.264 Win Mag
- Thread starter OMC-MOOSE
- Start date
Since the .264 is essentially the same case as the 7mm Mag, with a .26 instead of a .28 caliber bullet, a simple rebarrel is all that is needed. With a Rem 700, this is a simple straightforward process, and one any competent gunsmith can do.
The cost of a new barrel, and the labor to have it installed and headspaced is less than the cost of a new rifle.
However, it may not be less than the cost of a used rifle. Sometimes one can find barely used guns, particularly in the less common calibers for a song.
It won't cost a lot, beyond your time, to look around. If you don't find anything worth it, rebarrelling your existing 700 is always an option.
The cost of a new barrel, and the labor to have it installed and headspaced is less than the cost of a new rifle.
However, it may not be less than the cost of a used rifle. Sometimes one can find barely used guns, particularly in the less common calibers for a song.
It won't cost a lot, beyond your time, to look around. If you don't find anything worth it, rebarrelling your existing 700 is always an option.
guess i have to ask
WHY???
i have both,,,not much difference
the 7mag will do anything the 264 will do,,,,better,,,and not as hard on the barrel throat while it is doing it
i have probably stirred the nest here,,,but like i say i have both and if i had to pick the 7mag would win
just my .02
ocharry
WHY???
i have both,,,not much difference
the 7mag will do anything the 264 will do,,,,better,,,and not as hard on the barrel throat while it is doing it
i have probably stirred the nest here,,,but like i say i have both and if i had to pick the 7mag would win
just my .02
ocharry
math teacher
New member
+1 to Ocharry.
People have been voting with their pocketbooks for years and the 7mm Mag won hands down. That said, there is little difference and little to be gained by converting either way unless you just want to be different.
People have been voting with their pocketbooks for years and the 7mm Mag won hands down. That said, there is little difference and little to be gained by converting either way unless you just want to be different.
)reynolds357
New member
Simple re-barrel. I own several .264 Win Mags and love every one of them. Am probably going to build another within the next year or two. Its an awesome cartridge and it is not a barrel burner. Buying the Winchester would be nice, but they are a bit pricey now that FN has resurrected them as a premium brand. If you build one, use at least a 26" barrel. 28" is my preference. My next will be a 30".
I just like owning something a little off the beaten path so to speak. I have always wanted a .264, and I really enjoy handloading, and this seems like a round made for a handloader. I know the 7mm Mag pretty much spelled the end of the .264...I just thought I'd get something different to tinker with. I recently got a price on a Winchester Model 70 Ultimate Shadow in .264 of $599. I just didn't know what route to go (new or re-barrel). With the re-barrel; it would kind of cool using my dad's old rifle that he will not be able to use any longer; yet not in a 7mm Mag which so many people already use. I hunt deer in southwest PA, and in 35 years of hunting I think my furthest shot at a deer was probably 120 yds...lol. I'm not worried about making 500 yard shots, I just was always fascinated with the .264
Thanks for your input!
Thanks for your input!
Pathfinder45
New member
Keep Dad's Rifle Original.......
......and buy your own 264. Then you'll have both without desecrating your Dad's rifle. Shoot both a lot and I think you'll find they are like 6 of one and half a dozen of the other,......about the same or slightly faster than a 270 Winchester if all barrels are the same length.
......and buy your own 264. Then you'll have both without desecrating your Dad's rifle. Shoot both a lot and I think you'll find they are like 6 of one and half a dozen of the other,......about the same or slightly faster than a 270 Winchester if all barrels are the same length.
I don't know about desecrating your Dad's Model 700, I'd say that's a personal call. Done right, the only difference between your Dad's 7mmMag and it rebarreled to .264 would be the marking on the barrel.
Also, you could keep the 7mm barrel, and have it put back on the rifle returning it to original condition if you get tired of the .264
My first long range match rifle was a .264 Win. Mag. with a 28" barrel. It shot Norma 139-gr. match bullets into about 1 MOA at 1000 yards. That barrel lasted 640 rounds before going from 1 MOA at long range to 3 MOA in less than 5 shots. By then, the bullets had only 1/16th inch of case neck holding them, but it started out at about 2/10th grip on the bullets. It was fun while it lasted.
I'd put a new barrel in that rifle; the rest of it will never know the difference. And it'll kick less than a 7mm Rem Mag before the bullet leaves so it'll be easier to shoot accurately.
