Those in the know.

[Harter66]

Before I even ask the correct answer is just buy the right stuff and be done with it.

The situation is that my Dad has aquired a 264 WM. Now I don't want to spend buckets of money for 3 boxes of jacketed since I've already laid out for dies and made brass. Can I get buy to just shoot it to see if he wants to keep it sizing a27-130 FP to (arbitrarily) 268 or should I just eat it and buy a 260-120 and patch it up knowing that there WILL be at least 1 25cal in the future.

I guess what bugs me most is that I can get a couple of sizers and use what is on hand or buy a mould and a sizer for just a little more than those 3 boxes of jacketed.

So if it were your shoes which socks would you put on?

[Tatume]

I'd ask for someone here to trade a handful of correct cast bullets for some sort of return favor. If I had a mold for that caliber I volunteer to send some bullets to you.

[GhostHawk]

A Figure out how much he (and you) are likely to shoot it in the next year.

B If it isn't over 50-60 rounds I'd buy the 3 boxes of ammo and wait and see.

I have 3 pistols in the house, I don't reload for any of them, yet.
I did buy some ammo so I'd have something to shoot.

For the Springfield 1911 I did pick up over 70 once fired brass on my last trip to the range.
So it looks like it is going to be first on the list. I have accumulated 100 rounds of 9mm for my buddy's 9mm barretta which he keeps here.
That will be second. Last is likely to be the 7.62x25 CZ-52 that if its lucky gets one clip fired through it once a year. Plus finding "Those" brass casings is hard work. So more than likely it is last on the list.

All of it is held in limbo waiting for a semi decent pistol powder, and primers. It looks like some of the shotgun/pistol ammo is starting to trickle into the market so I'll hold for a week or 3 and see what happens.

Question, has anyone ever loaded .445 round lead balls in a .45 acp? They appear to be a touch small but I'm just looking for some reduced loads for plinking. Frankly that Springfield 1911 scares the **** out of me. It BARKS. Seems you need a firm grip on both the family jewels and the pistol to fire it.

[Garyshome]

I would head to the local lgs and pick up some boolits, load em and shoot em, get a mold later. It's almost hunting time!

[Leslie Sapp]

Well, I know what forum I'm on, but I have to say I haven't had the nerve to try boolits through our .264. It has been done, though.

I will venture to suggest that if you can lay your hands on some 130gr Nosler Accubonds and load them up over some h-1000, they will kill most anything you can hit for a long, long, long, way.

[Harter66]

Tatume,
Thanks. The biggest problem is that the gun and me are not together. I appreciate the would be offer.

Sadly my LGSs are 75-140 miles . I did check them out and there's no love there. I just can't choke down over a buck a bullet , but there are several Barnes flavors available.

[runfiverun]

hornady makes a couple of nice 6.5 bullets.

[Blackwater]

I've bought several rifles that allegedly "would't group," that turned out to be great shooters when I found a load they wanted. If you don't give that rifle a good wringing out, like at least 100 rds., it may mean nothing more than that you didn't try the right load. Practically speaking at least, every rifle has one or more recipes that will sing like a canary if you can just FIND that load. I've never had a .264 WM, but a buddy has, and it became his go-to gun for long range situations. VERY accurate! BUT ..... and this can be said of many, many rifles, he didn't find that load until after he'd tested four different bullets and several different powders. One he had "the load," though, it was sweetness and light thereafter. A few shots "just to see" isn't much of an effort, and if you're not willing or able to give it that, you'll never really know what it's capable of. I have a new .280 Rem. custom Mauser that I have to wring out, and I'm VERY familiar with the expense these days of what is needed, but like the bank robber in "Dirty Harry," I "gots ta' know," so I just ordered 4 boxes of Hornady 139 SST's. That's $100+ today and they're on sale at Midsouth! Shootin' just ain't cheap any more, and neither I nor anyone else I know is happy about it, but .... it's the price we have to pay, or just get left out now. Color me chagrinned and angry, but at least I'll have something to shoot! Have some other bullets I've had for my grandson's 7/08, but the 130's are what I want it to shoot. Am waiting on them to see if I get what I want, or whether I'll have to try another bullet, powder, etc. [sigh]

[DeanWinchester]

hornady makes a couple of nice 6.5 bullets.

YEs, the SST will do nicely!

[Char-Gar]

The answer depends on what your Dad wants the rifle to do. A 264 WM is a flat shooting high velocity round for shooting critters way out there. If that is what it will be used for go jacketed. If the purpose is to target shoot and plink critters at shorter range go cast.

[HangFireW8]

I don't know if it's still going on, but Hornady often offers free bullets with an equipment purchase. At least you'll have something left when you're done.

[Harter66]

I know too well about finding THE load/s. I have this 06'. ......

It'didn't be easier if it were my rifle and there was a little more permanence in the tone .......

[John Boy]

Cast Bullets
http://montanabulletworks.com/264_Rifle.html

Jackets

Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
100 gr (6 g) Nosler Ballistic Tip	3,510 ft/s (1,070 m/s)	2,735 ft·lbf (3,708 J)
125 gr (8 g) Nosler Partition	3,180 ft/s (970 m/s)	2,806 ft·lbf (3,804 J)
140 gr (9 g) BTSP	3,200 ft/s (980 m/s)	3,183 ft·lbf (4,316 J)

[country gent]

If cast bullets are the desired projectiles then I would try and find some in small amounts to start out with. in the 50-100 range various styles and wieghts. WOrk loads to find what shoots the best and satisfies you goals and requirements for the rifle / load combination and then find that mould or have one made. To accomplish the end results. If jacketed bullets are the desired forum then a small selection in the desired wieght range and work up loads to desired level of performance and let it run. The .264 / 6.5mm is a .264 nominal bore so a .265 or .266 bullet should be close to what works. I would also recomend try some factory ammo just for the refrence to see what pressures recoil and very basic accuray will be. The .264 WM is a great round but is also one with shorter barrel life due to high throat errosion. Check several manuals and look for powders that are in all of them and what each recomends. If you check 5 manuals and 3 powders are listed in all 5 and several in 4. and a couple in 3 ect ect I would start with the one that gives the velocity im looking for thats listed in all of them.