Does any one own a .264 Winchester Magnum?

Question

I was doing some investigating on that caliber just for the hell of it, and it doesn't seem like it is too bad of a caliber. Though, I was reading an article, and by fact, it is considered a cartridge we can live without. Anyway, how do you like it's performance, and what animals have you killed with it?

Answer 1

I don't own one, but at one time it was bcoming fairly popular on the western prairies where I live where long shots at deer and antelope are possible. It is a good round, but the 7mm mag. came along at the wrong time and pretty much eliminated it. As someone else already answered it really doesnt do much that the .270 won't do, but if you handload and use a slightly longer barrel like the 26" one that the original Winchester Western model 70 had, it can be very fast and flat shooting. I have read handloading recipes for the round that would push a 129 grain Hornady at 3250-3300 fps from a 26 inch barrel. Thats flat, and with the newer 129 grain SST from the same company it would retain its velocity over long distances even better. 125 Grain Nosler partitions would also be a very good long range bullet. It can be used for heavier game with 140 grain or heavier bullets, but that's not really what the round was created for. If you don't handload I would stay away from it since ammo is hard to find and the only factory round I am familiar with really doesnt take advantage of the rounds potential. But, if you have located a nice original .264 or don't mind having one built, and are a handloader, it is a super open country deer and antelope rifle. I might have one built for myself one day.

Answer 2

I don't, but I have a switch-barrel rifle with a 6.5x68 barrel. The ballistics are the same (as a matter of fact, the starting loads are the same, and they seem to be within a few tenths of a grain of each other in pretty well all loads). I never have figured out what I bought that barrel for, so it's just sat in the corner for nearly twenty years. 8x68 has kept me from the urge for a 300 or 338 magnum, but 6.5 seems to exist just because it can. I might use it on antelope some day, though.

Answer 3

Either will do for deer, but I'd say that neither are Elk cartridges. Most folks consider a .30='-6 or a .300 WinMag to be the minimum Elk cartridge. Doc

Answer 4

The .264 isn't very popular because it had to compete with the 7mm Rem Mag.

Answer 5

I had one once that had a bull barrel on it and I could shoot Ten(10)* shot groups with it you could cover with a Nickel at 100 yards.*

Answer 6

it doesn't gain much over the 270 and is less popular so if you want redially availible ammo i would go with the 270
plus you get rid of the belt
if you reload or want something different go for it