240 wby or 257wby
- Thread starter tuffteddyb
- Start date
If you are reloading for yourself both (240/257 Wby) are viable.
If you buy your ammo off the shelf you will find more variety and availability with the 257.
Even adding in the 25.06 they are all super flat shooting options so really shine at longer range compared to other close standard calibers.
I hunt "close" so for me I could use any of your options for all game up to and including moose but they really are medium game calibers better suited to long shots on thin skinned game.
The 240 kicks almost as much as the 257 so from that perspective I would go with the 257 (plus the 257 is available in quite a few different models) - if it's going to kick it may as well have a little better terminal ballistics.
So if you want the long range but don't want the recoil and don't need the mag caliber, go with the 25.06.
Otherwise, I would go with the 257 - it was Roy Weatherby's favourite for a reason - but it is uber-loud when you pull the trigger
If you buy your ammo off the shelf you will find more variety and availability with the 257.
Even adding in the 25.06 they are all super flat shooting options so really shine at longer range compared to other close standard calibers.
I hunt "close" so for me I could use any of your options for all game up to and including moose but they really are medium game calibers better suited to long shots on thin skinned game.
The 240 kicks almost as much as the 257 so from that perspective I would go with the 257 (plus the 257 is available in quite a few different models) - if it's going to kick it may as well have a little better terminal ballistics.
So if you want the long range but don't want the recoil and don't need the mag caliber, go with the 25.06.
Otherwise, I would go with the 257 - it was Roy Weatherby's favourite for a reason - but it is uber-loud when you pull the trigger
- Location
- sudbury, ontario
25-06 and 257 are very fine calibres.....at close ranges they will take down moose..... But for deer and long shots just perfect...... There is something like 300 fops between the two when you compare equal bullet weights???? It all depends on what you like bolt ... Semi... Pump..etc..etc ...do you wanna get into reloading????...no animal will be able to tell you the difference between the speed of a bullet??? They will either drop or jump and kick ... I went with browning bar in 25-06 semi For deer and coyote , I reload and have found a awesome load to use..... Only problem now is my girlfriend likes the gun so much that she said its her now!!!and when I go to the range she wants to come all the time and grab the 25!!!!!!!!!! Good luck my friend .... It's up to you and what you wanna do !!!!!
I have no experience with 240 wby but im sure it would be a great medium game cartridge. I have hunted extensively with the 257wby and the 25-06. Ive taken everything from coyotes to moose with both cartridges. If choosing between the 257 and 240 I would choose the 257 because ammunition is easier to come by and the ability to go to a 120 grain bullet. If you hunt alot of open country the 257 shoots a bit flatter then the 25-06, but both are an excellent choice
tuffteddyb
Regular
I have studied the cartridge some and from what I gather the 240WBY outperforms the 25/06
from 100 gr bullets and up, and the 240WBY on the lighter bullets better.
I want it to take game from gophers to mulies, MAYBE!! a black bear if a opportunity presents itself.
from 100 gr bullets and up, and the 240WBY on the lighter bullets better.
I want it to take game from gophers to mulies, MAYBE!! a black bear if a opportunity presents itself.
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
Are you referring to energy or trajectory being equaled? How do these same bullets fare in a 257 Weatherby?
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I prefer the 240 over the 257 because of it's small size and devastating factor on animals..............bang flop. We reload the 85 grain Nosler partition that reaches velocities of 3,480 fps and achieve consistent 1/2 inch groups. The 240 is a lightweight firearm and great for stalking on long distance prairie walks for antelope.
Here are a couple of bucks that fell to the 85 grainer at 310 and 353 paces.
Both my son and I utilize both the 240 and 257 Weatherby's in the Mark V action. Both cartridges are superb for velocity and accuracy where we have taken antelope and big bodied whitetails. Although some individuals have killed moose and elk with these cartridges, I personally don't recommend it. There are bigger and better cartridges for those large boned creatures, hence that's why we also have the 270 and 300 weatherby's as well.
I prefer the 240 over the 257 because of it's small size and devastating factor on animals..............bang flop. We reload the 85 grain Nosler partition that reaches velocities of 3,480 fps and achieve consistent 1/2 inch groups. The 240 is a lightweight firearm and great for stalking on long distance prairie walks for antelope.
