What did you reload today?

I also loaded some 375 H&H with 270 TSX for an upcoming black bear hunt in Saskatchewan. Most guys like to take something smaller but I like to get exits on these bears. Taking the Champlin .375 this time but with a different scope than pictured (Swaro Z8i 1-8x).
Nice Bryan. I am keen to read your detailled report on that hunt.
 
Nice Bryan. I am keen to read your detailled report on that hunt.
The big old boars tend to come at last light and hang up behind the bait. Challenge accepted! Last year I had the one I later shot come in the dark and stand underneath my ladder stand chewing on a piece of bait in the dark. Sounded like he was eating Pringles as he chewed the bones a few feet below me. It was awesome.
 
Loaded up some 225 TSXs with CFE223 powder in the .35 Whelen. After 30 years of using 250 grain partitions and RL15 I think I am going to switch. Less recoil, more velocity and great accuracy. Just over .5 MOA at 200 yards.
 
I'm loading more 45 Colt for the USFA Lightning that arrived today. I use the same loads in my Schofield revolver and 1873 carbine....light loads with a 250 cast bullet.
 
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.30-06 Springfield, 130 gr Barnes TTSXBT for a Ruger M77 LH.

HWL
 
Working up a load for Hornady 185 grain coppers in my 340 Weatherby Mag. Gun is fickle so here we go....
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I would like to hear more about your 340 Wby and experience with it?
 
I would like to hear more about your 340 Wby and experience with it?
A Weatherby fiberglass stock MK V 26" Barrel that I bought around 25 years ago.
A 26" barrel is a must.

I've used 160 Barnes coppers on pigs & 185 Barnes coppers on deer and antelope.
210 Nosler Partitions on elk & 225 Barnes coppers on caribou since I was worried about bucking the wind on the Canadian tundra.

I have 275 Swift A-Frames I need to work a load up for if I decide to take it to Africa or use on Brown Bear or Moose.

The cartridge is a real killer. Everything I ever shot with it was dead before the animal took a single step and hit the ground. Ranges have been from 50 yards to 400+ yards.

Recoil is fast and becomes significant when you get up to 225 grain bullets. I've target shot 250 grain bullets and they are not fun from a bench and I wouldn't want to shoot them from a prone position.

I always shoot/hunt with quality shooting safety glasses on. Then it never gets into my head that the scope can cut me. So I don't flinch.

If I were to replace the rifle it would be with a 338 Remington Ultra Magnum simply because I think it's a better cartridge design and easier to work up loads for.

I have it scoped with a Leupold VX III 2 1/2 x 8 with low mounts. I like my face to be tight on the stock when it goes bang. Yes our African calibers have more recoil. But this is different cuz it is such a fast recoil!

I do love my 340 and highly recommend the .338 caliber. Animals are simply overwhelmed.

I've had experienced hunters spot my shots on animals. They tell me it's like a large blast of liquid exiting with the bullet and on most occasions not only does it disrupt the nervous system but it seems to break the animals back with a center shoulder shot as they have reported the animal folds in half as the bullet exits. (His words not mine).

When it's go time, I know the gun and it always does its job perfectly!

Rifle on the right in the picture.
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The 340 weatherby has to be one of my favorite cartridges. My load with that is the 213 grain hammer hunter loaded to 2.717”. Even though it’s a lighter for caliber bullet it barely fits in the mag.
Using imr 7828 ssc with 91.5 grains getting a velocity of 3230 fps.

It doesn’t seem to be over pressure but that is moving at a decent clip.

It’s an older accumark, but I forget if it’s of Japanese or American make. Shot everything poorly. Eventually got one group to 1.5 moa at best. Usually 2-3 moa though. After sanding down inside the forend that puts pressure on the barrel, it’s no freefloated. Then 1 moa was typical.
That load shot one of the tightest groups I’ve got from any weatherby and it was 5 shots just under 2” at 300 meters. But that group also took a week to shoot because it’s really only good for a couple shots.
 
I didn’t reload 340 today but did load 460 weatherby. A couple different loads but a new load I tried is the 325 grain hornady ftx. Oal of 3.6” and n550 powder.
A pinch of just 137 grains gets it up to 3215 fps. I imagine this is in the 62-65k psi range. I dont know why anyone would use this because I imagine the bullets will vaporize immediately since they’re going about 1000 fps above the recommended impact velocity. Probably terrible accuracy too because there’s gotta like be an inch of jump. Quite the mild recoil though. No muzzle break.
 

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Preparing for the adventure of a lifetime. Looking forward to my 2026 Africa hunt with Van Wijk Safaris in South Africa.
Monster Free range Common Reedbuck!!
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What a great way to kick off our 2025 hunting season in South Africa.

This beautiful Impala ram was taken at just over 300 yards, took a few steps and toppled over.

We are looking forward to the next week and a half of hunting with our first client of the year.
Handcannons wrote on Jaayunoo's profile.
Do you have any more copies of African Dangerous Game Cartridges, Author: Pierre van der Walt ? I'm looking for one. Thanks for any information, John [redacted]
 
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