Home › Browse Calibers › .264 Win. Mag.
Common uses: Hunting, Long Range
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 140gr Winchester Super-X Power-Point |
| Muzzle velocity | 3030 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 2855 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.384 |
| Case length | 63.5 mm |
| Overall length | 84.8 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 64000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:9" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3030 | 2854 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2779 | 2400 | 0 |
| 200 | 2541 | 2007 | -3 |
| 300 | 2315 | 1666 | -11.5 |
| 400 | 2101 | 1372 | -26.4 |
| 500 | 1899 | 1121 | -49.2 |
At 1,000 yards, .264 Win. Mag. (140gr at 3030 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 34.7 MOA / 10.1 MIL, retaining 1139 fps (transonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 2315 | Supersonic | -11.5 | 3.7 | 1.06 |
| 400 | 2101 | Supersonic | -26.4 | 6.3 | 1.83 |
| 500 | 1899 | Supersonic | -49.2 | 9.4 | 2.73 |
| 600 | 1710 | Supersonic | -81.8 | 13.0 | 3.78 |
| 700 | 1537 | Supersonic | -126.2 | 17.2 | 5.01 |
| 800 | 1381 | Supersonic | -185.3 | 22.1 | 6.44 |
| 900 | 1247 | Transonic | -262.9 | 27.9 | 8.11 |
| 1000 | 1139 | Transonic | -362.9 | 34.7 | 10.08 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .264 Winchester Magnum built its reputation on flat trajectory and high muzzle velocity, driving 6.5mm bullets fast enough to make it a capable open-country cartridge for deer, pronghorn, sheep, and similar game at extended range. That speed came at a cost: it is notoriously hard on barrels and burns a large charge of powder, and much of its velocity advantage bled away in the shorter barrels many hunters actually used. It has never had the deep factory ammunition and rifle support of its rivals, and today it is largely a cult favorite kept alive by handloaders and admirers of fast 6.5s rather than a mainstream choice. In an era of efficient modern 6.5mm cartridges it looks overbore and dated, but in a rifle with a long barrel and quality bullets it remains a genuinely effective long-range hunting round.
Winchester introduced the .264 Winchester Magnum in the late 1950s as one of its family of short belted magnums built on the shortened .375 Holland & Holland case lineage, alongside the .338 and .458 Winchester Magnums. It was created by necking that belted case down to 6.5mm and sizing it to work in standard .30-06-length actions, and it debuted in the Model 70 Westerner rifle aimed at the long open country of the American West. Positioned as a high-velocity 6.5mm long-range hunting round, it enjoyed early enthusiasm but was largely eclipsed within a decade by the 7mm Remington Magnum, which offered heavier bullets and broader factory support.
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