buying a used 340 Wby - what to look/look out for

[tdbru]

experienced ones,
this Saturday i have an opportunity to buy a used japan 340 Wby.   wood stock. 
what do i look for / look out for

i've always wanted a MkV because i like rifles and it's a neat design.  if i decide to pick it up it will be my 1st Weatherby of any kind and of course my first MkV.

what kind of accuracy would one have expected with factory ammo as new?

those of you that have a 340 from new, how many rounds down the tube before  you noticed the group size opening up?

for a 340, what are some of the recommended bases/rings?

those of you that reload for the 340 what insights do you have that you'd care to share?
thanks in advance
tdbru

[Northern hunter]

Welcome to the nation. As for how many rounds before it started opening up it would take a lot of shooting to burn a barrel up unless it was abused before you. Can't really comment on what fa Tory loads work best because when I had mine I was hand loading g it right away, with Hornady 225 gr spire points. Very powerful cartridge would punch holes through 1" plate steel at 300 yds, it did earn my respect very quickly. I have heard but didn't experience it myself, they were hard on wood stocks. As for accuracy mine was sub moa at 100 yds.

[tdbru]

thanks NH,
when you say hard on wood stocks, in what way?  splits?  wood compression?  just trying to keep in mind what to look/lookout for.

would it be normal for a MkV to have contact on the back of all 9 bolt lugs?

other than normal "check the crown,  work the action,  inspect the stock for cracks, etc"  what is specific to check for on a wood stocked W MkV in 340 WbM?  are there any piece parts that are prone to wear or failure, like extractors, ejectors, firing pins, safeties, etc?
thanks,
tdbru.

p.s. unless it's in really rough condition i plan on getting it as i've wanted a MkV for awhile and wanted a fairly uncommon bore size, which generally means over 30....

[BB340]

I have no idea how long I've had my Mark V Lazermark .340 for nor how many rounds I've put thru it. But what I do know is that if I pull it out of the safe, grab some of my hand loaded 225gr TSX rounds and send 3 down range, It'll still shoot sub moa.
It is by far one of, if not my favourite rifle. I am definitely NOT a target shooter and use mine soley for hunting so I am not worried about burning it's barrel out.
My favourite powder is AR2213sc (H4831) or RE19 sparked off by a Federal 215M primer. The only projectile I use in it now is the 225 grain Barnes TSX. I find that pill shoots very flat and drives deep on all manner of critters big and small.   

[224KING]

You won't be able to shoot the barrel out.

[danno50]

I own a Mark V in 340 and love it! With my rifle, copper fouling became a problem and accuracy declined until I figured things out and solved the problem by through barrel cleaning with a good copper removal solvent. As far as reloading, I seat my bullets out so the round barely fits lengthwise in the magazine which increases accuracy. Also, I have tried most bullets but I get my best accuracy with Barnes 210 gr. or 225 gr. bullets and a max load of H4831. Other than the copper fouling, which is easily solved, I have had no problems or complaints. Its a fine, accurate and powerful rifle/cartridge. One more thing: I am not a fan of the ethics of very long range shots at game animals but I will say this rifle/cartridge exceeds my expectations and its performance on long range shots have been stellar. Having said that, I am particular about the very long range shots I attempt but when I do, I know the accuracy and ballistic performance of this rifle/cartridge is about as good as it gets!

Great post Lloyd. I'm also in agreement with Tom on the barrel. Using the least expensive factory ammo,(approx. $56 a bx)if you shot one bx a week, 1,040 rds.per year, that would come to approx. $2,900 in a year. Over a 5 year period that would come to approx. 5200 rds. at approx. $14,500. (much cheaper if you hand load). Assuming prior good care?, it's not likely the barrel is already burnt out. Hope to see pictures soon. Good luck.

[oregonmarkv]

I have always had good results with Nosler partitions and IMR 7828 in the 340's but in my current rifle I am loading 250g Nosler accubonds with RL26 at 2950 fps. RL 26 will probably be my choice now in all my WBY's except my 6.5-300.

[African Leadwood]

Congratulations on possibly buying the most beautifully proportioned calibre ever!

Mine is a 2nd hand Lazermark. I soaked the barrel for days to clean it.

It shoots factory Hornady 250gr at 2980fps (yes not a typo measured on my 35p) into 1.25 moa.

Currently my reloads don't improve on that, but it was bedded and I will first try other powder and then rebed it if need be. Got to get that magical 25mm even if I shoot longer at 100 metric paces 

I started with Leupold Dual Dovetails but went to Warne. Happy with them if a little in-elegant. Talley is good too. Leupold was fine but was swapping scopes around and a Weaver type base like Warne was easier. Just never swapped back. Leupold is low and sleek.

I love it, but maybe reload hotter than where accuracy is. As I have a few 338s I feel it needs to run close to full performance.

[Northern hunter]

Tdbru you will be amazed with the 340, I was, to me my 300 has more recoil. If the bolt ever gets sticky a little bit of cleaning and a thin film of gunslick graphite paste on the contact points I've always found did the trick for me, once you have worked the bolt back and forth a few times remove and wipe excess off. Firing pin shouldn't give you any problems, as for stock problems check like you said if no cracks are present use it just make sure you torque to Weatherby specs and procedure.

