If this is your first .264 rodeo, familiarize yourself with the cartridge's origins regarding Winchester's "workaround" toward Weatherby's freebore concept. (Original Winchester factory loadings employed "dual-diameter" bullets: the forward portion of the body of the bullet was of slightly less diameter than the rear portion, creating "freebore" without it being incorporated into the chamber of the gun.)
This allowed Winchester to compete more favorably with Weatherby in the velocity arena, reducing pressures just as Weatherby's freebore does and thereby allowing for higher velocities than might otherwise be obtained.
For the modern-day newcomers to the cartridge, lacking this knowledge can produce a minor amount of frustration on the loading bench and behind the chronograph as one tries to duplicate velocities claimed by Winchester. (Dual-diameter bullets are not garden-variety items easily...if at all...available). My solution with my first try was to have the throat of the Ruger 77 Anniversary gun extended a bit by the same 'smith (a .264 fanatic) that enlightened me to Winchester's witchcraft. The racehorse was allowed to run. The cows came home.
My more recent rifle is a Remington 700 Classic. I have not taken it to the doctor, and therefore expected a bit less out of it from the start and therefore am not disappointed. After an entire summer toward load development I arrived here:
130gr Accubond
71.0gr Ramshot Magnum
Federal GM215M
W-W case
3220fps (Chrono)
As Jack O'Connor surmised, only slightly better than a .270 (apples to apples here regarding bullet weight) and not so much that any Mule Deer would notice. The four I have shot with it had no discernibly different look on their face.
