Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .240 Weatherby users?

I have used a lot of 6mms, from little wildcats of 6mm/222 mag; 6mm/30-30 Imp (Bullberry), 6mm/284, 6mm Remington but my fave was the 240W! I have had 2, first was a Weatherby Accumark Ulralight (mid 90s) and I shot the older 90gr Barnes X at 3500fps. Wicked. I then had a custom built later with a 27" barrel and used the 95 NBT, it settled down at 3500fps, but both were super killers on antelope to Axis deer. I think now that the Vanguard is offered in it that many should try it. I'm sure its no better than a 25-06 or 270, etc. but it sure is a sweety! My friend here has used one for Mule deer/elk with the 95gr Partition. don't know how fast but he has killed some big bulls and made some 400+ yds shots on deer.

The .240 Wby works well on coyotes too.

I think it is an under appreciated round. A lot of performance with little recoil. I would like to see some loads posted to see how much I am leaving on the table with my 6 AI compared to the Weatherby. Weatherby did well with the long neck and no free bore. The improved barrel life over the 6x284 is disproportionately in favor of the 240 at almost twice the round count maybe even more.

My first exposure to the .240 Wby was courtesy of a guest hunter. This was almost 30 years ago. He was old enough to have had polio as a kid and really could not walk very far--or very well. We were hunting out of my Jeep and glassing for Coues whitetails, an animal that he had never seen in the wild and really wanted to take.

About mid-morning, I glassed up a really nice buck bedded below the top of a ridge that was the continental divide. We got out of the Jeep and were leaning across the hood--me using the glasses to look for a way to get him within range and (I assumed) him enjoying the sight of the first Coues whitetail he had ever seen.

I had ranged the deer at 510 yards (about as far as the rangefinder that I had in those days could range.) I was scanning intently for a way to get him within at least 350 yards, or better yet, 300.

I was losing confidence that I could be able get him within shooting range when his rifle went off. It nearly scared me out of my wits--I thought that we'd had an accidental discharge. He was looking at me, grinning like a pig in slop, and said, "I got him."

I turned the glass back on the deer and watched him slowly roll down the slope, finally coming to rest atop a small rock shelf. Needless to say, I was impressed. Turned out that he had taken a lot of game with that rifle, practicing regularly at his home rifle range where he could shoot out to 500 yards.

I may get one in a Vanguard one of these days. They are very good rifles for the money. I have one in .257 Wby that is my neighbors go to gun. He says the bullets are like lasers and heat seeking missiles.
Buds had them on sale earlier this year.

Whatcha runnin in your 6 ai tejano?

I ran a 240 for a few years liked it...

Tagged.

I traded for this used .240 HS Precision SPL from Lance Hendershot at Hendershot Sporting. The ugly 42 oz HS factory stock was replaced with a 26 oz Hunters Edge. Much better feel. A favorite load is the 100 gr. Nosler Partition over 53 gr. MRP. Best three shot group: 1.7" at 400 yds. It's a great hog, WT and pronghorn rifle.

The 6500 Bushnell has been repleced with a VX-6 2-12x42.

DF

Barrel specs, (length, contour)?

26" HS SPL (stands for Sporter Light) contour.

McM didn't have that barrel contour in their CNC programs, had the program for the HS action. So, I sent them the barreled action so they could program it.

It's a light sporter, I can get measurements if you want.

DF

Just ran a comparison of the top loads on the Nosler Load Data site for the .240 with a 100gr NP at 3350 and a 6 Creedmoor with a 115gr RDF (just slightly less pointy than a Berger 115 hunting bullet) at 2970. The 115 passes the Partion in energy before 200 yards and is way ahead at 400. The 100 shoots flatter, but the 115 drifts almost 4" less in a 10mph wind at 400. That RDF data for the Creed is pretty recent.

This just shows what standard factory configuration rifles and the bullets they can handle are capable of. Everything changes of course when a .240 (or 6-06 or 6-.284) with a fast-twist custom barrel that can shoot the long ones gets used, but you're on your own for data, I suspect.

Some years ago a local shop had a custom .240 on a Sako long action in the rack. That one haunted me for a while, but was out of my "range" at the time.

P.S. Just ran a pointier Speer BT (B.C. .446) using the same velocity as the NP and it evens up the figures a lot, but still lags a bit on energy and drift.

I used one in the 90's and shot several whitetails and one nice Mule deer with it. I keep about getting another do I need it no but being a rifle loony I will probably get one. .

As usual another nice rifle. You make me sick Nice rifle

One of the Down Under guys (includes NZ), I forget which, posted pics of a really sweet custom .240 Mauser a few years ago. Lovely rifle.

Terry Wieland mentioned in an article that during the Panics, .240 brass was easily obtained.

For me, R19 has been the best in the 240W. It behaved so well too, in temp swings, I think it does best in a '06 capacity case, in that regard. I don't trust it in magnum cases as I had a bad experience with it, but its just suhweet in the 240W. I just hope that I can get good accuracy/speed from the Barnes 110TTSX in this .270, as I won't be getting another 240w, but love how flat this category can shoot! Wicked on deer IMO! Oh yeah, I remember being so surprised to learn back then that the 240W has no free bore, in fact, almost no throat at al!

Or made from .25-06 brass... www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5820015/6

Here are links to the HS project, including pictures of the ugly factory HS stock that was replaced. Also links to .240 info and loading data.

www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5487420/1

www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5437117/1

www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5390476

DF

Jim Knight: My custom made (Jim Cloward - Riflesmith) was built on a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 action and has a 27 1/2" Varmint weight stainless Hart barrel.
It shoots like a dream (amazingly accurate!).
I have taken Mule Deer, Whitetailed Deer, Antelope, Coyotes and Rock Chucks with it.
I have posted before that some of my "knowing friends" advised against investing in a custom Rifle in 240 Weatherby "because the radiused shoulder will NOT allow for good accuracy"!
They could NOT have been more wrong.
Again my Rifle shooting extremely well.
As of today I am renewing my intention of taking a Wolf with this flat shooting Rifle/caliber before I cross the Great Divide.
Anyone considering using/buying/making a Rifle in caliber 240 Weatherby I say go for it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I put together a 240 Wby a few years back. Mauser action , Douglas #1 barrel cut to 23" 1/8 twist.... it loves Berger 115VLD at 3000fps.

I haven't used it much as I have been chasing elk the last few years, That is going to change as I am going to concentrate more on open country mule deer and antelope in the future and that is what I built this rifle for.

We're you at the store, or internet purchase?