240 Weatherby????

losthelegend

losthelegend

New member
I'm beginning to do some research for a new caliber for coyote hunting. I want a new caliber that can buck the good 'ol Wyoming wind and can reach out a bit further. Does anyone have any experience with a 240 Weatherby? Any suggestions for any additional calibers that will add that longer distance to reach out a bit? I am open minded to any suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions.
 
Why not a regular .243? IMO, Weatherby Magnums are just plain excessive (recoil, cost, etc.). Anyone can buy what they want, but personally I don't see a point in them. Any of the faster .22 cals, 6mm, or 6.5mm should serve you well.

.22-250, .22-243, .22 Creedmoor, .243, 6x45, 6x6.8, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, etc., etc. Do you reload? I would stick to a more popular parent case so it's easier/cheaper or one of the standard calibers if you don't.
 
Originally Posted By: losthelegendI'm beginning to do some research for a new caliber for coyote hunting. I want a new caliber that can buck the good 'ol Wyoming wind and can reach out a bit further. Does anyone have any experience with a 240 Weatherby? Any suggestions for any additional calibers that will add that longer distance to reach out a bit? I am open minded to any suggestions.


The .240 Weatherby is little more than a .25-06 necked down to 6mm with a belt added to it. You cannot make it from any other round- Weatherby or otherwise. It's ammo is expensive and in limited bullet weight. While I suppose it's not a bad round per se, there are quite a few cartridges that make more sense. At least to me anyway.

A 6mm AI would be the ballistic equivalent pretty much or dang close. Neck the aforementioned .25-06 down to .243 or go the 6/284 route. All ballistic peas in a pod and all with much easier to obtain (and cheaper!) brass.

While a .240 Weatherby would be kinda neat to have there is a reason why it's about as popular as Hillary Clinton at a NRA rally.
 
I know the weatherby adds a bit. I don't own either but if I remember right a 243ai cam reach similar velocities. Im all about the weatherby. One of these days I'll have a 20-224 wby mag, but look to pay about 2 bucks each for brass or 4 bucks each for loaded ammo.
 
Thank you for the reply!

I do reload and currently have a 22-250. What would you suggest in the way of a 243? I also have a 6.5 SAUM but I am looking for an in between cartridge. Is the 6x45 an off the shelf rifle or do I need to have one built?
 
I shoot the fast 58 gr Winchester Varmint rounds for short-medium range/windy calling. You can go all the way up to 105 Hybrids for long range. The 6x45 is a .223 necked up to 6mm. Honestly, I don't think you need something in between .22-250 and 6.5 SAUM. Both are good for wind/distance and the 6.5 will go longer if needed.
 
Originally Posted By: losthelegendThank you for the reply!

I do reload and currently have a 22-250. What would you suggest in the way of a 243? I also have a 6.5 SAUM but I am looking for an in between cartridge. Is the 6x45 an off the shelf rifle or do I need to have one built?

No one is doing full 6X45's at this time that I know of. I believe Les Baer stopped doing them.

Since you can handload the 243LBC that Ritch designed can give you what you want. It is a very versatile cartidge. Give him a call but fix an iced tea when you set down to make the call.

Greg
 
I had a 240 wby, got a good deal on it and couldn't resist. Expect about 1k rounds of barrel life. It was a rocket, I didn't mind the brass cost but they were $1 each back then. I think it would be a decent option in a factory rifle.

Like Greg said you could call Ritch and see what the options are for a Savage build. There are tons of good ones but in the laser category I'm thinking 6-284, 6-06, 6mmai or 243 ai.
 
I currently shoot a suppressed Weatherby Vanguard Back Country in 240Wby for coyotes using a 70gr Varmageddon at around 3900 ft/s. It is an absolute hammer, a laser beam and very accurate. It does do a good job against the wind and for practical coyote shots (I never get anything over about 350 or so) but I mainly got it just for something different. It is also a great antelope and deer rifle. A lot of people shoot a 243, or 22-250. In the end, you're the one shooting it, so do what you want and what your budget allows.

Originally Posted By: losthelegendI'm beginning to do some research for a new caliber for coyote hunting. I want a new caliber that can buck the good 'ol Wyoming wind and can reach out a bit further. Does anyone have any experience with a 240 Weatherby? Any suggestions for any additional calibers that will add that longer distance to reach out a bit? I am open minded to any suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions.
 
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My 243 Ackley pushes 69 Berger at 4000 fps, IMR 4166 powder. Still gotta play with it a bit yet , will get it to bug hole. I don't have benchmark carbon barrel on anymore , got a jury 12 twist finished at 24" now. 60 Bergers are 4150 fps, but the 69 have better energy once you start getting out there. 243 on left , 243 AI on right in first pic after fire formed.



Group at 100 yards on paper


Group at 350 yards on my wolf

Can you tell I love Berger bullets lol
 
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Since you're a reloader it opens up your options quite a bit. One of the easiest and in my opinion best hot rod 6's would be a 6-284. It can be built on a short or long action, but if you're going fast twist to shoot the 105's a long action is a better choice. Lapua brass is second to none and 6.5-284 brass is a one pass deal through a 6-284 FL die and you're done.

The 240Wby, 6-284, and 6-06 are all very similar in case capacity with the 6-06AI having a bit more capacity than the three previously mentioned. Then there is the 240 Gibbs and 240 Super Varminter which are also variants of a 6-06 "improved" but have the shoulder pushed even further forward than the 6-06AI for even more case capacity.