[tdbru]

thank you all for your insightful replies. 

as far as shooting the barrel out, the LR bug has kind of bit a little (F class) and i have noticed that the 338 bore will shoot a Hornady ELD Match  (285gr.) with just about the highest BC around.  if i can find a load that will group as well as your rifles shoot,  it might make a dandy 1K wind bucking target round. 

as far as just hunting, i've shot a lot of rifles, but not many flat shooters.  more or less "medium".  '06, 35 Whelen, 375 H&H, 450/400 3" and 458 WM for big game rifles.  i'm more of a rifle range shooter as i love to shoot  but due to work demands don't get much opportunity to go hunting, not near what i'd like.  run with the deck your dealt i guess.  so this will be the first "flat shooting" caliber i'll have, when i pick it up.  looking forward to exploring all the possibilities.  as you can guess i love to tinker with hand loads too.  the more i read up on the 340 WM the more i wonder why i didn't try it earlier.  probably because the f-class bug hadn't bit yet :-)

thanks guys, when i pick it up i'll have to figure out how to post photos.
best to you all!!
-tdbru

[.257]

I tried the 270 grain ELD-X. Couldn't get them under 2" at 100 yards

Also tried the 230 grain ELD-X. I did get one group down to .5 but it isn't  consistent.

[257 Shooter]

If the stock finish and blueing are in good shape, chances are the rest of it is. Very few 340s are ever "shot out". Take the bolt out and look at the bolt face. If there are no signs of leaked primers you are likely in good shape. A careful look at the bolt face can give some idea how much it was shot. Chances are, not much. Lots of people think they can tell rifling condition by shining a light down the barrel. If it looks shiny, it's good. A borescope is the only reliable way.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used 340 that was obviously cared for. Lots of good bullet options. I usually shot 250 grain bullets in mine. Hornady or Sierra. Tons of choices.

Enjoy if you buy. Good luck.

[African Leadwood]

thank you all for your insightful replies. 

as far as shooting the barrel out, the LR bug has kind of bit a little (F class) and i have noticed that the 338 bore will shoot a Hornady ELD Match  (285gr.) with just about the highest BC around.  if i can find a load that will group as well as your rifles shoot,  it might make a dandy 1K wind bucking target round. 

as far as just hunting, i've shot a lot of rifles, but not many flat shooters.  more or less "medium".  '06, 35 Whelen, 375 H&H, 450/400 3" and 458 WM for big game rifles.  i'm more of a rifle range shooter as i love to shoot  but due to work demands don't get much opportunity to go hunting, not near what i'd like.  run with the deck your dealt i guess.  so this will be the first "flat shooting" caliber i'll have, when i pick it up.  looking forward to exploring all the possibilities.  as you can guess i love to tinker with hand loads too.  the more i read up on the 340 WM the more i wonder why i didn't try it earlier.  probably because the f-class bug hadn't bit yet :-)

thanks guys, when i pick it up i'll have to figure out how to post photos.
best to you all!!
-tdbru

tdbru - I'm assuming you are referring to the 340 as a long range hunting cartridge? There it will be excellent.

As far as I know F-Class is limited to 8mm i.e. .323" as you probably know already. The rifles may also not have muzzle brakes. A 340 like mine is fairly light weight and without a muzzle brake would be tough to shoot well for a whole F-Class match.

[Creekstone]

experienced ones,
this Saturday i have an opportunity to buy a used japan 340 Wby.   wood stock. 
what do i look for / look out for

i've always wanted a MkV because i like rifles and it's a neat design.  if i decide to pick it up it will be my 1st Weatherby of any kind and of course my first MkV.

what kind of accuracy would one have expected with factory ammo as new?

those of you that have a 340 from new, how many rounds down the tube before  you noticed the group size opening up?

for a 340, what are some of the recommended bases/rings?

those of you that reload for the 340 what insights do you have that you'd care to share?
thanks in advance
tdbru

I like the .340 as it can do it all in the U.S.  For suggestions, get one piece steel rings and base. A good optic is necessary, something like a Leupold VX-3i.  I shoot mine with 220gr most of the time.  Recoil increases some with 250gr or 300gr which are not necessary for most situations.  Not recommended to shoot from a bench because of recoil and do not use a rest like a LeadSeld as that is hard on a wood stock.  You will not shoot enough to wear out a barrel.  I like IMR or H-4831 TTSX.
The bolt lugs have to be better than 95% contact to meet Q.C..  I believe with Weatherby ammo it should be less than a 1" group.  If you remove it from the stock, follow Weatherby instructions to torque the stock screws.  I don't mess with triggers, just keep then clean with Hoppies and I don't oil.
For cleaning I like BoreSnake with a wet patch with J.B. Bore paste.  Laps the barrel and removes copper. 

[tdbru]

if i recall my last look at the regulations, 35 caliber or smaller for F-class.  some guys shoot the 338 Lapua in the matches.  so 338 bore is legal.  of course weight limit on F class is 10kg so that helps moderate recoil a bunch.  i agree on the good glass.  i will give this one a whirl for hunting.  looking forward to it actually.  but usually for me hunting is hunting and not shooting.  i get no time from my job to get out scouting etc. so when i can go hunting it's hunting and not shooting.

looking forward to checking out the rifle tomorrow and hopefully picking it up. 

thanks all for the helpful tips on what to look for.  unless it's been poorly taken care of i intend to pick it up.

re: bases and recoil.  do you all find that the 6-48s are enough to keep bases tight with a 340 Wby or have you all had them opened up to 8-40s ?

thanks,
tdbru