.340 Wby Cor-Bon 225gr TTSX.

Can this be beat?

Here’s what it does based on my chrono out of my Mk V Accumark 26” bbl:

Rng / Vel. / Impact / KE / 10mph Drift
000 / 3160 / -1.75 / 4989 / 0.00
050 / 3057 / 0.72 / 4669 / 0.57
100 / 2962 / 2.25 / 4383 / 0.97
150 / 2869 / 2.79 / 4113 / 1.65
200 / 2778 / 2.27 / 3856 / 2.61
250 / 2688 / 0.63 / 3610 / 3.88
300 / 2601 / -2.23 / 3380 / 5.45
350 / 2515 / -6.38 / 3160 / 7.35
400 / 2432 / -11.91 / 2955 / 9.6
450 / 2350 / -18.91 / 2759 / 12.2
500 / 2270 / -27.49 / 2575 / 15.17

Sighted in 2-1/4” high at 100 yds, at 350 yds, without ever reaching 3” above the sight line: the bullet is only 6.4” low, is moving at over 2,500 fps, and has more energy than a 30-06 at the muzzle. Can anything beat that? Or almost 2,600 ft-lbs at 500 yds (as much as a .308 at the muzzle)?

For this purpose, please ignore recoil. I regularly have shot 1/2” and 3/4” groups with this rifle off the bench. In the field, I shot this guy with it three times at about 100 yds offhand in three or four seconds. I never felt anything more than the recoil of a Crossman bb gun with all of the excitement.



Assuming one can shoot it well (the rifle does its part), is there any more lethal elk hunting rifle/cartridge combo out there?

I’m not suggesting that there are not other super-capable elk rifles out there, but this one is pretty good.

Yeah. It weighs too much for me and you can make more power if so inclined. I’d like to think my custom .358 Norma that weighed 7 pounds with scope was a better combination of weight and power for my hunting. Kicked a lot but was manageable

Sounds like a great gun. Not discounting that. The .340 Wby Mk V AM is 8-1/4 lbs + scope/mounts. So I have to carry a bit more. Just wondering if there is anything in the same weigh class that can compete with the downrange numbers.

MarineHawk: That would be an exceptional Elk Rifle in my parts (western Montana) - more and more Grizzlies are roaming the areas I Hunt Elk in.
That 340 Weatherby would also come in handy in that regard.
BUT... ignoring that cartridges recoil is NOT possible - especially for me. I have shot a 340 Weatherby (and a 460 Weatherby!) and ignorance of the recoil was NOT possible in either instance.
Best of luck to you if you are getting after the Elk with that Rifle!
By the way dandy Moose there!
Good for you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

30/06 is the best

oh no, that won't work.

I carefully looked at the picture, that is no Elk rifle, that is a MOOSE rifle....

you'll need to get a different rifle for elk...

Absolutely one of the best. Can it be beat? Well the 338 RUM and 338/378 Weatherby do beat it. For me the 338 Winchester is sort of a recoil threshold but I enjoy shooting an 8lb. 375 H&H. For shooting medium game around the world the 340 has few pears. The mediums below the 340 don't do much in my hands that a 300 mag. can't. If the 340 were legal across Africa it would be all you would need until Elephants became the main quarry. A 300 mag. and a 375 cover it well for me but the 340 does both duties. The exceptions are where not legal in Africa and for Big game as reckoned in Africa.

Beat?
Depends on what the word "beats" means to you.

A 408 Cheytac, 416 Barrett or a 50 BMG do it easily --------if you are talking about raw power, and so do some of the wildcats and ultra mags in the .375 bore size.

However I don't see how any of these "beat" a 30-06 or a 270 for killing elk. I have killed a lot of them and I have seen probably 3X more killed then I have killed myself. A good hit with the right bullet from a 270, 30-06 or any of the 300 mags drops them just fine, and dead is dead.

Dropping them in under 2 seconds (sometimes instantly) is pretty hard to "beat". I have done that with a LOT of different calibers and yet not "beat" many others I have seen used well by other hunters. As long as I did a good job with the tool I was using my elk all fell quickly and some instantly. This includes my 62 cal flintlock, a 454 Casull revolver, 44 magnum handgun, 3 different 270s, a few 30-06s, a 308 Winchester, a 338 mag, a 375H&H, and a few different 300 mags--------- just to name a few.
None of the elk I have killed in the last 45 years went more then a few yards if I used a good bullet, and about 1/3 of the have dropped at the shot. Of the rifles I have killed them with the 270s were on the bottom of the list in power, yet nearly ALL of my 270 elk kills have been instant, or down within 1-2 steps. The rifles the seem the fastest to drop them for me have been the 270 Winchester, the 375H&H and the 30-06 when firing 220 grain bullets

As soon as you have to start holding up for bullet drop, how much you hold is not important. You still have to HOLD for the drop. If you can hold still at those ranges, holding a few inches higher or lower means nothing. If you can't hold still, how flat your round shoots and hoiw little it drifts in the wind when you miss is unimportant.

I doubt anything out there "beats" your rifle in any meaningful way, -------- just as I can say that your rifles really doesn't "beat" most others ---- in any meaningful way.

Your bullet is excellent however, and I have NO DOUBT about that.

Now if we talk about marksmanship and hunting skills, we have something of substance we can talk about.

But ballistic numbers are not all that important for elk hunting.

Reading this post reminded me of the beginning of Safariman's post about ass-shooting the bear with his big .33 wildcat!

I have one 340 wby, but it doesn't get used much. More about the rifle than the cartridge though.

30/378 Roy with 180g TSX was plenty impressive 😎

I’ve killed alotta elk with a lot of different weapons, I like .338 rifles for elk....

Same here, been carrying the littler 338 Win Mag for a number of years now and works great for me. The 340 is just more of it..

Just mulling over the thread so I thought I'd add a bit here to illustrate my point about asking the wrong question and getting very detailed answers. The answer can be right, but the important point still missed.

Let's look at this scenario:

You have a family of 5, a wife 3 kids and you. You are asked to pick up the family at the movie house at 6:30 and you will all go to dinner shortly afterwords, about 10 blocks away.

So the questions is this............which vehicle is going to "beat" the other vehicle for the important task of picking up the family?

The Ford E350 All-Star Bus of the Toyota Full Size Avalon?

Before you answer remember the ONLY objective is only to get the family to dinner. There is NO competition at all involving how they get there, and no one but the driver will care how they got there by tomorrow morning.

You see......... "beat" is not even the right way to look at the question.

For one vehicle to "beat" the other there would have to be a contest between them, and there is none.

If the question were about the vehicles (ei. which one will do the 1/4 mile fastest, or which one will run a mountain road course better, or which one will carry more weight) we would have some subject matter to discuss.

When the question is asked about rifles and cartridges the numbers game is entertaining, but as soon as the focus is about killing elk, the issue is no longer about numbers, but about hunting. As soon as that became the focus of the thread (elk hunting) the question became misguided in my opinion.
That opinion is based in 52 years of hunting in many states, and in 5 countries, and with personal kills numbering in the hundreds and with witnessed kills numbering about 3X to maybe even 5X more.

As a gunsmith and an avid shooter, I too like to do these comparisons, so I mean no disrespect in my posts here but I like to stay on point when a question is asked and that point is that the OPs rifle and cartridge is excellent for the purpose, but the distraction far more about ballistics and the rifle, and has very little to do with the killing of elk in the real world.

