The .264 Winchester Magnum is a short belted rifle cartridge introduced into the market in 1959 with the Model 70 Westerner bolt action rifle.
Winchester still produces these rifles with barrels ranging from 24-26 inches to help this fast moving bullet reach its full potential.
The .264 Winchester is a fast moving, accurate, and flat shooting cartridge that’s right at home taking any game in the lower 48 states. When loaded with 140 grain bullets, it’s one of the most powerful 26 caliber cartridges available, at 3,000 fps (feet per second).
It’s even sufficient to take elk out to 300 yards.
The .264 Win Mag has a reputation of being rough on barrels. Some have said that they’ve had to replace the barrel after just 500 rounds of ammo.
This was true back when the round was first introduced, but today’s barrels are treated in such a way that they last longer than the days of old.
Furthermore, if the barrels are allowed to cool between shots, they last even longer. Sometimes into the thousands of rounds fired range.
When loaded with 120 grain bullets, the .264 Winchester Magnum has minimal recoil that’s controllable. This load offers a flat bullet trajectory resembling that of the 257 Weatherby Magnum.
Any decent rifle will need a good scope. Check out this one from Bushnell.
Nosler has a nice selection of ammo for hunting use. The 140 grain partition bullet, ensures deep penetration on larger deer. They also offer a 100 grain bullet that has a good ballistic coefficient for great precision out to 225 yards that’s ideal for predator hunters.
You’ll want to do a couple of things to get the maximum out of your .264 Win Mag, or any rifle for that matter.
First, you’ll want to mount your scope correctly.
Next, you’ll need to break in your rifle barrel.
Finally, you’ll have to keep your barrel’s bore clean to help prolong its life.
.264 Winchester Magnum Ballistics Chart
This 264 Win Mag ballistics chart shows 140 grain Hornady Interlock Soft Point bullets with a ballistic coefficient of .465:
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 2935 | 2749 | 2571 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 2677 | 2349 | 2055 |
| Drop (Inch) | / | 1.6 | 0 |
264 Winchester Magnum Uses:
The 264 Win Mag can be used on just about any game found in the lower 48 states, as follows –
Predators: Such As, Bobcat, Cougar, And Coyote.
Deer Size Game: Such As, Antelope, Blacktail Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer, And Whitetail Deer.
Elk Size Game: Such As, Caribou, Black Bear, Sheep, And Elk.
264 Winchester Magnum / Specifications:
Rifle:
Barrel Length – 26″.
Bore Twist Rate – 1 in 9″.
Bore Groove Diameter – .264″.
Cartridge:
Bullet Diameter – .264″.
Primer Size – Large Rifle.
Primer Type – Magnum.
Case Neck Diameter – .299″.
Case Shoulder Diameter – .491″.
Case Base Diameter – .515″.
Case Rim Diameter – .532″.
Trimmed Case Length – 2.490″.
Maximum Case Length – 2.500″.
Maximum Overall Length – 3.340″.
| 264 Win. Mag. Rifle Cartridge Manufacturer | Bullet Weight Grains | Bullet Ballistic Coefficient | Muzzle Velocity Fps. | Muzzle Energy Ft. lbs. | Recoil Energy Ft. lbs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nosler | 100 | .350 | 3,400 | 2,566 | 15.28 |
| Nosler | 120 | .458 | 3,250 | 2,813 | 18.55 |
| Nosler | 125 | .449 | 3,200 | 2,841 | 19.61 |
| Nosler | 130 | .488 | 3,100 | 2,773 | 18.18 |
| Nosler | 140 | .490 | 2,950 | 2,704 | 18.70 |
| HSM | 140 | .612 | 2,852 | 2,529 | 17.99 |
| Winchester | 140 | .384 | 3,030 | 2,854 | 19.30 |
| Remington | 140 | .384 | 3,030 | 2,854 | 19.30 |
If you have more questions about rifle ballistics, make sure you check out our rifle ballistics chart for many in depth ballistic calculations.
