264 Win Mag - Ammo Testing [I Love This Cartridge]

[@WHOTEEWHO]

25% OFF ARKEN optics with code: whoteewho

[@rogerf7265]

My dad had the original Model 70 Westerner.264 Win Mag that he bought in 1958. When I was a kid he took many Elk and Mule Deer with it and with hand loads he could shoot groups at 100 yards that you could cover with a quarter.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Awesome

[@warrenpolidori5541]

If someone would just reintroduce this cartridge as a 6.5 Win Mag, it would be an overnight success.

[@williamgaines9784]

Except for all the bashing of belted magnums.😒

[@PassivePortfolios]

Unfortunately for the 264, then 6.5 PRC rules the field nowadays. Everyone claims it is the best thing since sliced bread.

[@warrenpolidori5541]

@williamgaines9784 Agreed. Guess all that Weatherby stuff is crap too by those accounts. Hopefully if enough people ignore them, they'll go away.

[@warrenpolidori5541]

@@PassivePortfolios Even fresh bread gets moldy .

[@justahologram2230]

The 6.5 Western Mag, put an Ackley improved treatment on the case with a bit longer neck for higher BC bullets

[@Nottherealme223]

The funny thing is, those would have been considered fantastic groups back in the '90s when that rifle was built. Back then any factory rifle that could shoot under one MOA was something to brag to your buddies about.

[@larrysmith8728]

I have a 264 win mag with a 1917 eddystone Mauser action . I've had from back in the 80s I've taken a lot of deer with this rifle. I've always reloaded my ammo. I use 120 grain handloads that I worked up and it's supposed to get around 31 to 33 hundred feet per second. I've taken deer out to 400 yds with this rifle . With the 120 grain bullets . It had been always my favorite rifle. I have several other calibers to 300 win mag. I've taken deer with it to and 3006 and several of the Cal also have. But the 264 was always my favorite. You can really work up some good loads if you hand load at rifleman would hold good groups. I know my hunting rifles were sighted in at 200 yds. I enjoy watching your videos God bless you and your family. Larry Smith from Oklahoma. 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇸

[@BrandonKilby-r2z]

Unfortunately the 264 win mag needs to be hand loaded to really see what it can do. Get you some 127 LRX and some 7828ssc you will be impressed. Every time I take my model 70 to the range someone asks what it is and I tell them it's the 6.5 way more.

[@janjbowman]

In 1954 my father made his own 264 magnum Winchester rifle . He used to build custom rifles for a living . Pa pa is dead now and I’m 66 years old . I have memories . Pa pa sure loved to hunt . He sure loved his rifle .

[@Eggomania86]

The problem with the .264 win mag were the barrels. They were manufactured with a slow twist rate for a 6.5 the typical twist rate was 1 and 9" for the Win mag Said twist rate doesn't stabilize modern heavy for caliber boolits very well. Ergo your Bergers or ELD-X and LR Accubond. What you got with 140 gr bullets in ANY .264 Win is considered pretty damn accurate for the cartridge and barrel combination. They typically like 120gr or 130gr bullets and like to be driven hard. If you want a "modern" .264 Win you'll have to get it rebarrelled with a faster twist rate 1 and 8" or better. If you go that route I'd get a premium barrel for her. IE Bartlein or Brux. It would be cool to see what it does with high BC 150gr class bullets driving them hard. The .264 project might be a cool custom project if you want to go there.

[@Eric--zs6um]

Same for the .220 swift.

[@dalecarter5313]

The way the groups were stringing vertically, it makes me wonder if that ammo had some inconsistent velocities. It seems to be a good rifle, I think you just need a good handload to shoot thru it.

[@jimanderson1355]

Bought my first 264 Win. Mag in 1961, Browning Safari. Lots of pronghorn, big mulies and elk. Objectively, a 130 gr. In the 270 accomplishes everything the 264 does with much less powder and recoil. The 264 does beat the 270 for setting fire to grass two feet in front of the muzzle.