As I said above, nothing out there is going to "Beat" your choice of elk rifle and shell but your rifle and shell doesn't "Beat" others either.
The objective is to kill an elk, just as the parallel is to get the family to dinner. Not to have a race or a competition with other rifles. To do that we'd need to know hunting methods and the area you hunt.

In the Selway, where I used to hunt and guide, I would say I'd rather have a 454 Casull handgun then a 340 Weatherby, because in my years of hunting there, and guiding hunters, I never had a shot, of saw a shot made past 60 yards. Not one! So for elk in that place a handgun was a far easier tool for me to kill elk with then my rifles, and that's the reason I quit even taking rifles with me for the last 2 years I hunted there. Here in Wyoming, the exact opposite would be true about my choices, if those 2 were the only 2 offered. I would choose your Weatherby every time if the objective was simply to kill an elk.

These days I hunt with a lot of "odd guns" just because I like them. I have killed so many animals with scope sighted rifles that the usual types hold little thrill for me now. I like old fashioned guns and despite my failing eyes I still like to go out with light weight iron-sighted guns and hunt. When and if I run short of time I still bring out the "old reliable" 270, 300 H&H or 375H&H, but I usually do that after I have been unable to get to "iron-sight range" a few days in a row, or if the weather is so bad the light will not allow me to see the front sight at all.

Anyway, just a different prospective I suppose, but I'd love to see input for other old-timers as to who agrees with me and who disagrees.
That is what makes these kind of threads interesting.
Comparison of experience and prospective.
That's called education. No one of us has all the info, so comparing the information we do have is how we all learn without having to make all our own mistakes one at a time.

Everything else is just petty "object worship".

Sheesh. My open-sighted .50 caliber muzzleloader beats it as an elk rifle hands-down, at least in Colorado.

Because it allows me to hunt in mid-September during the rut. It's all relative and there are many things more important than the cartridge and ft-lbs.

Can it be beat? Well yeah.... just for starters, your rifle outweighs a lot of "perfect" elk rifles and the barrel's way to fu cking long. Id wager a bet that most of us here would pick any of beretz's rifles over that beast. Just sayin

Other than it's too heavy, has too long of a barrel, and has too much recoil it's just about perfect...

I plan on using my 338 Lapua I had built to hunt elk with,which is about the same thing as a 340 Weatherby, yes you have a great choice on cartridge choice.my rifle with scope weighs 9 1/2 lbs. but it shoots very well and I don`t care about that extra pound I am bigger and taller than most people and as far as recoil a heavier rifle recoils less .

Lmao

Well so much for me posting up about my perfect elk killing rifle my barret 50 cal.. it was a great story too... oh well..

Gees get a room you two... good thing for me I don't need to bum a rifle off beretz 😜 sometimes I bum around with a stainless classic featherweight in a 338wsm.. but most days I carry that ol 06 of yours..

It's a good thing that old rifle shoots so well. It even makes guys like you look good.

Now that's just hurtful lawrence 😭... lol

Ha ha..

79S, I'd bet that 338 WSM is a cool rifle as well. I always thought about putting one together but lucked into the P64 and decided I probably can't do much better... It has gone through a few iterations though since I have owned it..

I'd also throw my Mashburn into the mix as well. Pretty much a copy of my 338 and I have used my older Mashburn on a few elk so far, just not the new one, but I am pretty sure it'll be okay! It carries Bob's mark on it, I figure it doesn't hurt to have the good graces of the old boy on it while I am wandering around the woods.

I've got the P64 300 Weatherby ready as well, which is another match for the other two, just haven't really worked it out yet.. I think it'll be a decent one as well. BBC's for all of em!

Bring that 300wby down this year. I'll give it a workout.

Near perfection! Perfection.....24” barrel, provided the weight......scoped, loaded, and with with sling is under 9.0 pounds 😉 memtb

Memtb, what kind of rifle does your wife use?

Sure ain’t gonna punk on a man’s favorite rifle. To me rifle use is like wine drinking

Drink the wine you like. Use the rifle you like.

With confidence and accuracy!

Good hunting!!!

If we are going to ignore recoil, the answer is "Yes, this rifle can be beat."

If we are going to consider recoil, the answer is the same.

Probably can't be beat, but it sure could beat the hell out of you.

Outstanding!

Like a few others have posted, over the years I've killed a pile of elk with a variety of rifles (all .30 caliber or smaller), and even one with a sharp stick. My "perfect" elk rifle now is my .300 Weatherby. We all have our favorites.

Yeah it beats on both ends..

I'd have to drink a lot of wine before I took that "best" rifle out in the woods.

We think alike MH, but mine has not yet had the honor of "barking" while hunting.

^^^^This^^^^^^

The .340 was one of Bob Hagel ‘s favorites.. I have used my .340 on three elk, a whitetail, antelope, and coyotes... It is a killer for sure...

Thanks for all of the comments, even the snarky ones.

I have lighter rifles. I usually take my Wby Mk V Ultra Lightweight 7mm Wby when I go on backpacking hunts. It weighs 6-3/4 lbs / less than 8 lbs with scope/mounts. When I am hunting from a camp with a daypack, I generally take whatever I want. I use a safari sling that puts the rifle weight in front of me, which offsets the pack, and seems to make it feel lighter.

I carried the .340 many miles over rough Alaskan terrain with no problem. Same for this 375 Wby on an earlier hunt, which is even heavier.





I can’t recall being encumbered by its weight. Body weight + gun + gear/ pack is about 250 lbs. The extra weight of the 340 is less than 1% of that. Better to lose a few pounds on the waistline than worry about 1.5 lbs of rifle. Though, when I go heavy (backpacking), I bring the lighter 7mm.

As to recoil, yeah, you really can ignore it if you don’t convince yourself otherwise. I just took the 340 to the range today and chronoed it again. I got an average of 3,163, bout the same as above. If I am going to flinch, it’s at the range, shooting from the bench. Still, I shot eight 3-shot groups from the .340 and all of them were under an inch at 100 yds. I was using a Labradar, and what’s interesting about it is that it records downrange velocities. So, you can check the claimed ballistic coefficients. The TTSX’s claimed BCs were right on. I wear a Cabaela’s version of the Past-style shoulder pad when sighting in at the bench. It makes a BIG difference. If I’m flinching at the range and getting sub-MOA groups, I’m never going to think of that when I am upright and viewing an animal through the crosshairs.

The .338 RUM and Wby 338/378 may beat it by margins if you reload, but for available production loads, no. For example, Cor-Bon, which loads to the max, manufactures the load mentioned above, and they load the .338 RUM load for the same bullet at 100 fps less than for the .340 Wby. And the .338/375 loads (there are few) from Wby lists the .225gr TTSX as going 3,180—only 17 fps faster than the 340 I am getting. I’m sure you could reload the 338/378 faster than the .340 by a bit, but factory ammo options do not reflect this.

There are plenty of great elk rifles from the .270 on up. But I think this one is pretty capable. And I can carry it.

Never had a problem with a 26” barrel even in thick cover. Maybe it’s how I carry it.

If anyone on here reloads the 340, and need brass, I have a TON of once-fired brass. Let me know, and I will send it to you.

Model 70 SS, .338 WM , 8 1/2 pounds (scoped, loaded, with sling), .225 TTSX’s at 2950 fps! memtb

And she took elk with it at 400 yds and a black bear at 378 yds with it.

