Adam aka Who-Tee-Who is a big fan of this caliber. In looking at the ballistics, it just maybe the best ballistics in the 6.5 caliber.
A friend of mine needed to sell some rifles to raise $4000.00 for cataract surgery. I bought 5 guns from him for $4K. One I found particularly interesting. It was a custom built .264 Win Mag. According to the serial number this Remington 700 action was manufactured in 1968. Since it has a custom barrel, it doesn’t have the 2 digit barrel code. Knowing who originally owned the rifle, the time stamp would make sense. It is stainless and smooth as butter as a custom build should be. The trigger has had a trigger job and pulls at a crisp 1lb 12 ounces. The barrel and rifle were built by a custom gunsmith in Odessa, TX named Cecil Tucker. Cecil was a renowned benchrest and long range shooter. The scope is a Nikon 4-12x50 on Burris base and rings, which is pretty typical of rifles from this era… Fajen is on the recoil pad, so it is a Fajen custom thumb hole laminate stock.
Thus far I have discovered no flaws in this rifle. There are no scratches on the stock, barrel, or action. The barrel does not appear to have had many rounds through it. The lands and grooves do not appear to show any wear. What is amazing is this could be 57 years old.
The .264 Winchester Magnum was officially introduced by Winchester in 1959. However, some sources suggest it was developed as early as 1958. It was part of a family of belted magnum cartridges based on the .375 Holland & Holland case, designed to fit standard-length rifle actions while delivering high velocity and flat trajectories.
It initially gained popularity among long-range hunters but was later overshadowed by the 7mm Remington Magnum, introduced in 1962. Despite its decline, the .264 Win Mag has seen a resurgence among long-range shooting enthusiasts due to the high ballistic coefficient of its 6.5mm bullets.
The .264 Winchester Magnum is known for its high velocity, flat trajectory, and excellent long-range performance. Here are some key aspects of its performance:
- Velocity & Energy: It can push a 140-grain bullet at speeds of 3,100+ fps from a 26-inch barrel, delivering over 3,100 ft-lbs of energy.
- Ballistic Coefficient: The 6.5mm bullets used in this caliber have a high ballistic coefficient, meaning they retain velocity well and resist wind drift.
- Recoil: Despite its power, recoil is moderate compared to other magnum cartridges.
- Barrel Life: Historically, it was known for throat erosion, but modern barrel materials and powders have improved longevity.
- Hunting & Long-Range Use: It excels at medium-to-large game hunting and is favored by long-range shooters.
I have probably equivalent of 3 boxes of shells, looks like one is factory, others maybe reloads. I do have the reloading dope that was in one of the boxes of shells.
Unfortunately I really have no use for this rifle. Did consider tweaking it for Jim’s Accuracy Challenge.
