Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 340 weatherby surprising results today

Loaded up some 300 grain accubonds in my 340 today and took it to the range. Used a max load of 7828 ssc at 79.5 grains and shot for groups at 100. First two holes cut into an oval and the third was just a touch apart, right around 1/2 inch. Kinda surprising for the weatherby, but I was happy. Then ran them through the chrono, and surprise surprise, they are clocking at 2700 fps! I didn't believe it so I shot another one, and it also was right there. That is book listed max lapua speeds! Looks like the elk will be in trouble... gotta find a good ridge...

Anybody else shoot the 340?

You're in a good spot Ridgegoat, I shoot a big 33 and push those bullets to an even 3K, they hit damn hard farther out than I have any business shooting at game.

I always figured my max range with them was when bullet speed dropped below 1800 fps, current altitude would dictate that exact range.

I would think you could pick your angle to the vitals, regardless of what angle the animal presented you.

Good luck and good shooting.

I think you are right, at 1000 they have just dropped below 1800 fps at my elevation, and are still hitting with over 2k foot pounds. Its a hammer, as my buddy said. Gonna have to either put a dial capable scope on it or limit my range to 500 or so with the scope i have on it as that is as far as the bdc will take me.

I also have a 300 weatherby pushing 208 eld's at just a tad under 3k, and i have holdover points out to 6 with it, and it shoots just as accurately, about 1/2 moa on average. The steel yote at 610 yards gets its bell rung regularly. I am having a hard time deciding which to take. It carries 1800 fps to 1100 yards with 1500 ft lb's of energy.

I have a bull elk tag and a bear tag this fall here in colorado. The 340 is eating 7828 ssc and the 300 is eating h1000. I am leaning towards the temp stable powder...

That 300 will get ya there too, my concern would then be with angled shots on elk with the Berger like ELD's, it is of course nowhere near as tough as the 300 gr AB, I'd have to take the 340, temp drop differences would probably be negligible, don't think I could hold the difference prone over a pack or off my elbows.

I'd hate to leave a big bull in the woods for a shot not taken because of angle, you may have the luxury of hunting many days, a traveling flat-lander like me on a 3-5 day hunt has to take any available shot.

That's no "hammer"; that's a sledgehammer!!! From a long way too!

The other consideration is that the 340 weight probably around 10 or 11 pounds, whilst the 300 weight around 8. I am a young guy, I am sure I can haul it around, but my shoulder may not thank me for it

Have a .340 on a 700. Got it about 10 years ago. Killed 3 elk and 1 whitetail. Great caliber ,but I haven't shot it in five or six years. Need to get it out again. Good luck this fall.

Now, don't be announcing to gunner you can't pack a 10# gun, he'll think you're a big wuss...

You got "young" on him, for sure, but he's a Hoss...

Maybe a senior Hoss...

But a Hoss is still a Hoss...

DF

Ridge-, I shot one for some twenty years taking caribou (because of brownies in the area and we saw them every day) and some ten or eleven bull elk from near to almost five hundred yards. The 340 is a great cartridge.

Though I used the 210-grain TSX mostly, it is a veritable hammer if you "can hold it right"

Mine was right at 8.5 lbs scoped and IMHO, you don't need it heavier and shouldn't unless you just generally like hauling a fence post around..

Says the man wearing a 20lb pair of Lousiana gumbo mud covered hunting boots.

PM DennisinAZ. He has a 340, a recoil fetish, and shoots 250s at insane speeds from his miniscule 6# rifle ...

Ok, the last part is a stretch but the first part isn't!

Who makes your 340? I have a 340 700 with a 24" barrel. Great cartridge with a 24" and around 8 lbs scoped and loaded.

Mine cloverleafs factory 250 partitions at 100 so I don't bother reloading for it, its not broke so I'm not fixing it.

340 Weatherbys tend to be very accurate for some reason.

My old Mk V wouldn't shoot worth beans until I chopped it to 24"s. My 700 in 340 has always shot well. The 340 represents to me the upper end of enjoyment in a high horsepower do all. I've made shots upto 500 yards but I am not one of those "long range" hunters like on these boards. I wouldn't realize the advantage over an RUM, EDGE, or 338-378.

After shooting one, who can use a caliper? :}

I push 250s to 3020 fps. I have a 12 twist Schneider on it so can't shoot the 300s. Mine is on a Sako Finnbear, Micky stock. I have some FACTORY Norma ammo with 250 grain Woodleighs that chronographs an honest 3200 fps. The brass just falls out of the chamber after firing. I wish I had 10 boxes instead on only 5!

They do romp!

No concern for repeating myself I will repeat myself. After measuring the belt I was going to fire a load and then measure the belt to check for expansion. I was used to the recoil of an eleven pound 7-.300 Weatherby but not even ready for the recoil of a eight pound .340 Weatherby. After loading it I casually more or less aimed at the ground a few feet in front of me. I fired it from the waist. The bolt knob was INSIDE the webbing between the thumb and index finger!

