Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .264 Win mag barrel life

I read online that the 7mm Rem mag will give twice the barrel life of a .264 Win mag. I find that hard to believe but what is the life expectancy of a .264? I'm interested in getting a new model 70 in .264 and want to know what to expect.

Moosemike, I bought a Ruger Varmint tang safety, douglas barrel 220 swift the year after they came out! 2K rounds later it was still shooting 3/4 inch using Hornady custom 55 gr ammo, Last year I bought a 59 mod 70 that had not been fired since it left the Winchester Factory, I do not hot rod it and I can only hope at 60 years old I can burn the barrel out! Go for it and forget all the BS you read vis barrel life! very best WinPoor

Thanks Winpoor. I'm not a hotrodder either but I am wondering if the .264 is really twice as hard on barrels as a 7 Rem mag.

Moosemike,

I had it explained to me once that I should hope to live long enough or shoot enough to actually wear a barrel out. I am possibly going to see my old 220 Swift need a new barrel someday. Not yet but maybe someday.

You can shorten a barrel's life by hot loads and rapid fire but the average shooter, using standard loads and reasonable care should never have to worry about shooting out the barrel of even a 264.

For what it's worth, I think the idea of a 264 burning up a barrel any faster than a 7 mag is bunk.

It's a great round and on my short list for upcoming builds.

Mart

I've burned out a number of barrels, but part of it is what defines burned-out. I generally replace barrels on prairie dog rifles when they'll no longer put 10 shots in an inch or less, as fast as I can fire the rifle, but am more lenient with big game rifles.

My first .264 was a pre-'64 Model 70 Westerner that a local rancher had owned for a LONG time, and he'd used it to shoot a lot of coyotes, deer and elk, and probably some other stuff as well. Have no idea of the round count when I acquired the rifle there was some gator-skin in the throat, but it would still group three shots into less than an inch with several loads. When I sold it a few years later it still shot the same way, despite having been used to test a bunch of loads and shoot some animals.

Right now I have a 26 Nosler that's had around 150 rounds through it, some the result of 5-round groups shot as fast as I can aim carefully off the bench. There's just the tiniest hint of erosion at the very front edge of the chamber, a LONG way from the rifling, and from my experience with other rifles am guessing accurate barrel life will be over 1000 rounds--as long as I don't shoot too many of those 5-round groups, which were required by a magazine for an article. Would assume a .264's barrel life would be somewhat longer.

For most hunters, the most barrel wear will be working up load(s). After that, those kinda rifles generally aren't shot that much, should last a lifetime with that level of use.

With some of the Fire membership, however, that barrel may last only a few months...

DF

Because barrels vary, a generalization based on experience can only be made.

I have burned them out in 1000 rounds and have a limping .30/06 that will only shoot 2 bullets now and thinks it is a shotgun when loaded with anything else. That rifle has around 4-5000 rounds through it.

Because the .264 case volume approximates the small Weatherby's from .257-7mm, the 7mm Remington and others and the bore diameter fits somewhere in the middle, I would estimate 1000-1500 rounds with combination hunting and recreational bench shooting and if shot only as a hunting rifle, up to double that.


John

I just cannot understand why people are still worried about burning out a .264WM. People have this preconceived notion that .264WMs are fire-breathers with a limited time frame of shootability...yet NO ONE ever thinks twice about the .257 Weatherby (same case capacity and slightly smaller bore). Would it not be as bad or worse than the .264?

Shoot it, have fun, and IF you burn the barrel out, replace it and get back at it...then brag to your friends that you shot a rifle enough to actually burn one out cuz most people will never do it.

They are great at so much that barrel life shouldn't be a factor, accuracy, ballistics and the lack of any real recoil makes them the perfect rifle, and with todays quality bullets like Nosler's ballistic tips and accubond's I would say the 264
Win Mag is the perfect American rifle.

War Eagle,
I'm under no illusions about the .257 Weatherby mag. I've owned one and I'm told they are good for about a thousand rounds.

I found an article on the 264 WM by Joseph von Benedikt. In it he states,

"Hard on barrels? Yes�historically. With today�s improved barrel steels, slower-burning propellants, and improved cleaning solvents, it is not the throat-toaster it was reputed to be. Still, reasonable maximum-accuracy life expectancy is around 700 to 1,000 rounds."

