The 240 Weatherby is the fastest 24-caliber cartridge in the world, but what can you hunt with it? Is it even worth hunting with? And are there better calibers for the job? We will answer all those questions in this article.
Here is the short answer:
With a 240 Weatherby, you can hunt antelope, deer, hogs, black bear, and with the right bullet, you can even hunt elk. The 240 Weatherby has over 1600 foot-pounds of energy at 200 yards which is only 100 less than the 308 Winchester making it the ideal open country deer hunting caliber.
With the short answer out of the way, we can take a closer look at the 240 Weatherby, its trajectory, why you might want a 240 Weatherby, and why you might not want the 240 Weatherby.
History of the 240 Weatherby
The 240 Weatherby was introduced in 1963 by Roy Weatherby. It was made to reinvent the .224 H&H magnum which had great commercial success. But Roy Weatherby thought he could make a better version and invited the 240 Weatherby, which was marked for being a great open country deer hunting cartridge.
why you might want the 240 Weatherby
The 240 Weatherby can shoot a 100-grain bullet at over 3000 Fps, this means that it’s going to have a flat trajectory and high energy. And this cartridge has both of those attributes; It has only 6 inches of drop at 300 yards with a 100-grain bullet, comparatively a 30-06 with a 130-grain bullet has 10 inches of drop (a 30-06 with a 130-grain bullet has identical energy when compared to the 240 Weatherby with a 100-grain bullet).
With this cartridge’s high energy and velocity, you can hunt all kinds of animals. This cartridge is ideal for hunting in open county because it’s moving so fast that it will have very little wind drift or drop so you can take fast shots on windy days without much calculation.
This cartridge also has its place for western hunting. It can be used to hunt black bears because of its high energy at ranges within 500 yards. The 240 Weatherby can even be used to hunt elk within 250 yards. However, the 240 Weatherby can only shoot a 100-grain bullet max, so it’s a pretty light bullet for hunting elk.
Why you might not want the 240 Weatherby
Now that we have taken a look at why you might want the 240 Weatherby, let’s see why you might not want the 240 Weatherby.
Availability is one of the biggest problems with the 240. While the 240 Weatherby is a great cartridge for some purposes, it is hard to find. And even when you do find a rifle or ammo in the 240 Weatherby, it will usually cost a lot. So if you want to be able to walk into any store and find the cartridge you are looking for at a good price, then the 240 Weatherby might not be for you.
Barrel life. The 240 Weatherby is fast, so fast that you will burn out your barrel a lot quicker than other cartridges. Sending a lot of lead through your barrel at over 3400 feet per second is not going to be good for the long-term life of your rifle’s barrel. and if you do burn out a barrel, then it will be very difficult to find a new one.
240 Weatherby vs. other cartridges
we have done a lot of talking about the 240 Weatherby alone, so let’s see how it compares to other cartridges.
240 Weatherby vs. 6.5 Creedmoor
The 240 Weatherby has more energy than the 6.5 Creedmoor within 300 yards, but outside of 300 yards, the energy is the same. The trajectory of the two cartridges is almost identical, with the 240 Weatherby having 3 inches less drop at 300 yards. These two cartridges are pretty similar, but the Weatherby has slightly more energy. I would say if you want a cartridge that will be easy to find no matter what, you should go with the 6.5 Creedmoor, as it is more available. But if you need the extra energy, like if you were hunting elk, then you would want the 240 Weatherby.
240 Weatherby vs. 25-06 Remington
The 25-06 and the 240 have the same case but do they act the same downrange? The 25-06 is a little better than the 240 in most, if not, all ways. It has more energy, less drop, and is more available. So if you were to pick a cartridge over the 240 Weatherby that is in the same class, it would be the 25-06.
Conclusion
The 240 Weatherby is a speed demon of a cartridge that is probably better left in the past. While it is a great cartridge in many ways, nowadays it has been almost completely replaced. If you were to look at it compared to most other cartridges you will see that the other cartridges are just as good if not better.