Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 270 Wby or 264 Win Mag?

If you could have one or the other, which would it be? Let's say that it was going to be a custom rifle throated to your specifications (minimal freebore) and you planned on hand loading for it.

I've always wanted a 270 Wby but lately I have been giving some thought to the 264. Which way would you go?

Landrum

Love the .264, could always use another.

If I wanted a 270Wby, I would just build a 270WSM and eliminate expensive brass, a belted case and a longer action and still have the same ballistics. The .264 Win is a fine cartridge with a nice selection of bullets with high BC's. My pick would be the .264.

I`d go the 264 Winny as well.

For me, it would depend on the rifle. Both cartridges are different enough that they call out to me, but I would probably make my choice based on the rifle and not the cartridge.

Not quite
270 WSM is a little warmer then a regular 270 win .

If it were my choice it would be the 270WBY or the 257 WBY

264 Win Mag easy.

.264. Cheaper brass; better ammo availability

Brass cheaper yes but in a rifle I am going to shoot a hundred times a year makes no difference one way or another. Ammo lets see WW makes ammo for the 264 and I think it is one factory load at that. Federal,Hornady,Norma and Weatherby for the 270

Simple selection..............look at my handle.

IMO, the cartridges are so similar that it would simply be a matter of personal choice. I'm a Winchester-type guy...I like the 264. But neither you nor the critters would likely ever detect the difference in the field.

Tom, what kind of 264 do you own and what kind of velocity and accuracy are you getting from it? Thanks. I just don't know many people that own them.

OEH: My 264 shoots 125gr Partitions or 130AB's into very small groups with 7828 at 3300fps. It's a marvelous open country deer rifle.

I'm guessing you could do pretty much the same with a 270WM with 130gr Partitions or 130AB's.

I have both the Weatherby and a WSM, the WSM is lucky to come within 200fps of the Weatherby in equal length barrels.

I have had a Winchester XTR model 70 in .264 but at the time I didnt handload and only used factory fodder, right now I am having a .264 built by Kampfeld Customs....should be done in a few weeks and I will be using Barnes 130 grain TSX's. as far as powder I'm not sure yet.
Keep checking to see it.

Like I say I have not heard much about 264's other then what is written in magazines. I know Redneck owns a few and likes them a lot. Look forward to pictures of your new gun.

Yep, that is what my research has led me to as well. I do remember seeing a very misleading Winchester Ammo ad once that was comparing a 130 gr. WSM load to a WBY 140 gr. load and if I am not mistaken, the WBY was still slightly faster.

Landrum

I can run about 3300 with a 140gr TSX out of my 270Wby using RL22.
Not much faster than a 270WSM, honestly-but still a nice long range muley round in my limited experience.

Happy Birthday Tim...Cheers buddy!

These tow cartridges are about as similar as two cartridges could be. I love the WBY calibers and have a couple but here I would go 264 Win Mag for reasons I don't even know! Both are way cool and effective rounds. Can't go wrong with either, but you would surely go wrong with one of the new shortfats. Ick.

Hey Tim happy birthday buddy!

Thank you,Tom!

So what would be your choice here, the 270Roy or the 264Winny?
(grin)

Ha ha ha........................!

Cheers indeed!


How are you doing today, Sam?
Did you draw for any good hunts this year, by chance??

Happy birthday Tim!

I'd take the 270 btw.

Rem makes ammo for the.264 as well. I'm looking at it from the standpoint of being able to find it in stores. Most well stocked stores that I've been in carry .264, while fewer of them carry .270 roy. Not very scientific, I know, but that's where it's coming from.

Stores sell ammo? Wow! who knew! Never had to buy any so hence my surprise.

IMO, if you don't reload, the choice switches from 264 to 270WM. Neither the Winchester or the Rem 140gr are loaded to the cartridge's potential.

Trunuff.

Tim, things are good. Resting up for a 3:30AM trip to Miles City for a few days of work.

Only drew a 2nd choice pronghorn tag but it will be a great Fall regardless, I'm gettin' excited!

How about you?


And back to subject, the right 264 Win would be sweet!

Good to hear Sam.
I wasn't eligible for deer since I got picked and filled my tag last fall(Idaho only lets you draw every other year for deer and elk)
I will probably just do the open elk hunt in wolf country again.
Arrrgghhhh!!


I wish more folks chambered good rifles in the 264, I would like to try one sometime.

Tim, I bet one would make a bad ass wolf rifle!

I bet, imagine a 125 gr ballistic tip at around 3400fps?
Dead wolfie!!
The wolves are really getting out of hand around here, Sam.
(Ok, sorry, don't want to completely derail this thread)

Ain't no thang..

