.264 Win Mag and .358 Norma mag

[Gordon]

I just picked up a .264 Win mag and a .358 Norma mag from estate sale. I got new unprimed brass for both along with redding dies. I have never had these two calibers before. I have no applicable bullets. Please some help pointing me towards loads that are good long range deer/antelope loads for .264 and elk bear slammers for .358. Who knows maybe I can go on another safari with these two one last time.Any body use them? These guns are straight out of early 60s complete with J Unertl scopes 10x and 4X !

 

[Art Eatman]

I had a 1965-ish Model 70 in .264; the 26" version. It was pretty much a tack driver. About all I remember of the loads is that I used the old surplus 4831 and whatever was the standard bullet weight. (Lordy, that was almost 30 years back!)

I'd go for something like a Leupold VX II 3x9 for it, though.

Never messed with the "Biggies".

, Art

 

[EchoSixMike]

264 Win Mag will live on a diet of 140's. With the 26" barrel you can get 3200fps from one, with H870, IMR7828, and H1000. RL-25 and Retumbo should work too, as should AA8700. I'd try Nosler's excellent Partition, as it will hold up at these high velocities, and it generally shoots very well. The 6.5 bore seems to be pretty finicky at the high end, so work up carefully. S/F...Ken M

 

[Will Fennell]

140's and 125's for the .264=good stuff

I load for my Dad's .264 mag. It is his favorite rifle, and sees PLENTY of action, usually taking 20 or so head of big game a year[mostly whitetails, with a few hogs thrown in, although a couple of years ago it took 7 scottish red stag].

His rifle is a pre-64 M70 Westerner with the 26" barrel, and i have settled on a load consisting of 125 grain Nosler Partitions and ALOT of WW Magnum Rifle powder. The powder was discountinued a couple of years ago, but I have a good supply. I had good luck prior to that with 4831. the Chrono shows that I'm getting over 3450 FPS with the WMR powder, with no undue pressure signs, and the rifle is consistantly sub MOA.

The only problem is short case life....usually only 2 times through the rifle, and I get a split case neck.

The 125's shoot flat as a laser beam, and will really let the air out of a Whitetail, even at VERY long ranges. The Nosler partitions always give good expansion, and always penetrate deep. About the only time I get to recover a bullet is on big hogs, or on those Red Stag, and all the bullets "classically mushroomed".

Great cartridge....Dad won't let me use his, so I'm thinking about re-barreling a new M70 to this classic old cartridge.

 

[BigEd]

Gordon, those two rifles sound great. Years ago, I had a .358 Norma build on a '17 Enfield. Other than weight, it was a decent hunting rifle. 250 gr. bullets and all the 4350 you could stuff in the case under the bullet worked fine. One of my hunting pard's uses the .358 Norma and currently works with RL19 and the Swift bullets. Velocities get up to the point I wouldn't believe them without seeing the results on two chronographs. I don't shoot a .264 but do use a 6.5/06. The 125 Nosler Partition turned out to be as accurate as any other bullet tried. Ed

 

[Dave Renn]

358 Norma: 71 grains IMR 4350. 250 grain Swift A-frame. Anchors elk quite well. I have substituted a 250 grain Barnes "original" and 250 grain Nosler Partition with similar results. No chronograph data. None of these recipes indicated high pressure signs when fired from my rifle (1951 commercial FN Mauser/26" mag-na-ported barrel)

Watch yer 6!
Dave Renn

 

[Gordon]

Thanks guys I bought 100 Nosler partition 125 grainers for .264 and 100 250grain partitions or .358. My .358 is on a 1917 action too and it must weigh 11 pounds with that old steel scope.The powders I'm homing in on are H870 (cause I have 6 lbs) for the .264 and Imr 4064 because I use it in 22-250 and .375 H&H and I see listed some high .358 velocities on the sites you guys sent me to. I like the idea of 125 grain bullets at 3400fps and 250 grains at 2800fps. These rifles weigh alot. I carry a 6 lb .308 for deer and a 7.5 lb .375H&H for bigger stuff when I am walk hunting. I could see taking these to Africa before my sons get them. I always avoided "hunting car" hunts , but maybe in Africa when I hit 60 in 05.....

 

[theniss1]

Gordon

You are in luck, I was just tasked out by my father who also owns a old pre 64 264 win mag that belonged to his father. Back in the day Speer used to make a 140 grain bullet that they called a .263 which is the best bullet for the 264. Other companys now make a .264 diameter bullet but there is a difference. If you use sierra bullets you will be using a .2645 diameter bullet which in the old 264s is a bit big and you will reduce your barrel life. Now to explain the Speer bullet. The speer bullet mics out at 2635 on a micrometer and there have been no changes to the speer bullet over the years. I talked to the bullet gurue at Speer in Vegas at the Shot Show to find out that people were complaining about the .263 name of the bullet because they were using it in a 264. Speer than said OK we will take our .2635 diameter bullet and rename it .264 to take away from the confussion of the consumer. Use the 140 grain Speer for best preformance and to save your barrel. Good luck and you got yourself a great rifle as long as the barrel is not already shot out, most are in the old 264s due to consumers using the oversized bullets that mic out at .2645. If you have any other questions feal free to email me at [email protected].
"Shoot straight or go home"

 

[wilson]

This thread is 6 years old

 

[Gordon]

Yup, that was my 2nd .358 Norma and my first .264, however.