Elk Rifle (.340 Weatherby?)

[HoggleGobble]

Looking to get a step up from my .300 Win Mag and purchase a larger caliber rifle for 500-900 yds for Elk. Been looking at several and have read some up on a .340 Weatherby Mag. Has anyone shot one before, and if so, how bad do they kick and did you like it. My dad elk hunts with a .30-378 that he likes, and I have seen some of those, but was looking at getting a different caliber than his. Also, what optics would you suggest? I am wanting some that goes up to at least 20x. Thanks guys!

[Wingbone]

That really seems like overkill to me. Your .300 win mag is plenty rifle for those distances if you have the right optics. Put a Nikon or Bushnell Elite on it with 6-24X magnification and map your trajectory at the range so you know your limits. I have buddies that shoot 1000 yard competitions with their .223 ARs, so your win. mag. is fully capable and has the energy to carry the damage to larger game. If you insist on a larger caliber, go with the .338.

[drenalinld]

The 0.340 Weatherby is a good one for sure. It does not kick as hard as the 0.308-0.378 or definitely not as hard as the 0.338-0.378. on the same rifle frame in my experience. I thought the 0.340 Weatherby recoil was similar to a 300 Ultra Mag. The only optics I have used that were that high in power were Leupold tubes with 50 mm objectives that had been sent to the factory to be modified to 20x fixed power for 1000 yard competitions and were not light enough for hunting rifles.

[HunterMan]

I have one I do not need..Never been fired ...send me email if interested

[surehuntsalot]

338   all the Elk rifle you will EVER need

[Frankinthelaurels]

First off the .340 W is more than most people can handle and shoot accurately!! Off the bench your good for about 4 shots before your in pain...it's a lot more than the .338 WM. Why don't you just change bullets... some of those long slender hybred bergers 200 grain and up may actually retain more energy than the .340 at the ranges your talking about. And whatever you decide may sure you have practiced alot at the 700-1000 yards your talking about. Your going to need a great scope for those yardages also.. a Nightforce 10-42 for about $1500 will do fine... experiment with bullets rather than change calibers and see what happens.

[Deputy 14]

I bought a Remington 700 SPS a few years back to take elk hunting. Being from WV I guess I expected not to kill one at less than 300 yards so I bought it in 300 RUM. Funny thing is I've killed two elk and both have been under 20 yards. Anyway, I love the caliber for shooting distance with. It's a consistent gun out to 800 yards without any issues. I really haven't tried to stretch it out any further but I'm sure I could. It's topped with a 4.5 X 14 Leupold XVIII and has plenty of magnification. Don't know if this helps but just my experience with this caliber.

[WildTigerTrout]

I own a Weatherby Mark V in 340 Mag. I love it. The recoil is NOT that bad and mine does NOT have a muzzle brake. IMO the 340 Mag. is a great cartridge for North Americas largest game starting with Black Bears and Elk. The power is AWESOME!

[Turkey Trot]

That really seems like overkill to me. Your .300 win mag is plenty rifle for those distances if you have the right optics. Put a Nikon or Bushnell Elite on it with 6-24X magnification and map your trajectory at the range so you know your limits. I have buddies that shoot 1000 yard competitions with their .223 ARs, so your win. mag. is fully capable and has the energy to carry the damage to larger game. If you insist on a larger caliber, go with the .338.

I agree with him, a .300 WM has it.  You might just consider a trigger job, accurizing, different optics (although you may want to look up from Nikon and Bushnell), good ammo, maybe even handloads from someone, and spending some money on shooting at lot at long range.

[Holston]

If you want a .340 Weartherby, then by all means go for it.  A new rifle is always fun.

Don't think you're handicapped with your .300 Win mag though, a well placed shot with the right bullet will kill elk just as well as the .340.

My father in law has one that he used to take on elk hunts.  I've shot it a few times and while the recoil is tolerable, it's not pleasant.  And not to be rude, but if you're asking about the recoil of a rifle...it seems you may be worried about it.  Worry or fear of recoil is not a good place to be.

As far as optics go, I could never recommend anything in 20x for a big game scope.  Most of my big game scopes are fixed 6x, and a variable that goes to 10x or so would be my choice for elk that far out.  Different strokes for different folks though.

If it were me, I'd fine tune my hunting loads using a proper bullet (there are several out there) and practice, practice, practice.  Make sure you have a scope with repeatable adjustments and have an accurate drop chart.  Elk are large targets but putting a good shot at the ranges you specify isn't always that easy.