[@SOLDTONORM]

If you compressed the vertical deviation, the remainder would be amazing. I've never used a sled, but one of the best improvements was to run a bipod and rear bag while concentrating on consistent shoulder pressure or no shoulder pressure at all. That allows the rifle to absorb recoil consistently. I saw great improvement. Great vids.

[@travisnelson6137]

If you decide to do some handloading with that 264WIN feel free to message! I’ve been through a handful of 264WIN chambered rifles over the years. Happy to share what I’ve experienced.

[@Vixalicious101688]

Group it at 200 yards WhoTee, the .264 twist rate is not quite right with a 1:9 twist rate, group it at 200 yards and I bet that the groups are better than they are at 100 yards:-) I talked to an old timer about it and he said "the bullet needs time to settle down" try it and I bet it works😊

[@garyturner8898]

I know you are not 100% satisfied with the rifle's accuracy, at this point, but those sub-moa results are impressive. Part of the fun, although not inexpensive, is to find the right bullet to marry up with the barrel. My favorite rifle is a 264 Creedmoor, ok it is a 6.5 Creedmoor with a 1:8 twist. The rifle will shoot 0.5" moa with the Berger 156gr Extreme Outer Limits consistently. Those and the Hornady 143gr ELD-X match up great with my rig. Suggestion, when you thread the barrel, please consider tossing the nasty looking magazine and replace with a hinged floorplate. Cheers.

[@phillipbrandenburg2105]

When hand loading retumbo is a must in this cartridge also the with the 9 twist the 140 vld is your limit and you need to keep your velocity north of 3000 to stabilize well

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Sub moa is definitely great. Thank you. Witt Machine makes a great muzzle brake that is a "clamp on" if a guy doesn't want to alter a barrel for one reason or another. We have a couple of those and are quite pleased with them.

[@greasydot]

Best part is he is a veteran and they are american made.

[@mz6267]

If I remember correctly, the .264 Win Mag originally was spec’s with a stepped throat to match a specific 160 gr bullet that was also stepped. The rear portion of the bullet was full caliber, but the front portion was very slightly under and the chamber throat was cut to match this. I’d be very curious to know if your Remington rifle has this style of chamber throat. As I recall, hand loads could get potentially dangerous pressures if the bullet was seated out far enough to contact the narrow part of the throat. I was under the impression this is why factory loads for this cartridge now only use a 140gr bullet - because no one makes that original style of 160gr anymore.

[@jwhodson]

One thing i don’t hear you talk about much is what’s you like or dislike in a type of bullet. All copper, cup and core, vs bonded. At those speeds a cup and core bullet at even 150 yards is going to be morbidly efficient to say the least. I would love to see more comparisons on bullet types as well.

[@bowhuntrrl]

After 47 years of reloading I can tell you one thing with certainty, seldom if ever will your faster groups give you the best accuracy! Most of the time, a barrel will have a fps sweet spot, usually 200-300 fps down from the top. You have to choose either accuracy or speed with acceptable accuracy..

[@scottcooksey5284]

Exactly.

[@buckinthetree1233]

My experience has been exactly the same. My fastest load is never the most accurate.

[@johnbishop1911]

When I first started almost 30 years ago. Using Speer info, 2 grains down from max was the best groups. I did load some 178 Sierra matchkings in a 300 WM. The faster the better the groups. Finally settled on 2 grains over max. But that was a one off situation.

[@224valk4]

40 + years of loading has taught me that accuracy is usually best around 85-95% of max load! Working up new loads, I start at 80% and start my process

[@gregorysanders8937]

Wouldn't hurt to check/ torque the action screws. May help a little

[@owenschmidt8889]

Mine all loved 140grn partitions. Light switches on elk.

[@brettbeesleydisabledhunter2849]

You need to try some groups at 200 and even 300 yards. 6.5mm projectiles are long for caliber and sometimes they don’t settle and stabilise until a little further out. My 6.5-300 WBY shoots tighter groups at 200 than it does at 100.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Nice

[@lawrence9447]

I agree . Try any thing that shoots an inch or less at 300 yards. You may catch some loads that shot an inch at 100 shooting better at 300 than some loads that shot half an inch at a hundred

[@pascalfleury3829]

If i had a choice i would shoot flat base bullets inside 300 yards but they getting hard to fine everything is going high bc with boat tail.

