340 Weatherby Reloading

[10XSHOOTER]

I built a Custom Rem 700 in .340 Wby. Brake got added at the build time.. I take .375 H&H brass. ( Fed and Winchester) neck down and fire form. I shoot 85.0 gr of RL-19 with a Moly Accubond 250 right around 2930fps. Kills Elk out 900 yds. It's sits in a McMillan M-40 stock. Took it to Alaska twice on Bear hunts. Bears were scared of it. Never saw a Bear!

 

[wboggs]

I built a Custom Rem 700 in .340 Wby. Brake got added at the build time.. I take .375 H&H brass. ( Fed and Winchester) neck down and fire form. I shoot 85.0 gr of RL-19 with a Moly Accubond 250 right around 2930fps. Kills Elk out 900 yds. It's sits in a McMillan M-40 stock. Took it to Alaska twice on Bear hunts. Bears were scared of it. Never saw a Bear!

Sounds like a perfect combination for Alaska.
Weight with scope?

 

[65swede]

Man, the 340 is sounding better and better in a sporter weight rifle. I don't have any Alaska hunts on the horizon but 250's at 2900+ sounds pretty dang good for elk. I don't need a new hunting rifle; already have a 6.5x55, 7mag, 300wm, 300wsm, and 308 that I shoot suppressed, and a 300rum, 338wm, 270wsm, and braked 338 edge too. Never needed a reason to add a rifle to my stable, the 340 sounds better and better the more I hear about it.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I learned years ago that there’s absolutely NO reason to beat up your body by having to endure heavy rifle recoil. I started putting brakes on all my big rifles and learned to wear hearing protection (or have it ready to go on) while hunting with them. Best thing I ever did for my shoulder.

The 250gr Berger EH bullets with H4350 or RL16 or other powders in the mid-burn rate area is a great starting point.

 

[65swede]

I learned years ago that there’s absolutely NO reason to beat up your body by having to endure heavy rifle recoil. I started putting brakes on all my big rifles and learned to wear hearing protection (or have it ready to go on) while hunting with them. Best thing I ever did for my shoulder.

The 250gr Berger EH bullets with H4350 or RL16 or other powders in the mid-burn rate area is a great starting point.

The prospect of shooting the 250gr Berger's well is very appealing. Certainly makes the 340 a formative long range elk cartridge. I just happen to have 8lbs of R16 too. Do you have load/performance data for this combo? What was your staring charge weight?

 

[Ledd Slinger]

The prospect of shooting the 250gr Berger's well is very appealing. Certainly makes the 340 a formative long range elk cartridge. I just happen to have 8lbs of R16 too. Do you have load/performance data for this combo? What was your staring charge weight?

I actually have a 338-375 Ruger but it’s the same exact case capacity. I actually used 340 WBY load data when I started with this cartridge many years ago. Just go by the book for your 340 WBY and accuracy is usually around +/- 2900 fps with the 250gr Berger. My load is at 2980 fps and holds under 1/2 MOA 3 shot groups on paper at 900 yards (10” twist Brux barrel). Will also disintegrate large soccer ball size rocks at that range

Any data listed for H4350 can be duplicated with the same charge weight using RL16.

 

[wboggs]

I actually have a 338-375 Ruger but it’s the same exact case capacity. I actually used 340 WBY load data when I started with this cartridge many years ago. Just go by the book for your 340 WBY and accuracy is usually around +/- 2900 fps with the 250gr Berger. My load is at 2980 fps and holds under 1/2 MOA 3 shot groups on paper at 900 yards (10” twist Brux barrel). Will also disintegrate large soccer ball size rocks at that range

Any data listed for H4350 can be duplicated with the same charge weight using RL16.

I think h4350 and rl16 might be a little fast for 250s. The original weatherby load data showed both h4831 amd norma 205 gave better velocities at lower pressure tha the imr 4350.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I think h4350 and rl16 might be a little fast for 250s. The original weatherby load data showed both h4831 amd norma 205 gave better velocities at lower pressure tha the imr 4350.

Regardless of what some old book says, that case capacity in 33 cal works very well with H4350 and RL16 behind 250gr bullets.

I can get better velocities with some other powders, but that’s not the point. H4350 and RL16 gave me the best accuracy, ladder tested well, have awesome temp stability, and will push the 250gr up over 3K fps in a 26” or longer barrel if you want to.

I custom developed a load for a 358 Norma Magnum many years ago. It was shooting 225gr bullets at 3030 fps from a 26” barrel. The charge was 73gr of Hodgdon BLC-2. How’s that for a fast burn rate powder behind a heavy bullet?

 

[wboggs]

Regardless of what some old book says, that case capacity in 33 cal works very well with H4350 and RL16 behind 250gr bullets.

I can get better velocities with some other powders, but that’s not the point. H4350 and RL16 gave me the best accuracy, ladder tested well, have awesome temp stability, and will push the 250gr up over 3K fps in a 26” or longer barrel if you want to.

I custom developed a load for a 358 Norma Magnum many years ago. It was shooting 225gr bullets at 3030 fps from a 26” barrel. The charge was 73gr of Hodgdon BLC-2. How’s that for a fast burn rate powder behind a heavy bullet?

I have not tested the faster powders and you have so I cannot dispute what you say.

 

[FNSafari]

They are a handful, sitting, on bags. A lot of torque, and the shove. I like a stand up bench and bags, and or a shoulder pad.

Put a protektor brick style sand bag between the rifle and your shoulder....helps soak up some of the recoil in harder recoiling rifles.