I'd put a new barrel in that rifle; the rest of it will never know the difference. And it'll kick less than a 7mm Rem Mag before the bullet leaves so it'll be easier to shoot accurately.
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The 264 Winchester Mag is a little off the beaten path and if it is what you want by all means you should get one. If I were you I'd choose to rebarrel the BDL, it would give the rifle even more meaning to me. I have an uncle that has shot the 264 Win Mag since I can remember. His love for it is unswayable and the number of deer and elk he has taken with it speaks volumes to its effectiveness.
"And it'll kick less than a 7mm Rem Mag "
I don't think there will be enough difference to notice. A 140 grain bullet at 3200fps pushed by 58 grains of powder won't recoil much more/less than a 140 grain bullet at 3200 fps pushed by 60 grains of powder regardless of the 0.020" difference in diameter.
I don't think there will be enough difference to notice. A 140 grain bullet at 3200fps pushed by 58 grains of powder won't recoil much more/less than a 140 grain bullet at 3200 fps pushed by 60 grains of powder regardless of the 0.020" difference in diameter.
FiveInADime
New member
Except most people shoot heavier bullets in 7mag than 140gr. I shoot 150 and up in mine. A 140gr. .284 bullet can't compare to a 140gr. .264 bullet in SD and BC.
Mike Irwin
Staff
I also have to wonder why one would want to rebarrel to the .264. I've shot a number of them over the years and I've never been particularly impressed with the cartridge.
The 7mm RM is, in my opinion, a much better all around cartridge.
The 7mm RM is, in my opinion, a much better all around cartridge.
reynolds357
New member
Mike, to me the .264 Win mag and the 7 Rem mag are are so close that there is no real practical difference with today's bullet construction. You could make an argument that the .264 had an edge on the 7 for shooting smaller game. You could also argue that the 7 has an edge on the .264 for shooting larger game. Both cartridges are from the era of Winchester and Remington having to make something real similar but slightly different to compete in the market place.
I have several rifles in both cartridges. I like the .264 a bit better because it was my father's favorite cartridge. I like it better purely due to nostalgia. I have retired all my 7 Rem mags because I just can not shoot but so many rifles at any given time. They might re-circulate back into being shot, but at the moment they are all in white grease in the safe. The .264 Win mag did not retire them, the 7RUM and the 7WSM retired them.
I will say the published data on the .264 Win mag is anemic. You can make one scream if you so desire. I have many loads for it that are over 4000FPS with a bullet suitable for whitetail deer.
I have several rifles in both cartridges. I like the .264 a bit better because it was my father's favorite cartridge. I like it better purely due to nostalgia. I have retired all my 7 Rem mags because I just can not shoot but so many rifles at any given time. They might re-circulate back into being shot, but at the moment they are all in white grease in the safe. The .264 Win mag did not retire them, the 7RUM and the 7WSM retired them.
I will say the published data on the .264 Win mag is anemic. You can make one scream if you so desire. I have many loads for it that are over 4000FPS with a bullet suitable for whitetail deer.
OMC-,
Leave your dad's old rifle as it is. It has more value, both sentimental and practical.
A factory barrel is worth more than an aftermarket one and the 7mm RM is far more popular.
Also the 700 is not really that good of a design for hunting. What with it's lack of CRF, a three position wing safety, a strong Mauser type extractor on a M70 with CRF is what we want.
I have a 264 and 7mm magnums and both are fun and about the same.
Leave your dad's old rifle as it is. It has more value, both sentimental and practical.
A factory barrel is worth more than an aftermarket one and the 7mm RM is far more popular.
Also the 700 is not really that good of a design for hunting. What with it's lack of CRF, a three position wing safety, a strong Mauser type extractor on a M70 with CRF is what we want.
I have a 264 and 7mm magnums and both are fun and about the same.
IMO, the edge that the 6.5 has over the 7mm is that you can shoot the heaviest bullets for the 6.5mm at higher velocity than you can shoot the heaviest bullets for 7mm. This generally gives a flatter trajectory. The edge that the 7mm has is that the heaviest bullets are both significantly heavier the 6.5mm bullets and tend to have higher BC's and SD's for this reason. And being that the 7mm is slightly less over bore you get slightly more barrel life.
None of this really matters to any game that you might be shooting. With the right loads, both can essentially take any game on the planet.
None of this really matters to any game that you might be shooting. With the right loads, both can essentially take any game on the planet.