[@greasydot]

I have kne that does that. It shoots dots at 200 and .750 at 100. Crazy how long it takes a bullet to go to sleep sometime.

[@chuckkulick8635]

Great video its a shame there isn't many good factory loads for that around my sendero loved sierra 140g btsp at 3200 fps but boy it made a mess of meat under 200 yds i used old H870 powder someone said it was made with 264 in mind. If you reload try retumbo or 869 thanks now u got to catch u some deers and hit da 1000 yd range all you need now is a 26 nozler to complete your 26 cal collection can't wait for the Winchester rifle any update go whootie

[@John-ld3hd]

121gr. Hammer bullet over some Reloader 26, and i was getting 3,500 fps with a 24 inch barrel. Amazing accuracy and SD's. Two problems, you can't go heavier i.e. longer bullets with the twist rate, and you can't find Reloader 26 anywhere.

[@ecleveland1]

You’ve got a solid sub MOA rifle with factory loads. You should definitely be able to tighten those groups up to half MOA or better with hand loads . Find your two nodes and hopefully that top one will give you the speed you’re looking for.

[@dannymcgriff5977]

.264 win mag is the parent cartridge to the 7mm rem mag both are belted magnums. I've resized 7mm rem mag brass to .264 win mag in a pinch. The .264 is not as popular because the twist rate is too slow to stabilize anything above about 140gr thats why the 6.5 creed and 6.5 prc are much better cartridges they have a faster twist rate to stabilize the projectile down range.

[@derekkightlinger3547]

I inherited my .264 feom dad and as a kid man if i wasnt sighted in 3 rounds id have to come back another time. Never missed a deer with it though. Absolutley love the rifle. All i can find anymore is remington corlok 140gr anymore...

[@kollinhomer3019]

might wanna check Choice Ammunition for some hand loads. im not a handloader but I've been buying their 6.5 PRC 143gr eldx loads and they are consistent right at 3000fps and ES of 34 and SD of 8 good ammo

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Thanks

[@davidandersen4218]

First, great video, big fan. However, opinions differ slightly. That rifle was made at a time when 1 minute of angle with factory ammunition was considered very exceptable. I own four of it's variants. Your example, appears to have the H.S. Precision Stock, not the Bell and Carson. Both are excellent. Almost 100% sure yours has the aluminum bedding block. I think you're getting fantastic groups with factory ammo. You're correct that Sendro is the cat's meow. May I suggest not loading the mag. Load the bullets single shot. The bolt may get a more consistent grab and lock on the case. Also, load the front of your lead sled up with some sandbags, and one over the center bar. Moreover, take your left hand away from the lead sled. Keep it on the table. You could try waiting the exact amount of time between each shot. Setting up flags between you the target(wind variation). Lastly, you could clean the rifle after shooting each brand of ammo;also, shooting a fowling shot before each group.

[@artaccordingtobear3919]

Can’t wait to see the hand load groups. Hope you do a couple different grains and test.

[@chrisevansgunshorsesranchi699]

It is amazing how our expiations have changed. I remember getting a 1 inch group and I thought I was really doing something. Today if we don't get a 1/2 inch we are disappointed. I think the gun is shooting great. When you start handloading you will find the load it likes. Great video

[@WHOTEEWHO]

👍👍 I definitely need to get the dies for it

[@christerhauknes6840]

The 264 win mag really shines when you handload or use factory ammo loaded with premium bullets.

[@greasydot]

My next build will be the 6.5/06. It 150 feet slower than the .264 but it uses a standard .308 bolt face and easier on the barrels.

[@buckinthetree1233]

I have some experience loading for a Sendaro in 7mm. It performs better with a little bit slower burning powder to take advantage of that long barrel.

[@joshnelson7580]

Model 700 VSSF II (Varmint Synthetic Stainless Fluted). Original version looks just like your 220 Swift. 2nd Gen had the polished barrel with the black filled flutes. VSSF made in the mid-late 90s and the VSSF2 was made early 2000s. I had one in .308 and .243. Great chuters!