Talk to you later Tim.
(and you better get a 264 and try out the 125 on a wolf one of these days...I sure would like to try it)

A few years aago I would have said 264. I have one and love it. Shot 7 or 8 whitetails with 120 Xs and IMR 7828. Loaded up some 95 gr Vmaxes , shoots those well also.
However, the 270 Roy always intrigued me too. So I bought one a couple of years ago from a campfire member. I haven't shot it much yet. I'll hunt whitetails with it this year. I found 5 boxes of federal 130 partition loads for just over $20 a box.
Both of these rifles are win 70 classics. For the original poster, I think you need both, I did

A win 70 classic in 270Roy?
That would be nice!!

Happy Birthday Fart.


Oh, 264

I have never owned a 264, but it sounds like fun.
I think one would make a good companion to my 6.5X55.

More like make it obsolete. Better get you one!

I've owned both; good cartridges and my 264's all did about 3350 with the 120-125 gr bullets.The 270 Weatherby did about the same with 130 gr bullets. I've been told on here that I was not leaning on either of them hard enough.....maybe so.

I don't own either of them now because what possible advantage either has over a magnum capacity 7mm sort of escapes me...

I love the 264, have a nice M70 that really shoots. Also have experience w/ 270 Wby. It might be heresy, but I'd go w/ the Weatherby. Case capacity slightly more, I like the long neck better, factory ammo is first rate.

The only reason my 270 Wby hit the road is that particular rifle (Mk V) did not shoot as well as the 264 (a factor of the individual rifles, not the cartridge).

In handloading, I will tell you that the 264 is a bit finicky, and will print different loads to significantly different points of impact. Not a big deal for me, as I find the load I like and stick to it.

The 270 Roy . " Why not the best ? "

I guess it depends on your definition of "little," and how "warm" you load your 270 win. I have owned four different 270WSM's and two different 270Wby rifles. The only significant gain in velocity in the Wby was with 150 grain bullets, and that amounted to about 120fps. The one and only 270 Win I own shoots almost 300fps slower than the average of my 270WSM's using the same projectile. Sure, it's a small sample of 6-7 rifles, but the results are real. I understand that the WSM's are not a hot commodity on this forum, and I am not saying that they are the greatest thing since cold beer either. What I am saying is that it is possible for someone, not you specifically, to be biased, one way or the other, for certain rifles and/or cartridges, and that can end up misleading others who read the thread.

Just for information, here are my load results:

270 Win, 140 Accubond, 2984fps 22" bbl-1 gun average
270WSM, 140 Accubond, 3260 fps 24" bbl-4 gun average
270Wby, 140 TSX, 3275 fps 26" bbl-2 gun average

These were what I considered max in each rifle, and were final hunting loads with acceptable accuracy. No load is over published maximum.

With that aside, the .264 Win Mag still sounds like fun, and I would also like to try the .257 Wby.

Been shooting and developing the heck out of some handloads in my .264 Win Mag. I've never had a .270 Wby, but from what I hear, Weatherby/Norma actually load it to its potential. Factory Rem and Winchester is supposed to be nowhere close. I can get just under 3300 (more like 3275) with 140s, 3425 with 130 Accubonds, 3515 with 120 TTSXs, and 3800 with 100 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. However, 140 grain factory Power Points shoot 3200 in my gun, which has 27.5" barrel.
The accuracy load was 7828 and 100 gr Ballistic Tips. Shot 1/3 inch. Then screwed the gun up by making a longer throat-gained 75-100 fps, but lost some accuracy. Gonna try again this weekend.
There's my girl:

I personally wouldn't want to do that because some unsuspecting soul may inadvertenly fire a factory round in it! The factory Weeatherby ammo is high pressure stuff that needs the freebore.
So my picks in order would be the Weatherby with freebore, 270 WSM, 264 Win.

264 WM!!

Winchester made them in 270 and 300 roy in the early 90s I think. My 264 was bought new in 98. The only difference between these 2 is slighty different stock shape and finish.
They both have 26" bbls.

Nice looking rifle exBio, especially with that dead elk under it!

270 WBY
Nosler Factory Ammo
130 gr. BT 3450 FPS
130 GR. PT 3450 FPS
Weatherby 130 gr. X 3400 plus FPS
AMRA

After re-reading this thread:
I wouldn't mind having one of each-I love my 270Roy's, but have been intrigued by the idea of a 264 Winny for years.
Nevermind that they have serious overlap with each other as concerns capabilities.

That is certainly true!
However, I really like my 6.5X55(a Win classic FWT with a Mickey stock)-I don't ever see not having that rifle around and shooting it frequently.

I had the exact option and I chose the 264 WM. The Weatherby was a MK V Dlx and the Win was a M 70 XTR-unfired. I havent regretted my decision and doubt I ever will. Here is a pic from last years Kansas killing spree.



Joseph

I would go with the 270 Wea. I have experience with 3 MkVs in 270WM and all were superb shooters. A max load of R22 pushing 150 HDY FBILs at 3265 is heck on deer. The Wea factory ammo is very pricey, but loaded very well.

That said, I'd go with a 7RM before either of them. I have 3 in the safe right now, so I guess you could say I'm alittle biased

For me, these decisions tend to boil down to the bullets--are there bullets in either caliber that I am looking to use? I built a 6.5-284 because there are many neat .264 bullets that come from the use of that bore as the standard 300m ISU target caliber. By the same token, the .284 bullets have high BC. So for me, I have a lot more going on in .264 and .284 than in .277.

So I would choose the .264 Win. But if I had the hots for throwing the 110 TSX at about 3500 fps, then I would get the hots for the 270 Roy, short throated.

Neither cartridge is that popular. I would not want a short throated 270 Weatherby as then pressures might be high with factory loads and handloading data for that matter.

To me the Weatherby was about those inlays in the stocks, forend tips at an angle and the free bore to get a few FPS more. I prefer traditional rifles. I have a Westerner.

Wow, that's horribly gaudy.

I have owned and hunted with both. If you can shoot, both will do the same things. Flip a coin.

If you had to choose one on the "ammo availability" issue, which so often comes up, which would it be?

I would go with the .270 Roy. The barrel will last longer.

Either, both. Interesting responses so far.

I have owned and loaded for both,but never got to kill anything the few times I hunted with them.I liked them both but to be honest I could never see that either one did anything that couldn't be accomplished nicely with a garden variety 7mm Rem Mag.(which sort of makes sense because the 7RM buried both of them pretty much).

So, I sold them.

Both these cartridges were introduced before a common 7mm magnum was commercially available.

If choosing I would get a 264 simply because it comes in pre 64 M70's...although that Weatherby custom on the Mauser action posted above is pretty funky and cool.

My 270 Weatherby was pretty sweet....pre 64 action, Lilja barrel and Bansner stock...the guy who bought it from me said he might want to sell it back to me....but I dunno if I want it....I got a 7 Mashburn.It's better than all of them...

.264 Win Mag. Better Bullet Selection. Higher SD & BC. Enough Said

HELLO!! The threads from Aug - '09

270 Roy and when they are available going to try the 150grain Nosler Accubond Long Range

I did not have a .270 Wby in '09; I do now and I like it.

NOt much to dislike about it

+1 for the 270WBY. But as a youngster I lusted after my Dad's Weatherby and I later shot my first elk with this 270WBY.

+1

Anyone have played around with the 264wm in different bbl lengths to understand what you give up in this caliber through a 24" vs a 26"? I know the roys do better in the 26" and am curious what the data says about the 264.

I remain amazed that Weatherby is still around! What with those hippy type inlays in the sides of their stocks, the crazy freebore. They were and still are so California.

I have had an old .264 M70 Westerner for a long time however I prefer the 7mm magnums. Also the .270 WSM has caught on.

A lot of companies dabbled in inlays for a long time, Weatherby no longer does. Freebore was there for a purpose .They are still around because people buy their products DUH. Winchester unfortunately is no longer just in trademark. LOL

That freebore is a bitch, ain't it? It took me 2 different loads to break .3 MOA with a 7mm Wby. The first load could only get about .6 MOA. Savage_99 - thanks for the tidal wave of bullshit.

Here one that Karl Kampfeld built me back in 2009. I have never shot and it is just sitting in my safe, Karl has been the only one that ever has shot it and he said said it a constant small clover leaf shooter

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...mething_different_from_Karl_#Post3482656

'58,

I guess someone has asked you before but, why haven't you shot that beautiful rifle?

That's just a shame.

Yea that freebore is a beotch ROTFLMFAO

Because of my work I only return to the states maybe once (1-2 weeks) out of the year. It is like Christmas when I do return home as I continue to have rifles built and they are all waiting to big picked up at my FFL dealer. What time I do have they are pulled from my safe and displayed in my gum room for just enjoyment to see them out all at once. My kind of art museum!

Retirement is gonna be fun then!

Hope your Superannuation is geared around cheap reloading components....

I will have four beautiful customs waiting for me when I return next time. Cannot wait

I thought that this thread looked familiar.

I believe I decided on the 257 Wby.

So neither the 270 Wea nor the 264 Win Mag?

OP might have to consider the 26 nosler and a host of others if he were to go through the exercise again today, a decade later. By now he has probably worn out the barrel on his 257 wby; and andrews1958 has probably even had a chance to shoot his Kampfeld custom.
Always enlightening to read what Bob had to say on the subject. Others in the thread ... well, they are consistent!

I like reading Bob’s old posts too, I have 264’s, 270 Weatherby’s, 270 WSM’s, 7 Rem mags, throw them in a barrel, reach in, grab one, all great cartridges!

I had always hoped the .264 win would become more available. A friend of mine used one in the 80's and It performed exactly like my 270 wcf. We shot bull elk together, quite a few. I don't think I would like the long barrel these days.
The ,270 wsm & Weatherby need that long barrel.
I quit using the 25/06 for the same reason.

I'd take the .264 over the Wby every day and twice on Sunday.. FWIW..

The mid-caliber cartridge landscape has dramatically changed since this .264WinMag vs .270Wthby question was asked in 2009. The 6.5mm caliber has really taken off in popularity, and there is now a huge variety of bullets available. While a great caliber in its own right, the .270 cartridges haven't received near the same amount of developement.

Plus, with modern improvements in bullets and powders, the great-but-niche .264WinMag is now an absolutely outstanding cartridge for anything from antelope to elk.

Not to mention that, with the introduction of the 26 Nosler, the .264WinMag is no longer the king of high speed 6.5mm cartridges, giving the speed-obsessed shooter even more options to consider.

All JMHO.



Below is a Winchester M70 Extreme Weather in .264WM, bedded and with a 2.5lb Timney trigger:

That is good shooting!

Because? I'm interested in your reasoning.

“Minimal freebore”? Why bother with 270 Wby. It’s true colors and speed are based on generous freebore (like all Wby chambers) and ammo that is high pressure based on generous freebore. Changing those specs makes it only a hand loader at lower pressures. That’s what Wby is famous for, high pressure and enough freebore to use it. Nothing against it or the 264 WM in the field, but neither can outperform a 7mm Rem Mag down range and the 7mm can do it with 2-inches less barrel. Plus 7mm ammo can be found anywhere on the planet and hand load recipes and bullets abound beyond anything the other two offer. I suppose if it’s a choice between those two, 6.5mm is now the cats meow. If I chose a 270 Wby I would want the stock chamber, wouldn’t want someone loading Wby ammo in one that is not unless you want big problems. Only my opinion.

The Weatherby "freebore" was commonplace maybe thirty years ago, but with the advent of modern powders, it continues to be exaggerated. Completely agree on your 7 mag assessment.

The freebore used on a 270 Wby std chamber is 0.378”. That’s pretty significant compared to any std .277 chamber. Was just trying to notify OP if you go down the path of altering the std Wby chamber make sure the operator (may pass the rifle on someday) understands trying to use Wby ammo can present a danger.

I chose the 270 Wthby. I’m shooting the 129gr LRX at just under 3500fps and RL-22!

I love it ! Nothing wrong with a 264 Win Mag, but I’m a Weatherby guy!!

Elk Country

I have both and very much like both. Ammo and reloading can get expensive for both, but the factory offerings for both are relatively close in price, depending of bullet make and type.

What does enough freebore to use high pressure mean?

A friend has used a 264 for 35+ years and it has served him well. I would say it's a good calibre based on his results.

It is said that the freebore is how Weatherby's reach the higher velocities than the standard caliber counter parts. It is also said that most bullets are not long enough the reach the lands in weatherby chamberings, it also stated that if you were to remove the freebore then the pressures could or would increase to unsafe levels. Just my understanding of what I have read, in no way am I am expert. The actions are supposedly built to withstand the higher pressures than what the factory ammo is loaded at, but I am not sure that those specifications have ever been released.

I understand about Weatherby and freebore. I'm being a pain in the ass about technical terms.

Holy resurrection Batman!

.264 plus .013 equals .277. I don't think a critter in the world can tell the difference.

It's the 264 hands down for far better bullets, and brass all over the place. No it does not have to say 264 on the headstamp. It works just as well if it left the factory with a .284 neck.

Mine runs the 130 AB at 3300 fps with magnum and a CCI 250.

Check the speeds with similar bullets - they're nearly the same. Also, the brass for the .264WM is a bunch cheaper to obtain than the Wby.. Last - I'm not a fan of the (usually) large freebore that Wby rounds have..

Only caveat re: the .264 is the rather short throat - however, 5 minutes with a throater can change that minor beef..

JMHO...

You can say that again, this frickin thread is over 10 years old!

still, there are some interesting comments in it.

It is indeed a timeless question.