You have a good memory! 👍 memtb

So you’re saying the Ford E350 beats an elk rifle. 😎

You must have a hard time finding hunting clothes that fit you. 😎

memtb wife is famous for rock’n a 338. She’s amazing! 😎

Thanks! Pretty proud of her. But, she’d be the first one to tell you....she doesn’t like shooting it from the bench! memtb

It's also a watermelon rifle:

https://i.imgur.com/xMUu4AG.mp4

Notice the moderate recoil. It's really just not that bad.

So your 9-1/2 pound 338 lapoooa kicks less than my 6 pound 6.5 koolaidmoor? It's gotta be that Bunx barrel.

I've had it bad for a .340 Weatherby ever since Ross Seyfried wrote about in G&A in the 80's. I read that article till the ink faded from the pages.

At the tender age of 51, I moved out west and had Kelly Mcmillian build me an Outdoorsman on his G30 action with a Schiender barrel with a Vais break in an Edge stock as a retirement present for myself. I could have had any caliber for my elk rifle and I chose a .338 Win Mag. Recoil at 51 just wasn't as fun as it was when I was 30ish. The older I got, the faster, and harder the big Weatherby's seem to come back into my shoulder. Among my legion of sins, I am a notorious stock crawler, and having a Swaro Z6i buried into my forehead is no longer my idea of a good time.

As I turn 60, the .375 H&H and the 338 WM is about where I want to be recoil wise for game the size of elk. Athough this 6.5 PRC has aroused my interest.

I get it Lee. I'm 50. .338 WM and .375 H&H are great rounds. I, admittedly, am a glutton for punishment from the beginning. When I was 20 in 1988, I bought my first rifle. I worked half the summer running my own house-painting business to be able to afford it. Before, I had to use a 12-guage with slugs. I got a .300 Win Mag. Early on, I shot it a ton, and learned to ignore the recoil. I bought it because I had dreams of hunting big things. But I only got to use it on deer for the next 20 years before I started being able to go hunt Alaska. If I had a decent 30-06, I would be happy as a clam hunting elk. But, my Alaskan hunts were difficult logistically and financially, and I wanted there to be no chance of bullet failure/underperformance given what was at stake. So, I shot the .375 Wby over and over and over again. One time, I had been distracted by a conversation at the range, and didn't realize I had not chambered a round. I fired on an empty chamber, and my crosshairs were unmoved sitting steady on the bullseye. I used that as inspiration going forward. The gun is going to hit your shoulder (I do use the padded shoulder thingies at the range, which help). Big deal; squeeze the trigger and hold steady.

Nice Gbear!

These are my three. None of them beat your 340 per se, but they are just my idea of perfect. I did get a little help with the blue print though.

Well, I’ve got the old P64 that was rechambered to 300 Weatherby with 180 Swift’s hopefully. Still working on this one.



The new Mashburn isn’t quite blooded yet. 175 BBCs for this one this year.



Or my always faithful P64 338 Win Mag. 210 Swift’s for this one.



First time in a long time I’ve attempted a 308 in the lineup since I ran a 300 Win for so many years.

I do have the P64 30-06 and 270 ready though.

Such a strange thread

Nothing inherently wrong or right with the 340 Wby choice. I could think of a situation or two where it might be “just right.” However, almost none of those situations would be found on any elk hunt the way I do it, and even in those one or two instances I would chose something different.

So yeah, I can think of a dozen rifles that will “beat” that 340...

But these are the responses you get including mine when someone asks can this rifle be bear....

Certain situations it's likely perfect, other it may be far from it....

Nice bear OP!

Lee, that same Seyfried article in G&A started me out on the 340 which lasted some twenty years and resulted in some 9 or ten bulls and some other game. Mine was based off a Rem 700 which I modified here and there but probably the best thing I did was put it in a Brown Prec Classic stock with a good Pachmayr Decelerator pad. I really liked the set-up and loved the cartridge.

This “elk-rifle-can’t-be-beat” stuff is always interesting but is the conclusion of experiences highly subjective to the shooter. From cocktail-time cartridges on either end of the spectrum to a pile of them in between, with the right projectiles, there are many right answers as I see it.

I’m figuring a rifle can and should be beat-otherwise there would be no need for gun safes. We’d all have one rifle, one shotgun, one 22 LR and....😎

Very nice bear. Looks like a Volkswagen lying on its side. 😉

I would carry the .340 WB in a New York second if I thought I could do MOA or better with it. It would replace both my .375 H&H and .338 WM. For me its just too much of a good thing, and I have to admit I'm a bit jealous that I'm not in Alaska where that round shines.

Lee,
Mine with the various loads I tried, I found to be a 1.25 MOA gun at best. However, in its app to five hundred yards on elk-sized beasties, that is altogether enough.

In my hands your rifle would be 5-6 MOA and I'd be crying for my mommy by the second group. Seyfried was shooting cloverleafs at 200 with his Champlin. Of course they were his loads and he's a world class shooter. Also he had the means to have the barrel replaced if it wasn't up to his standards. I've always heard the .257 WB was the best Weatherby round for all around general usage (Caribou and down) but I've always thought the .340 and the .375 Weatherby's were the rounds to own and sadly I've never owned either. I have an extensively worked on CZ 550 from a local Bench Rester that shoots 270 TSX's into cloverleafs at 2600 fps. I don't want to mess with it, and the Mcmillan does the same with 225 TTSX Barnes factory, so as much as the grass is greener, my stuff just plain works and I'll keep what I have.

Semper fi, beretz. Those are some nice rifles and a heck of a elk. If I had already had either a .338 Win or a .300 Wby, I doubt I ever would have bought the .340 Wby, when I first went to AK.

Lee, and others who think the .340 Wby recoil would be too much, have you tried wearing a good recoil pad on your shoulder when at the range? This is a sincere question. It makes a huge difference. And I'm not suggesting anyone needs to get a .340, as any of the other rifles mentioned above work great I'm sure. I was just making the point that the .340 has as flat of a trajectory as any other mass-produced cartridge that can produce 2,600 ft-lbs of energy at 500 yards.

On the recoil pad thing, my father, when he was getting ready to go to Alaska with me, is recoil sensitive with rifles. He was considering taking my Rem 700 BDL 300 Win Mag, but thought the recoil would be far above what he could tolerate. I sent it to him with some Federal 180gr TSX loads to try---along with the recoil pad. He was shocked at how little the recoil bothered him. He had shot it when he was 22 years younger, and didn’t like it at all, but it didn’t bother him at all with the pad on his shoulder, and he was getting 1/2" groups with it.

Similarly, my 11-yr-old son doesn’t like to shoot his (inherited from his older brother) .243 Youth model a ton, but with the Past pad, pictured, below, he likes it, and on Saturday, most of his 100-yd groups were right around an inch.







Here are my best two groups with the .340 on Monday (shot while wearing a similar pad, like this one: https://www.cabelas.com/product/sho...-s-rifle-recoil-pad/2370690.uts?slotId=2):



The padding really does make a difference at the range, but you’ll never need it for one or a few shots in the field, especially if you have something exciting in the crosshairs.

Yes

I use a lead sled with 25 pounds of shot. Reduces the recoil on both of my rifles to 30-06 levels and I'm fine there. As you mentioned recoil isn't much of a factor in the field, unless your prone with a .340 WB. You've made a great choice, live in the best state in the union for sportsmen, and you've obviously mastered a specialist's caliber.