So, a "throat-toaster" is about 500 rounds? LOL

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three pre-64 Model 70 Westerners that belong to friends who are avid hand loaders and hunters. All three use the .264 Win Mag as their primary big-game cartridge and all of three of them shoot a lot, every year. Only one of those rifles was bought used (about 20 years ago) and none of them have had to be re-barreled.

My memory is rusty but when the 264 got its rep for toasting barrels, seems to me that came from those who used it for 'varminting' at long range. At any rate it was those shooting the 264s fairly quick or rapidly for longer periods of time.

IMO the average hunter would not wear out a barrel in a lifetime of prepping for and hunting.

If you get addicted to long range target shooting , that's another story.

I replaced the barrel on one of my .264 at about 1500 rounds.. It still shot good, but the throat was shot out so it could be seen with the naked eye.. I liked the .264 and have given thought to getting another in maybe a 700 or model 70. But with 2 7 mags. in the safe, I see little point.. I need to be finding homes for the ones I have when I can not longer hunt, or drop dead.

One of my dad's friends used a 264WM for groundhogs in PA for years, some of the farmers asked him not to shoot close to their houses because the noise was startling as heck. I believe the only barrels that I have seen get worn were on M60 machineguns when in the USArmy.

MM: Cooking barrels is something not to sweat. They are disposable goods like bullets. If it wears out you just get another one.

Buy what you like and don't worry about the 264.

I got 2500 rounds from the original barrel on a blued Win 70 classic in 264. The rifle had been capable of five into 1 moa with several loads early in its life. At 2500 rounds it started copper fouling very badly, very quickly, as in three rounds.

It would shoot two within 1/2 moa, the third about 1.5 moa out, and the next four or five would create a shotgun like pattern.

Spend an hour scrubbing the bore with Sweet's and it would do it all over again.

So, anyway, that is when I knew the barrel was toast.

I had not been kind to the barrel. I shot high velocity strings quite often doing load development. I over heated the barrel on many occasions.

I sincerely doubt that a 7 Rem mag would have given any where near twice the life with similar abuse.

IS: When they're gone, they're gone. Time to screw on a new one..

Finally changed my Remington 721 264WM barrel in 2010 which I have been shooting since 1963 But not because it was bad just because I wanted a 30" barrel. I abused it a lot over the years with 85 and 100gr bullets at max load. Its my favorite cartridge. Low recoil and hard hitting. In the new barrel I have hit 3100fps with 160gr Woodleigh bullets and am still testing loads.

Absolutely!

The folks at Pac-Nor are great.

My wife has a little plate with the saying, "If you're lucky enough to live in the mountains, then you're lucky enough." I believe that sediment could be paraphrased here.

"If you're lucky enough to shoot enough to wear out a barrel then you're lucky enough."

Mart

I have a 7mm Rem mag and it is a stout kicker. I can shoot it well but it gets to me halfway through a box of ammo. I used to have a .257 Roy and it was a pussycat to shoot. I miss that but I really want a nice model 70. For my taste in rifles the model 70 is perfect. So I figure the .264 would give me back a lot of the things I liked about the .257 Weatherby. And thanks to your posts on here, I'm not going to worry about the barrel life.

Well its a hunting cartridge for shooting Big Game, out side of developing a load or two, how much are you going to shoot it? a few dozen shots a year? There are less expensive cartridge to shoot for range practice. I shoot a 7mm RM these days, for my pre season practice, I hunt squirrels with a 22, I can shoot 40 of them for a seasons limit, I try to do it will a box of 50 cartridges or less, head shots only, best tune up for hunting big game that I know of and good eats and fly tying material for my trout fishing to boot, a win win!

I shoot my guns way more than that. I don't own many guns so the ones I do have get used hard. I get to the range every week at least once. Just had the .338 at the range a couple hours ago. If and when I get a .264 it will be shot at least a hundred times a year.

I have one with well over 2000 shots on it that is semi retired but still shoots 1/2" groups. I have another one that probably has at least that mnany on it that shoots better than that. reflex264

Is there something you do differently like maybe back off your handloads a little or shoot heavier bullets that you get such good barrel life?

Maybe he doesn't have a borescope...

IME, barrels can show pretty much throat erosion and still shoot great.

