340 Weatherby Mag

First post here. Let me start by saying that according to my checkbook I haven’t met a caliber I don’t like, so please take no offense if I’m seemingly picking on one of your favorites. I’m thankful we all have the freedom to choose what we want to shoot.

Ok so I need some Big game hunter brain power here. I want to specify that I am discussing big game here not dangerous game. My focus is on bear, plains game, elk, etc.

I’ve observed the usual suspects in the bear conversations are 375 H&H, 338 Win Mag and 9.3x62. Occasionally the 300 Win Mag. My question is why is there so little love for the 340 Weatherby Magnum in these circles? I don’t want to cloud the conversation with facts, but I have included a table below.


First I want to give credit to Chuckhawks.com for the recoil data. I have referenced back to this countless times over the years. So thank you.

Ok here we go. I sorted the data by 300 yard energy. I’ve never killed an animal at the muzzle. Actually, I did once with an angry wounded racoon but that’s another story. I consider 300 yards a conservative number. Hopefully that’s the furthest I’m shooting a big animal assuming I can’t stalk closer. First the 340 WBY magnum is flat at 300 yards with a 250gr bullet. Yup flat. Its nearest competitor 338 Win Mag is dropping 7.6 inches with a 225gr bullet. That seems minimal until you are performing that holdover in the wind. It’s big cousin the 375 H&H (amazing round btw) is dropping 18 inches with 300 grains. That’s King Kong dong measurement. I’m not taking that shot. Seems easy at the shooting range off a bag. The 9.3 about the same at 18 inches with 250gr. So once the pill arrives at its destination the 340 Bee is hitting at 3120 ft/lbs of energy. That’s where most rifles start. Its closest competitor again is the 338 Win Mag at 16% less energy. The 9.3 landing at 25% less. So, the next argument is recoil. That’s where the 340 starts to lose traction. I inherited my dad’s 1979 340 WBY deluxe. He shot some elk with the rifle and each one fell like a sack of potatoes. I don’t recall him ever complaining about the recoil or me witnessing him blowing the shot due to “flinch or anticipation”. So what if the old girl has a little kick. Admittedly she’s not comfortable on the bench but we aren’t punching paper for long sessions. I’m more interested in punching a grizzly. What about the old standby ammo cost argument. Well, all these magnum ammo prices are ridiculous these days. Not to mention most of these calibers (338 win) can’t be found. This argument doesn’t hold the water it once did.

So constructive thoughts are welcome. I believe the 375 is in it’s own class in Africa but I’m trying to figure why the 340 isn’t a part of the dialogue for a bear gun. I’m biased primarily b/c I have one. It has a 26” bbl so not the handiest rifle but it’s an accurate beast. I grew up surrounded by Weatherby Magnums. We didn’t have much money but we sure had some nice rifles. Clearly the men did the budget. The fellow’s in my family took them out a few days before a big hunt and shot a paper plate at 100 yards. The typical group was probably 1 – 1.5 MOA but that terminology was not used or cared about. The zeroed dead center 2 inches high. It was in the “kill zone” so good to go. This was the 80’s. My dad dialed in his 250 grain bullets kicking like a mule with a cig hanging out his mouth. He then proceeded to drop anything he pointed at with the 340 Weatherby Magnum. I know some guys do love the 340 but my observations tell me it is not in the usual suspect list. Do tell. I’m preparing for a future bear hunt and hopefully PG so this isn’t simply theoretical. TIA.

200gr out of a handloaded 300 H&H will be -4.2" at 300.....better SD.....lot less recoil.....

I am a Weatherby cartridge Fan since the sixties. When I was young, I always dreamed of a Weatherby rifle caliber 300 Weatherby Magnum, but I could not afford it. At some point and for many reasons I bought an old Brevex rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum and a little later, there are about 20 years ago, I had a rifle caliber 340 Weatherby Magnum built with a FN Mauser action.

Nobody needs to convince me of the effectiveness of this cartridge. The cartridge is too powerful for hunting in my country, but worldwide I have shot some game with it and because of the good external ballistics of the cartridge, even at distances of over 400 yards. In all cases I used the 250gr GK bullet from Sierra.

The reason why the cartridge is not used very much is certainly due to the competition above all of the cartridge 338 Winchester Magnum, but also, as with some cartridges from Weatherby, the bad reports such as increased recoil and so on.

I hunted zebra impala and eland with my 340 wby and handloads
with 250 grs nosler partitions excellent killing power and controllable recoil .

I had a #11 rebarreled to .340 Wby. Unfortunately, I no longer have that rifle, but I do have .338 RUM. Just a little more of the same thing. Great rounds. I used the RUM in Namibia to great effect.

As far as the comparison with the cartridge 300 Magnum is concerned, there is a world of difference.

The external and terminal ballistics of a caliber .338 250gr bullets are superior to that of caliber .308 200gr bullets. I speak from experiences when hunting where I used different cartridges 300 Magnum like the 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 H&H Magnum and 300 RUM. The cartridges caliber 338 and in our case especially the cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum, combines excellent external ballistics with good terminal ballistics, especially for shooting heavy game at longer distances. The cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum is comparable and even delivers a lot more performance, but in rifles that are not particularly suitable for hunting. But that's another topic. There are certainly other cartridges 338 Magnum that deliver the same performance that the cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum or more, but I have no experience with them.

I currently don't have any Rifles in Weatherby calibers in my collection, but I have regretted selling (2) HS precision rifles I had, a 270 Weatherby, the other a 340 Weatherby. The Norma Weatherby brass was extraordinarily easy to load over and over again, the rounded shoulders fed like a dream, and both rifles shot sub 1" groups at 200 yards consistently session after session. What can I say, at the time, I needed money.

IMO the 340 would be without pier as a bear and moose caliber,,, and taking long pokes at wolves. Based on my experience using a 338 Win on plains game in Africa it would be an extraordinary caliber for that. The problems, big action required, lots of recoil, lots of concussion, add to that a 26" barrel to really maximize velocity.....humbly I may say that is why it isn't a part of very many discussions.

I have never used my rifle caliber 340 Weatherby Magnum in Africa because I only hunt big game there and for this reason shot the few antelopes with my big bore rifles or with rented rifles.

I seem to remember David Petzal calling the 340 Wby the “Boomplop”.

@One Day... is a fan

I’m a 300 Wby fan, but I view the 340 as one caliber on my short list of next purchases despite the overlap.

I think the 340 Weatherby is a fine cartridge.

A buddy of mine killed a very large brown bear with the 340 WBY and a 225 grain Barnes X-bullet.

I suppose the popularity is due to the limited brands of factory rifles that it has been chambered in, predominantly Weatherby's offerings. Which some folks don't care for the Weatherby action and some were/are not going to spend the coin on a Weatherby rifle nor its factory loads. Others compare the 340 WBY to the 338 Winchester, and call the 338 Winchester plenty good enough for their purposes.

I like the cartridge, but do not own one. I am also hard pressed to find a cartridge that I do not like. I definitely considered having a 375 H&H Winchester stainless Classic Model 70 re-barreled to 340 Weatherby. I bought a donor rifle specifically for the purpose. But, came to the conclusion, I was satisfied with the 338 Winchester performance. I still have 340 Weatherby brass that I bought for that conversion. Maybe one day, I will still do it. But, I doubt it. The 338 Winchester, & 375 H&H and 375 Ruger get me way past the distances that I will be shooting.

I have used a custom .340 Weatherby built by an old ACGG gunsmith, Don Dobbratz, for big game including elk and nilgai here in the states and mountain nyala and bushbuck in Ethiopia. I carried my .375 Ruger for my brown bear hunt but seriously considered the .340. With 225 grain Bear Claws, it is an excellent flat shooting, hard hitting cartridge suitable for just about everything but the big nasties. Recoil is stiff but tolerable. No flies on the .340 for sure.

Actually you area Underthinking it.

Momentum + bullet diameter + sectional density etc., outweighs kinetic energy alone - per Mr Hawks, and others.

For something that whacks on both ends, why not go with a 375 - possibly with one of the lighter bullets (235gr-ish) for everything except the big bears? Then you will be set up (and legal everywhere) for when you want to add dangerous game.

I think the 340 Weatherby is an awesome cartridge and a perfect round for brown bear/grizzly and all African plains game, loaded with either 250 grain Nosler Partions or TBBC. I think Barnes 225 grain TSX would be excellent too. It was a favorite of gunwriter Ross Seyfried, who was also the 1981 IPSC champion and a PH for 10 years in Africa, an all around renaissance man who I greatly admired.

I’ve never owned a 340 Weatherby, primarily due to the lack of factory ammunition plus I have Remington 700 custom shop 375 RUM and a 300 Wby German Mark V among other rifles that fill that void.

Since you possess a 340 Weatherby and presumably a decent amount of ammunition, I say use it with confidence!

My question is why is there so little love for the 340 Weatherby Magnum in these circles?

I did not notice you already own a 340.

Based only on what I've read (I own a 338 WM, but have never owned a Bee in that caliber):

Weatherby factory ammo is loaded to the maximum pressure, which in warm weather can cause a bolt to lock up. Those comments are from Africa PH(s), and are from memory so apply your own grains of salt - or research accordingly.

And welcome to the site.

I love my. 340 and have taken it to Africa twice. I use handloads on 225 grain Barnes TTSX at 3,000 fps which is now a hot load in the manuals. To get around the higher pressures at high temperatures I develop my loads when it is warmer.

I've used it on all of my plains game animals along with bear, elk, and mule deer. I came close to taking it on a coues deer hunt in Southern Arizona.

JimP said:

I love my. 340 and have taken it to Africa twice. I use handloads on 225 grain Barnes TTSX at 3,000 fps which is now a hot load in the manuals. To get around the higher pressures at high temperatures I develop my loads when it is warmer.

I've used it on all of my plains game animals along with bear, elk, and mule deer. I came close to taking it on a coues deer hunt in Southern Arizona.

Click to expand...

That’s what I’m talking about! Thanks.