[@74reddawg]

I know RL-26 is hard to find but if you can come up with any you can get impressive speed and accuracy out of it. I run a Barnes 127 LRX and a stiff load of RL-26 and it is amazing on whitetail. Good luck

[@williamgaines9784]

The first HSM ammo I ever bought was 44 mag with a 250gr wide flat nose, basically a steel silhouette load. They were the be$t priced 44 mag. ammo at the time(mid-80s), although a bit smokey. They also load for 220 Swift. 😉

[@sonnygay3597]

Good info as always my friend. I can’t wait to see more on this one with hand loads and a suppressor .

[@WHOTEEWHO]

You and me both!

[@codyvickers967]

you have to consider that in the 90s 1 MOA was still considered excellent accuracy. There were definitely rifles shooting half inch groups, I had a 300 Win Mag 700 that would stack bullets in the same hole, and it had a heavy sporter barrel. But that said, Pretty sure they only guaranteed an inch back then for a Sendero. you will tighten it up with hand loads though.

[@chriscunnane7596]

for people who hunt in WYO ,,used often for ANTELOPE

[@piwa1909]

The 264 win mag is nothing more than the copy of the German 6.5x68, only with a shorter twist, which allows the use of heavier bullets. Unfortunately, both calibers receive very little attention today, which I think is a shame, as they are ideal for hunting in the mountains, especially here in the Alps.

[@MarkWaldron-c2x]

Adam,since there are so few choices for factory ammo in this cartridge you may have to work up a hand load to achieve the results you are looking for.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Yup I plan on it

[@paulstoyek381]

Have you noticed the sloped cheek welds on some Vanguard models reduces the jaw slap from recoil..

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Haven't paid attention

[@catherinefarr3140]

Yeah, Ron Spomer said the poor old .265 Win Mag was trying to catch fire back in the day but then Remington released the 7mm Rem Mag and that was that. The two cartridges look identical to the eye.

[@sugargoldy]

Good video Adam when you start reloading your heads. Really gonna spin to try to get the perfect load.

[@PassivePortfolios]

Amazing that the 264 did not catch on. It had everything gong for it, flat trajectory, plenty of stopping power. Goes to show that what looks good on paper does not alway sell.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Also how much they spend on marketing

[@warrenpolidori5541]

WhoTee just stole my thunder. Remington did a better job of selling the virtues of the 7Rem Mag and the gun writers signed on to the barrel burner theory. It's really not much overbore than the 7 RM, but that was the selling line for the day sadly.

[@PassivePortfolios]

@@warrenpolidori5541 7 mm Rem Mag has a bit more stopping power for elk and that was the selling point. Plus the 264 cal. was relatively unknown to US shooters.

[@ecleveland1]

@@WHOTEEWHOYou just said more truth than many people realize. Slick marketing will do wonders in the shooting world. Especially back then when you could send all the magazine writers a new rifle caliber to write about.

[@GavinTurner-w6i]

Yep. I think the 7mm Remington Magnum, the 270 Winchester hurt it, gunwriters, and then just more people not being able to recognize a good thing. 264 Win Magnum has the power to take down about any game in North America with possible exception to the biggest bears. And even could take those likely if the shot was under 150 yards, and with the right bullets, and shot placement. ,

[@andymills6583]

Make sure your barrel is free floated and bed your action,should help with accuracy,wont hurt,as long as its done correctly

[@anoutdoorsmansjourney]

Love these .264 Win videos. Ron Spomer and Randy Selby “the real gunsmith” have done a few videos lately as well. I’m going to put a video together soon as well. Hope we can rejuvenates the 264 Win.

[@Frenchbroadcatman.]

