Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .264 barrel life latest news

Actualy I did a shoot where there were over 1000 per square mile. I have never seen anything like it. I worked my rear off till the beans were up enough to quit. It was every evening for nearly 2 months. There are several hots spots like that in the Lincoln/Franklin and Moore county boarder area. There are few good food sources and when the farmers put in 4000-5000 acres of beans every deer within 10 miles knows about it. How did the accubonds shoot for you? reflex264

The 264 is a cartridge I stayed away from for years, but I gotta admit that I was wrong. I've grown to like it a great deal after playing with 2 or 3 of them. It is a very easy cartridge to find accurate loads for; only issue I noted is that you gotta sneak up on top loads carefully as an extra grain of powder will jump velocities a LOT, IME. I can't speak of barrel life cause I have not fired them enough, but I've burned out,can't remember how many 7 rem mags; seem to last a couple thousand rounds, IME.

Side issue: The flattest shooting bullet I've fired from the 7 Rem Mag was (is) the 150 Swift Scirrocco. It started at about 3160-3180 from my old Douglas and I zeroed 3" high at 100. Went back to 400 yards with it; it was only about 5" low. Mid range at 200 was 5- 6",so I zeroed 2 up at 100 and things got normal. IME it SEEMS to be a full MOA flatter than anything else I've shot in a hunting bullet. Should be a great deer load, but I only used it on one coyote.Like to see some others try it and report back.

Hey BobinNH. I would like to know a bit more about your 7mag load with the 150 Swift. What barrel length and which powder. Thanks, reflex264

Reflex: Barrel was a 24" Douglas on a M70 action that had been blueprinted by Gene Simillion; I bought the action from a friend in Idaho and he got the action barreled up for me.Rifle weighed 7 3/4 all up in a Bansner stock.

Load was the 150 Swift Sc'o, WW brass, fed 215, 68-H4831 (the standard stuff). I chronographed it a few times and it always did 3160-3180, thereabouts. I was really surprised at how flat and accurate it was at long range, considering the velocity,while fast, is not THAT fast in comparison to some stuff today.Scope was a Leup 2.5-8 mounted in LOW rings.

Standard practice for mule deer hunts is a 3'+ zero at 100 yds.,with a 1403250. With the 150 Sc'o I had to CAREFULLY zero only 2"high. This put me POA at 300 yards and about 8-9" low at 400. If I zeroed 3" up at 100, I was too high at midrange. Hope this helped.

BOB

Post above; typo! should read 3 INCHES up at 100 yds. Sorry.

Thanks. Good info. reflex264

A few more shots through the .264. Groups are still huntable. I am already doing some planning for the next .264. If I go back with the encore I am thinking a bull barrel for the next one and 27" instead of 26". I have a buddy who is a rifle builder and have been kicking around having him build one. He built one for his personal use that is one of the most awesome rifles that I have ever shot and he can easily build a twin to it. Here is his:

When the tube is gone and ready for Croak City Wyoming do me a favor and try this experiment.

Take your gun to the range, along with a hack saw and take off an inch and then clock and an inch and then clock. Then get back to us and report your findings.

I've taken quite a few tubes and did b4 and after testing, never a .264 though. I would be big time astounded if you came even remotely close to losing 200 fps by going from 26 down to 24. I'd be for betting it'll be very very close to 65-75 fps at tops.

Just a thought and I would be curious to hear what you find out.

I've got a buddy who's 6/06 tube is about toast and we're gonna do the same thing to it.

Thx

Dober

Bret-a big time welcome to the "Fire", glad to see you around. Look forward to your input on things around here. Sorry we didn't have time to chat at Gentry's funeral.

Dober

ps-give me a call and we'll grab lunch one of these days and talk about turning you from a 6/5 nut into a 06 Improved nut (what I call a .270...grins)

Didn't have to do any shots over 350 yards this year but on the 300+ yard shots it was business as usual. I figure at the present rate it will probably need replacement after 750 to 1000 more shots but a far cry from some of the claims of burnout in 150 to 500 shots. It is done shooting .25" groups but .50" are still in reach. It has been an interesting journey and around 100 deer kills now between the 2 rifles. reflex264[/quote]

Just curious, how many of the 100 deer were past 300 yds? The furthest you had to shoot? Where do you hunt?

Just curious, how many of the 100 deer were past 300 yds? The furthest you had to shoot? Where do you hunt?[/quote]


Most of the shots with the .264 have been past 300 yards. The first couple of years most were in the 400 yard range. Farthest kill was 620 yards. I specifically carry the .264 for the depredation control shoots where shots like this are common. In the shorter fields Where 300 yards is the upper limit I carry what ever tickles my fancy that day. I even use 45-70s, .444s and .450 marlins in those fields. We shoot some fields over a mlie long and in those use the .264s. I use satalite photos of the fields to determine entry points and safe shooting directions then set up accordingly. This is in Southern TN. reflex264

Just came in from shooting it after a long break. 1/2" group. I have another custom .264 from my gunbuilding buddy here right now that is going to be another monster. He is building it for a customer and I get to do work ups for it. crop sniping starts shortly and I am trying to get everything ready. reflex264

I know every barrel is a sample of one but I would love to see if the ultra bore coat would do anything to mitigate the throat erosion.

HALF INCH GROUP!

Sure that's not an exaggeration.

We know better don't we.

Keep this thread going btw...

As long as this barrel is still going I will keep it up. I am planning on shooting two new loads in it tomorrow to see what happens.reflex264

I may try that on the next one. I keep trying to convince myself that this one has had it then I shoot it again and loose my excuse. reflex264

Reflex264 where abouts in southern TN are you at. I'm in Lawrenceburg 38464. Thanks

Kaleb

My gunsmith here in Dallas built a 6.5STW for a gent last year,his loads were 100 gr. bullet,he said he chronoed them at 4016fps..I was so impressed he's building me 1 now.I want to shoot around 120 gr. bullet when he gets mine done,we're going to load and test several bullets to see what performs the best.
I bought a Rem Sendero 2 last year in the 264mag caliber and really like it for deer and hogs.We loaded it using the Hornady 129gr. SST'S and it shoots lights out.He reworked the action,pillar and glass bedded it,reworked the crown,adjusted the trigger to 2lbs.,added Gentry muzzle break,Kampfeld Custom fluted the bolt and added Hunter bolt knob and Cerakoted the flutes matte black to match the barrel.THE 264 IS A GREAT CALIBER.

Flintville 37335

I am quite familier with Lawrenceberg. We used to go to the drag strip over there pretty often when it was open for racing. reflex264

crittergetter-try tetra gun with a bore snake. My .264 bore has seasoned usign the stuff and hardly leaves copper in the barrel now where it used to coat it in 10-15 shots. The 6.5 STW treat the same way. I am glad this generation seems to have finally appreciated this fine cartridge. reflex264