I told the owner to send it in to KEEPER and have a "brake" EDMed. After that I worked up a load for him that was consistent 3/4" with three Nosler Partition 210 grainers at 3,212 feet per second. It felt like a .30-06.

My pals 340 is a LH Mark V bedded in a Brown Precision and weighs about 8 pounds with scope,a 4X leupold.

It is magna ported which keeps muzzle flip under control and brings recoil back in a straight line. Much easier to control.

Always been a very accurate rifle and Ive seen it work on elk numerous times. Impressive!

I built it off of a rem 700 action with a touch less freebore than factory chamberings. It has a 26" shilen on it. I am going to play with some 250 berger hybrids tomorrow... I just can't seem to stop tinkering....

A 250 gr Nosler Partition and a .340 Wby go together like apple pie and ice cream.

A helluva hard hammer to catch Elk, glad no one is loading up that combo for me.

Practice,practice,practice is all it takes Gunner. Just don't over do it on the range.

When I had a .340,I loaded the 250 up to 2920 fps using IMR 7828 and a CCI 250 mag primer. Killed my first cow elk with that load.

It also worked very well on jackrabbits,had pieces-parts falling out of the sky for a few moments.

LOL, yes, have to 'p' routine down to an art, meant to say it's a hard hammer to catch for the animals being shot with that combo, and am glad no one gonna be hunting me with a 340 loaded with 250 NPT's.

Gotcha.

May not be big enough for you,Gunner.

Oh yes it is, I shoot a 338 WM with 250 gr SAF's at a lowly 2750 fps.

It be a meanie too.

2750 fps is nothing to sneeze at.

10-4 Elk, it shoots really well too, even if it is a Kimber Super-America.

A Kimber,oh the horror!

Haha that is crazy, my current standby load is a 250 accubond over enough 7828 to put me at 2920 fps over the chrono as well. Almost always under 1 moa if i do my part. Who woulda thunk. Besides you and me of course...and apple pie guy

Use the 250 gr Accubond,then go forth and kill some elk.

LOL, no sheet, she's a light weight rifle too.

Had a Winchester M 70 SS .338 Win and loaded 275 gr SAF in it. Lets just say,the rifle is longer in my gun safe.

If I was smarter back then,I would've dropped down to a 210 gr NP and re-stocked it to a Banser.

Lean and mean.

Yup,especially when the trigger was pulled.

Gotta little re-rifled light weight pre-64 in 338-06 in an old Rimrock stock with a 2.5-8 in dual dovetails that fires 210 gr. Partitions at 2800 fps, that sombuck will rock a deer's world Buddy.

It'll work on an elk too.

Reckon?..................I'd be askeered to take it alone out West for Elk, got some bigger rifles here that would ease the unknown angle presentation a little.

Will the 210 partitions penetrate close with the heavier offerings?

It'll work.

Never used a .338-06 on elk,but have used the 210 gr NP.

It'll work.

10-4 Main, I'll have to take that as gospel, after all, your name is "Elk" .

I always felt the 340 was one of the more under-used medium bore cartridges. It's got a lower expansion ratio than a 300 win mag and can be housed in a 24" 8lb set up and still be relatively comfortable. It is not the end all be all to 338 velocity and that is what I like about it. The RUM, EDGE, and 338-378 a good cartridges but they require more rifle then I want to tote. Obviously the more you go up in velo, it's hard gained in recoil and the 340 seems to me to be at the end of reasonable. Of course this is the long range forum so the sky is the limit for some here. Great cartridge.

Have a .338 RUM and with a 250 gr NP and H-1000,it's getting near 2950 fps. Have gone up to 3000 fps with a 250 gr SGK,the recoil is a bit stout.

The RUM is just a hair faster than the Wby-handload vs. handload-,the elk,moose,bear will never know the difference.

Fixt

Thanks Gunner,forgot the jackrabbits.

Yo welcome Main.

I decided on the 338 RUM over the 340, just personal taste

R26 easily pushes a 250GK over 3050fps out of a 24"....

The GK didn't do so well on Yukon moose this year however.

How so?

Haven't tried R26 but I do have a 24" 340. I'd be hard pressed to get 3050 out of a 250

POI was right on the joint at the bottom of the clavicle. Animal was almost broadside only slight toward (1/8th maybe -verified by experienced witness). Range was 128yds. Joint was destroyed and only nearside lung suffered damage. Death was slowish single lung and bit of liver affair. Bullet did not exit nor was it found although it was surely in the entrails. I believe bullet deviated after hitting joint. I expected a double lung and possible exit at that angle. Maybe any other bullet would have done the same. They sure shoot well and the moose is in the freezer...

Thanks for the answer Blackbrush.

So update, ended up carrying the 300 weatherby shooting hornady 212 eldx's as the elk were up high and back in a few miles, and I got a 5x5 bull. The shot was at just over 200 yards, through both shoulders and exited. Bull made it 20 yards and piled up. Beautiful and deadly performance.