The "improved" variants of the 6-06 will typically yield more velocity by way of their larger case capacities and will do so without redlining the pressure meter like you see being done with some of the smaller cases but there is no free lunch and they require more case prep, some a lot more, before you get to go play.

If a person is ok doing the work and putting the time in to prep and fireform, sometimes multiple fireformings before you get a fully formed case, the 240 Gibbs could be your huckleberry, and there is no doubt it's a screamer, but if you want a fast 6mm that has similar case capacity and requires nothing more than a pass through a FL die, I'd seriously consider going 6-284. Nothing wrong with a 240Wby but you pay premium price for brass that is less than premium and I'm no particular fan of belted cases.
 
240 Weatherby = 6 AI

6AI=
14T-zero freebore Chamber-Shilen barrel

Fireforming 70g Noslers with 50.5g of Win 760 at 4050 fps and formed brass at 51.5g of Win 760 with a velocity of 4150, and the noslers were shooting bug holes on formed brass and 3/8" fire forming.

Douglas SS match-10T with above loads-knock off 150 fps-barrels do vary

240 Gibbs = 4150 with IMR 4831 with 70g, add 10g more powder than the 6 AI

Larger cases work better with the heavier bullets, but 450yds or so may be a long shot for me, so the 70's are very hard to beat to that range with the speeds attained.

The best hot rods that I have played with for various varmints with zero freebore chambers, the 22/250 AI, 243 AI, 6 AI, 257 Weatherby(100's at 3850), and 7 STW(120's at 3850) were all super accurate. All of these are winners in the speed with super accuracy attained easily without a lot of fuss.



 
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I too have gotten a little interested in the 240 Weatherby round. One thing that either wasn't pointed out, or I must have missed it, is the fact that the 240WM is a standard 30-06 bolt face, so you don't need to buy or find a special action if you want to build one. I also don't totally agree that Weatherby calibers are a lot of extra recoil...a good friend of mine has a 257WM and yes it is a bigger bang, yes there is a big white ball of fire at the muzzle and yes it hits hard enough to completely explode a woodchuck to the point that you just knew it was something alive at one point, but the recoil for all this is just not there...you truly have to shoot the gun to believe it.
Above the 257WM I believe you start to feel recoil.
As to the barrel life...there are two kinds of rifles in this world, one is the rifle you intend to shoot a lot, kind of a double duty gun. You will shoot a lot of targets with it, test a lot of ammo and maybe hunt with it when you want to. This gun does it all and it is not a screamer so it can last. The other one is a screamer, as fast as you want to go, big blaster that will vaporize whatever it hits and if the animal is a little too big it has enough power to at the very least freeze him right on the spot. You don't care how long the barrel lasts just like you don't care how long the clutch lasts in a hot rod...it is meant to have some fun and be a little exotic. This is a 240 Weatherby. Don't just shoot a woodchuck...cut one in two but only find the rear half!!!!
 
I've got a slow twist 6-284 with zero freebore that is a lot of fun. About the same capacity as the '06. Also standard bolt face. Lapua brass. Since slow twist = light bullets, it works fine in a short action, too. Feeds well from the magazine. Recoil isn't bad, I see most hits in the scope, with a heavy sporter.

Mine is super accurate, Lilja barrel on a Nesika action, etc. Genuine sub .5 MOA with 55 NBT's @ ~4300 fps. 350+ yard MPBR on a 4" target. Hold on fur to 400.

Coyote just fall down dead.

About as close to a genuine death ray as I have found for called coyote.

One problem. Loud as ten sonsabeeches. Should have that fixed for this winter though.

Edit to add a pic of the 6-284 in it's native habitat:

IMG_5283W.JPG


Notice, I have earplugs around my neck. Never considered ear plugs on a coyote stand until the first morning I used that rifle. After killing four coyotes on my first three stands, my ears were ringing and hurting bad. Started wearing plugs when using that rifle. Looking forward to having a suppressor on it.

- DAA
 
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Great pic!

I shot out two, everyone complained of how loud they were with the sierra 85g bthp and a LOT of IMR 4831, but they thumped coyotes real hard.
 
DAA, my 6-284 was built similar to yours as it wears a 26in #7 Lilja 1-12tw on a SA Rem 700 and it all sits in a MCM A5. Funny you mention about quieting your 6-284 down because just last Wed. I dropped mine off at the gunsmiths to have the barrel threaded to use my SAS Barricade on. I never really noticed my 6-284 as being overly loud but I rarely pull the trigger that I don't have some form of hearing protection but I'm sure that SAS Barricade will quiet things down nicely.

Nice looking rig by the way, gotta love those Nesika receivers, they're butter smooth and are a beautiful piece.
 
With the availability of brass for 240 and 6mm rem I'd really look into a 6-06 or 6-284. Both are easier to find for brass and a easy form. I had a 6-06 and it shot great but mine was a 1-8tw for shooting the heavier bullets
 
I've found this thread very interesting. Kinda got my thoughts stirring toward a new cartridge. But then I think about hunting coyotes here in Alberta during December and January, let's say you've got that wounded runner out at 250-300 yds and you band away 3-4 quick shots. Trying to find those empties after the adrenaline and ensuring the dog is dead in deep snow is nearly impossible. That's a big reason I run a 243win (58gr Vmax handloads @ 3925fps) I anneal sort and true the brass as much as possible but a couple lost cases isn't huge lose of time money or effort.
 
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