Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting .264 Winchester Magnum, 140 A-Max, WC-872

Went out this morning to develop a new load with the 140 A-Max. The load I'm using now runs the 140 VLD and I'm not thrilled with groups on paper at sight-in range. I probably simply need to back the charge down as you'll soon see.


Shot a 600 yard Audette with the homemade Shoot'n C's from 75.5 grains up to 80 grains in 1/2 grain increments.





Hit some pressure earlier than I thought I would. The node really looked great at 77.5, 78, 78.5, but showed a touch of pressure. I shot the 78 grain load at 600 and it was great. Dropped down to 77.5 and shot another group that put 4 in 2 1/2" and one a few inches down. Thought I'd go with it, so I shot it at 200 yards and accuracy was terrible. Shot the 78 grain load just to see and the results were the same.

I looked at the ladder and felt that 76, 76.5 and 77 were a lower velocity node. Seated 3 in the 76 grain cases and shot a group at 200 that was nice; .8"





It was nice enough that I used some of the other charged cases to make more of the 76 grain load in the truck with my beam scale. Shot a few to check drop data. Set up the profile in Ballistic AE and used 3250 fps for velocity. Dropped it to 3230 after shooting at 660 a touch low.

5 shots at 760 yards





I got some crazy fast velocities with the 78 grain load right around 3300 fps! The lower node shot more consistently close and far....

Um ... never trust a 3 shot group. You wouldn't believe how much ammo I've wasted 'cause 1-2 3-shot groups looked good, but then when I went back out with a bigger batch for re-shoot or sight-in thinking I'd found happiness, 5 shot groups were 2+ inches bigger than 3-shot groups or 3 shot groups jumped around on the paper with no sight changes.

3 shots is enough to eliminate a load if it sucks but it's way to few to base adopting a load on.

IMHO, anyway.

I agree T O M.

I shot the load for 5 shots at 760 and 660. You should have seen how ugly the upper velocity node loads were at 200. Probably 3". Funny thing is that they grouped 3" at 600 yards as well. Seen this more than a few times in my development.

Dropping down to the lower velocity node loads showed a stark contrast in accuracy. 1/2 MOA all the way out....

got any pics of the rifle? did I miss it in an earlier thread?

It's a Score High Gunsmithing job.

Remington Blue Printed Long Action BDL
26" Brux Stainless Light Palma 8 twist
Score High Hunting Brake
Jewell Trigger at around 2 pounds
McMillan Stock for the 700
Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20 LR/ERT M5 FF plane TMR mounted in Leupold Dual Dovetails
Stoney Point Rapid Pivot Bipod set up


I had a VX3 mounted on it in this pic.

Hows that bad boy throated?

RC, you sure don't mess around with crappy gear. very nice rifle. really looks like you've just done everything right on that one.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Charley's reamer had a fairly standard throat as far as I could tell. I chose to shoot the Swift Scirocco's first and quickly abandoned them. Went to the VLD next. Bullets with the VLD style ogive are really perfect for the throat as you can seat them longer; they then don't take up any case capacity.

I looked at the A-Max last night and how far it seated into the case. It's perfect. At .015" off of the lands, the main bearing surface at the boat tail junction is right at the neck/shoulder junction.

When building the rifle, I talked to the gunsmith about having some throat put in. He said, "It's a .264 Win Mag! If you want more throat, just shoot it a few times!" LOL.




Thanks! Score High builds nice rifles.

FWIW, I have a load in my 223 that shoots lights out at 600 and beyond.

I used it once on a WINDY match at 300 yards, which is really gravy shooting distance, and had my azz handed to me on a platter to so speak.... It SUCKED at that close a range, vs what my standard 300 yard 75 amax load would do.

So I know which load to use where after that day. And I tried it a couple of times more just to verify...

Just FYI, not that it will mean anything to you, but do trust the paper results IE actual shooting at actual distances.

When building the rifle, I talked to the gunsmith about having some throat put in. He said, "It's a .264 Win Mag! If you want more throat, just shoot it a few times!" LOL.

[quote]

That right there is funny! I just had Jim Borden throat mine for the 140 Hunting VLD so I can use them and also the 140 A-max as I will just have to seat the A-max a little deeper in the case.

A note on the WC-872

Pretty dirty stuff. Cleaning the rifle now

Also would bet the reason it's dirty is 3300 fps welding

Have you tried any other powders in it? Mine likes 65g 7828 with some 140's, I've also ran up to 66g h1000 and 68g retumbo.

Bb

I plan on trying 7828 ssc and rl 22 in mine

You'll find they're way too fast

I've worked with the .264 WM in the past, don't own one presently.

If I was working with it, I'd try RL-33. And, it's one powder that seems to be available. It was made for the .338 Lapua, but from what I've heard, is very good in the .264 WM.

DF

RC is WC-872 the one to start with in your experience?

Hey Dirtfarmer
I've got some RL33 to try. Only one pound and can't find anymore, so I haven't gone there yet.

BD
Yes.

Thank you RC. All i could find for other components was Nosler brass and federal 215 magnum primers. How'd I do?

Also I really appreciate you sharing your 264 experience as there isn't much out there and you know what your doing!

I bought a truly mint P-64 "Westerner" in .264 several years ago and had it "pillared" into a spare Micky "G&H" stock I had from another project. It wears Leupy DDs and I started with one of my pair of older Leupy Vari-X-III 3.5x10x50 scopes, but, as soon as I scraped together the $$$$, I changed to a Conquest 4.5x14 and found that loading was both simple and VERY accurate.....beyond my 67 yr. old eyes ability to shoot as I once could.

I had the usual limitations on powder availability one experiences here in Canada and tried RE-22, which has done SO well for me in several other cartridges, especially the .338WM and the .270Win. So, I found some std. 7828 and loaded both the 125 and 140 NPs over 65 and 63 grains, respectively.

Bingo, Done, shoots "lights out" and the 125 goes 3350, while the 140 runs 3250 with zero indications of excess pressures and tiny groups. I bought a whack of brass, NPs and made up some ammo and now it sits there, waiting for me to, hopefully, be able to afford a Pronghorn hunt in S.E. Alberta....someday.....

I dunno that for ME and many "average" hunters, this sort of rig is really much "better" for shots to maybe 400 yds.m but, it is EASY to shoot, to load and it has this certain "thing" about it, that just makes me not sell it as I have so many rifles recently.

RE-33 is new to me and I must see if this is available here in Canada as some powders, i.e., "Magpro" are not, due to licencing boolsheet by "gub'mints".