IvW said:

200gr out of a handloaded 300 H&H will be -4.2" at 300.....better SD.....lot less recoil.....

Click to expand...

Good old caliber but 25% less energy at 300 yards. Seems closer matched to 300 Win Mag. Thank you for your comments!

TX_GreatPlains said:

First post here. Let me start by saying that according to my checkbook I haven’t met a caliber I don’t like, so please take no offense if I’m seemingly picking on one of your favorites. I’m thankful we all have the freedom to choose what we want to shoot.

Ok so I need some Big game hunter brain power here. I want to specify that I am discussing big game here not dangerous game. My focus is on bear, plains game, elk, etc.

I’ve observed the usual suspects in the bear conversations are 375 H&H, 338 Win Mag and 9.3x62. Occasionally the 300 Win Mag. My question is why is there so little love for the 340 Weatherby Magnum in these circles? I don’t want to cloud the conversation with facts, but I have included a table below.
View attachment 594460

First I want to give credit to Chuckhawks.com for the recoil data. I have referenced back to this countless times over the years. So thank you.

Ok here we go. I sorted the data by 300 yard energy. I’ve never killed an animal at the muzzle. Actually, I did once with an angry wounded racoon but that’s another story. I consider 300 yards a conservative number. Hopefully that’s the furthest I’m shooting a big animal assuming I can’t stalk closer. First the 340 WBY magnum is flat at 300 yards with a 250gr bullet. Yup flat. Its nearest competitor 338 Win Mag is dropping 7.6 inches with a 225gr bullet. That seems minimal until you are performing that holdover in the wind. It’s big cousin the 375 H&H (amazing round btw) is dropping 18 inches with 300 grains. That’s King Kong dong measurement. I’m not taking that shot. Seems easy at the shooting range off a bag. The 9.3 about the same at 18 inches with 250gr. So once the pill arrives at its destination the 340 Bee is hitting at 3120 ft/lbs of energy. That’s where most rifles start. Its closest competitor again is the 338 Win Mag at 16% less energy. The 9.3 landing at 25% less. So, the next argument is recoil. That’s where the 340 starts to lose traction. I inherited my dad’s 1979 340 WBY deluxe. He shot some elk with the rifle and each one fell like a sack of potatoes. I don’t recall him ever complaining about the recoil or me witnessing him blowing the shot due to “flinch or anticipation”. So what if the old girl has a little kick. Admittedly she’s not comfortable on the bench but we aren’t punching paper for long sessions. I’m more interested in punching a grizzly. What about the old standby ammo cost argument. Well, all these magnum ammo prices are ridiculous these days. Not to mention most of these calibers (338 win) can’t be found. This argument doesn’t hold the water it once did.

So constructive thoughts are welcome. I believe the 375 is in it’s own class in Africa but I’m trying to figure why the 340 isn’t a part of the dialogue for a bear gun. I’m biased primarily b/c I have one. It has a 26” bbl so not the handiest rifle but it’s an accurate beast. I grew up surrounded by Weatherby Magnums. We didn’t have much money but we sure had some nice rifles. Clearly the men did the budget. The fellow’s in my family took them out a few days before a big hunt and shot a paper plate at 100 yards. The typical group was probably 1 – 1.5 MOA but that terminology was not used or cared about. The zeroed dead center 2 inches high. It was in the “kill zone” so good to go. This was the 80’s. My dad dialed in his 250 grain bullets kicking like a mule with a cig hanging out his mouth. He then proceeded to drop anything he pointed at with the 340 Weatherby Magnum. I know some guys do love the 340 but my observations tell me it is not in the usual suspect list. Do tell. I’m preparing for a future bear hunt and hopefully PG so this isn’t simply theoretical. TIA.

Click to expand...

I believe that part of the answer is that the .340 Wby recoils markedly more (I really mean markedly!) than the various .300 and .338. It also hits game considerably (I really mean considerably!) harder than the various .300 and .338 (I have .300 Win, .300 Wby, .338 Win).

The other aspect is that while it more than fulfills all energy requirements for those African countries that use this metric, it does not satisfy the minimum caliber requirement of other countries. This takes it off the DG race .... legally.

In addition to taking it to Alaska and Newfoundland, I did a complete PG safari with the .340 and it was devastating, but no, it is not very forgiving of bad shooting form, or shooting uphill...

I used to shoot the 250 gr Nosler Partition, then moved to the 250 gr TTSX, and have settled on the Weatherby factory load 225 gr TTSX. It is Thor's own hammer.

I think you will enjoy this post

I hunted abroad before with a rifle caliber 9,3x64 Brenneke. As far as the recoil is concerned, with a 19g TUG bullet factory load it is stronger than that of the cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum with a 250gr bullet. The cartridge 9,3x64 Brenneke is perhaps even superior to the cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum in terms of working on game, but a lot depends on the bullet used. However, the external ballistics of this cartridge are not comparable to that of a cartridge 340 Weatherby Magnum and therefore one of the reasons why I own a rifle of this caliber.

The true reason, the .340 is not more common in Alaska...