264 WM in M70.

[Harter66]

Nope it was never on my wish list ,but my Dad decided that a pre-64' Mag needed to live in his stash . Now its on me (oh why ,why ,why) to get some loads together so we can try it out .
What have I got to work with?
264 WM dies
280 H&H dies w/trim die
300 WM brass
4350,H4831,IMR 4831
I've no dimensions because the rifle is in AR and I'm in Nv planing to travel 11/1-1/1 .
I have a couple of theories 1) A 6.5x55 was good so this is going to be great (turned out to be too much of a good thing) and is very low miles. 2) The original owner loved it and shot it out ,but after seeing the gun show about the guy in Colorado decided that rather than risk distroying his beloved Pre-64' he'd let somebody else do it. 3) Something in the middle but at $48/box its a tent stake.

I've about 60 weigh lotted 300 brass so I'd like to do 10-12 loads of high probability for success w/a margin of error for well those ain't gonna work. This is also the only 6.5 in the stable . I'm thinking on PPing some heavy/fat 25s but sizing issues w/o dimensions. Next up is to beg a few GC Boolits at 268 and hold my breath while we discover the Cruise Missile will group in full profile(not his 1st ride on that pony) or I could just play it safe an get a box fo those nasty copper dodads at 140gr and letter' run wide open.

Suggestions ?

[seaboltm]

H4831 is the go-to powder, although the others will work. The 264 WM is not a good candidate for casts bullets in my opinion. The case has alot of volume, and the rifle is extremely over-bore. And unless the barrel is 26 inches plus, it will not get significantly more velocity than the 270 Winchester. I had a 264 WM with a 24 inch barrel. I was so disappointed with it I sold it, and I don't sell many guns. Now, with a 26 inch or maybe a 28 inch barrel, the 264 WM could launch 140 grain pills to considerable velocity and on the right platform would be great for extremely long shots.

[Harter66]

That's kind of how I was looking at it. I thought maybe a PP'd 25-120 might be fun for just slinging lead.
I'm not really a mag guy much past a 357 or +P 45 Colts ......... It does seem a shame to turn a rocket sled into a sling shot ,nothing wrong w/Sweed proformance though.

[C. Latch]

I think a lot of casters shoot cast bullets in everything 'just because' and I don't see that as particularly wise. The .264 was made to be a firebreather. Get some 130 Accubonds or Sciroccos or something like that, load 'em hot, and smack something a quarter-mile away with them. That's what it was made for.

[onceabull]

Harter66:After another NCBS regular( to remain incognito for now)showed me what he could do with a 6.5/06 that had languished under my ownership, I decided that a 264 W. should replace it,but had barely got that taken care of, when a 6.5 STW on a Weatherby Mark V action fell off a turnip trunk in front of my place..so the dark hours of this coming winter will see US putting both of those newbys to the test with some cast...if either can stay within 0.5 " of that 6.5/06(with cast)I'll be happy.. then come spring ,maybeso that 6.5 STW will take the No.Nevada rat shoot long range record out a furlong or so... Onceabull :razz: :oops: [smilie=s:

[seaboltm]

6.5x55 Ackley Improved, loaded with 140 grain Accubonds, does an HONEST 2800 fps from my 21" barrel go-to rifle. I have another 6.5x55 Ackley with a 24 inch Shilen barrel that will ALMOST hit 3000 fps with the same 140 Accubond. Given the ballistic coefficient of the 140 Accubond, that bullet has the same trajectory as a 180 grain Accubond fired from a 300 Winchester Magnum! All hail the 6.5's! I have never had a 6.5-06, but I love the idea. I love every 6.5 I have ever shot, except that damn 264 WM I owned!

[Bullshop]

I have a 6.5x57 that will go 3000 fps with a 140 but it has a 30" barrel with a 1/10" twist.

[Harter66]

I guess I'll have to get the bbl length next time I talk to him , I expect it to be 24-26 as it appears to be factory,but Winchester would have wanted every bit they could get so it might be longer. I guess the real question is do I want to play the odds on a premium 25 cal mould to PP ,there are a couple of 25s that will eventualy reside w/me, or spring for the 6.5 mould for 1 that we may or may not keep.......It killsme to think that for the price of 300 Hornady Interloks or 200 GMX or Barns X I can buy a new NOE or RCBS and could always turn it here if it doesn't work out.

I already hurt from the loudenboomerearcansplitten bark. More hard copy research is in order.

[C. Latch]

I have a 6.5 Remington magnum, in one of the original Remington 700s. My grandfather bought it new, and gave it to me many years ago. I've never shot it, but have dies and bullets now.

[obssd1958]

I worked on loads for a friend last summer. His was a Winchester "Westerner" in .264 Win Mag.
He had drawn a coveted "Trophy Mule Deer" tag, and wanted to use this rifle to fill it.
Wanting to give him a cartridge that met his needs for accuracy, velocity ("it needs to be a flat shooter"), and bullet performance, I chose to load 140gr Nosler Partitions. Since the Noslers are kinda' expensive and I had a bunch of old Winchester Western 140gr PowerPoints, I figured I would load up the PowerPoints over charges of H4831, stepped up in half grain increments, to see where the sweet spot was. The next step was to load the partitions to the sweet spot and 1/2 grain either side.
I got to the range with the Partitions and was glad that I brought something else to shoot, because the bolt would not close on the cartridges. I had loaded them the same over all length as the PowerPoints, and the half dozen factory rounds that I had - 3.340". After getting home, I seated the bullet on one cartridge until the bolt would close - just a little over 3.265".
To shorten this story, I found that the "Westerner" had been manufactured in combination with a stepped chamber and a two diameter bullet (the PowerPoints). A shank of .264 and a nose of .256, just like the bore riders we use in cast boolits. When I tried the Partitions, they were hitting the rifling long before the bolt could close, when I seated them out to the book C.O.A.L.

A little more info here:
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/rifles/featured_rifles_rs_65starter_201008/

And by the way, that "Westerner" would never shoot 3 or more rounds into less than 1.25 inches... [smilie=b: