Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats A new 400 Whelen is Born

This project first appeared on my drawing board almost 4 years ago. The original idea was to build a unique big bore hunting rifle. The design coalesced around components I have read about in the writings of some favorite authors: Keith, O’Conner, Seyfried, Capstick, Taylor, Bowen, Zeglin, and Smith all have had some influence on my planning for this rifle.

It was to be an American rifle. And it is. It is also a global, since the design concepts borrow from many countries. For example, I ultimately decided on a 98 Mauser action. The barrel has an ovate profile. A scope is a practical necessity, but somewhere I saw a Rigby style cocking piece sight. It is very classy and it too became part of the design. This complicated the design by requiring a detachable scope mount and a custom stock dimensions. The stock is black walnut because it is uniquely American. Damascus skeleton grip cap and butt plates are added because I like the look.

This rifle is no wall hanger. I plan to shoot it, a lot. Since it a big bore, the rifle must shoot cast bullets, well. This is partially about cost, but not entirely. Veral Smith taught me cast can be just as accurate, deadly, and shot at full power. This is especially true for this caliber.

I only pondered over the cartridge only a little. Originally this rifle was to be a .411 Hawk. In the course of researching the Hawk, I came across the Petrov articles on the Whelen. Petrov’s work and some snags collecting info on the Hawk caused me to conclude no game animal would be able to tell the difference in the Hawk or the Whelen. Also, the Whelen is more of a classic, so a 400 Whelen it is.

I was determined to use the best materials and craftsmen I could find. It was a challenge to figure just who and what that is and believe those decisions proved out. As I write this into, the rifle is still a work-in-progress. The barreled action has been delivered. I have shot it to perfect the pattern for the stock, to fire form brass, and for sight adjustment. I am working on the final stock now.

Perhaps the best way to proceed is to write sub-treads discussing each aspect of the build; action, barrel, stock, sights, ammo/reloading, etc., provided I can figure out how to do so on this site. I have lots of pictures.

One pet peeve I feel obliged to share. I often wonder what some extravagant undertaking costs, as a read about them. While I do not consider this project cheap, I am a frugal, if not cautious guy. I have paid for each item as the pieces-parts were delivered and will share those costs, for the similarly curious.

Onward to the action…

I am looking forward too this, thanks for posting...

Count me in as interested also!

Me too!

NICE! CFE-223 powder will easily power 400gr Woodleigh softs and solids to 2255 fps should you ever want it, my rifle was cut with a Petrov reamer too, Quality Cartridge cylindrical brass makes the rest easy, Enjoy, I love mine.

Before I go further, can anybody tell me how to create sub-posts under the master? As I said in the intro, I want to make numerous subs for action, barrel, stock, etc, but under the main post so there is a useful flow. Thanks.

I have a .400 Whelen on a 1903A3 Springfield. I think the .400 Whelen is really the wildest of the wildcats. Until Petrov took it on, the dimensions were all over the place. Mine isn't the same as his. The most important thing is the shoulder measurement. When one starts to blow the 06 case out; a .458 shoulder doesn't leave much, but it is without doubt enough to headspace on.

My barrel is 25", .400 bore, .410 (eight grooved) with a 1-18 twist. I shoot 400 grain cast, gas checked bullets. I'm getting about 2000 fps and it will rattle your teeth lose.

It took me eight years to get mine together. Like you, I paid for it as I went. It was worth the wait

Sounds cool, hope you post pictures of boxes as they arrive too.

Just revisit this thread and add a post.

DF

I use Imgur as a photo host.

Easy to set up an account and post photos from there.

DF

Don't know about sub threads but once we "Tag" ourselves in here by posting it will be easy to find your post in our history so a continuous thread isn't a bad thing!

Thanks for sharing with us,


Mike

I built mine several years ago when Mike Petrov was still with us. He lived in Anchorage so we got to visit a few times and discuss all things Whelen. His research led me to choose the 400 Whelen over the 411 Hawk or 400 Brown Whelen.

So far my wife and I have taken three head of game with mine. Two caribou and a cow moose. We've used the 400 grain Woodleigh RN, 300 grain Barnes TSX and the 400 grain Hawk RN. All have worked well. If I were to choose one bullet for the 400 Whelen, it would be the 400 grain Woodleigh RN.

I've played some with some cast bullets. I have a mold from Accurate Molds that drops one 320 grain and one 400 grain flat point. They both shoot very well but the 320 grain is short enough that it doesn't feed well in my model 70. I had similar feeding issues with some short 300 grain bullets I tried. The 300 grain Barnes is plenty long and feeds without a hitch.

I have never experienced any headspace issues with mine in over 1500 rounds of load development and practice. You'll run into a few arm chair/keyboard experts who will try to convince you there will be issues with proper headspace. I've run into several. Of course none of them have owned or fired a 400 Whelen.

The 400 Whelen has become my favorite big game round and would be the last rifle I'd ever part with. You will love it.

H4895 is your friend in the 400. Works great with all bullet weights. CH4D has dies for about a fourth of the cost of RCBS. I've been well pleased with mine.

Please, and some of us are ready. Rusty

Wow, looking forward to seeing the progress of this one!

+1

DF

This is the round I wanted to do on mine, but everyone I talked to said it wouldn't headspace off the shoulder properly so I went 375 Whelen AI. I shoot 235gr Speer Hot-Cores as hard as they can go. It's hell on game and does what I wanted. I still think the 400 with cast bullets would have been cooler though.

On the plus size brass is easier to size and there are plenty of big game bullets (jacketed and cast) for 375....so it wasn't all bad.

From the sounds of it though. Your's will have a level of class mine will never know.

This is a long running myth. It may have started when chambers were cut without setting the barrel back just reaming out the old military chamber which were usually generous to begin with. The AI would solve this but not very worthwhile otherwise as the increased capacity is not that significant in the Whelen. Might gain 50-100 fps everything else being equal.

Where can I find a tutorial on how to load my pix? I checked the help. What I saw was not, ahem, helpful. Dirtfarmer, respectfully, I have no idea what this means, "I use Imgur as a photo host. "
I also wrote to Rickbin (administrator), but have not heard from him.
I am pretty familiar with software, but do not know what tools exist here.

What I want to do is post my pix, then insert them at the appropriate place in each posting.


My next posting awaits the tutorial....

PM sent.

DF

You talked to the wrong people. I'd be curious how many of them actually ever owned a 400 Whelen.

The 400 Whelen was never just a 41-06. It has always been an improved design from its inception in 1923. A 30-06 has a shoulder diameter of .441 and the 400 Whelen has a shoulder of .458. Any chambers cut for a 30-06 simply opened to receive a .411 bullet are a misinterpretation of Whelen's design of the 400 Whelen.

I played with a 10.75x57 for a few years. Its minimal shoulder makes the 400 Whelen shoulder look gargantuan. I never had any issue with it not headspacing correctly either. Never had a misfire in several hundred rounds.