My answer to your question, is no, I don't think your elk rifle can be beat. However, its a knife fight for the number two spot...

It's hard to beat the old .340. It simply hammers things.

When I first bought the 340 Accumark, because of all the press, I bought a bunch of 200gr and 210gr cartridges, hoping I could handle those. I fired a couple, and realized that it was not that big of a deal.

I have far from mastered anything. I can shoot it from the bench, and have shot game with it, but I am far short of a master with anything. But I can shoot it well enough for some situations, and I'm trying to get better. As with all, always, I have a lot of work to do to get better. I'm unlikely to do anything with it that a 30-06 in good hands won't do, which I fully understand. Almost all of the game I have shot was within 100 yds, which I always work for. I probably won't see it, but if an elk was 350 yds - 400 yds away and about to disappear, I might prefer its capabilities.

"The 340 can be sluggish and difficult".....I remember that in Handloader, in response to "G.D.V."

I always thought the 340 would be the ticket; never loaded for one, but it seemed like Ross said, the 338/RL-22 could "rub shoulders" with big brother, at least with most published data at the time. Pretty much loaded two 338's to within 100-150 fps. of the 340 with 225-250g. bullets

It really ain't no slouch with RL-25 either and 250's.

When were you “snooping” around my house? memtb

Nice groups! 👍 The wife’s .338, can’t match that. Hers is acceptable, but not great! memtb

Here's a .338 Win Mag I wouldn't want any lighter.

We’re getting 2950 with the wife’s.338. ( 225 TTSX’s and RL 22), from a 24” barrel. No idea of pressures....but it seems fine. Still “not” in the class of the 340! memtb

[u][/u]

That’s a real nice “packing” weight, which translates into a real nice “kicking” weight! A shame you can’t have both.....without a “weed burner”! What does it go with a sling, and a full magazine? memtb

Yeah, “G.D.V.” was me. 🙂 I don’t remember the exact chronology of events or time but RS wrote a nice article about the 340 and his Champlain rifle in G&A, as mentioned above by Lee W, which lit a fire under me also. That was circa early ‘90’s. A bit later (?), again in G&A he now downplayed the cartridge a bit. I don’t quite remember now if he meant the then-new mono’s elevated everything in effectiveness or it was just his, sort of, revised observation of the cartridge from a handloaders perspective.

At any rate, curious, I wrote a letter to the editor/RS and he responded with a fairly lengthy opinion in the next issue or so.

My own 340 was simply a rechambered 338 and so hand loads were interesting to compare coming from the same tube. There was definitely enough difference for any loon to glom onto; think 308 vs the 30-06 as a more common example. A ~ 15 grains case capacity difference when both cases are loaded to the same pressures means roughly a 4% velocity differential with equal weight bullets. Mine showed that with the 250’s hitting ~ 2950; the 225’s, in the neighborhood of 3100 and the 210’s about 3200 fps. This was with only a 24” tube but with the “Wby throat”.

As a 338, this same tube gave velocities in the 100-150 fps range slower. However, the time spent with it as a 338 was much shorter and I tried fewer loads than with it than as a 340.

Caribou and a few bull elk were taken in the 100-150 yd range, but unlike many have stated on this site, most of my bulls came between 400 and 500 yards for one reason or another, hillside to hillside or big open clear-cut scenarios, etc. I eventually after much experimenting with bullet weight settled on the 210-gr weight and finally the TSX at that weight pushed at around 3200 fps.

I realize ME is a rather dubious figure aside from other considerations and correct bullet placement but when you can lay over a ton of ME on an animal’s chest-shoulder area at five hundred yards, in my experience, the effect was dramatic in the eight or so bulls I took at about that range. Hyperbole aside, all were legs-up, crushed, or legs-folded, down like an elevator.

It’s a great cartridge, as are many others in the right application, and IMO, it shines in elk, moose or bear country if it can be handled proficiently and one doesn’t mind a little heavier rifle. Necessary? Of course not.

ETA: the 338 is of course a classic cartridge in its own right. Funny, but in my rifle, going from the 338 to the 340, I really couldn’t discern a real difference in recoil. Subjective I know.

To my eternal shame, I didn't find out how much recoil effected you until I got my first custom rifle that was "fitted" to me. All my life I was shooting a LOP a 1/4 of an inch too short. I need at least 13 3/4 of an inch as I'm a knuckle dragger. The Weatherby rifles I owned all had 13.5 and it was an exercise in pain to shoot them. I ended up selling all but one. Finally I wised up, had all my rifles spaced to at least 13/3/4 and bought prescription shooting glasses from Decot. Then because I'm a geezer I put brakes on both rifles. Yes, I'm deaf too. When I listen to the radio in my home, so do my neighbors.... But now I can go to the range and not have to go to the ER on the way home.

Lee, several of those lines made me laugh.

BTW, here is the one 225gr TTSX bullet I recovered from that moose. It went through a couple of feet of bone, muscle, and other stuff, and ended up on the far side under the hide. The other two went clean through. All three were fired within a few seconds (the second two to make sure he didn't go far or get away), as he was running for the trees. Impact velocity likely was about 3,000 fps.

It took a lot of years for the bullets to catch up to the .340 Weatherby. With a handful of exceptions, the bullets just couldn't withstand the impact speeds and everyone shot at least 250 grainers if they weren't Partitions back in the day. As cliche as it sounds, the TSX/TTSX series are a real game changer for these high energy rounds. I have just one recovered TTSX from a raghorn somewhere and it went through a branch I didn't see at 387 yards, and its not as pretty as yours. Mangled would be the word I'd use. But because I'm a rifle geek too, I consider the recovered rounds from game as much of a trophy as the animal itself.

I was influenced by RS, again, writing about his use of mono’s in the ‘06 while shooting feral donkeys in Australia. His observation was these new bullets elevate the ‘06 to a whole new level of lethality (and by implication would do the same for any cartridge). This was again sometime in the nineties. IIRC, he was using the new Winchester Failsafe then.

This led me on the road to try what was available at the time including the .338 Lost Rivers Tech bullet, 210-gr (IIRC) of a lead-less, alloy of copper, brass, and best wishes. I had a CO bull the last evening of a hunt come out of the timber into a long, deep meadow right at diminishing light. It stopped broadside behind a cow at 475 yds by a quick ranging. The first shot dropped it prone, hit through the shoulders; as I saw it struggle a bit and dark was closing in, I hit it again and one more time.

The three shots actually could have been covered with a tea saucer; two were through and through, and the third, a contrarian, took a left turn and was found somewhere in a hind quarter, maybe four feet away. It actually could have been reloaded again as it was intact except for a flattened nose. The two exits were only pencil-sized. This bullet apparently was too hard acting almost as a solid at this range and velocity which was probably still 2k or more.

If I have the chronology of events correct, I had already tried the Barnes X bullet in several rifles and ran into pressure problems with a couple esp as I got to near max loads; I ditched it. Then came the TSX and finally the TTSX. These gave excellent accuracy and performance without pressure problems. I took ten PG in Namibia in 2007 with ten rounds of the .375, 270-gr TSX and recovered only one on a stout, lead, female zebra. It had smashed both shoulders.

