.340 Weatherby

[Autorotate19]

I have a .340 weatherby mag and was thinking about using it on an upcoming elk hunt this year. Anyone have some pet loads and what powders work good? Not sure which bullet I want to use yet either..... Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[KurtB]

Very good with 250 Sierra boattail and RL25 for a velocity of 2930.

 

[J E Custom]

I have a .340 weatherby mag and was thinking about using it on an upcoming elk hunt this year. Anyone have some pet loads and what powders work good? Not sure which bullet I want to use yet either..... Any suggestions?

Thanks

80 grains of Rl 22 or 74 grains of H4350 are good powders and I would recomend the 250 grain
Partitions are great for larger animals.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Marine24]

77gr of VIT N550 with 210 gr Barnes TSX. If you want to go with 225gr bullets, 89gr of IMR 7828SSC with Barnes 225gr TSX bullet.

Kind of obvious I'm a huge Barnes Bullet fan.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Great choice! The 340 wby is one of the best elk cartridges ever built. Over the past ten years we now have more choices with the lapua and ultramag cases and the 338-378 wby. But up until then the 340 wby was the man. The lapua and ultramag cases only get you maybe 150 fps over the 340 which to an elk doesn't really make any difference. I have shot a number of long range elk with the 250 sierra game king and the 340 when that bullet first came out in the 70's as the highest bc hunting bullet made at the time. My load of 7828 gets 3056 fps. Now I am playing with the new barnes 185 ttsx .432 bc at around 3400 fps. It is flat shooting and does a great job in the 340. I had a great load with the 225 AB and 7828 in the 3200's but quit using the 225 AB because of continuous bullet failure. All of the bullets and loads mentioned in the thread are great on elk and you will enjoy hunting with any of them. The 340 is just a great elk rifle.

 

[Marine24]

LTLR:

How's the 185 grainers performance on game? I thought this would be the ideal round for deer/elk sized game when paired with the Barnes bullet but have been told that it was too light for the caliber at the velocities the 340 cases would push.

At 3400 fps, you are pushing a 338 caliber bullet as fast as a 240 Wby factory load. MPBR has got to be close to 350 yards.

 

[specweldtom]

LTLR, My .340 loves the 250gr Nosler Partition factory load, but I have had such good performance from the Accubonds in other calibers, that I was ready to spring for a box of the 225gr .338 cal AB's to try in it. You mentioned consistent bullet failures with this bullet. It sounds like the nature of the failures is poor terminal performance.

I haven't bought the bullets yet.

Thanks, Tom

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Haven't shot anything yet with a 185. Just working up some loads. The barnes will not come apart though so I am confident it will be fine. Faster powders like 4350 and similar are better with the 185. One load of re 19 got well into the 3400's. My barrel is a douglas xx supreme 28" 1-10 twist. I have shot a 100 grain tsx out of a 257 wby through caribou, elk, and other critters with excellent performance so I feel good about a 185 grain 338 bullet. I will let you know for sure during hunting season. May pop a grizzly with one in August.

Tom, I used the 225 AB for the first time last year when I switched over several rifles to it. Some of my friends I did 338-300 ultras for did also. I really liked the velocity/BC ratio and the accuracy of that bullet is excellent. I put three through the chest of a big 6x6 bull elk and every one were complete jacket seperation/fragmentation bullet failure. My friends experienced the same thing. I have several boxes for sale cheap. I spent a lot to work up loads in my rifles last year and changing again this year.

 

[Boman]

I have a .340wby as well as my father. We shoot Barnes exclusively in them. We've gone with the 225's because they shoot so well. We're now using the 225 TTSX. My load is 86 gr of RL 19 and my fathers is 90 grs of RL 19. We probably need to try another powder but this combo shoots so well we haven't bothered. My load is pretty mild but you'll want to work up to the 90grs. It's hot but not over pressure in his gun. It is in mine but mine is built off a Rem 700. Have fun.

 

[specweldtom]

LTLR, from your observation, do you think they might work at .338 Win Mag. or .338-06 velocities? That might be an outlet for you to sell them. After the .340, I thought I might try a few in .338 x .378. Your experience will save me from trying them in either rifle.

Boman, sounds like the 225 TTSX's would be worth trying. Question, does your dad's rifle and yours both have factory dimension chambers? (plenty of freebore).

Tom

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

The 225 accubond is an extremely accurate bullet. One of the best I have ever shot. It does very well in my 338 winchester, 338-06 imp and 338 Gibbs. In the big 338's it gets very fragile from what I have seen.

 

[Boman]

specweldtom,

Yes they both do. Dad's is a factory Weatherby Accumark and mine is a custom off a Rem 700 action with the factory freebore specs. I've shot hot loads over max in mine but I get just as great accuracy by dropping down a few so I've just gone that route. Dad's seems to only shoot well at max pressure.

 

[340ORHNTR]

I have a Mark V in 340 with a 26" Douglas supreme XX 1-10 twist with Weatherby freebore. I have had great results with the 225 TTSX. I had good results with 7828 but i had great results with H1000 and it is much cleaner burning.

 

[specweldtom]

Ovastafford, you asked the question, but we both got some good, real world info.

Good thread, thanks to all. Tom