I know of the 50, 450, 416, and the 375 Alaskans, but haven't heard of a 440 Alaskan, so does such a wildcat, based on the 348 Win case exist? ~~~Suluuq

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Thank you. Do you have any info on the 440 (.429/.430)Alaskan? ~~~Suluuq

I have not heard of anyone doing a .44 cal alaskan.

I seem to remember Frank barnes doing a couple wildcats like this, one with 416 bullets and one with 429, on the 348 improved case. Can't remember any other details though, sorry. - Dan

Suluuq,

I'll have to hit the library, there was a ~mid 70's Alaskan hunting book that mentioned a 44 caliber, as I recall it was off the 300 win mag, or one of the other ~2.5" long belted cases.

It is the only reference I've seen on a 44 caliber (.429-.430") on the belted mag case.

Paul... thanks. Every where I look, it seems to ellusive. ~~~Suluuq

Suluuq,

Eureka, I found it! I snuck into the Alaskan collection at the library, and pulled multiple hunting books off the shelf before finding it. I didn't check it out, so you might want to do an interlibrary loan. Alaskan Hunter by Roy F. Chandler 1977 799.29798 CHA

The round is the 44 "alpen" in reference to his hunting in Alaska and Pensylvania. The test gun was a 98 mauser with a 44 barrel fit, the chamber cut by rattling a 300 H&H reamer in the tube, one would assume a larger pilot was fit. Cases formed by trimming 300 H&H at the shoulder, then running them through a 44 pistol die to create a neck. Loads were a 240 gr norma pistol bullet @ 2500 fps and a 350 gr bullet @ 2100 fps.

Back to the Alaskans, perhaps the 450 is the only one that should truly be called the Alaskan. In an interview with Harold Johnson shortly before his death, he said the 50 "Alaskan" was never called that by him, he just called it "the fifty"

Paul... Thank you! The 44 Alpen is a new one on me. Its not in Ackley's books, which I got from interlibrary loan.
I suppose, although called the 50 by Johnson, the 50 could be, and is considered, an 'Alaskan' cartridge, because he designed it. A fitting cartridge name, to say the least.
My only guess is that with the 44 mag bullets avaiable 'back then', the 440 Alaskan was skipped over. ~~~Suluuq