Long barrels and slow powders = velocity.

[Guest 1shot]

I traded my buddy out of a almost new, less than 50 rounds shot in it, custom Rem 700 with a Shilen CM barrel that is 27 3/4 inches long in 264 Win Mag last winter and I am just now getting the time to do some load work up for it. Hodgdon's 870 used to be THE POWDER for this caliber but they have now discontinued it. In the powder burn charts Retumbo looks very close to the burn rage of the old 870. Man does it make 140 gr bullets scream from my long barrled rifle. I am getting 3250 fps average and am no were close to max load and I am getting 3/4" 5 groups @ 100 yards.

The real screamers are the 120 Nosler ballistic tips at 3600 fps. It is a tie between H-4831 and Retumbo for the accuracy. Both are in the 3/4" 5 shot groups area @ 100 yards.

How do you think a 120 Nosler BT at 3600 fps will work on deer across a bean field in East NC? Can you say reach out and touch-em?

Dose anybody load for a 264 Win Mag? What are your favorite loads?

[deerslayer]

How do you think a 120 Nosler BT at 3600 fps will work on deer across a bean field in East NC?

Where does a 120 grain bullet fall in the .264 line? Is it a lighter weight bullet, or on the heavy end? IMO, if it's in the lighter half, you may be disappointed with what happens at 3600 fps with a Ballistic Tip. I've had trouble with .30 150 grain Ballistic Tips coming apart badly on 125 pound deer, and those were @ 2900 fps.

BTW, doesn't the .264 Mag have a reputation for being tough on barrels? Or am I thinking of something else?

Congrats on finding a tack-driving load. Sounds like you've got her dialed in.

[nightrunner]

no, IIRC the 264winmag is a barrel burner.

good work on finding the right combo for accuracy

[USMCJG]

For a .264, 120 grain would be in the middle range. The .264 Win. Mag. was considered a barrel burner in it's early life at least partially due to inferior quality SS barrels. From everything I've read, the .264WM does still has a small following in long range competition shooting. But even though they are not the barrel burners they once were, they still don't hold up as well as the newer, more popular 6.5mm calibers.