240 Weatherby Magnum

popeyespappy · December 4, 2008, 11:07 PM

Back in the early 80s I spent a couple of years stationed at McGregor Range in the New Mexico desert between El Paso and White Sands. While there I took a few pronghorn with old 30-30. It was the only rifle I had and I missed out on more than a few antelope because they were way out past the 100 or so yards I was comfortable shooting at.

From McGregor Uncle Sam sent me to Germany where I spent more time than I should have drinking beer at the Karlsruhe Rod and Gun Club. I was there one day when the guy that ran the gun shop, as opposed to the guy that ran the bar, was unpacking a shipment of new rifles. One of them was a beautiful new Mark V Deluxe in 240 Weatherby Magnum. On the receiver just in front of the port it had a large spot of rust. It looked someone had put their sweaty thumb on it before they put it in the box. After discussing the ballistics of the 240 and what a fine long range prong horn rifle it would make he told me he would let me have it for $150. That was probably less than he had in it even back then and needless to say I jumped on it. Even though that $150 would have bought a lot of beers.

Well I never made it back to Bliss again to hunt pronghorn and much to my regret I eventually sold the little used Mark V to my Dad’s boss. I now find myself thinking about that flat shooting 240 again as a long range paper puncher. The Weatherby 240 Magnum fires a factory loaded 100 grain bullet at greater than 3400 fps. That’s better than a 6mmBR and almost up there with a 6x284 so I was just wondering if any of you are using the 240 Weatherby for varmints, deer, or even just long rang paper punching. I was also wondering about the Mark V synthetic as that seems to be the cheapest thing chambered for the 240. How is the quality and accuracy on those now days?

Water-Man · December 5, 2008, 01:46 PM

I believe the Weatherby Lightweight Synthetic is the least expensive in that caliber and yes, it's a fine rifle IMO.

j.chappell · December 5, 2008, 02:06 PM

I love the 240 WBY. The only thing about all of the current offerings in the 240 is that they all feature a #1 contour barrel accept the Accumark which is a #3 contour.

These rifles heat up super fast due to the light weight barrel. Would it be a super long range varminter, sure as long as you did not have constant fire. For groundhogs and coyotes it would be fine but for extened shooting like dogs or ground squirrels you would experience POI changes and possibly shoot out your barrel in one dog hunt.

J.

tulsamal · December 5, 2008, 07:25 PM

I've always been interested in this cartridge. Just not all that enthused about the bolt actions rifles that house it.

IMO, it would be perfect for a single shot. Like the Ruger No 1 or maybe even an Encore barrel. Then you could go with a super long barrel without OAL being ridiculous. But I guess you can't chamber an Encore barrel for it and then put it up for sale? Proprietary, etc, etc?

(Another idea. Wouldn't it be sweet in that long barreled Savage that is designed for F Class shooting? Single shot, long barrel, target grade Acu-Trigger.)

Gregg

j.chappell · December 5, 2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

But I guess you can't chamber an Encore barrel for it and then put it up for sale? Proprietary, etc, etc?

What are you trying to say? Any of the custom barrel makers who deal in the TC lines will chamber you a barrel in 240 WBY if you so choose.

J.

popeyespappy · December 5, 2008, 09:24 PM

What I was thinking was find someone to put together a Savage 12 chambered for 240 Weatherby. However, after talking to some others it looks like it would probably shoot out barrels as fast as a 6x284 with the added bonus of using brass that cost twice as much.

LanceOregon · December 5, 2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

However, after talking to some others it looks like it would probably shoot out barrels as fast as a 6x284 with the added bonus of using brass that cost twice as much.

That is why you should be considering the 6.5x284 instead.

Or just go with the good old .243 Winchester.

Overbore cartridges like the .240 Weatherby and .257 Weatherby just don't make much sense to me.

.

popeyespappy · December 5, 2008, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Overbore cartridges like the .240 Weatherby and .257 Weatherby just don't make much sense to me.

I disagree. The 240 & 257 Weatherby cartridges are unquestionably exceptional long range hunting calibers. Probably more so today than when Roy Weatherby developed them 60 years ago because modern manufactured bullets can de made to perform more reliably at these higher velocities. They would both also probably make outstanding long range target rounds if chambered in some kind of dedicated custom target rifle. I just personally can’t justify spending the extra $$$. Now if Savage would chamber a Model 12 in 240 Weatherby Magnum I’d be more than a little tempted to give that try.

j.chappell · December 5, 2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Overbore cartridges like the .240 Weatherby and .257 Weatherby just don't make much sense to me.

Maybe not as varminters but as medium game rifles they are terrific. Most guys will never hunt enough deer, sheep, or antelope to burn up a 240 or 257 barrel.

I have had my 257 for a number of years and it is more accurate now than ever. My 240 is a West German gun that had many years on it before I bought it and it too is still a top notch shooter.

J.

tulsamal · December 6, 2008, 12:18 AM

Quote:

What are you trying to say? Any of the custom barrel makers who deal in the TC lines will chamber you a barrel in 240 WBY if you so choose.