Of the twenty or so heads of game that I can remember taken with the TSX/TTSX BULLETS I’ve recoverd only three one of which one is named above; another traversed a waterbuck sideways after hitting a small twig twenty yards in front of the animal and was found under the off-side. The last hit a 300lb mule deer buck under the chin while coming hard-on, and travelled 4.5 feet landing near the scrotum. The “zebra bullet” and the “mule deer bullet” are thousand-Word pic’s which I’ve posted before.

Im not saying they are perfect bullets or others are not as good in slightly different ways, but for me they are good enough not to stray from. This year, Lord-willing, I’m taking a 300 WSM and a very lightweight 284 for elk. In the first, I’ve a 168-gr TTSX loaded and in the 284, I’ve a 140-gr TTSX in place. Both are at about 3075 fps MV with resultant trajectories about the same to 400-450 yds.

If you can get them to shoot, I think the Nosler Partitions are never a wrong answer in NA. That said, there was a time I would of been interested in a Trophy Bonded bullet. Now the TTSX takes all my money. I've quit looking at anything else. Within their envelope of speed there is nothing better in my rifles. I've just got my hands on Barnes's new LR TTSX in 375, and I'm gonna load them up for this years elk hunt in the next 30 days or so. I'm hoping for great things from this next gen bullet.

Well, for me: I don't shoot at game animals over 300 yards any more. So a 340 Weatherby isn't something that I'd "need".

I've used a 338 Win Mag with 250 Nosler Partitions more than all other combinations combined - for elk. I keep reading that the 338 is more than what is needed. But I like the way it worked for me. Now, it seems that I'm getting long in the tooth (came up on me suddenly). Next elk tag, I'm not sure that I'll be using the 338. If I do, I might try lighter mono's.
I sold two 338's and I might sell my Win 70 338 with claw extractor. I have lots of brass and bullets though, even a couple boxes of factory Nosler 250 grain Partitons and if I sold that 338 then what??? With all those bullets and brass I'd need to buy another 338, I suppose.

But if someone wanted a 338 Win 70 with claw extractor and bunches of brass and bullets and factory loads...

I have a few other belted mags -- more than I "need" too. I don't think a 340 is in my future.

As GDV indicated bullets, powder, and rifles have come a long way in just a few years. In the 70's a MOA rifle was something to be cherished, and like Bigfoot, everyone had heard of one, but no one you knew had actually seen one. CNC/CAD machinery made hand fitting a distant second place and now even rifles less than 500 dollars are MOA or better. Boddington just wrote an article that said the 30/06 is now probably the best elk caliber out there now days. Due to the advances in powders and bullets. Boddington for many years was a 375 H&H/340WB/8REMmag proponent for elk. Especially if it was a hunt he was paying for. I'll continue to hunt my 338/375 rifles for elk until I can't climb the mountain anymore.

It really seems we’ve seen what’s considered fashionable and effective for elk (big, big game) move away from the coke-bottle sized cartridges in the last twenty years or so to the more “pedestrian” ones if I can use that word without causing offense. It’s seems only reasonable, first with better bullets, then powders, platforms and precision optics. I’ve no arguments against all that as I’m also using comparatively smaller fare this year too as noted.

Still, I love the 340, and the old 375 particularly, if one can grow fond of certain cartridges and their experiences with them.

Any workman will tell you to pick the right tool for the job which in the case for elk hunting seems to span quite a range and seems a highly emotive decision.

I have only used them once, but would rely on them on anything. That bear pictured above was completely dead within a few seconds after being hit with a 300gr .375 NP going about 2,520 fps at impact. It smashed through ribs on both sides, turned everything in between into jelly, and flew off into the tundra beyond.

Alaskan/Yukon moose, Brown Bear, and Mountain Caribou is my hunting bucket list. If I really want to dream, a year to fish and hunt not only Alaska but New Zealand. Likely to go unchecked.

To all who posted on this thread: thanks for a pleasant “conversation” without the often narcissistic, personality disorder stone throwing. Reminiscent of earlier times. 🙂

You can go straight to hell pal. It is more than obvious you are directing your post here at me.

I did not start that crap in the other thread.

Apparently, no good deed goes unpunished.

Uh oh, somebody needs a new tampon.
George is one of the best the campfire has to offer and doesn't play those games

Sir, it was a general comment directed at no one specifically and with no one in mind. Just my recollection of a thread generally gone well. That’s all.

As to the other thread you mention, read my short comment carefully. All I said was, “battue does not embarrass himself.”

No Sir...Absolutely wasn’t snooping around your house. I was at your neighbors though. 🤫

Yep, a case of Big League Butthurt being witnessed...😎

The 340 Wby is a nice round. I can't tell the difference in recoil from a 338 Win so I went with the Wby.

I had Kevin Weaver build me one on a '50 cloverleaf P64 action with a 26" Krieger barrel and his customary HiTek stocks. A good rifle, but as alluded to, that 26" tube always seems to get in the way in the alders. While an OEM rifle may temper the recoil from the added weight I'd rather carry 2# more of food on my back. (I have yet to feel the kick of a 340 Wby in the field. On the bench, yes, but not in the field.)

I sold that rifle and yesterday in fact picked up my new 340 Wby built by Patrick Holehan with his proprietary return to zero mounts (part of an Africa set I had made with a 270 Win to go along with a 416 Rigby of his). We decided on a 24" barrel as the "on paper" "velocity loss" is negligible when compared to packing and handling the rifle, and he suggested the shorter barrel harmonics "may" make it less finicky. I haven't weighed it yet, but I also had him build a second synthetic stock in addition to the wooden one for Alaska. I'm looking forward to shooting it when I return from Zimbabwe.

But the perfect elk rifle is my 300 Win Charlie Sisk built me back in '04 on a Wichester Classic. That rifle has shot one holers from the get go.

That CS 300 should do you very, very well. As to the 340, yes, I found a 24” barrel to not give up nearly as much as it gained in portability. I do agree — with your crosshairs on a big bull; elk, moose, or grizzly; recoil becomes a non-issue if indeed you’ve made it so before hand in shooting technique.

BTW, please give up the porn star occupation as it’s beneath you (yes, pun intended).

My 14-yr-old son needed an adult rifle, as he has outgrown his youth model. I saw a Vanguard .243 at Walmart on Sunday for $249, and couldn't pass that up. He needed a scope, and I wanted a new scope. So, I gave him the one on the MkV .340 and put a new scope on the .340. Sighing it in after bore-sighting it yesterday, among others, I got the following groups at 100 yds:



The lower hole on the upper-right group is two shots, and the middle one is four shots (two through the right hole). Again, I wore the shoulder-pad thingy, which makes the process quite comfortable. It took me a few more rounds to sight in than I would have hoped because, at one point, I adjusted the windage left when I meant to go right. It was a rushed session (while my son was shooting his .243 in the next lane) because I had to get us back home for dinner. So, I didn't get the chance to keep the barrel cool and it likely was increasing in temperature with each group. The bottom two on the right target were the last two of those shown, and they are the largest, though still not bad. I assume that may be a barrel temperature thing. I shot one more group at another target, and it opened up to about 1-1/2". So, not having time to cool the barrel down, we packed up and left. I will tweak it again tomorrow.

