What about the 264 WM?

[huntsman22]

You will never see a 264wm holding it's own in competitive shooting..

There is more to life than 'competitive shooting'. For putting meat in the pot, the 264 still works. And even at long range....

 

[toddc]

There is more to life than 'competitive shooting'. For putting meat in the pot, the 264 still works. And even at long range....

Valid observation. However, keep in mind that a 6.5X47 will also "Put meat in the pot" AND be competitive. A 264 won't do BOTH.
I don't consider ANY 6.5 round to be a good 1k game rig anyway. The Creed class rigs will carry 1k of energy to 800 or so. This is a great place to cut them off on game no matter the launch velocity. 6.5s need to rely on accuracy to be effective quite a bit more than the bigger stuff.
The high velocity 6.5s are great under 500 for the trajectory and will do well out to 1k but that's really only 200 yds MAX extra range.
The 6.5 is just too little usable frontal area, weight and energy at longer ranges, no matter the launch velocity.
1st deer I ever killed past 1k was with a 264 back in 1982 or so. Now I prefer a larger rig for those distances. 264 is a great 800 yd rig but that's all for me even though I have done it.

 

[huntsman22]

everyone has one...... an opinion, I mean.

 

[Greyfox]

Re: What about the 264 WM

blackaj, 'accuracy' is relative, and 'long range' is relative to this.
But I don't consider 1moa to be accurate at any distance.

Complicated or simple, the truth is that nothing is free. Everything falls into a balance.
Can you think of one 'free gain' in this realm?
Truly, the best you can do will always be a best balance.

You can't add a bunch of chamber area and powder to that which is otherwise accurate -without prices paid for it.
The 6.5x47L is accurate, flat out. And with it, you could technically drop any American game with brain shots at distance. But for 140gr bullets(best in 26cal), it's a bit slow, wind drift is still up there.
Bump up capacity 8grH20 to 260AI, and you improve the whole game(to mid node).
But bump the capacity another 10gr to 6.5x284 and things unravel a little. With this you have to pay prices. Great brass still, but it don't last given chamber area, and accurate barrel life drops to ~1200rnds. It is also not as accurate as it is downloaded to the most accurate ~3kfps node (better covered by 6.5x47L & 260AI) for 1/2moa results. This, because higher nodes are not as accurate. Basically, it's too big for cal and has faded from competitive favor.
Bump capacity another 14gr to 264wm, and you're left bragging of viable 1moa in accuracy. You won't sustain 1/2 moa like a 6.5x284, or 3/8 moa like a 260AI, or 1/4moa like a 6.5x47L. There is absolutely nothing 'inherently accurate' about it.
Nothing good about it's brass, case design, chamber area, sizing requirements, barrel life, recoil, or muzzle pressures. You will never see a 264wm holding it's own in competitive shooting.

I know many hunters put destructive potential ahead of accuracy.
But I'm sure fewer will follow this in the future. They'll buy new guns here & there chambered in better cartridges. They'll get used to easier accuracy, and be less tolerant to bad balances of the past.

Mike, I agree with many of your points, but I also believe think that while your comments about inherent accuracy "might" be accurate in theory, the large number of factors effecting accuracy are so many that it makes the theory meaningless in actual practice. While I am a dedicated 6.5x284 shooter, I have had experience with the 264WM and can assure you that while it may not be the most efficient cartridge, (as is the case with many magnums), it will deliver increased velocity and sub .5MOA accuracy. Yes, it will use more powder, have more blast and recoil, and shorter barrel/case life, but these are trade offs that are generally understood and accepted. The requirements of the shooter are always balanced against the trade offs , but sustainable accuracy is not one that I have experienced with the 264WM in properly designed load and barrel/chamber. IMO.

 

[Mikecr]

There is more to life than 'competitive shooting'. For putting meat in the pot, the 264 still works. And even at long range....