I hope you are right. If so, it's news to me. I look at custom Encore barrels sometimes and I don't recall ever seeing one in a Weatherby calibers. I guess I thought the reamers weren't for sale. Like 6.5 Grendel or the Laz cartridges?

Gregg

j.chappell · December 6, 2008, 12:27 AM

http://www.bullberry.com

This is where I get all of my TC barrels. Their barrels are accuracy guaranteed to shoot SUB-MOA. I have never been let down.

J.

tulsamal · December 6, 2008, 12:36 AM

Quote:

I disagree. The 240 & 257 Weatherby cartridges are unquestionably exceptional long range hunting calibers. Probably more so today than when Roy Weatherby developed them 60 years ago because modern manufactured bullets can de made to perform more reliably at these higher velocities.

Agreed. You can get better barrels today. You can get far better bullets. And there are lots more choices in potential slow burning powders. I would enjoy reloading for one.

I always thought .240 WBY would make a great long range deer and antelope rifle. And if you got a chance at a coyote at extreme range, he would be in trouble!

Gregg

tulsamal · December 6, 2008, 12:38 AM

Quote:

This is where I get all of my TC barrels.

Wow, I stand corrected in a big way! That's cool enough to make me think about it! Thanks.

Gregg

Gun 4 Fun · December 6, 2008, 12:38 PM

With all the new powders available today, none of the Weatherby calibers are overbore. I've been a diehard .340 fan for twenty years and if I had to give up all my rifles but one, that's the one I'd keep. I don't have a .240 or .257 at the moment but I've been looking at a .257, even though deep down I'm a 25-06 fan. I love Weatherby's stock design for taming recoil.

Scorch · December 6, 2008, 03:02 PM

The 240 Weatherby is a good cartridge, but it is basically a 6mm-06 with a belt on it. This makes resizing harder, and shortens brass life. But the 240 Weatherby is a flat-shooting round, no doubt about that. Rather than deal with the brass issues, just have a 6mm-06 built.

ken22250 · December 6, 2008, 10:09 PM

i have used several 6mm's, the .240, .243, .244(6mm remington), 6mm improved, .243 improved, the 6mm-06 and the improved version, and several other wildcats, i would say a 6-06 or 6-06 imp would be your best bet, same ballistics, but 30-06 is a LOT cheaper than .240 Wby Mag, but if your heart is wet on the .240, buy all means
ken

ryalred · December 7, 2008, 08:44 AM

The .240 and .257 Wby Mags are terrific guns. They are exceptionally long range guns and are extremely accurate. If you reload, you can negate some of the cost of high ammo. I would not trade anything for my .257 Wby. Mag. It is an exceptional medium sized game rifle.

Ironworker · February 26, 2013, 12:02 AM

I shoot a 6x284 and brass is so much cheaper and I can push 87v-maxes to 3600 + Its 2/26/2013 and 240 brass isn't any where to be found.

shootniron · February 26, 2013, 12:34 AM

The .240 and .257 are indeed fine rounds...

Slopemeno · February 26, 2013, 01:26 AM

I got to shoot a .240 Weatherby Mk V and I have to say, I never thought I'd want one...but I want one. That thing was like a laser compared to my '06.

natman · February 26, 2013, 02:22 AM

It's certainly flat shooting, but when I look at the limitations of the 243 Win as a big game cartridge, my response isn't "needs more velocity".

wooly booger · February 26, 2013, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Overbore cartridges like the .240 Weatherby and .257 Weatherby just don't make much sense to me.

They don't make much sense if you are hunting in the thick rainforests of Oregon, but they shine on the prairie or in an elevated shooting house looking across a beanfield or sendero.

I have no experience with the .240 but know a few people that love them for Pronghorn.

I own an HS Precision Pro2000 in .257 Wby that has accounted for a dozen antelope, 3 trophy mule deer and a fat cow elk. I also scored my longest kill on a trophy whitetail...387 yards Dead right there.

Paying $150 for a Mark V, even 30 years ago is a great story.

December 6, 2008, 03:02 PM	#15
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	The 240 Weatherby is a good cartridge, but it is basically a 6mm-06 with a belt on it. This makes resizing harder, and shortens brass life. But the 240 Weatherby is a flat-shooting round, no doubt about that. Rather than deal with the brass issues, just have a 6mm-06 built. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

December 7, 2008, 08:44 AM	#17
ryalred Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2008 Location: SE Oklahoma Posts: 491	The .240 and .257 Wby Mags are terrific guns. They are exceptionally long range guns and are extremely accurate. If you reload, you can negate some of the cost of high ammo. I would not trade anything for my .257 Wby. Mag. It is an exceptional medium sized game rifle. __________________ ryalred rifle & muzzleloader -- exhilarating bowhunting -- obsession reloading -- addicted

February 26, 2013, 12:02 AM	#18
Ironworker Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2007 Location: Reno Nevada Posts: 116	Why ? I shoot a 6x284 and brass is so much cheaper and I can push 87v-maxes to 3600 + Its 2/26/2013 and 240 brass isn't any where to be found.