Had the best luck with Hornady and Remington corelokt 140 grain bullets. If those fail hand load it's your only chance. Well make sure when you catch a deer with it it's beyond 100 yards or you will have deer soup

[@ryanharris6045]

That's pretty accurate for a 66 year old hunting cartridge that didn't have the benefit of Hornaday's ballistic experts or match grade components! Of course that Remington Sendero is an excellent launch pad. I am enjoying time traveling through the 20th century 😎

[@nathenfarmer5625]

Ur , thread the barrel and maybe trick out the stock, also you can push 200ft per second

[@phild9813]

Why wouldn’t you get it threaded? Very nice looking rifle, and one that groups that many under an inch shows extremely high potential!

[@keithchapmanii2406]

That's a bad ass round, wish they still made them. I've been looking at the 6.5-300 WBY.

[@BaFunGool]

Me too on 6.5-300 as a birthday gift for myself, leaning on 270 mag. as underrated.

[@CarlWilley-m6x]

Hey Adam, They make those gold country razor backs in .264 caliber!

[@NC-xk1eg]

Everytime I start to totally write off PPU it goes & impresses me.

[@CircleBrewery]

I reload ppu brass and somtimes I praise it sometimes I cuss it but at the end of the day it has held up through many firings 😊

[@bd65shooter]

Always wanted a m700 Sendero in 264wm. That way, I can retire my pre-64 M70 Westerner in 264wm.

[@terrywells4001]

Try floating the barrel As far as factory ammo REM corloc shoots the best I have a Remington Classic I bought in 1977 and I still hunt with the old man “”!

[@robertpeters41]

I watched a video about Changing Point of Impact when shooting from a bench to shooting prone off a back pack to shooting prone shooting off a bipod. Could you do a video like that to see if point of impact changes much for you?

[@tonyvogt6583]

Thanks for the Winchester 264 win mag video I found one and own it myself

[@janaesmailka2942]

I got a pre64 winchester 264 win. Hard to find ammo ive only found 140 grain remington but it did pretty well

[@philipfreeman72]

If you handload you can shoot 160 gr & 90 - 120 gr on the light side .

[@vcrudelejr]

Put some lead shot bags in the lead sled on the bench !!!

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

We need new guns in "Fast Twist" 264win mag! It's right in the ballpark for a perfect Medium Game rifle. For me anything that can throw a 130 to 150gr bullet at right around 3000fps or better is a perfect deer rifle.

[@thomaswall4285]

Yep with you on that!

[@heinrichstoltz1356]

Looks like handloading is going to be the solution. Or keep with the 6.5-Weatherby RPM for the hot-sauce.

[@5150miner]

The wind was moving your target while you were shooting and that throws where the bullet hits. But I like the rifle and I’m going to look in to one myself. Love your videos.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

The target was actually still.It was the camera that was moving

[@danfraser7479]

I believe Elmer Keith said, "only accuratee guns are interesting. Maybe Col. Wellen said that.

[@TheBlackScatPack]

I love learning about calibers I have absolutely no experience with/never heard of until now

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Appreciate you watching

[@robertrhodes4995]

I had one years ago and it like 120 corelocks but I reloaded them , it was fast

[@Ray-jk9gq]

Great round now bring back the 358 win a great deer round thats forgotten

[@gatorflea2788]

The .284 projectile is the king from way back !

[@kevinkerr2847]

The problem with the PPU is that it shot a 0.44”and a 1.5” group. Witch one is the fluke?

[@James30tchunter]

I got aTC pro Hunter custom barrel in 264Win Mag made by MGM

[@rgroller4683]

WhoteeWho The baby raccoons once again watching you shoot on that sled and wonder why you don't have any weight on it You're accuracy will improve or shoot it off sandbags. We the Raccoons have experienced similar things in accuracy!

[@jackbolen5001]

I’d have to tip my hat to the 6.5 PRC. But, looks like a fun cartridge to play with. You should see how fast you can push Barnes 100 gr TTSX 😂

[@paulharding1621]

Hand loads should give much better performance. Looking forward to your results.

[@shauncraig2872]

Hand loads make all the difference. Had a 264 built and shoot 140 grain VLD, wouldn't get rid of it for anything. PS...264 doesn't kick.

[@earlblackjackmartinjr5750]

Well I've wanted one for a long time but afraid of used gun an barrel burnout.

