Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles barrel length for.264

I have yet another question about a rifle I have had given to me, it a browning safari grade in .264 win. mag. w/a 22" barrel.
Is that barrel long enough to get the most out of the round, and what can I do if it is not. I don't want to mess any thing up but I'd like to hunt with it and at least kill a deer or two.
After that it'll go into the safe. and stay there as a collector.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Get the most from the 264? Nope! You will need a 26" for that. Kill deer? No trouble, it`s still a 300 yd rifle with its 22" tube.

Now that sounds like a nice rig, according to my tests you'll lose about 120 fps totally by not having a 26" tube.

I haven't calculated it but I'd guess that much less speed at 400 yds will mean you're giving up about 1.5" or so to drop.

Me, I'd not worry about it one iota.

Dober

I never could figure why my Hornady and Nosler books show their tests were done with a 24" barrel for the .264WM. ?

thank-you for the responces

Dave

Get the 26. The 264 will achieve its best with a longer barrel. I am planning a custom sometime in the next 5yrs with a 28. I am a speed freak and love the light bullets. But this one is going to be for longer ranges. HAPPY HUNTING

Now if I was building I'd go 25", but I'd sure not fret one bit about going shorter.

Dober

300dave:

Here is another option to consider. I used to have one of the much-maligned 264 Featherweight Westerners. And it is true, with factory 140gr's or with 140gr handloads and slow burning powder (like H870), it was nothing more than a loud 270.

But according to the Sierra manual, IMR4350 was a very accurate powder for the cartridge (it still is, unless you want max velocities). I wound up with a 4350 load that pushed the 140gr SierraBT at a just about 3000fps. It was a mild load, plesant to shoot and accurate. I just thought of it as a super 25/06...and it was a deer killing machine. It would also push 120gr bullets at 3100fps without breathing hard or bursting your eardrums.

You are a lucky guy to have that rifle given to you. Hope you enjoy it and cherish it...they don't make 'em like that any more!

Keep us posted o your progress!

south,

No they don't I'm actually affraid to let it out of the safe for fear of putting the first mark on the stock, I really want to take it to eastern montana if I draw a tag I was think'en about something in the 120-125 grain range. but not sure yet.

Thanks for the responces guy's.
Dave

Dave: IMO the 125gr partition or maybe the new 130gr accubond at about 3050 to 3100 ought to be about perfect!

I would use the 130 AccuBond myself....I am having a 264WM made presently and it will have a 26 inch barrel on it...PacNor is doing the work...

As 300dave said he only wants to take one or two deer then make it a safe queen. The 22" bbl. will kill any amount of deer he wants to take. Why does everybody instantly want to suggest changes? I do not understand.

Haden't thought about the accubond but that is another to consider. While I'm not going to modify this rifle I may decide to build one to hunt with and the barrel length info is great.
I appreciate any and all advice and or comments

Thanks

Dave

I use the 130gr Accubond in my 264 and it's an awesome deer killin' bullet.

As the professional gun writer put it a 264 win mag with anything less than a 26" barrel is an excessive powder burning 270 winchester wich would still easily take game out to 500 yds if you can hit em out to 500 yds,but the thing that has always confused me about this situation is Ive always read that the 264 win mag has to have a 26" barrel to reach its full potential but the 7mm rem mag does not,and yet they are both the exact same case except one is 6.5mm and the other is 7mm and I almost never see a 7mm mag come with a 26" pipe nor do I ever see it written that a 7mm has to have one to reach the top............

You have a VERY nice rifle, Use it, enjoy it, kill a deer or two with it, and then sell it to ME!

Wow! A gifted Browning Safari in 264! Like the others mentioned the barrel length will reduce the velocity some but certainly not enough to make any real difference. If you handload you can tailor your load to your barrel. You should be able to get 6.5x284 or 6.5 Rem Mag velocities and that's a good place to be. Even if it "only" gave you 6.5x55 velocitites you're still good for any non-dangerous game on the planet. The beauty in the 6.5's in in their bullets, not their velocity. The 6.5's have long bearing surface bullets that penetrate great and with the modern technologies in bullet making, also expand and stay together. Don't worry about your barrel length, just find a good load and run with it.

I noticed some guys mentioned the 6.5 130 grain Accubond. If you need some and don't mind seconds, don't miss out on the seconds sale linked here:
http://www.shootersproshop.com/index.php?p=11&b=8&s=148&t=6.5mm

I ordered some last night for my 6.5x55 and 6.5x284. I hope they will open reliably at those velocities but the price was too good to pass up. If anyone has a load for the 130 AB for either of those chamberings they would like to share, share away!

You can shoot deer until the cows come home with it. You will not "get the most" out of it but so what. The 130 accubond and now Hornady has stepped up with a 129 Interbond as well. Either will make a great bullet in the 264.

8mmwapiti