back my .270!!!

It's surprising how good the 6.5 X 55 is in comparison to the .264.....

I sold my .264 years ago along with the .257 Weatherby because neither of them actually offered anything usable over standard cartridges.

Dr. Duc

I think Vith N-165, N-560, Norma MRP, MRP-2 or Reloader 22 should deliver a bit more than 3100 fps.


Cheers
/JOHAN

quote:

Originally posted by JOHAN:
Dr. Duc

I think Vith N-165, N-560, Norma MRP, MRP-2 or Reloader 22 should deliver a bit more than 3100 fps.


Cheers
/JOHAN

I don't think so, Johan. All of these powders are somewhat faster than the powders needed to propel 140 grain bullets at their optimum 3100-3200 fps.

Dr. Duc: Try that WC-872, I think you'll like it. Keep in mind that surplus powders tend to vary somewhat in burning rate -- so don't just go and duplicate my load -- but 80 grains under a Nosler 140 yields around 3250 fps from my 26" Sako. A slighly greater amount gives 3150 fps from my 24" Sako, which has a somewhat eroded throat from thousands of rounds of use (still groups in the one-inch range, however).

264 win, 140 grain hornady
Vith N-140
47,8 grain, velocity 920 m/s

Vith N-160
57,1 grain, velocity 915 m/s

Lapua lists two loads in 6,5-284 Norma for 139 grain Scenar

Vith N-165
59,3 grain, velocity 939 m/s

Vith N-560
56 grain, velocity 947 m/s or 3108 fps.

So, conclusion For 139-140 grain bullet @ 3100 fps or so, without toasing the barrel, 6,5-284 Norma is the way to go

Cheers
/JOHAN

Ah Ballistics! It's what keeps us young and active. I'm pretty much in agreemant about the 270 but with the 120 gr bullet there seems to be an advantage. For me it's a point and shoot rifle. If the critter is on the point of the reticle and I pull the trigger, he's dead.
I guess I really shoud use a 7mm 140 gr load instead of the 264 but then everybody has a 7mm.