[@bradpriebe9218]

While I respect you want and appreciate extreme precision, how often are you going to be shooting at 1000 yards? My guess is you're not hunting very often beyond 400-500 which would mean a 3.6"-5" groups (or about the size of the palm of your hand) And shooting at 1000 yards you're likely gonna use something geared towards that and not just whatever hunting rifle is handy. Is it fun to stretch it out that far? I'm sure it is. You can also go racing in a rusty old pickup, but I'd bet you get better results in a new Corvette if you get my drift.

[@mattrenfroe1985]

so it's like the 30-06 up to the 300wm.

[@johngraham8865]

When are you going to start doing accuracy tests with your reloads? I just started reloading last year and it's been a fun and relaxing hobby. My problem is I shoot up all the stuff I reload, I need to start stocking up instead of having fun. I would love to see some videos on you developing your loads and going for awesome groups.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

I've done some recent videos on my handloads. Gotta keep up :)

[@johngraham8865]

@WHOTEEWHO I'm sorry, I watch all your videos. I must have just missed you saying that they were your reloads. What caliber were the videos about and I'll re-watch them.

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

I can tell that this was taken the same day that you had the 220 Swift out as well because of that cool pronghorn shirt. 👕 I know after doing hundreds of videos and seeing multiple rifles of different price ranges get 1/2 in groups that even sub moa makes you go uh hopefully 🤞🏻 this can do better. Most folks are not hunting at 1000 maybe 400-500 max so those will definitely work well. But for banging steel at 1000 one does strive for 1/2 in or better groups.

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Yup same shirt 🤣

[@ernvhalik3933]

Need to hand load that gun I have one it likes high speed 120 Barnes tsx boat tail. Load 20 thousand off lands using imr 4350 size of a dime group. Everything I point it at it hits dead on

[@TheCodyO]

Well to me that is very acceptable “consistent” accuracy in a magnum. I sure wouldn’t complain.

[@Jdelta22nc]

“That’s a hit” Those groups look a ok!

[@donmcdaniel4528]

The old super X had Sierra game king bullets In my mod 70 supergrade i seen 3200 constantly . Had Shepards counter sniper scope 1000 yards with No adjustments on turrets !! Put the circle on the shoulder of animal whe circle is full that was how far away the animal was and pull the trigger!!!

[@travischapin886]

When are you going to put some weight on that "LEAD" sled? That is why the tray is underneath.

[@chrishelms1967]

Always learning something here

[@Eric--zs6um]

Love the vids. That sled moving arond like that cant be helping the groups and the forend doesnt fit the front rest so well. Get a BR front rest and rear bags make a lot of difference. I know it cost ya alot of jack to do what you do. Just want you to get the best results for you and bing bangs. 👍 👍 👍

[@youdodat2]

Awesome stuff.

[@RMM--uv7uk]

Question for ya WTW?? Why don't you chronograph everything while you are doing group/ammo testing at the exact same time? Data is everything!!

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Too much hassle. Adding another element and camera and data into the mix also makes the editing and everything much more complicated. I already did a seperate video chronographing these.

[@forrestebert5276]

Adam if you want the most out of the 264 you’ll have to hand load your ammo.

[@michaelcollins5287]

I think part of the problem is your target is blowing around some, not a bunch but with what your trying for a tenth of an inch one and then the other is almost a quarter

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Target isn't moving. Camera was moving

[@toddoglesby9849]

Looks like it will have a bit of a kick.

[@johnwilburn8319]

They don't kick at all!

[@shawndavis1759]

put a ec-tuner on that thing

[@wasachevyguy]

Have you tried the Nosler Trophy Grade Accubond ammo?

[@WHOTEEWHO]

No

[@mattniedorf6601]

Do a review on a 26 nosler

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Working on it

[@dyouden]

Definitely a handloaders cartridge

[@thegrantdanielsband]

I would bet that if you put the 264 mag. against the 6.5 creedmoor at 1000 YRDs the Creedmoor would be more accurate as a matter of fact all ranges to 1000 YRDs. 🙂

[@christopherbishop4927]

Adam, was the PPU really 400fps slower?

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Yup. Video on it is up