Any wildcats based on the .240 Weatherby Mag?

Bishopus

Bishopus

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No luck with the usual searches (reloadersnest, google), thought I'd ask the collective brain trust of CGN:

Are there known wildcats based off the .240 Weatherby case, necked up to handle BIG bullets? Looking at the dimensions, I'm guessing you could fit a .416 into the .240 case, at the very least a .375.

This cartridge would roughly duplicate .375 Whelen capacity, but because of the belt itwould not suffer from the headspace problems of the original (the Whelen headspaces on the almost-nonexistent shoulder).

While I'm smoking wildcat crack... the .224 Weatherby Mag also has a belt, and looks like it could handle a bullet up to about .375, and easily take a .358.

Anybody? Bueller?
 
The Weatherby brass is much more expensive and in the case of the .240 Wby. the case is virtually the same as a 30/06 without the belt and headspacing on the shoulder is better than the belt. Lots of good wildcats based on the 30/06 or .284 Win. both have similar case cap. as the .240 Wby.
 
All true, but the .375 Whelen has headspace issues because of the minimal shoulder, and you just can't make a .416 from a .30-06 or .285 parent case--you can't headspace on a shoulder that doesn't exist.

This would be a way of making a .416 bore, with the powder capacity of a .30-06, without any headspace issues. Whether anybody actually needs this, I doubt;-)
 
The 240 Weatherby is a real oddity. Less capacity than a 30/06, so it's decently balanced for a 6mm, but the belt is for show only.

Neck it up to 375 or 416 and the case capacity makes it a wimp of a round. It would be the wildcat nobody wants.
 
Ah, so it's actually got _less_ capacity than a .30-06, OK that answers my question--no point.

What's the capacity like on a .224 Wby Mag? I don't have my Lee book with me today...
 
Little or no diff. in cap. between .240 and 30/06...why can't the .284 be necked up to .35/.375? it is wider than the 06 or .240 and while your at it..reduce body taper.
 
The 240 is basically a 30-06 case with a belt, no? There is a 416-06 - the 400 brown whelen. It has a very slight shoulder, but a shoulder nonetheless. Perhaps you could get a 444-240 (with a .430 bullet) out of a straight-walled 240 case.

Still with the price of these cases, it's probably not worth doing. There are plentiful wildcats based on the H&H magnum case, the WSM case, the 284 case and various rimmed cases like the 444 Marlin and the 348 winchester that would all do what you want to do but with a lot less expense
 
The 240 is not basically a 30-06 case with a belt. The belt diameter is similar to the 30-06, but the body diameter is actually smaller than is the '06. Therefore the capacity is reduced from that available in a 30-06 case. Eagleye.
 
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