I've been wanting a new centerfire barrel for my encore for awhile now and have been thinking about .264 Win Mag as the cartridge to go with. The barrel will be at least 26" long and probably a sporting bull if not a full on target bull. Let me know what you guys think of this cartridge for dear and sheep.

I think it would be an excellent choice. The ballistics are really good and can be better with handloads. The 6.5mm bullet has a very high ballistic coefficient so it carries energy downrange very well. I have a .260 in a Rem mountain rifle and I just ordered a TC Custom Shop 15" heavy barrel with a muzzle tamer for my Encore pistol. I have shot whitetails out to 200+ yards and have been very impressed with it's performance so the .264 Win mag should be even that much better. I'm considering getting a .264 WM or a 6.5-284 as my next barrell.

Only downside I could see is that to get premuim ammo, you'll have to handload.

It should work out well for you. Good luck.

The 264 Win mag is a real screamer. I like the 6.5 caliber and have had the 260 and 6.5 Swedish Mauser. If you reload you can down load it until you need the speed. This will make your barrel last longer. The 264 earned its reputation for burniong up barrels and full power loads have done it in as little as 1000 rounds. I like it mush better than the 7MM Rem Mag. It never lived up to Winchesters plans as the 264 caliber does not burn up the sales charts. I am waiting for the 264 WSM or WSSM. I hope they do it.

Helped a fellow put a belemy spring in his encore a few weeks ago and he had a 264 win barrel on it,according to him it shot ok but nothing special,don't know if he was shooting factory or hand loads.
I just got a 25/06 to try on my encore muzzleloader and I am really surprized the way it has shot so far,at first I couldn't get it to shoot the 100gr and 117 gr bullets but it loved the 120 hornady HP every group I have shot with it so far has been less than 3/4 in and only have shot it one group @200 and it was less than an in.
Was at the range tuesday and another fellow I shoot with had some 100 gr sierra match bullets and let me try a 3-shot group with them and all 3 went in the same hole.
So with that I think the 264 would do great with some work or may with the first load tried.Would like to try one in a bull barrel just to see.
The fellow said he shot at the same range that I do but have never seen him there if I do<i will see if he will let me try his with the 264.