Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Weatherby ultralight in 240 weatherby

Thinking about trying one I found for sale. It’s the newer model I think since it has a tan stock with black fluted barrel. Looking for any comments on accuracy and performance on deer size game. Thanks for any opinions.

I have an older ultralight, it shoots really well. Took a long time to find a bullet that I felt held together well enough for mule deer. Settled on a 90gr Swift Scirocco. It’s an absolute hammer! Buy it, it’s a great caliber. Brass might be tough to find now though.

Mule Deer has/had one that Eileen used for a while, IIRC. Always wanted one.

Might ought to ping him via PM.

We have the same gun in .243 Win. It is crazy accurate, easily 1/2-3/4" for 5 at 100 yds with everything we've shot, including the Fed Premium 100 gr NPs.

If I were hunting open areas again I'd own a .240 or similar. Always wanted one. But cannot sensibly prefer a .24 or .22 CF for very dense ME cover surrounding small open areas.

Put in a lifetime supply of brass if you get it. Worst case, believe you can make brass from .25-06.

Ultra Lights were the best rifle I've ever had in my hands... hands down... well balanced//

240 Cartridge.... short barrel life....hard to find brass...

If I came across a used one, and wanted "that cartridge"... I'd rebarrel it instead to a 6mm/06... then brass would not be an issue...

on a long action, a 6mm Rem with a 1 in 7 twist would be a real good and equal alternative...

If I was a young guy, this thread would have planted some seeds in my head to build one...

Fantastic caliber and you will not be disappointed with the performance on deer. Mine shoots 85 grain Nosler Partitions in the same hole at 100 yards with IMR4350 powder. All that said, it is a barrel burner and I agree with the above post to re-barrel to 6mm-06. Performance with not be a noticeable difference on deer. The 240 WBM is the hammer of Thor when it comes to deer sized game. Have never even seen one move after they dropped in their tracks.

Do what makes you happy right now. You can always re-barrel if the dream dies. They are nice rifles, if not quite my “style”.

Might want to secure some ammo or brass before you take the plunge, though. That applies to almost anything of late….

I was in gun store 6 years ago in Colorado with a buddy who bought the used, UL tan 240 WBY because I turned it down. What a mistake on my part. I helped scope it and got a load developed from Superior Ammo with Accubonds for it and it shoots lights out. He has used it for many white tails. A 240 WBY is on my wishlist for sure.

My 240 wby is a custom built on a Rem 700 action, 26” Shilen, and McMillan stock. It’s highly accurate. And it is “the hammer” on antelope and coyotes. That’s what I had it built for. I’ve not used on deer, but I’m certain it would perform fantastic.
I use 90/95 gr ballistic tips on antelope and 70 gr ballistic tips on coyotes.
Maybe it is a barrel burner, but unless you’re shooting 100s of rounds a year, it’ll last a lifetime. I think the 240 wby is a much overlooked cartridge.

Thanks for all the replies

I was in a gun shop several years ago and they had a pre64 M70 243 that had been rechambered to 240WM, it sat for quite awhile before it sold. I always thought the 240 was an interesting cartridge

That would have been a neat grab if they weren’t asking a pile.

I borrowed a buddies ultralight MKV in 2002 and killed a South Texas buck at over 300 yards with it shooting 95 gr BTips. As stated above, it was lights out. I was very impressed and spent the next 19 years wanting one but never quite made it happen.

Fast forward to last week and I picked up a Vanguard First Lite in .240 Wby and scrounged the WWW for a few components. I was worried because my rifle does not like Wby factory 100 gr. SP at all. But, it doesn’t mind my 100 gr BTSP loads at all.



Shot this 300 yard group with it yesterday.



Mind your manners when shooting it and the barrel will last plenty long. People are getting 1000 shots out of their 6.5-300 Wby., I don’t know why we can’t with our .240’s…

Be prepared for some heartbreak when it comes to finding components or ammo.

Good luck,

Todd

Gotta agree. Ran a 240 for a few years, a 300 Wby, and a 257 way before they were cool. Collected alotta bone between the 3…

You're not old enough to have used a 257 Weatherby before it was cool.

Wanna bet

You don't look that old in your pics.

Baby faced killer 👍…

I've not owned an Ultralight, but currently have a Vanguard Wilderness chambered in the 240 Weatherby. It's an amazing little killer and one of the most accurate guns I own. In fact, it's pretty much all I hunt with anymore. It seems to kill just as fast as my 257 Wby, but with less recoil. I exclusively run 95 gr NBT's at 3450 & RL-26. Use it for everything from Jack rabbits to Axis deer.

As an aside, I had a 6-06 for awhile and it too was great round. Didn't really offer much over the 240 though the for ranges I hunt at(400 and under). I definitely wouldn't take a perfectly good 240 and turn it into a 6-06.

Also, 240 Brass isn't hard to find and can be had for a reasonable price... if you're patient and willing to spend a little time on the net. I've found some good deals, even in today's environment.

Mine’s not an ultralight, it’s a MK V but it really whacks deer with the 95 or 100 grain Partition as well as the discontinued105 Speer soft point. It’s 40 years old and I haven’t counted up the round count but between me and my son it’s had more rounds through it than the normal hunter is gonna put through one.