Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 264 Win Mag

Give me your best loads and experiences - decided to dip my toes in the 6.5 magnum world.

Will it really outperform my 6.5x55 by a noticeable margin?

I’ve mainly used Retumbo and RL25 for 140’s at 3200 in my 264 Win Mag. It’s probably about 300+ FPS over my Swede with the same bullets. But my 264 has 4” more barrel than the Swede does and weighs a skosh more.

I like the old 264 myself. Didn’t really find it picky at all during a few different load work ups if I was using the powders slow enough to make speed.

570, RL33, Magnum, H1000, Retumbo, RL25 and 26, etc all make great speed from it with 140’s.

I load 57 grains of IMR 4350 with a 140 ballistic tip for the two Sako’s I have. They both have 26” barrels, both sub inch with that load. That load was sub inch in a pre-64 model 70 also. I load a lot of IMR 4350, my favorite powder. It’s usually 30 degrees to 70 where I hunt. I don’t have to worry about temperature sensitivity.

I have H4350, H4831 and RL26 available for powder, Berger 140 hunting VLD, 125 Partitions and 142 SMK.

A buddy has one, a Bartlein or Brux barreled M70, and loads AA MagPro for his best velocity and accuracy w/156 EOL Bergers @ 2900.

H4831 might not be a barn burner but it should be good for 3050-3100 with the 140's and work well with the 125's as well.

RL26 looks like your go to and I'd bet you'll get great speed and usually good accuracy with any bullet weight in the 264.

What rifle did you get?

A new production M70 Super Grade - we won't talk about the wood....

HA! Alright..

They are pretty nice rifles anyway, nice wood just makes them nicer to look at during periods of slow action!

264 Win.MAG has been the sleeper for way to many years its an excellent fast cartridge ,probably the one problem i have seen is wrong barrel twist should have been 1-8 or less ? when Mule Deer chimes in he is the 24 HR. CAMPFIRE help expert and more. and no 6.5x55 Swede is a great cartridge but its not as fast as 264 Win. mag.

If you’re limited to those powders, don’t waste your time.
Your .264 will perform just like your 6.5X55

The .264 demands the slowest burning powders.

H1000 ?
Magpro ?

MagPro, Ramshot Magnum, R33, Retumbo, Maybe event Ramshot LRT, all assuming you're going to be shooting 140+gn projectiles of course.

I will disagree regarding RL26 and H4831 as being a waste of time, especially with the 125 Partitions and H4831 combination and RL26 with the 140’s.

I will agree that slow powders work well in the 264, yet there’s a limit as to how slow.

I used to shoot IMR7828 and 120 gr Barnes X bullets in mine. Also shot H870 with 140 gr partitions. Last time around I shot IMR8133 with 140 gr accubonds. A fun varmint load is the 95 Hornady V max with RL19.
Of the OP's powder choices, I would try RL26

While the 264 does benefit from slower powders the statement that it would be just like the 6.5x55 is hyperbole.

Mathman, I totally agree. Even with powders that don't get the fastest velocities, the .264 is not a belted, oversize 6.5x55!

I've played extensively with two over the years, the first a genuine pre-'64 Model 70 Westerner with the original 26", 1-9 twist barrel and the second a special run of Ruger Hawkeye stainless/synthetic with a 24", 1-8 twist barrel.

The Model 70 came along before some of today's newer powders appeared, but its best load with 140-grain bullets (which I prefer in the .264) was 69.0 grains Ramshot Magnum, for 3225 fps and sub-MOA accuracy. With the 130-grain Barnes TSX the best load was 66.5 Accurate Magpro, for 3311 fps and similar accuracy.

In the Ruger the best loads were the 130-grain Nosler AccuBond and 70.0 grains of Ramshot Magnum, for 3256 fps and groups averaging around .6 inch; the 140-grain bullets the powder charge that got the fastest velocities was 63.5 grains of RL-25 for around 3100 fps, and sub-MOA accuracy with several bullets.

But if I didn't have those powders would certainly be willing to experiment with what the OP has, especially H4831 and RL-26 with 140s, and H4350 with lighter bullets.

3200 with 120-130 grain bullets isn’t 3200+ with 140 grainers.

3200 with the light bullets is certainly attainable one of the powders the OP has.

I’ve done extensive testing with eight different powders in the 264 Winchester and just about every 6.5 bullet manufactured. If you want to get 3200 to 3300 ft./s with a 140 grain class bullet, you’ll need to be using the slowest powders available.

Find some RL-33 or N570

Velocity trued to 3230 at 1 mile.





550 yard group at development. Velocity 3100 trued at 1 mile

US869 is what I settled on - and it's right there at the bottom of the burn rate chart.

80 gr with push a 130 gr TGK to 3,300 fps
77 gr gets to 3,100 fps with 139-143 gr bullets

Elevation? Temps?