December 4, 2008, 11:07 PM	#1
popeyespappy Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Posts: 337	240 Weatherby Magnum Back in the early 80s I spent a couple of years stationed at McGregor Range in the New Mexico desert between El Paso and White Sands. While there I took a few pronghorn with old 30-30. It was the only rifle I had and I missed out on more than a few antelope because they were way out past the 100 or so yards I was comfortable shooting at. From McGregor Uncle Sam sent me to Germany where I spent more time than I should have drinking beer at the Karlsruhe Rod and Gun Club. I was there one day when the guy that ran the gun shop, as opposed to the guy that ran the bar, was unpacking a shipment of new rifles. One of them was a beautiful new Mark V Deluxe in 240 Weatherby Magnum. On the receiver just in front of the port it had a large spot of rust. It looked someone had put their sweaty thumb on it before they put it in the box. After discussing the ballistics of the 240 and what a fine long range prong horn rifle it would make he told me he would let me have it for $150. That was probably less than he had in it even back then and needless to say I jumped on it. Even though that $150 would have bought a lot of beers. Well I never made it back to Bliss again to hunt pronghorn and much to my regret I eventually sold the little used Mark V to my Dad’s boss. I now find myself thinking about that flat shooting 240 again as a long range paper puncher. The Weatherby 240 Magnum fires a factory loaded 100 grain bullet at greater than 3400 fps. That’s better than a 6mmBR and almost up there with a 6x284 so I was just wondering if any of you are using the 240 Weatherby for varmints, deer, or even just long rang paper punching. I was also wondering about the Mark V synthetic as that seems to be the cheapest thing chambered for the 240. How is the quality and accuracy on those now days?

December 5, 2008, 01:46 PM	#2
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	I believe the Weatherby Lightweight Synthetic is the least expensive in that caliber and yes, it's a fine rifle IMO.

December 5, 2008, 02:06 PM	#3
j.chappell Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2008 Posts: 1,125	I love the 240 WBY. The only thing about all of the current offerings in the 240 is that they all feature a #1 contour barrel accept the Accumark which is a #3 contour. These rifles heat up super fast due to the light weight barrel. Would it be a super long range varminter, sure as long as you did not have constant fire. For groundhogs and coyotes it would be fine but for extened shooting like dogs or ground squirrels you would experience POI changes and possibly shoot out your barrel in one dog hunt. J.

December 5, 2008, 07:25 PM	#4
tulsamal Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2004 Location: Vinita, OK Posts: 2,552	I've always been interested in this cartridge. Just not all that enthused about the bolt actions rifles that house it. IMO, it would be perfect for a single shot. Like the Ruger No 1 or maybe even an Encore barrel. Then you could go with a super long barrel without OAL being ridiculous. But I guess you can't chamber an Encore barrel for it and then put it up for sale? Proprietary, etc, etc? (Another idea. Wouldn't it be sweet in that long barreled Savage that is designed for F Class shooting? Single shot, long barrel, target grade Acu-Trigger.) Gregg

December 5, 2008, 09:24 PM	#6
popeyespappy Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Posts: 337	What I was thinking was find someone to put together a Savage 12 chambered for 240 Weatherby. However, after talking to some others it looks like it would probably shoot out barrels as fast as a 6x284 with the added bonus of using brass that cost twice as much.

December 6, 2008, 12:27 AM	#11
j.chappell Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2008 Posts: 1,125	http://www.bullberry.com This is where I get all of my TC barrels. Their barrels are accuracy guaranteed to shoot SUB-MOA. I have never been let down. J.

December 6, 2008, 12:38 PM	#14
Gun 4 Fun Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2008 Posts: 956	With all the new powders available today, none of the Weatherby calibers are overbore. I've been a diehard .340 fan for twenty years and if I had to give up all my rifles but one, that's the one I'd keep. I don't have a .240 or .257 at the moment but I've been looking at a .257, even though deep down I'm a 25-06 fan. I love Weatherby's stock design for taming recoil.

December 6, 2008, 10:09 PM	#16
ken22250 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2008 Location: Pennsylvaina Posts: 218	i have used several 6mm's, the .240, .243, .244(6mm remington), 6mm improved, .243 improved, the 6mm-06 and the improved version, and several other wildcats, i would say a 6-06 or 6-06 imp would be your best bet, same ballistics, but 30-06 is a LOT cheaper than .240 Wby Mag, but if your heart is wet on the .240, buy all means ken

February 26, 2013, 12:34 AM	#19
shootniron Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,599	The .240 and .257 are indeed fine rounds...

February 26, 2013, 01:26 AM	#20
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	I got to shoot a .240 Weatherby Mk V and I have to say, I never thought I'd want one...but I want one. That thing was like a laser compared to my '06.

February 26, 2013, 02:22 AM	#21
natman Senior Member Join Date: June 24, 2008 Posts: 2,606	It's certainly flat shooting, but when I look at the limitations of the 243 Win as a big game cartridge, my response isn't "needs more velocity".