Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska The Colonel and I went to the grocery store. Alaska style.

Been out several days with the Colonel, AKA the 400 Whelen, trying to fill my cow moose tag. Last night I was waiting for a cow to step out for a shot when a four wheeler came roaring through the meadow. No shot.

This morning found me back in the same area. A smaller meadow but lots of sign and little pressure. I found a big cow, about hundred yards out broadside but with too much brush between us. I circled around the brush and came up behind her at about 50 yards. She busted me and started off for the timber. I grunted a few times to try to stop her and get her to turn. She stopped but wouldn't give me a broadside. Yep, you guessed it. I took the Texas heart shot with the 400 Whelen and a 400 grain Hawk. She dropped like a rock. A follow up with the Ruger Flattop 44 Special to the head and she was done.

The Hawk 400 grain crushed the pelvis but did minimal meat damage. Less than 5 pounds of meat lost. I love those big bullets and moderate velocities.

Great story! Thank you for posting.

Dont you love 4-wheeler jockeys who wouldn't know how to hunt, in bi-pedal mode, if their life depended on it...

I use a four wheeler but just to pack meat or to get to camp. I boot hunt until I get something then go back for the wheeler. The crazy thing was these guys could have parked 400 yards back and hiked quietly to the meadow. Instead they drove through the middle of great moose habitat, at the prime time for moose movement, talking loud and laughing. No wonder the cow took off.

Congrats on a freezer full of great meat, the lefty 400 Whelen did it's job...........

Congrats Mart on a freezer full of winter treats. Nice rifle and nice shooting

It got little crazy after I started field dressing the cow. A sub legal bull stepped out of the timber and seemed a bit too interested in what I was doing. I waved my arms, shouted, and revved the wheeler with no effect. I fired a couple of shots into the ground with the 44 and he remained unimpressed. A cow came out of the brush and they milled around about 35 yards away completely oblivious to me. He opted to demonstrate his lovemaking skill by trying to mount her. She was having none of it and headed back into the dark timber. He was a step behind her, hot on her tail.

Congrats Mart on the cow.

I've had folks do the same thing, drive right into a clear cut with 20 mins of hunting time left, even after seeing me sitting and watching it. All to go less than 400 yds to the end of the road, look for a minute, then turn around and leave. I left as they drove in, disgusted.

I'm glad you found one the next day.

Thanks for sharing your story (I'd rather be friends or family up there sharing moose meat though )

Geno

Come on up. I'm grilling backstrap Wednesday night.

I'll get right on that!
I still have my AK Air CC from when I lived in Juneau. And I have a few air miles built up on it. Too bad I have to work (there's that nasty word again) Wednesday night

And I just told my wife I was going to come over to the PTLND area this weekend as she's entering the dogs in a lure coursing event.

So, thanks for the invite. I hope you don't have to eat them all alone. (although that wouldn't be such a bad thing)

Geno

That's a neat rifle for sure and What cow permit did you have??

I had DM 400. North of the Little Su, south of Willow Creek, west of the Parks Highway and east of the Big Su.

What kind of penetration you get with those 400gr bullets??

That'll fill the freezer! Very cool rifle to do it with. Well done!

Good going. I like and appreciate meat hunting and wish more of it was possible - especially when the fellows with head ornamentation can be stinky. And butchering is always more 'interesting' with an audience of the kin.

A lot. I didn't recover either this Hawk or the 400 grain Woodleigh my wife used on her caribou a couple of years ago.

what is it built on? I cant really tell in the pictures. Do you use 35 whelen brass or buy cylindrical brass and neck it down to? On second thought it looks like a left handed model 70?

It is on a left handed model 70. It is wearing a Lyman 48 receiver sight with a NECG barrel band front sight and patridge sight blade in that picture.

I bought Quality Cartridge and Norma cylindrical brass. The Qual Cart is properly head stamped for the 400 Whelen. I have a 35 Whelen as well and have kept that brass for it. I have also used LC match brass to form cases.

Mart,
What kind of velocity are you getting with that big bullet? I'd really like a .40 caliber and have tossed the idea of a Sharps and High Wall around but I just cannot see carrying a 10lb+ rifle anymore. A No.1 in the Whelen caliber sounds really appealing...

Thanks again,

I run 2150 with a 400 grain bullet, duplicating the 450/400 Nitro Express in a magazine rifle. It will do 2300-2400 with a 300 grain bullet and Barnes makes a TSX in .411. I've not tried the Barnes yet on game although it shoots great in my rifle.

My rifle weighs 8.25 pounds.

Not to discourage you from the 400 Whelen but Ruger has their No. 1 in 450/400 which would give you the rimmed equivalent.

Mart: When did you buy those 40 caliber bullets from Hawk? The reason I ask is I used 358 Hawk bullets in a 356 Win and on a black bear had jacket/core separation on every one with very limited penetration. They were purchased right after Bob Fulton sold the company and it moved to NJ. The jackets were not bonded properly to the cores. Perhaps they have the bonding down by now?