Lindcott Armory Rifle · Wildcat
.400 Whelen
Wildcat built by necking the .30-06 Springfield to .40 caliber, accepting .405 Winchester bullets.
- Introduced
- 1987
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Townsend Whelen
- Manufacturer
- Colonel Townsend Whelen
- Standard
- Wildcat
- Status
- Limited
- Availability
- Specialty
- Bullet ⌀
- 0.411″
- Case length
- 2.49″
- Overall length
- 3.34″
- Base ⌀
- 0.473″
- Rim ⌀
- 0.473″
- Case capacity
- 70 gr H₂O
- Twist
- 1:12
- Primer
- Boxer Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 55,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 400 yd
- Recoil
- 40–55 ft·lb
Ballistics
- Velocity
- 2,300–2,500 fps
- Energy
- 2,586–4,154 ft·lb
- By real loads
- 2,200–2,600 fps · 21 loads
- Typical MSRP
- $0.85/rd · price history →
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input, not a measured load. Real published loads span the "by real loads" range above.
Factory loads
In production — 21 active loads across 16 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 21 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC | $/rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPU | Standard | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $0.55 |
| Sellier & Bellot | SP | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $0.85 |
| Norma | Classic | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $1.80 |
| Armscor | Standard | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $0.06 |
| RWS | Classic | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $1.60 |
| Buffalo Arms | Custom | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $2.80 |
| Kynoch | Classic | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $8.00 |
| Wolf | FMJ | 270 | Soft Point | 2,600 | 4,052 | — | $0.35 |
| Barnes | TTSX | 250 | TSX-BT | 2,450 | 3,331 | — | — |
| Nosler | Trophy Grade AccuBond | 300 | AccuBond | 2,400 | 3,836 | — | $0.85 |
| Hornady | Custom Interlock SP | 300 | Interlock SP | 2,400 | 3,836 | — | $0.85 |
| A-Square | Dead Tough SP | 300 | Dead Tough SP | 2,400 | 3,836 | — | — |
| Quality Cartridge | Custom | 300 | Monolithic Solid | 2,400 | 3,836 | — | — |
| HSM | Sierra GameKing BTSP | 300 | GameKing BTSP | 2,400 | 3,836 | — | $1.50 |
| Nosler | Partition | 300 | Partition | 2,350 | 3,678 | — | $0.85 |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Dimensions
Reloading cost
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.
Connected reference
History
A wildcat cartridge created by necking up the .30-06 Springfield case to .40 caliber. Developed by experimenters seeking an all-around North American big game cartridge. Ballistically similar to .400 Whelen but using readily available .30-06 parent brass. Never commercially produced.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .400 Whelen use?
- .400 Whelen typically uses a 1:12 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .400 Whelen?
- .400 Whelen uses a 0.411″ (10.31 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .400 Whelen still in production?
- .400 Whelen is limited; typical availability is specialty.
- What is .400 Whelen used for?
- .400 Whelen is primarily used for hunting.
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 21 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. Spotted an error? Report it →