Does anyone know what the 400 Whelen ballistics would be equal to in todays cartridges? Looks like a very interesting round....

James
I've been thinking of doing a .400 w.
What I've found out so far is there are a few diffrent reamers labeled .400 Whelen , and you have to be careful which one you use because if the shoulder is'nt cut just right you'll have head space problems.
I want to do one because every thing for the 416s are so expensive.
I can get in a pre 64 Win. worth the money and I have gobs of 30-06 brass .

Wayne Van Zoll wrote up a one of a kind custom job in either Safari or Bugle last year that gave the chamber specs.
He said it worked perfectly and that's the reamer I'm looking for. 

It should have  close to the same powder capacity as the .405 Win., maybe a bit more.
That's not near the 416s , but with todays powder and bullets it should work well on all but the very biggest African game.
I wouldn't be afraid to use it on Buff or Griz.

Southern Man

S.Man, I believe the Wayne van Zwoll article your talking about is from the June 1998 article "Hawk Cartridges" in Handloader magazine. One of the rounds based on the 30-06 is the .411 Hawk with a .400" bore and groove cut to .410". You can go to www.z-hat.com for a bunch of test data where a top load using a 400gr round nose is pushed to 2159fps with 57grs of RL 15. I remember them saying that Mauser or controlled round action is best for this cartridge and I picked up a used Ruger m77 mkII in 30-06 but thats as far as I got until the money situation picks up. Whats also interesting is that they say to compare the ballistics with the 404 Jeffery, that in its original load with 60grs of cordite pushed a 400gr bullet at 2125fps
for just over 4000fpe.

James
The van Zwoll write up I was talking about was from late 2007 or 2008 in Safari or Bugle.
I'll dig out my magazines and get back with you with the details.
If I'm not mistaken they used a .458 shoulder.
This was probably at least a $10,000 rifle.

I looked through the Hawk site you posted.
Pretty interesting stuff.
Sounds like they have it figured out.

There can't be much ballistic difference in the .41 Hawk and Whelen.
It might be easier getting the Hawk reamer and dies for making the head space work.

Did you read the history of the 400 Whelen on the Hawk site?
How would you like to find one of those Neider barreled Howe built rifles at a yard sale for $200.

After I read about Elmer keith killing the No. 2 Brown Bear with a .35 Whelen , I had to have one.
I have been very happy with it and the .400 has to be better.

My next project is going to be a switch barrel pre 64 m-70 , in 6-5 -06 Ackley ,.338-06 and .41 something.

I'm planning on going over next year and I want to carry that and my RSM .375 H&H.

Southern Man

Southern Man, Talking about switch barrel rifles I`ve attached a picture from an auction site that had a Griffen & Howe pre-war
commercial Mauser with 3 barrels in 30-06, 35 Whelen, and
400 Whelen...... It sold for $12,650.00. The last sentence in the add says "Really a lovely and superb three barrel combination gun suitable for any North American game and most on the African continent".....Now, the only problem is finding a yard sale with one of these.....James

James
That 3 barrel G&H is one unique rifle. I don't know about $12,500 for it, but if you have that kind of money , I guess it really does'nt matter.

Custom built switch barrel rifles , that are done right , are a joy to behold.
I had an Rem 40x- BR  in .222 Rem mag that had problems.
I bought a Rem.700 ADL in .243 very cheap.
I sent it all off to Gordy Gritters in Ia. and had him make a switch barrel , switch bolt out of the 40x.
He blue printed  the action, sleeved the inside of the action,  rechambered the .222 RM for .223 Ackley and fit the .243 bolt in the 40x and installed a 30" Lilja 3 groove barrel for 6.5-284.I used a Jewel 2 ounce trigger ,Jewel rings and bases with a 20 MOA taper.
When I sighted in the 6.5 @ 100 yds. it was 9 clicks from the bottom and I wrote down the clicks up in 100 yd increments to 1000 yds.
It is a metal work master peice.
He also pilliar bedded the Mc millian stock and did what he calls a double glass bed.
He beds them , lets them cure for two weeks then beds them again. 
He says after that the bedding will stay dead nuts for a long time.
I know I can switch barrels and it will redturn to zero time after time.

The .223 Ackley will put 40 Nosler BT in the .100s at 4000 FPS.
I've shot the 6.5-284 very little inside 1000 yds.
The best I've done with it is 5 shots in 7.25" @ 1000 ,with 142 Sierra MK @ 3020 FPS.
But I'm sure the gun will do much better.
The vertical is usually between 2" and 4".
I just have to get better at reading the wind.
The really great thing about it is , now I can add any short action round that matches the .223 or .308 bolt face for less than I can buy a Rem. rifle .
I did'nt want to open up the ejection port , so with the 6.5 if I chamber around and don't shoot it , I have to remove the bolt in order to unload it, which doesnt bother me in the least.
Of course this is strictly a target rifle and ever since I started shooting it I began thinking about doing a controlled feed hunting gun.
I'm glad you think I'm making the right chambering choices.
Some people think I'm nuts , which I may be , but I like to think I make good choices on my gun building.

Southern Man

NO DAMN MAN KILLS ME AND LIVES
" General" Nathan Bedford Forrest