For what it's worth, the 26" barrel doesn't bother me likely because of the way I carry the rifle--on a Safari-style sling; like with my .375 Wby in the pic below. The barrel is going slightly in front of me where I am going. Sometimes, the barrel is down; sometimes, it is up. Sometimes, I actually use it to push small branches or thorns out of my way in brushy areas. I don't think I have ever caught myself hoping for two fewer inches on it. I have hunted the same woods in Virginia with both my 7mm Wby UL with a 26" barrel and a .308 DPMS Hunter with a 20" barrel, and I could not have been less affected by having the 26" barrel when I carried the 7mm. I know it is commonly accepted as fact that a short-barreled rifle is better for hunting in the woods, but that just hasn't been my experience.

I've never seen the need to burn that much powder to kill elk. In fact, I'd pick a cartridge that burned about half as much powder 10 out of 10 times, in an easier to pack rig, rather than a 340 Weatherby with a bi-pod. But that's just me. There's a lot of up and down to my elk hunting, and I'd rather pack less than more every time. For long shots on elk, I can think of several cartridges that I'd pick over a 340, for short shots, I can think of even more. It's obviously entirely subjective.

One thing is certain, though: if I ran into you up on the mountain and we exchanged a few pleasantries before going our separate ways, I'd certainly respect your decision to pack that setup, and I'd respect your ability to pack that setup, MarineHawk. The cool thing about a 340 is all you need to identify the cartridge is the number. There is only one 340, and there's no AI version.

LOL, "it's all about me."

HnS, I agree with your points. I shoot the rifle at the range fairly well off the bipod. Do note that it comes off in about five seconds anytime I want, including right before hiking off to hunt something.

I am going to hunt elk for the first time this fall in Colorado. I have hunted deer there, but not yet elk. I am still planning the hunt, but likely am going to leave open the possibility several locations with which I am familiar and where I have seen elk. In some of the more rigorous scenarios/locations, I may prefer my 7mm Wby Ultra Lightweight, which weighs just over 8 lbs scoped. I likely will bring both rifles. They both have pretty much the same trajectory (my favorite 7mm load is only 2" lower than the .340 at 500 yds; only 3/4" at 350 yds). I can choose what to carry. When I go on backpacking hunts, I have carried rifles lighter than the 340. But, for day trips and not carrying a full pack, the .340 hasn't yet hindered me. So, far, I have only carried the .340 where bears can be a concern. I originally bought it for Alaskan hunts. If I was buying something from scratch for elk, and no larger, I likely would not have bought it. I have a 30-yr-old Rem. 700 BDL in .300 Win Mag that shoots as well as any rifle I ever have shot, which is about as good as anything I would think for elk. That being said, it's just as heavy as the .340, and now that I have the .340, I like its capabilities, even though I haven't yet fully tapped them.

The elk tend to be at pretty high altitudes in CO. I never hunted elk there but I did a lot of hiking between 10k and 13k altitude. My 10-15lb day pack sometimes felt like 80 lbs when I couldn't get enough air. Your 7mm WBY seems close to ideal in my mind for a CO elk hunt.

Yeah, everything is harder up there. I used to live there, and have some land (outside of the elk-hunting unit) at 10,000 feet. I've been backpacking countless times up to almost 12,000 feet, and climbed a few 14ers. You can't go as fast for as long as nearer to sea level. For part of the trip, we may hunt bear on my land about 20 miles away.

Yeah, you did.

And I’m still waiting for my insult. You threw shade at just about everyone else. What’s wrong with me? Aren’t I good enough for a snide remark or two? What are you, racist?





P

My elk hunting has been off and on over the years. I'm presently in my early 80's and plan on hunting this year. I did get a spike only tag for what may be my last hunt and it's for a unit in N.E. Oregon. My first elk hunt was in the 50's and was for a unit on the Oregon coast. I was carrying a Marlin .35 Remington loaded with factory 200 gr. soft points. I was successful and got a spike bull!. Other hunters in the group had .303 SMLE's and other rifles from lever actions to other surplus arms

It wasn't until years later that I resumed elk hunting. I used a sporterized Model 1903 Springfield 30-06 and was fairly successful with 180 gr. handloads. Later on later on I purchased a Remington Model 700 in Remington 7mm mag and developed a Nosler Partition load of 175 gr. which was accurate and deadly. I have been living in the eastern part of Oregon. I have found the 30-06 and the Rem. 7 Mag to be entirely adequate.

Happy Trails!

I know if might not be “real” elk hunting, but when I someday draw a tag for the unit my property is on, the .340 could be pretty ideal. For example, pictures paint the scenario better.

Here’s my camp:



When I wake up in the morning, I can walk about 150 yds west to this rocky mount (viewed east-to-west):



This is what it looks like from the other side below (west-to-east):

July:


January:


When I peek over the ridge in the early mornings, I often see elk and/or deer down below--anywhere from 150 yds away to infinity:


If a giant bull was standing 500 yds away and the winds were not crazy, I likely would be happy to quietly put that .340 down on its bipod and, in the prone, take a well-thought-out and calm shot. For that purpose, the weight of the rifle is irrelevant, and being able to put a 2,575 ft-lbs of whoop-a$$ on him with only 6 MOA of holdover would make sense to me. I know that’s not a common elk hunting scenario, but it might be for me someday.

Also, for you experts, how big do you think this guy would be? For reference, it is next to my size-10 boot, which is 4" wide. Can you tell much from a track like that?

Beautiful land!!!!!

It was a fairly common scenario for me and I loved my 340 for it. Love that kind of country.

I picked up a good deal on the 120 acres a few years ago when rancher, with a $6-million ranch died, and daughter was selling the whole thing, but she wanted some money to play in Europe—now!! Nice views:



Obvious predators on the land:





Big kitty cat visited:

If that rifle is so great and you don't notice the recoil, why did it take 3 shots to bring him down??

He was running fast for nearby cover that went on forever. He went 25 yards before dying. I don’t know if he would have gone an inch further or not if I hadn't given him the two follow-up shots I was able to make before he hit the cover, but in the millisecond I had to choose, I decided that I wasn’t going to try to find out. He was a pretty big guy moving pretty fast. He produced 950lbs of meat on the bone. So, you think, even though I can shoot the rifle accurately at the range, I was flinching from anticipated recoil with that big trophy in the crosshairs? I can't recall any recoil, and it certainly wasn't in my mind when squeezing the trigger. I hit him pretty close to where I intended with all three shots, but a 8"-10" further back only because I didn't lead him as much as I should have given how fast he was moving left to right.

Awesome pics Marinehawk. Nice piece of land you have there.. No flies on your rifle choice either. It's just a little bigger than I prefer, but dang if you can handle it and shoot it well, then it is damn good....

Thanks BSA. Among others, I have the lightweight 7mm Wby for tough backpacking, and also this 8-lb .308, which puts big holes in little things:

Like the New York Mets. 😎

Not with their power hitting.

Went to the range again today, primarily to help my son sight in his .243 Win., but also brought the .340 with the same loads.

This time, I never let the barrel get more than a little warm to the touch.

I shot four 3-shot groups at 100 yds. Here are my last three:

That’s acceptable! 🙂 Now to find a cooperative elk! 😉 memtb

That looks damn good. How's your shooting in different field positions?

I like that 308. Do you mind sharing the specs? I wish mine was 8 pounds sometimes!!!

That 340 packs a lot of azz down range! Nice critter pics too!

Perfect elk rifle? Not for me. I simply don’t feel the need to burn that much powder. I have an old M70 in 280 that goes well under 7 pounds before mounts and scope. About 7 1/2 all up? I’d not fret shooting anything with it, even big bears. I like a lightish, compact gun. On the occasion I get stuck crawling through thick brush or climbing over a stretch of blow downs, it’s nice to have a short and light rifle in hand. No way I would make it through slung.



