Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .264 WM vs 7mm Rem Mag

It always amazes me where threads end up leading on the campfire!

I got a chuckle out of this, and here's why: A close friend I've known since we were second graders comes into town every now and then. His mother still likes to put on a big dinner for the family. She "adopted" me years ago and so I get a call to the big dinner when it happens. When my friend's uncle is there he and my friend's father often wind up talking about how quick/fast cars used to be and how today's cars just don't run like that. Never mind that my friend's bone stock sports sedan parked right there in the driveway would destroy any regular production muscle car (and some special ones too), let alone the older stuff they're stuck on. We always just look at each other and say "notions".

To me, the 264 in some cool old pre-64 Winchester for standard hunting, syn stocks, twisty scopes with fast twist barrels and long pointy bullets for hunting/shooting a max range, 7mm Magnum.

Make my 7mm the Mashburn, but I do like my 264 Win. Doesn’t give up much to the 7’s with 140’s at 3150-3200...

LOL, The Mashburn will get it done Buddy, got a dead coyote laying up there at 566 yards shot at daybreak thirty this morning, he was feasting on the dead pig shot in the same spot last weekend, only took 9 minutes to get that 160gr NAB to his a$$! ; ]

Nice! That’s a great shot buddy! That’ll build some confidence

Yessir, no wind, but held a tetch left for drift, nailed that sombitch, heard the bullet whack through my ear plugs, maybe another will be by at dusk to survey the damages. im watching.

That’s excellent stuff! Hopefully the AB was “tough” enough

LOL, it were, betting that thump I heard was mostly made up of the bullet hitting the dirt bank exiting the coyote, I sent ya a pic of the buffet setting.

The question was addressed with the first and second posts. The rest is due to not many hunting seasons being open yet and the usual drivel. Please forgive me for my own inane posts which were merely for amusement.

Wait till you put one in a bull!

Regarding the 264 win mag. I have read on several occasions that the original factory load with the 140 gr bullet was using a double diameter bullet. The idea was to minimize bearing surface to mitigate pressures.

Not aware of any double diameter bullets used today. VLD style bullets tend to have a short bearing surface, which might explain how some are getting higher than published velocities with their 264 Win mag. Might be hard to prove as the majority of handloaders are not using a strain gauge to verify pressures.

Tejano - Yes, I know that. Just amused at the responses and how these things go, but it all is entertaining nonetheless. No need for apologies! I appreciate everyone's interest and comments.

Then you are not paying attention to detail, Remington factory 140 gr loads are still 2 diameter bullets in the 264 Mag ammo and you might not believe it but they use the same bullet in their 140 gr bullet loading of their factory 6.5 Creedmoor ammo. Winchester still uses the 140 gr 2 diameter Power Point in their factory loads. Your second sentence is on the money, plus the Westerner had a 26" barrel, after that the short barrel whiners screwed up the 3200 fps possibilities. There are several bullet suppliers who still sell the 2 diameter 140 gr .264" Corelokt as a component by the 100 ,Black Hills Shooter supply? MB

Azshooter - Yes, you're right about the two diameter bullets. I've got some old Winchester bullets for reloading as well as some Winchester loaded factory ammo, both from the early/mid 1960s, that are the two diameter bullets. I've also heard tell that some of Winchester's current 264 WM factory loaded ammo uses similar two diameter bullets but have yet to actually put my hands on any, so I'm not sure that tale is true. I did locate some two diameter bullets in .264 a few years ago sold by Midway and supposedly made by Remington that are Corelokts. I just recently tried them and to say they were inaccurate would be an understatement. 3-5" "groups" at 100 yards was what I achieved. I suspect they were poorly made and are unbalanced (sort of like the shooter!).

You may be right about the newer VLD bullets and shorter bearing surface yielding higher velocities. I've shied away from them since I'm working with a pre64 Westerner that has the slower twist so thought the longer bullets might not stabilize. Maybe I should give them a try and see how they do.

Thanks for that info, Magnum Bob! I did not know all of that concerning the two diameter bullet still being offered in so many places. In your experience, how have these two diameter bullets performed for you? How about the VLD bullets in a slower (older rifle) twist barrel? Thanks!

An OP's question is just the kick-off. Life would be boring if topics never evolved.

The 2 diameter Corelokt in .264" was not Remingtons only use of this design both the 150 & 175 gr Corelokts for the 7 mm Rem Mag are of this design. test1328 I never got that bad of groups with My M700 Ltd Classic but they are not tack drivers either. When you think of 50 to 60% of a bullets length running on top the lands and the rest in the grooves at those kind of velocities, it's sort of amazing you really never hear anyone bitching about lack of accuracy? MB

test1328,

I have tested a bunch if different bullets in a pair of .264's, one an original M70 Westerner with a 26" 1-9 twist barrel, and the other a recent Ruger Hawkeye with a 24" 1-8 twist barrel. Had zero problems getting any bullet (including 140 Berger VLD's) to stabilize here in southwestern Montana at around 4000 feet above sea level. Had the same experience with a 1-9 twist 6.5-06 I had for a while around a decade ago, where the 140 VLD was the most accurate bullet.

I doubt you'd have any difficulties in Colorado.

My 9 twist Classic has shot 140 Berger’s and older Amaxs just fine at near see level. Both shot quite well actually.

These look like 2 diameter bullets as well.