DF

I started using tetra gun bore conditioner on it. When I first got the barrel had so much copper fowling in it within a few shots that it would go nuts. I read a post on a benchrest forum where a gent was having problems very similar to mine. He cleaned the bore with CR-10 them used a bore snake coated with tetra gun. Usualy about 3 strokes with the snake. A couple of shots to burn the excess tetra then about 20 shots followed by the bore snake. After a while the copper quick sticking. I had a thread on here about the hole thing if it is still here I will pull up a link.
*
Maybe he doesn't have a borescope...
Nope if I need one of my gunsmith buddies will deal with it.

here you go

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2288973/1

The 264 makes a heck of a squirrel rifle with a 100 gr ballistic tip at 3100 fps using a relatively fast powder.

And it will not accelerate barrel erosion much if fired at a sensible rate.

But the 95gr Vmax with 72grs H4830 is a lot more fun.

Maybe, but back when the 264WM was brought out, 2 factory loads were listed a 100 gr at 3700 fps and the 140 gr at 3200fps. The 100 in both WW and the RP 100 were full dia. bullets loaded hot and I'd bet my last dime they are what gave the 264 it's barrel burner rep. Both the WW and RP 140 gr bullets were 2 dia and loaded to pressures that are acceptable. Reduced bearing surface, reduced wear. When the barrel is gone put on another, it's just part of the price you pay to play. BTW neither WW or RP offer the 100 gr loads anymore. I never found any WW 100gr ones to try but the RP 100's shot well in my 700 Ltd Classic 264. A full dose of H870 and Fed 215's gives me 3000 fps with 140 NPT's and no problem killing any deer/antelope but no deader than 129 gr Hornady interlocks loaded easily to 3100 fps do.It's not the name or the rep., if you hot rod anything it just lasts less time period. Good luck MM

Sometimes one comes across a rare pebble of truth...

I have shot ALOT in my reloading career... And I can't recall that I've ever totally toasted a barrel. I've had two M-700's in .264 that I wasn't happy with for one reason or another... that went down the road! I now own two others. One, an FN Mauser with a 22" bbl, and a Factory Wby Vanguard w/24" bbl. And I'm working on a Pre '64 M-70 to arrive soon...

I've always figured that few shooters REALLY shoot out a barrel. Most just rebarrel because they want something different; i.e: new caliber, longer barrel, heavier, lighter, etc...

And besides, todays barrel steel is likely much better that it was 50 yrs ago...

A few more thoughts:

Let's say the barrel on the factory Model 70 the OP is thinking about goes 1000 rounds before accuracy isn't acceptable anymore. (My experience is the typical .264 will last longer, but let's just say 1000. It might last twice as long.)

At that point it can be sent back to the factory for another barrel at a price far less than the typical $500-$600 "custom" barrel. Or it could be sent to E.R. Shaw and rebarreled for around $300, and in my experience Shaw barrels shoot better than all but the best factor barrels.

At that point the shooter has already spent over $400 in components, plus whatever cleaning supplies. Yet for some reason some shooters are worried about having to spend MAYBE that much more to replace the barrel.

Good points. I never really thought about sending a shot out rifle back to the manufacturer for rebarrel, but it makes sense.

I've talked to several of them about it, and it's always a really good deal, especially since the will normally match the contour of the old one. But all I've talked to only rebarrel to the original chambering--which in your case isn't a problem.

I first started inquiring about factory rebarreling maybe 10-12 years ago, and Ruger was only charging $75! The price has gone up since then.

My old Hodgdon book shows 87gr speer with 73gr H4831 at 3812fps and 100gr hornady with 71gr at 3680fps. It also shows a 77gr norma bullet with 73gr h4831 at 3899fps. The old H570 works best with the heaver bullets as I have a 3shot average at 3095fps with the 160gr Woodleigh PPSN with one over 3100fps.The H4830 was a type o and should have been h4831.

What appeals to me about the .264 WM is that it enables you to hunt all the same game animals as a .30-06, but with greater range and less recoil to boot.

I had the same reservations about barrel life when I first bought my 264WM. However, after discovering much that has been discussed here about re-barreling, whether sending back to the factory or buying an aftermarket barrel, I decided to shoot and be merry. A 264WM can be re-tubed just as easy as a 30-06.

264wm I am finally going to get to try some of the old H570 I scored a pound for $5 a the last gun show it looks to be in perfect condition, I also have a copy of Hodgon#22.

Moosemike if you put a 26" barrel on an 06 it turns in some very respectable velocities and with the larger powder charges in a 264 you have about the same recoil levels. Mag Man

Have fun I have 3,lbs of H570 and still testing loads with it. I loaded some 130gr JLK VDL bullets with it and just need the weather to cooperate.

If you have never burned out a barrel, you haven't lived.