Great looking land! Good luck drawing that elk tag. What state?

Agreed men, my 338 cal LR elk rig weighs 10lbs all up, doesn't bother me one bit, it's really pretty nice after humping 12-16 lb Sharps rifles around the hills, it fires 338 cal 300 gr Accubonds at 3000 fps, it's one of the ones I sent you a bughole target pic of Beretzs.

Running the numbers on a .7 bc at 3000 fps and 300 grains translates into some really good LR power/wind/momentum numbers.

Thanks BSA.

I practiced lots of field-position shooting for years in the USMC. I still do that when I can a few times a year when I’m on private land. Almost all of the game I have shot has been offhand because that was the only option I had. I usually have a shooting stick with me in recent times, and do practice at the range with those.

The 308 is a DPMS GII Hunter with a 20” barrel. It starts out at 7lb-12oz, and goes up in weight with whatever you add.



BSA, below probably is more information than you desire about it, but I hope you can skip over anything you find unnecessary.

I got it last year after accumulating a bunch of credit card rewards points (largely for reimbursable overseas travel) and converted those to Cabela’s gift certificates. See https://www.cabelas.com/product/sho...er-centerfire-rifle/2042285.uts?slotId=3 I have done that several times, and it feels almost like getting free guns.

I have settled mostly in on the Nosler-loaded 168-gr LRAB loading. My chrono gave me the remarkably-consistent string for that load out of that that rifle: 2,613 fps, 2,615 fps, 2,616 fps, 2,609 fps, 2,612 fps = 2,613 fps avg. I can get 1/2" to 3/4" groups out of it at 100 yds with that factory ammo. A couple reviewers in the Cabela’s link above say they get about the same. I have several semi-auto rifles, including a Colt 5.56mm HBAR and this free-floated M1A:



That DPMS shoots better than any semi-auto I ever have shot. I have not had any failures to fire with it, except when I tried some Hornady Lite reduced-recoil .308 ammo that I was going to allow my sons to shoot out of it. Not enough pressure to operate the system.

DPMS makes a lighter 16”-barreled one, but I’m not a big fan of 16” barrels on rifles shooting high-velocity rifle cartridges, as opposed to carbine or handgun rounds.

These reviews explain the fairly-clever way they got the weight down:

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/1/5/downsizing-dpms-gii-ars/ (“This GII Hunter I tested blew me away with its accuracy. I was primarily testing that rifle for our sister publication American Hunter and didn't even plan to include it in this article, but the performance is too impressive to ignore. American Hunter uses three, three-shots groups with three different loads as a test protocol. With the Black Hills 168-gr. load, the first group measured 0.30". That was the best, but the average of three groups was 0.47". The average for all nine groups was 0.80". From an out-of-the-box AR-L shooting factory ammunition, that is very impressive accuracy.”). That guy got the best results with 168gr bullets, which is my experience as well. For example, mine doesn’t shoot the 130gr TTSX bullets very well. I suspect that the author’s groups grew a bit over time from 0.3” to 0.47” because, as suggested above, that tends to happen as barrels get hotter.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gun-shots/gun-review-dpms-gii-hunter

https://gundigest.com/reviews/dpms-gii-rifles

This one discusses the same as to the 16” version:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/10/jeremy-s/dpms-gii-compact-hunter-gun-review/

Thanks MadMooner. The land is in Colorado. I am going with an OTC tag this year in a nearby unit. And will keep trying to get one for the unit in which my land sits. I did get a bear tag for the unit where my property is.

Geez, Gunner, what type of artillery are you using that launches a .338" 300gr AB at 3,000 fps?

I don't reload, and the only option I have for the 300gr AB in the .340 Wby is one loaded by Nosler. My chrono gave me an average of 2,538 fps out of my rifle with those--right at about what Nosler claims: 2,540 fps. I was surprised because, in my experience, Nosler generally inflates the velocity numbers in their specs. The published B.C. for that bullet is a full 0.720, which is getting up there. Plugging that 2,540 fps into the computer gives about 1,975 fps at 500 yds (2,601 ft-lbs), which is slightly better in terms of energy than the 225gr TTSX load described above. If you're starting out with 3,000 fps, it still should be moving at 2,371 fps (3,745 ft-lbs) at 500 yds. But you're talking about 6,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. What cartridge/rifle does that?

Hello MH, my rifle is an old custom MK-V wearing a stainless 28" Shilen, 338-378 easily gets those numbers with Retumbo powder, it wears a 2.5-10x42 Nightforce compact scope.

I bought that rifle from a kid walking around the Tulsa gun show with his arm in a sling over 25 years ago, you cant make that kind of chit up, it was a 460 that he or someone had cut the barrel down to 20"s, I bought it for the action, sold the stock and gave the 460 barrel to my 'smith for a nice tent stake.

The rifle sits in a nicely bedded Pacific Research/Rimrock syn stock, all moly metal is black matte cerakoted, I've never heard any sporting arm slap 500 yard steel with such ferocity.

Jogged the memory banks, bought that rifle in the spring of 1989 from that kid in Tulsa.

Dang gunner, you definitely answered my original question, and put the .340 to shame. I knew there is always a bigger fish, but didn't know that there was a 10-lb package that could do what you're talking about.

I doubt I would move up to what you have, but if I did, I might want to put a can or brake on it. Did you?

Do you have any pics of that thing?

Running the numbers, if you sight that in at 1” high at 100yds, you’re only an inch low at 215 yds. At 500 yds, you’re only 35” low (7 MOA) and that thing is still carrying 3,745 ft-lbs—more than most factory-loaded 300 Win Mags do at the muzzle. At 750 yds, you’re still producing the same energy as a 30-06 does at the muzzle.

Pretty wicked.

LOL, no brake, pm me a cell number, I'll grab it out of the safe and shoot ya a pic, here at 555 altitude the numbers look really good, run em again at 8500 feet elk mountain high and they really fly.

Recoil from that rifle is not so bad, shooting 416, 458, 500 Nitro, 505 Gibbs, 577 Nitro all the way up to 8-Bore puts any standard heavy medium bore hunting cartridge in the well mannered category, plus, shooting these bigger 338's at game will all but guarantee we'll have on plenty of extra clothing.

Thanks Gunner. PM sent.

Running the numbers further out, at 1,800 yds (over a mile), that bullet would still be going almost 1,200 fps.

Have you tried the 265gr LRAB? I wonder what velocities you could get with that. It has an even higher B.C. of 0.732.

If you could push the 265gr LRAB at 3,200 fps (which is my rough guess), you have some even more insane numbers. At 1,800 yds, the bullet would be moving at almost 1,300 fps and be only 52 MOA low; 3.2 seconds after you pull the trigger.

I’m not suggesting anyone would consider shooting anything other than targets at a mile, but your rifle likely has the capability of doing that under ideal conditions with a bigger scope.

LOL, if a man has the skill, if you can see it and hit it, you can kill it with that old deep punching bastid.

10X for some reason has always been enough magnification for me, not counting if I were to build a specialty prairie dog gun or the like.

I've read about the lighter LRAB's, don't really know if they'd hold up inside 100 yards should a man need to hit a big ugly at warp speed, that 300 gr Accubond is a TSOB.

