Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.240 Weatherby Magnum
Roy Weatherby's .24-caliber entry — the fastest commercial .243-bore cartridge ever produced.
- Caliber
- 0.2429″ · 6.17 mm
- Introduced
- 1968
- Case
- Belted
- Parent
- .300 H&H Magnum
- Primary use
- Hunting, Target
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1968
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Roy Weatherby
- Manufacturer
- Weatherby
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Specialty
- Case capacity
- 72 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle Magnum
- Case type
- Belted
- Max pressure
- 65,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 400 yd
- Max range
- 800 yd
- Recoil
- 12–18 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X 90 gr, 3,395 fps, BC 0.262 G7 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 3394 | 2301 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 3206 | 2053 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 3019 | 1821 | -1.9″ | -0.9 |
| 300 yd | 2840 | 1611 | -7.6″ | -2.4 |
| 400 yd | 2666 | 1420 | -17.6″ | -4.2 |
| 500 yd | 2497 | 1245 | -32.6″ | -6.2 |
| 600 yd | 2333 | 1088 | -53.1″ | -8.5 |
| 700 yd | 2177 | 947 | -80.0″ | -10.9 |
| 800 yd | 2025 | 820 | -114.3″ | -13.6 |
| 900 yd | 1879 | 706 | -157.0″ | -16.7 |
| 1000 yd | 1738 | 603 | -209.6″ | -20.0 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open .240 Weatherby Magnum ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 6.17 | 0.243 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.79 | 0.267 | ~ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 10.88 | 0.428 | · |
| Shoulder angle | — | — | |
| Base ⌀ | 11.38 | 0.448 | ~ |
| Rim ⌀ | 11.93 | 0.470 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | 11.93 | 0.470 | ~ |
| Rim thickness | 1.19 | 0.047 | ~ |
| Neck length | 8.78 | 0.346 | ≈ |
| Case length | 63.40 | 2.496 | · |
| Overall length | 78.74 | 3.100 | · |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .240 Weatherby Magnum is highlighted below.
Missing a dimension for .240 Weatherby Magnum? Some case measurements aren't in a published SAAMI/CIP drawing yet. Have a factory or reamer print? Send it → — verified hard-to-find data earns a free Lindcott sticker.
Factory loads
In production — 21 active loads across 9 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 21 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady | Precision Hunter ELD-X | 87 | ELD-X | 3,500 | 2,366 | 0.257 G7 |
| Weatherby | Select Plus | 85 | Barnes TTSX BT | 3,500 | 2,312 | 0.135 G7 |
| Weatherby | Select Plus | 85 | Nosler Partition | 3,500 | 2,312 | 0.356 G1 |
| Weatherby | Select Plus Barnes TTSX BT | 85 | TTSX BT | 3,500 | 2,312 | 0.135 G7 |
| Hornady | Precision Hunter | 87 | ELD-X | 3,500 | 2,366 | 0.257 G7 |
| Weatherby | Select Plus | 95 | Nosler Ballistic Tip | 3,420 | 2,467 | 0.195 G7 |
| HSM | Trophy Gold | 95 | Berger VLD | 3,400 | 2,438 | 0.251 G7 |
| Weatherby | Select Plus | 100 | Nosler Partition | 3,395 | 2,559 | 0.384 G1 |
| Weatherby | Select Plus Nosler Partition | 100 | Partition | 3,395 | 2,559 | 0.384 G1 |
| Hornady | Precision Hunter ELD-X | 90 | ELD-X | 3,395 | 2,303 | 0.262 G7 |
| Barnes | VOR-TX | 90 | TTSX BT | 3,500 | 2,448 | — |
| Remington | AccuTip | 87 | AccuTip V | 3,500 | 2,366 | — |
| Norma | Oryx | 90 | Oryx | 3,500 | 2,448 | — |
| Winchester | Ballistic Silvertip | 90 | Ballistic Silvertip | 3,500 | 2,448 | — |
| Weatherby | Select Plus Nosler AccuBond | 100 | Nosler AccuBond | 3,406 | 2,575 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
2 reloading powders listed for .240 Weatherby Magnum, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .240 Weatherby Magnum
12 models in the database chamber .240 Weatherby Magnum. Browse all →
Connected reference
History
Introduced in 1968 on Weatherby's belted magnum case. Roy Weatherby applied his maximum-velocity philosophy to the .24 caliber, producing a cartridge that significantly outperforms .243 Winchester and 6mm Remington. The .240 Weatherby is the only Weatherby cartridge based on a shortened .30-06 length case rather than the full Weatherby magnum case, giving it a slightly more manageable recoil profile than other Weatherby magnums. It found a following among open-country hunters pursuing antelope, deer, and mule deer at long distances where trajectory matters. Weatherby still chambers the Mark V in .240 and produces factory ammunition.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .240 Weatherby Magnum use?
- .240 Weatherby Magnum typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .240 Weatherby Magnum?
- .240 Weatherby Magnum uses a 0.2429″ (6.17 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .240 Weatherby Magnum still in production?
- .240 Weatherby Magnum is active; typical availability is specialty.
- What is .240 Weatherby Magnum used for?
- .240 Weatherby Magnum is primarily used for hunting, target.
- What is .240 Weatherby Magnum based on?
- .240 Weatherby Magnum is derived from the .300 H&H Magnum case.
- What are the best powders for .240 Weatherby Magnum?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .240 Weatherby Magnum include Reloader 17, Reloader 19.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .240 Weatherby Magnumarchived
- StandardC.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 21 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →