Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A .264 Win Mag question for JB

JB,
I am very sure you remember my addiction to .264 Win Mag rifles so I am asking you this question in all seriousness. I want to drive a 110gr Barnes banded solid bullet at 2950FPS. However, I am unable to find any load data for any of the common powders in that range and I don't want to create pressure problems by decreasing the loads beyond what would be safe. I suspect that maybe a powder like H4895 is what I would want to use to accomplish this but I am not sure this is correct or where to begin as I have never done any reduced loads before. Can I get a little help on this from you to include a starting point? Both of my .264 Win Mags have 26" barrels. Thank You for any Pointers that you can provide me with on this project.

Flower Child

If it helps as an indicaton, Speer's reloading manual shows a reduced charge for their 120gr SP with 4198 and a magnum primer.

21.0 gr / 1,760 fps
23.0 gr / 1,932 fps

BBerg

Sorry for the confusion! I had miss read 1,950 fps, not the 2,950 fps you are looking for.

My apologies.

BBerg

I would like to see if my method is considered a safe practice.

I look at cast bullet loads and then starting loads for jacketed bullets and when I see the same powder used for both assume that it is flexible enough for reduced loads.

With none to little .264 data I would check the most similar rounds, in this case the 7mm Rem mag has cast and reduced loads shown for I3031, I4064, I4895, and I4759 in the Lyman Manual #47. Reduce accordingly for the smaller bore.

My assumption is if it is shown for both cast bullet loads and low starting loads for jacketed bullets then it should be safe for your purposes.

For the 7mm I came up with a load of 3031 at around 40gr. and a 120 Sierra for a turkey load. Shoots to the same point of impact as the hunting loads at 100 yds. The only negative affect is that some carbon deposits will form on the neck due to low pressure, but not enough to be a problem.

Barnes number 2 manual shows these following starting loads:

26" barrel

100gr
IMR 4064 49.0 3135
IMR 4350 53.0 3134

120gr
IMR 4064 47.0 2864
IMR 4350 51.5 2881

These aught to help you get close to 2950 in the 110gr

The closest data I have is some old IMR Dupont data. Shows a maximum loads w/ IMR 4895, not H4895. For a 100 gr. Sierra, it's 51.5 grs. for 3295 fps. For the 140 gr. Sierra GK, it's 45.5 gr.s for 2715 fps. E

Being of a curious nature I would like to know what you have in mind for such a bullet at that velocity?

My guess--and this is only a guess, based on looking at several references--is that a charge of H4895 or IMR4895 in the of around 48 grains would come close. It should be enough to be safe, as generally a charge of either 4895 of at last 60% of the case capacity will work without surprises.

You might try asking Barnes, though. I'll bet they have some data that might work.

I'm also very curious?

Flower Child,
I had thought I might find some load records for the 120 gr Barnes X which would point you in the right direction.

But I have only one listing in my record books for the 264 and 120 gr X bullet. Fifteen years ago, I loaded the 120 X over 64 gr of H4831 for a velocity of 3260 fps.



Hodgdon's #26 manual shows a 100 gr bullet loaded to 2970 fps over 49 gr of H4895 as a minimum load.



I would heed Mule Deer's advice as to a starting load. A couple shots over a Chrony would have you at your target velocity in short order.

I would like to hear your results.