Here are a couple of bucks that fell to the 85 grainer at 310 and 353 paces.
very nice speed goats ,I have not looked to far in to the bees but I am a huge fan of the 25 06 and also the 264 win mag ,most guns in these cals can really shoot and most guys do not get them most out of these cal as thy really shine out at longer range ,and most guys donot get enough trigger time at the longer ranges ,if I had to pick one of the cals above it would be the 264 because I hunt moose as well as elk and deer .Dutch
Kind of, sort of, but not quite. While the 240 Weatherby is basically the same length as the '06, and the head is the same diameter, the case is actually unique.
The diameter just in front of the belt is somewhat smaller than the '06, making forming cases for the 240 a true challenge.
While the 257 Weatherby utilizes the standard belted case, the 240 is a case offered only by Weatherby, and as I mentioned, forming the 240 from any other case is a tough chore.
That would be my reason for opting into the 257 rather than the 240. Cheers, Dave.
Range time is not only fun but important. Finances and time are factors for most, however, my wife and I are empty nesters and I have the best of both worlds........been out several times this winter at the range. Until you utilize the Weatherby cartridges, then you will know what you have missed over the years. Depth perception is difficult and when a person does not know weather the animal is 200 or 400 yards away, that's when these cartridges come into play.....ultimate velocity, flat, and just place the crosshairs behind the shoulder.
A 6MM/06 or a 6MM/284 would definitely make more sense to me given that case scenario. I've shot 2 6MM Rem's, a sporter and a varmint weight Ruger 77 since the late seventies, never really thought of a 243 as more than a varmint/coyote round.
257 wby makes the most sense. Easy to get brass and shoots nice and flat. I looked into the 240 wby a few years ago and I didn't like the twist rate the weatherbys have as you can't shoot the high bc bullets with it. As others have mentioned brass is a pain to make or get. Can use 264 or 7mm rm for the 257 if you don't want to buy norma brass. You will get 3300+fps from a plain Jane 243 win with 80gr ttsx and a bit more from the ai version. Lapua brass available for a buck each which is excellent. I also dislike the big heavy 9 lug actions from wby for these "smaller" cartridges. I like the 6 lug they use in their lightweight rifles better and the vanguard action is also excellent. 243 win on the other side you have tons of options. Doesn't cost much to punch it out to AI either.
NO !
its bolt face is the same but its its OWN cartridge ! I have a 240 and a 257 . RJHere's the description from Terminal Ballistics Research (to give credit):
Introduced in 1968 for the Weatherby Mark V rifle, the .240 Weatherby was yet another addition to Roy Weatherby’s ‘worlds fastest’ family of cartridges. The .240 Weatherby still retains its status as the worlds fastest commercially available 6mm, mostly because it is very difficult to drive 6mm projectiles any faster due to case to bore expansion ratio limitations. In fact, it was because of these limitations that Weatherby chose the .30-06 cartridge case as the parent case design for the .240. No other Weatherby cartridge utilizes such a small case. The .240 is essentially the .30-06 necked down to 6mm (.243”) with a belt added (for a ‘magnum’ appearance) and a double radius improved shoulder.
Here's the link if you want to read the whole piece, it's well written and does give a number of pros/cons from a third person kinda view.
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.240+Weatherby+Magnum.html
Introduced in 1968 for the Weatherby Mark V rifle, the .240 Weatherby was yet another addition to Roy Weatherby’s ‘worlds fastest’ family of cartridges. The .240 Weatherby still retains its status as the worlds fastest commercially available 6mm, mostly because it is very difficult to drive 6mm projectiles any faster due to case to bore expansion ratio limitations. In fact, it was because of these limitations that Weatherby chose the .30-06 cartridge case as the parent case design for the .240. No other Weatherby cartridge utilizes such a small case. The .240 is essentially the .30-06 necked down to 6mm (.243”) with a belt added (for a ‘magnum’ appearance) and a double radius improved shoulder.
Here's the link if you want to read the whole piece, it's well written and does give a number of pros/cons from a third person kinda view.
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.240+Weatherby+Magnum.html
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
I was sorely tempted by a custom .240 on the EE that Doug was selling, but I could not source loaded ammo anywhere, and even brass was out of stock everywhere I looked - and it was running around $50 per 20 if it had been in stock.
So unfortunately, no .240 Weatherby for me.
.257, you can find brass and ammo for much more readily, or form brass from commonly available 7mm rem mag. So I'd definitely go that way.
So unfortunately, no .240 Weatherby for me.
.257, you can find brass and ammo for much more readily, or form brass from commonly available 7mm rem mag. So I'd definitely go that way.
