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264 win mag for elk?

gbett100 said:
All good advice, so 140-156 grain bullets will be inaccurate out of a 1:9 twist barrel? No chance of tuning those?

Seems like a lot of wasted cartridge space in the 264 win mag with max load of 57.0 for a 140 grain bullet and 79.0 grains of space overall. Have you worked up to loading above max loads? How does this affect the rifle?

Thanks.
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That is the problem with the 6.5 that are way over bore. They build pressure before you utilize all the case capacity. 26 Nosler is an example of a case that can't reach its potential, poor design IMO. As other said you will have a tough time finding a 140 gr long range style bullet that will work in a 1/9 twist. Look into 129 LRAB, 130 AB or a partition. They will stabile and kill elk. I've killed 3 elk with the 129 LRAB.
 
You can still run 140's in a 9 twist without issue, even VLD type bullets. Though the 264 Win Mag wouldn't be my first choice for elk, it will work. As others have said, careful bullet choice and careful shot placement are the keys to making it work. The good old 140 Nosler Partition is the bullet I would use. You should be able to run it around 3100 with Retumbo.

Book data for the 264 Win Mag is of very poor quality. If you follow book data, your Win Mag will run about like a 6.5x55. Better to go old school and load for the 264 like it is a wildcat cartridge. Use a good chronograph and watch for pressure signs. My experience with the 264 is that it likes to run 140's between 3100 and 3150ish with Retumbo. The resulting load is typically pretty mild and well below max.
 
lancetkenyon said:
I would not even consider the 156 Berger with a 1:9" twist. Berger states "1:8" minimum", minimum being key. There is a difference between "minimum" and "optimal". I run a 1:7.5" for the 156 in two rifles, and they are accurate as heck a LONG ways out there.

With a 1:9", I would be loading a 130-135 at blistering speeds. But, I would also not shoot this combo for elk. Deer and pronghorn slayer though.

Just my opinion.
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I agree! I'm happy with the 156 in 1:8 twist on 6.5-284 & 1:8 6.5 Sherman. I have two 1:7.5 on my 6.5 SS and am putting two 1:7.5s on my pending 264 wm " bucket list" build. My reamer for this build is set up for the 157 and should be shipped soon.

Will the tighter twist be an improvement over 1:8? I don't know, but who knows what bullet might be on drawing board in the future.
 
Whitetails45 said:
Just like the title says is it a good choice. I know there are better bigger options but this is my rifle I am most familiar with.
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100% a 264 win mag will get it done. 140gr ish bullet or mono.

We dropped 2 cow elk last season with 6.5x55 shooting Berger 135gr Classic Hunters at about 180yrds. Your 264 has a fair amount more horsepower than my 6.5x55 especially with the loads I was shooting. My 257 weatherby has also put down a cow elk at about 260yrds with 115gr Bergers.

Just make sure to use a good bullet and place it well.
 
gbett100 said:
Just curious, are you loading the 156's anywhere near or over the max load? I am getting a 264 with 1:9 twist barrel and plan to reload for it.
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If you are carrying a 12lb rifle and want to kill elk out to 900yds, get a 375 RUM and shoot 350g bullets which will give you about 2600 ft.lb energy a 900yds.
 
Years ago - there was a time when the ole 30.30 probably had killed more elk than all other rounds/calibers put together. That drove a 170 grain soft nose bullet a measly 2,150 fps - but was lethal in the right place. Shorter distances for sure - 150 yards max ? - but it put 'em down if hit in the vitals.
 
Whitetails45 said:
Just like the title says is it a good choice. I know there are better bigger options but this is my rifle I am most familiar with.
Click to expand...

Excellent choice !! Get a reliable bullet that expands predictably and you'll have a great hunt. I hope you get a world class monster.
264 win mag is one of the forgotten rounds that is really great . Like the 270 win.
 
Will Gray said:
If you are carrying a 12lb rifle and want to kill elk out to 900yds, get a 375 RUM and shoot 350g bullets which will give you about 2600 ft.lb energy a 900yds.
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A 338 rum gives more energy than that, my 24" .338 NM sending 270 gr badland bulldozers (.803 G1 bc) at 2840 fps has 2712 ft lbs at 900. However, that is at the high elevation I hunt elk at, if you ran the numbers for a 375 rum w/350 at the same elevation, it very well may outrun it, I am unsure. I haven't compared, I just know the numbers for my set up. But if you could get the same energy and likely less drift and drop than the 375 rum, with significantly less recoil, the .338 makes more sense. Jumping up to the bigger cases like the 37 xc and up is really where the 375 steps away for sure though.

I digress. Sorry for derailing......now about that .264 win mag!!! If you don't mind a different headstamped brass, I suggest snatching up some ADG 7 mag brass, works good after simply running it through the die, and is the best brass available for the .264 wm at this time, in my opinion.
 
My uncle used the .264 Magnum to harvest elk in Utah over several seasons. I know he used Sierra bullets but don't remember whether they were the 130 gr or the 140 gr expanding bullets.

My father teased him about the "needle bore" compared to his .375 H&H Magnum. Got to admit that .264 Magnum was an effective game harvester!
 

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