Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting .264 Win Mag Loads for Elk...

Son In Law is headed west in a month for CO second rifle. Wants to take a Post 64 push feed chambered .264 WM. Looking to work up a load. Available bullets that I think fit the need are 130gr NAB's, 140gr NAB's and 160gr Woodleighs. All three seem to carry roughly same energy to 500 yards. My inclination is to have him start with the 130's and work up until he finds an accurate load. Any first hand experience with above mentioned bullets or appropriate powders for .264 WM + elk would be appreciated !

During my short run w the 264WM has it perking nicely w H1000

The 140gr NAB worked very well on a cow out of my Creedmoor last year, I can't imagine that a 264 WM with the same bullet would do any worse.

IIRC about 1995 I loaded up some 160 gr Woodleigh bullets with 7828 powder for a buds 264 WM, I remember him shooting through better than three feet of bull elk in Colorado, don't remember the velocity though.

Hesp will be along shortly to sing the praises of the magical 264 bore and proclaim the superiority of mono's. Not to mention the vast experience and storytelling abilities...

I am taking my 264 Win Mag along for elk this fall myself. I am using Retumbo and the 140 grain Accubonds. I did a little load work with mine and it seemed to shape up pretty quick.

Checked some speeds and found a couple spots it looked like I had a node or two.



69.3 looked pretty decent at 100.



I sunk them .010" deeper and took it out to 250 to see what it would do..



I was still getting a little 2-1 action happening so I sunk them another .010 for a total of .080" from the lands.

I reshot the load at 100 with a new scope on top and shanked one, but felt like all was good. So I adjusted my zero for what should have been about 3" high at 100 yards



Then I took it back to 400 yards and shot this one.



The load came together pretty quickly, but the rifle has always shot 140 Accubonds real well, but I wanted to switch from RL25 to Retumbo. I put an EDGE filled stock on the rifle and it handles pretty nicely now.

Nice always liked the .264..

125 or 140gr Nosler Partition

Me & mine have been taking elk for many years now, We have used just about every brand & type of bullet. Starting about 1991 we went to the Barnes 120 gr X. Later transitioned to the Barnes 6.5 120 gr TSX. At this point we find Alliant Rel 33 to give the best velocity. We drive the Barnes 120gr TSX safely in our rifles ( 26" Bbl ) to 3468 fps. We have never recovered one of these bullets. Always complete penetration even thru heavy bone. I have my own 500yd range here on my place & we shoot regularly. If you try this bullet I believe you will understand it's capability. Using other 6.5's such as the 260 Rem & 6.5x55 with this same 120gr TSX we have also take many elk with them. Always a complete pass thru. We have used many different powders like H-1000, IMR-7828. Vit.24N41 & others. Rel 33 has always produced the highest velocity with any bullet tried up the 140gr. What ever bullet you use I highly recommend Rel 33.

Am I fugking clairvoyant, or what?

For 140 gr and above, I'd use US869.

Nosler 142 ABLR pushed by RE 33, around 74-77 gr depending on your case. In my Mod. 70 win I'm getting 3225-3250 fairly consistently with sub-.5" groups when I do my part at the bench. Took a nice, older 5x5 with it with complete pass-through both shoulders.

869 is a favorite in the 26 Nosler and my stand by choice, along with 872, which is about a clone.

I'd probably stick with RL-33 with140's in the 264, seems to be a favorite.

Do you have 264 WM 869 data?

DF

I use 130AB with RL33 in my .264. I have not seen enough killing difference between it and a 140 to warrant making a change from it. Lots of posts on here regarding the .264 and RL33.
If I was starting from scratch for an elk load I might start with 140's. I wasn't so I stuck with what worked for me.

I’m shooting the 140 Partitions with Retumbo at max in my Sako. I’m shooting the 140 Accubonds with Retumbo at max in my Sendero. I found the WLR primer tightened my groups up vs the CCI primer. The .264 Win Mag is awesome. I’ve got three antelope and two mule deer tags to fill in Wyoming and Colorado in the next few weeks.

Orion2000,

My 264 load is with the 130 grain Swift Scirocco II and a shovel full of Retumbo ( out of my 26" barrel about 3325 fps). The Accubonds or any reasonably tough bullet will do the trick. Just remember that in the 264 you will need a slow powder to make it preform and in the 264 the old standby H-4831 is not a slow powder.

8mmwapiti

Have you tried RL-33?

DF

Short awnser is YES. I was just reading some old Threads and there is one about a rifle Shawn Carlock built for a lady in 260rem and she took a nice elk at over 600yds with a 140g AMAX.

I know its not a popular show here but if you ever watch the best of the west they take elk at sick ranges with the 140g Berger all the time shot out of a 6.5x284 so with the speed you are getting in your 264win it should be a no brainer.

My 6.5-284 shoots the 140 VLD at 3K fps over a good load of RL-17. Everything so far is DRT, Accuracy out of the Kreiger 26" barrel is half inch.

DF