Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 340 and 257 Weatherby: What rifle would you buy?

Mark V? Vanguard? Other? Which model(s)?

Each of these calibers have peaked my interest as of late and I am debating picking both calibers up in the future if funds become available. I figured I’d seek advice and feedback here.

They would be used for hunting mostly, the occasional varmint / target (not saying they would be used often for this, but being honest they would make an appearance in the groundhog fields and steel target fields at some point), and as a group of us continue to discuss future hunts - will likely be used in the mountains out west and up north (some day, Alaska, some day).

I’ll be completely honest and say I do not “need” either; however, I enjoy handloading, experimenting with new cartridges, and enjoy variety. While I’m not actively looking for a new hunting rifle, I can say the local LGSs seem to have a fair amount of WBYs in stock. If a deal presents itself, I’d gladly jump if life allowed it.

Reasons behind these two specific cartridges:
- A recent conversation with some folks got me discussing the 8mm Rem Mag likely being my favorite cartridge - they countered with, “have you tried a 340WBY?”
- For some reason, I have 257WBY brass. I also don’t own a quarter bore.

So what say y’all? Which rifle and models would ya suggest? (Not looking for a compare between the two, but rather, what platform The Fire suggests for each caliber.)

.257...in a Vanguard of your choice. I wouldn't cross the street for a free Mark V

I With that said, the 416WBY MKV ClassicMark I own is likely excessive as well, but I do enjoy it for the occasional use!

Got both chamberings in the safe, 257 is a mk 5 ulw, 340 is the fibermark. Not much a guy couldn’t do with those 2.

Exactly.

I own a 340 in a MkV Fibermark and love the rifle but I’d personally not consider it a varmint or target rifle as your criteria suggested.

I’d say the 257 would be my choice of the two given the details of your post but outside of your post - I’d choose my MkV in 300 Wby also in a Fibermark. Imo, the 300 Wby is arguably one of the worlds most legendary all around versatile rifles - I own one and seldom reach for the 340 anymore. It’s just too much of a good thing.

My .02

Scotty, the creed and 7/08 have made the 338’s obsolete in the elk “woods”… 😂😂

I’ve shot several and seen several shot with with 243, 6ai, 250/06. For me when I draw a LE bull tag it’s a big 30 or 338. 👍

I think it was ‘91 and I had just picked up a Guns ‘n Ammo at a mall in Des Moines. The cover exhibited a winding, domino-type line-up of 340 cartridges. Pure loony stuff. The 338 Rem 700 I had in 338 was going to be rechambered to a 340 after I read Ross Seyfried’s piece on his Champlain 340 inside. (I think that was the year).

The action was fitted with a 3-pos safety, the bolt with a Sako-type extractor (I had a Rem extractor break on an elk hunt). This was all in a Brown Classic Precision stock with a Pachmayr pad. The barrel was a 24”. The barreled-action was glass bedded into the stock. Mounts and scope, sling and 4 rounds came to 8 1/2 lbs which I decide for me was never to be exceeded for mountain hunting.

There were other details but I worked on many loads for that rifle, eventually settling on the 210 TSX at ~ 3200 fps which was the most accurate. Ten bulls fell to that rifle, my furtherest at a step under 500 yards, but most between 400 and 500. It slammed them.

I sold it awhile back but it was my all-time favorite.

I wanted a 340 after reading Hagels account with the 340 and 210 PT's in some of the older books, then I bet I read the same Seyfried article on the 340.

I would imagine your 340 with 210's at 3200 was a bull STOPPER! Awesome.

Traded that hog to the Chinese restaurant for an open tab of $100. Different era.

To clear out your sinuses?

Right, Hagel But he moved on to the 378! I wonder which fire-breathing muscle car of the 60’s he drove. He seemed to be enamored of big engines pushed hard.😉

Right, Hagel But he moved on to the 378! I wonder which fire-breathing muscle car of the 60’s he drove. He seemed to be enamored of big engines pushed hard.😉

When I first bought mine (blame Hagel 100%) I thought I’d found the magic wand of emphatic hog killing machines - and I had. In the open country we ranched, shots way beyond 4-500 were possible but limited by my optics of the day. I can still visualize the 1/2” entry & 4” exit from a mature hog that must have gone over 250lbs (it was a booger to load on the wheeler alone) that I shot with a 3-9 Leupold reticles’ intersection between the thick & thin crosshairs. I think the range was over 400 but didn’t have a rangefinder yet. I was astounded that I’d made such a lucky shot - I still feel that way not knowing the range or exactly what the subtension was on that scope. Still have a bunch of those 210’s but now load them in my more sedate 338-06.

Traded that hog to the Chinese restaurant for an open tab of $100. Different era.

Oddly enough.. I also have 170 count of new 375WBY brass. I don’t recall how I ended up with them, but I’d love to find a MKV to go with that brass!

Yeah he did. Seyfried seemed about the same. Peas in a pod.



Awesome story. That’s good stuff!