My buddy lives in alaska and got a Kodiak permit for this spring. His biggest gun is a 7 stw and I volunteered my 340 wby. This gun shoots nosler 250 par's at 2900 real nice. Someone told him you don't take long shots at these "big boys" and a regular .338 with .250 pars is a better combo for speed/bullet performance.
I could try and download a little but don't know what it will do to accuracy. Although I use barnes in other calibers I think I'd be more comfortable with a swift a-frame. Don't they make a 275 grain for .338 caliber?? Anyone use them?? Is all this hype to be ignored??
INPUT FROM THOSE EXPERIENCED IS APPRECIATED.
This scenerio is going to happen-looking for best advice for my best friend. Thanks Kraky

Your 340 loaded to full velocity with a 250gr Swift will do all that needs doing. I shot my brownie with my 338/404 at 100yds with a 230gr Fail Safe loaded faster than a 340 can push it. He hit so hard he bounced, the bullet entered the neck as he angled towards me. Came out near through the offside hip after breaking the spine and going through him lengthwise.

Ignore the hype. If you want, Barnes and Woodleigh both make a 300 grain bullet that should shoot at 2700 fps +/- in your 340.

What is wrong with his 7mmSTW? If he is familiar with it, that would be the gun to use. A 340 WTHBY is a great gun, and would be very impressive on brown bear, but a STW will kill them just as dead if you place your shots. I never feel under gunned with my .300 Win mag.

Kraky -- I shoot a .340 Wby and took it to Alaska on my last hunt for Moose in 1999. I used a 250 grain Nosler Partition Gold that hunt and would reccomend it. I would also highly reccomend the 240 grain or 250 grain North Fork. They are real tough and exceptionaly accurate in my .340's. I shot my Brown Bear with a .300 Win using 200 grain Nosler Partition bullet and got a one shot kill. However after the shot more Bears appeared uninvited, at that point I felt undergunned. I then went to the .340's. I have also shot the 250 grain Swift A-Frame extensively, along with the Partition Gold, neither is as consistently accuraate as the North Fork. Good shooting.

Thanks Pat--every now and then you remind us of your great regard for the Northfork and then I forget they exist. I think that's a great one to try!!

I have a 7MM STW I know what it can do it's a great long range rifle. But I'll tell you when I go to Alaska where they have large brown fuzzy things I take two guns my 8MM Remington Magnum is my backup gun perhaps a bit small but better than a 300. My prime gun is my 378 Weatherby with 300 Gr Noslers. I ain't dessert.

John S has the beast advice. Go with published Weatherby velocities or if you reload, go with a Swift A Frame, but more importantly, go with the premium bullet your rifle likes BEST in terms of accuracy. jorge

kraky,

I used my .340 Weatherby to take one of my browns bears(a beautiful light brown colored boar that squared just under 10 feet) at 80 yards using a Nosler 250 gr. Partition, ahead of 83.0 gr. of IMR 4831 for 2,917 fps.. Two shots and the bear was down BUT he tried to get to his feet after we got some closer and it took another shot to anchor him. Tell your buddy to leave his 7mm STW at home. The smallest rifle to use on brown bear is a good .300 mag. loaded with 200 grain premium bullets. The .340 is better and a .375 H&H or bigger is what most guides up there use for back up on browns. Lawdog

Kraky,

Hav'in been raised on the Emerald Island myself, and hunted various parts of it , from Shuyak Island to the north, to Bumble Bay to the south chasing reindeer, I would say the 340 WBY with a 275 gr. Swift A-Frame@ 2500 fps would be the ticket - But even the old timer's will tell you that a 06' top off with 220 gr Nosler Partition would punch out a Island brownie. They are referring to back to 1930's & 1940's........because that's all they had to hunt with!

Pulling the trigger is the easy part. Just getting to the hunting area, climbing hills/mountains one after another just to spot a bear, to find out it's not the one your looking for, because it's a sow with cubs that show up after you've been on it with spotting scope for 20 minutes, while you were planning out your stalk....... And start it all over again......Do that five or ten times and your luck will improve. You'll most likely be under a 100 yards, cause if you do your stalking right, the brownie won't even know your there. You'll (your buddy) earn that kill.

[ 02-20-2003, 19:03: Message edited by: CK ]

Oleman,

Would you care to share your load in your .378 with the 300 grain NP. Thanks

Scratch