I agree.
My center is actually about reloading & what I observe with competition holds a direct relationship with reloading.
My priorities depart from competitive in that I put accuracy above precision.
My priorities depart from most hunters in that I put accuracy above power.
My reloading perspectives are about accuracy. That is, cold bore, sustainable, real world field accuracy -that all leads back to reloading.

GA Precision is putting out a 6.5saum, and given it's delivered accuracy, it's very popular.
But GA Precision has not proved it's a good cartridge. What they've proved is that they can put out a 1/2moa production gun even with both hands tied behind their backs. And I believe they could do so with a 264wm(they send em out the door).
But they could also have done it with 260AI, and if they had, they would likely be shopping for another facility to cover orders by now. The Lapua brass difference alone would have doubled their orders. That difference is SUSTAINABLE accuracy -vs - delivered accuracy.
Reloading

 

[toddc]

everyone has one...... an opinion, I mean.

Not all opinions come from those who have used the cartridge for nearly 40 yrs and have killed hundreds of critters with them and burned off 15 or so barrels. Very few OPINIONS have that backing them.
I've had a 6.5 Creed, 260, Ultra, 6.5-300WM, 6.5x7, 6.5 PPC, 264WM, 6.5 WSSM, 6.5x55AI and been around many others. All great deer rigs. However , at 1k there isn't a TON of difference between them. The BC of the bullet is what makes the 6.5 what it is, not it's launch velocity.
Great rigs out to 800, after that I'm a 338 kinda guy.

 

[LoneTraveler]

In 1958 when Winchester brought out the First Standard length action magnums they chose 338 Win Mag. and 264 Win. Mag. Being the first factory .338 cartridge, and the bullet companies jumped on with a big selection of bullets the 338 WM became a chosen caliber for Big game. and set the bar for bigger .338's like the 340 Weatherby, 338 Lapua and 338 wildcats.
The 264 WM was advertised as a Varmit Rifle with 100 gr. bullets at around 3700 FPS. And 140 Gr. at 3200 FPS. as a long range deer antelope rifle. Using the 100 gr. bullet with large charges of available powder mainly cheap surplus H 4831 was a barrel burner for sure. As a varmit round it was too noisy for use around populated areas. I had a 264 WM about 1967. Got run off by every farmer I hunted on if I brought the 264 WM instead of my 243 Win. So it went down the road.

 

[toddc]

In 1958 when Winchester brought out the First Standard length action magnums they chose 338 Win Mag. and 264 Win. Mag. Being the first factory .338 cartridge, and the bullet companies jumped on with a big selection of bullets the 338 WM became a chosen caliber for Big game. and set the bar for bigger .338's like the 340 Weatherby, 338 Lapua and 338 wildcats.
The 264 WM was advertised as a Varmit Rifle with 100 gr. bullets at around 3700 FPS. And 140 Gr. at 3200 FPS. as a long range deer antelope rifle. Using the 100 gr. bullet with large charges of available powder mainly cheap surplus H 4831 was a barrel burner for sure. As a varmit round it was too noisy for use around populated areas. I had a 264 WM about 1967. Got run off by every farmer I hunted on if I brought the 264 WM instead of my 243 Win. So it went down the road.

A 100 gr was a pretty good pre-laser deer load as well. Shot sorta.......flat.

 

[RT2506]

I have one of those old boxes of Remington 264 Win mag 100 gr laser beams in my collection.

 

[WildRose]

There's a lot of talk out there about the 6.5's but the 264 Win mag never seems to be in the discussion.

It seems to me that a 6.5 capable of launching a 140 VLD at speeds around 3100-3200 would be getting more attention, especially with cheap available brass.

I know nothing about the 264 WM, are there any real disadvantages when compared to some of the popular 6.5's? Or is it just a boring old belted magnum that lacks mystique...

I really am curious, and would appreciate some info on this round.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the .264wm. It just got overshadowed by the 7mm RM and got some bad press early on as a "barrel burner".

If you have a quality barrel and shoot one sensibly it will last you a very long time.

Very few people will every shoot anything beyond the ranges or at animals the .264wm can't handle well.