340 Weatherby??

[CLW]

So I aquired an almost new Mark V 340 WBY Mag a while back and just finally got a scope for it and will now start playing with some loads for it. I just wanted to see if anybody on here had any pointers on where to start?? I put a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14 CDS on it so I will have the elevation dial and will get a dial matched to the load I decide to use once I get there. I dont know whether to try a 225 or 250 grain bullet and also am undecided on which bullet to start with. I wont be shooting extreme ranges like lots of guys on here do, MAYBE out to 700 or 800 yards under ideal conditions once I get the practice in I need with the new gun. Honestly most shots will be within a few hundred yards just because of the areas I usually hunt. I just want the ability to shoot out further if I need to and still have the bullet perform well at closer range. I will be using new Weatherby brass, I have some RL22, and a bunch of CCI 250 primers already. I have done some research and it looks like IMR 7828 is another good powder for lots of guys so I will probalby pick up a pound of that too........

Any pointers on which bullet would be good to start with? It will primarily be an Elk gun but if I take a trip to Alaska it would be the gun I take and who knows what else????? 225 or 250 grain? Accubond, Barnes TTSX, etc...?? I dont know much about any of the match bullets or if I want to or need to go there for what I will be doing. I have had great luck with the Accubonds out of my 300 WSM with both accuracy and big game performance.........

Any pointers/opinions would be appreciated! I have some ideas myself but there is a lot of knowledge on here.......

I tried doing a search and didnt come up with much...

 

[J E Custom]

I have seen a 340 Weatherby take down Elk hard with a 250 gr Nosler Partition many times
under 500 yards. and the 225 or 250 Accubond at greater distances. These would be my
recommendations.

I like H 4831sc and 7828 in front of fed 215s.

J E CUSTOM

 

[George LS]

try IMR 7828 and 250 sierra mk i have a 30 inch hart 7/8 muzzle .shoots very well over 3100 FPS.its hard on primer pockets but 90gr.works good.start around 85gr and see what yours like.....george

 

[Broz]

When I purchased my fist 340 Mark V I was struggling badly with loads. I was using 210 and 225 gr bullets and they both were very unacceptable as far as accuracy. I was talking to a firend that I feel knows rifles well and is an avid Weatherby hand loader and shooter. He told me this, " A 340 Weatherby is all about 250 grain bullest @ 2900 FPS." I then loaded up some 250 gr bullets with a suggested book velocity of 2900 fps and went to the range. The rifle tore a single ragged hole with the first three shot group. It after that would consistantly keep them all in .5 to .75 moa to 400 yards. This rifle was for my sons first elk trip. He took his bull at 453 yards with the first shot. I have never changed a thing with it.

Congrats on your new 340! When talking factory rifles for Elk, a 340 Mark V is hard to beat in my book.

Jeff gun)gun)

 

[CLW]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. This is the kind of stuff I was looking for..... First hand experience. I am excited to get going with it and plan on having it dialed in for our Southwest Oregon Spring Bear season. Then of course elk season next year. Sounds like I will start with a 250 gr bullet, probably an Accubond. I dont have any experience with the SMK..... How would a 250 gr SMK compare to an Accubond as far as performance on big game at short of long distance??? The ballistic coefficient is very close and the price is very close. I know the Accubond will hold together at very close range (shot a buck at 10 yards with my 300 wsm and a 180 gr Accubond).....

 

[340ORHNTR]

Mine seems to like 250 Sierra Game Kings with a healthy dose of IMR7828 and a FED215 around 2970FPS. Extremely accurate out of my 340. The 225 TTSX's were pretty accurate as well with RL22.

 

[angus-5024]

my .340 shot 250 Sierra Game Kings extremly well. I dont remember the charge wieght but i used IMR 4350. awsome choice in rifle. I wish I still had mine.

 

[djtjr]

+1 on the 250 siera game kings that on top of rl 25 with 215s seems to work great for me but you could prob make the rl 22 work as well as I have had great success with that one in overbore guns outing big bullets. Good luck.
D

 

[wtice2506]

I have a 340 weatherby that I built on a 700 action. Stainless barrel, bell and carlson stock that ive bedded, yada yada but I would definitely have to agree with the 250 accubonds. I have had great results with RE22. I have only killed a deer with that load thus far, (the elk did not cooperate this year in 2nd rifle season) but I can smack the 18" steel gong at 1000 yards every time if I do my part. I am working on getting it set up for the extreme long range match at Raton next spring. The glass is just so expensive. A word to the wise though, do not try to seat to the lands with a weatherby when handloading, way too much freebore.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

A big banger for sure!! More than capable of killing an elk as far away as you can hit one, 600-800 would be easily attainable. I used H-4350 in the one I load for a guy and he used the 200 xx-bullet and 225 partition, he's leveled everything he shot with either... Take a sandbag for your shoulder, after4 shots you'll see why !!

 

[Laelkhunter]

I only use my .340 for Elk hunting. The load I use is Fed 215 primers, 88.0 R22 pushing a 225 Swift A-Frame. Rich Reilley at High Tech Customs (Colorado Springs, Co) installed a muzzle brake (his own) that makes the rifle a joy to shoot.

 

[wtice2506]

I have installed a Vias muzzle brake on my 340 as well, and having shot it without it and then with, it makes a huge difference. Make it a habit to bring ear plugs hunting though, just 1 shot can cause substantial damage