Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 340 Weatherby Shooters

A friend of mine has a 340 Weatherby that he hasn't had chance to shoot. He was recently laid off, so I'd like to load him up 50 rounds to get that thing started. What are some go to loads for a 340. The rifle is a factory Weatherby and I'm thinking a 250 Accubond. It needs to be a hunting bullet. I've never had a 340 so looking for some advice. Thanks.

First you need to realize it has WAY more recoil than most have experienced. The first time I fired one I was a going to measure the belt expansion. I loaded it and held it pointing at the ground. This is NO exaggeration: The bolt knob ripped into the webbing between my thumb and index finger and stopped under the skin.

I big dose of IMR7828 behind the 250 Partition averaged 3,025 feet per second. Groups ran between 1" and 1 1/2" at 100 yards. A 210 Partition averaged 3,212 feet per second. Groups ran 3/4" to 1" at 100 yards. I think that one used H48331. Both used Fed 215 Mag primers.

Genius.

I use 81 g. of I4350 and a 225 Accubond.. It has killed several elk and a whitetail.. I like it, but never found the recoil horrible.. If you are used to big rifles, it should be no problem.. Plus I made my cases from 8mm Mag. cases.. But they might be tough to find now..

I used max loads of RL25 with 250 grain Sierras. Velocity hovered around 2925-2950. That bullet tends to be much tougher than most would assume. It grew to be to obnoxious for me to enjoy shooting.

A couple summers ago a friend asked me to work up some loads for his MK V in 340. I put a couple hundred rounds down range with several combinations of bullets and powder with poor results and severe copper fouling.

The barreled action was sent to Pac-Nor for a new SS fluted barrel with brake. Then I started over with load development.

It was decided that a 200 gr ballistic tip would not bounce off of any elk in Idaho.

The 200 gr CT ballistic tip produced 3150 fps w/ 87 gr IMR 4831.

The 225 gr Hornady IB produced 3000 fps w/ 88 gr H 4831.

The 200 gr CT Ballistic Tip produced 3090 fps with 90 gr H 4831.

With any bullet weight, Rel 25 has achieved the highest velocities and best accuracy in my 340.

I found the recoil in my 340 Mk5 no brake, to be ok, much better to me than a 300 mag in a Vanguard that I had. Hated the 300, miss the 340.

It's been a long time since I've been around a 340 handloader, so new powders have since appeared. But thirty or so years ago the impression I got was you needed to stand on the 340 a bit to get it perking right.

IMR 7828 and a 250 gr NP loaded to about 2900 fps.

Yup....7828 is like ice cream and apple pie. My mark 5 doesn't seem to like anything much lighter than 250 grainers that love is a 250 grain partition and the Hornady spire point.
2950 is the max and my rifle or primer pockets start going to heck pretty quick.
225 accubonds showed some pretty good potential on the last outing but haven't been able to shoot it for a while.

Thanks Fellas. He's had a 340 before so knows what he's getting into. Just hasn't shot this one yet. I'll start off with a 250 Accubond and see how it does.

After shooting them out of a .340 and .338wm for a few years now I'd run a 185gmx as fast as you can get it. I got 3300+ with H4350 and a 24" tube.

7828. 91 gr 3150 fps with 210 PT

2850-2900 is the area where my 340 is very tolerant with a variety of propellents with 250s. 83-84 grains H4831 and a 250 Interlock has always shot very well. It's kind of my "no-brainer" load that requires fewer attention to details than does something like 7828. (7828 does give the highest velocities, but it shoots to a different point of aim even when backed down, than do the 4350s and 4381s - which all shoot pretty much to the same POA.)

The last one is a 210 TTSX. Top three are 250gr TSXs. At the office now so I dont have the velocities, but all within the "normal" range for a Weatherby.

Speeds????

"At the office now so I dont have the velocities"
I'll look them up this evening and post.

Fotis - 7828ssc has never really perked in my 340 with a 24" barrel.

A 210 NP on top of 91.0 gns of 7828ssc, Remington case and a Fed 215 only gets me to 3090 fps and that is standing on it.

In my rifle, the best powder by far has been Rel 25 in all bullet weights.

210 NP or 210 TSX, Win cases, Fed 215 and 93.0 gns of Rel 25 gets 3205 fps.

The old 180 Nosler BT in Win cases, Fed 215's and 95.0 gns of Rel 25 moves along at 3356 fps with excellent accuracy.

I don't remember my 250 NP or 250 Sierra BT load with Rel 25 but velocities were 2890-ish.

I never could reach Weatherby advertised velocities with IMR-4350, Rel 22, IMR-4831 or the old H4831.


YMMV

I normally use 200-225 grain bullets from Nosler, Barnes or Hornady all are super flat shootting elk killers. Powders R22, R19, H4831 or 7828 always shot great in my Accumark, recoil is manageable I have a ton of Nosler 250 partitions never saw a reason to load them.