For crying out loud, thanks a lot, Gunner!!! You just practically turned my .340 into a .30 Carbine.

All, here’s the pic:



Let me know if you ever want to sell that thing.

So, even though the Nosler boxes containing the .340 Wby factory-loaded 300gr ABs say that the 300gr AB is a “Long Range” variant, the Nosler website lists the 300gr bullet as a standard AB with a spec minimum velocity of 1,800 fps. The 265gr is identified as a LR AB with a spec minimum velocity of 1,300 fps. I think/suspect that the LR and std ABs primarily are different as to impact performance up front, and the LR AB has a thinner jacket up front but similarly thick base. At least that’s what the pics seem to show. I would feel comfortable shooting the 265gr LRAB at just about anything. I shot through about two feet of deer, including some bone, in the pic above with a 168gr LR AB, and it made that huge exit hole. Adding another 100grs of bullet to that I think would do fine on almost anything---certainly anything short of a giant brown bear---on this continent. Personally, I would be fine with it for anything. It wouldn't really be an improvement in your gun though until you got out past 1,000 yds.

LOL, Thanks MarineHawk, the old basher is about 260 rounds into it's second barrel, it has plenty of fire left in the stove, if I ever decide to sell it, I'll give you first shot, for me, the 300 gr AB's will cover anything nicely I'd ever hunt that rifle with, keeping in mind, running a 300 gr AB into a tough critter like elk or moose, maybe even a little below 1800 should still initiate enough expansion, I'll save my share of the LRAB's for the sure nuff long range hunting guys, I just play around anymore.

Did you happen to notice that nice grey, black and blue 'bruise pattern' paint job on the stock? Darren75 from right here at the 'fire painted that for me, it somehow fits the rifle perfectly.

Very nice man. I like it. Thanks for sharing that info..

Different field positions? Like high karate kick then shoot? Or the I'm out of shape up the hill fat man breathing shooting position? Or window rolled down shooting out the truck shooting position? Shooting across the hood of the truck across a road shooting position?

If that's how you roll man..

My favorite shooting position on a hill shooting down hill, you are sliding downhill cause you are sitting in grass. Or shooting uphill and the best rest you can find also involves another rock jammed into ribs.. those are my favorite..

You left out the freaking sticker in your ribs and the cheat grass in your socks.. but yeah, btdt..

Yeah, I really like the look of that stock.

Mine’s much more pedestrian.



And an oral conversation added to the eccentricity of its appearance. I ordered a base and rings from Near Manufacturing in Canada over the phone nine years ago. At the end of the conversation, he said something like: “Blue okay”? I said: “Yes.” I thought he said “Blued”—like meaning black in color. I’m generally a function-over-form guy and didn’t want to send the rings back. So, I accepted that I have a hunting rifle that even some New Orleans pimps might blush at carrying. Such is life.

My .375 Wby DGR is more respectable:

The 340 Roy is a wicked round. Nice moose

Man you forgot cactus, Pine needles poking you in the face, slipping and sliding on ferns, tripping over deadfall Doug fir shooting position.. lol

Any chance you could stop?

If you have a beef with BSA, I don’t see the need to air it here. If you think practicing shooting from field positions is a bad idea, why not make a case for that with something other than nasty sarcasm. State your case.

I do practice some field shooting when I can (and get my sons to do so as well), because It’s different in term of what you can hit and how confidently at a given distance. In the USMC, we did standing offhand, kneeling offhand, sitting, and prone---over and over and over again. My barely-teen son was shooting under a MOA from the bench, and I had him shoot offhand, and he realized his limitations and range doing that. This was good, because he shot a buck at 65 yards last fall and waited to shoot until it was that close.



What is your point? Why the sarcasm? Not apparent to me.

Lol I know BSA we give each other grief all the time.. he's a good dude.... he knows I'm messing with him..

Oh and I will never stop...

That's awesome to see someone teaching their kids right. Good on you man. If you have jackrabbits in your area, you could go out together and get in some dang good practice in the off season. Most shots are going to be offhand and sometimes even running shots. The more practice under their belt, the better. That picture of your son and the pistol on his belt, reminds me of myself when I was a kid. Grew up in Nevada and hunted dang near every day after school. Had miles and miles of desert to roam around in. Don't mind 79s, he's like a burr in the side, or a hemorrhoid, but you get used to him after a while...

Ouch that hurts, no Christmas card for you lol.. back home in Oregon we used to jump shoot jack rabbits, with our hunting rifles.. great shooting drills those jack rabbits

Yep, JOC got his start jump shooting jack rabbits. He wrote about that in some of his stories..

I've always gone with this best tool I can find. I have shot jackrabbits, but only with #4 shot 12 gauge. I see how shooting a single projectile at them would be good training, but at the time, I was just trying to kill a 'wabbit.

Good stuff MarineHawk. One thing I do like is good shooting rifles and nice country. You got both, so you are very blessed. You are teaching your kid right too, so it's all good in my book man.. Happy hunting!!

Nice setups, the 375 amongst the bear tracks looks particularly at home.

Just had a thought MarineHawk, doesn't Barnes make some sort of longer range TTSX's? I haven't looked into them, truth be told your 340 or the 338 Win Mag will easily reach and handily kill all game worldwide from 5 to 400+ yards as is, that's still a mighty long poke out on your belly and elbows looking at a big game animal.

Thanks guys.

Gunner, the TTSXs are what they are. Nosler makes normal and Long Range Accubond bullets, but Barnes doesn’t. Barnes makes an LRX, but they don’t seem to compare to the Noslers, and no one loads them in my cartridge

Nosler loads 225gr AB in the .340, but they are about 200 fps slower than the Corbon 225g TTSX loads. It is interesting that the 225gr .338 TTSX bullet is the only TTSX bullet that exceeds .0500 BC of all calibers.

I shot the DPMS .308 today (while cooling my 14-yr-old son’s rifle while he was practicing offhand and from a shooting stick). It shoots better with the 168gr ABLR loads than I would have expected when I bought it.



For an out-of-the-box $1,300 .308 AR, I am fairly happy.

Yes, the LRX's were what I was trying to remember, nice shooting with that AR-10 too, bet those LRAB's will do a fine job on deer and the like.

Thanks Gunner. The LRAB already took the deer pictured above.

Today, I went back to the range with my buddy, who is going elk hunting with me. He has a S&W 1500-actioned rifle in 7mm RM. I shot the .340 Wby again to make sure it was on. Unfortunately, it shot worse:



I don't have pics, but my friend, a recently-retired sailor, put some 140gr ABs in one hole. I was hoping to show him up--Marine vs USN, but he matched me. I think we're ready to go on the shooting side, we just need to get close to a bull. We have been working on ways to hope to do that.

You're going to have to get rid of that pile of junk, guess i'll have to sell you my old 338 barnburner. Good shooting, you guys are ready, hope you get into some elk, I'll be going after cow Jan '19, will be using an old 336 Marlin in 35 Remington stoked with 220 gr Speers at 2175 fps, shots there will be 200 yards max.

Good luck on your hunt gunner.

My fall hunting already is a success, as my 14-yr-old son got his second deer, and my 11-yr-old son got his first 40 minutes later last Saturday morning.









More details here: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...th-deer-hunting-in-virginia#Post13173840

Excellent!!

Thanks MH, and keep kicking ass with those boys, they're lucky to have a Pop like you, fine job Sir!