That huge difference in volume explains why the .350 Legend’s muzzle blast is much lower than that of a .223 Rem. The 350 Legend is perfect for the states that are restricted to 1.8″ straight wall case for hunting, and had youth, women, or for those of us that are recoil sensitive in mind during development. Evaluating recoil of the .350 Legend is shaky right now, because there is no body of reloading data that can be consulted to get load powder charges, a necessary variable in recoil calculations. That’s about 10 percent less recoil than a .30-30, 20 percent less than a .243 Win. The all-new 350 Legend is a high-performing straight-walled cartridge that is ideal for hunters and sport shooters. The bullet entered behind the shoulder on one side of the deer and exited through the shoulder on the far side. The most reasonable ballistic comparison for the .350 Legend would be with the .35 Remington, which was introduced in 1908 and is still alive and well today. = 47.5; KPS at 190 yds. Copyright 2019 by Gary Zinn and/or chuckhawks.com. Unfortunately, the traditional lever rifle designs, with rear-locking bolts, cannot handle the .350 Legend cartridge, for the simple reason that its MAP is 55,000 psi, well above what most rear-locking lever designs were meant handle. Presently, the .350 Legend, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf are the only short (1.8 inches or shorter) commercial straight wall rifle cartridges, so are of prime interest to those who hunt in the jurisdictions noted above, plus anyone who may be interested in hunting with an AR-15 rifle chambered in a medium or large bore cartridge. find a store. This makes this a small cartridge ideally suited for hunting hogs and deer. The loads being compared are not clearly specified, which is why I say the information is vague. The tip improved the bullet’s ballistic coefficient and ensures expansion down to an impact velocity of 1,550 feet per second (fps). Winchester quotes muzzle velocity (MV) values for its .350 Legend loads from both 16 inch and 20 inch rifle barrels. Throw in some serious savings at the cash register and I predict that the .350 Legend will enjoy a long and prosperous life. Bullet performance was excellent and the very low recoil made it possible to get back on target fast. You can practice cheaply with high velocity and low recoil. = 54.1; KPS at 175 yds. All recoil values have been rounded off to one decimal place. "It is my understanding that Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana have mandated that rifles shooting cartridges of at least .35 caliber with straight wall cases between 1.16 and 1.8 inches in length are now legal for use in what I believe Michigan calls the "limited firearms deer zone." In the article noted above, Chuck Hawks explained the background and importance of the characteristics of these cartridges, as follows. This round was designed by Winchester primarily to address some perceived shortcomings associated with the .450 Bushmaster. My argument is that a prudent and responsible hunter should never attempt a shot at a game animal beyond the MPBR of the cartridge/load being used (and closer is always better). The loads being compared are not clearly specified, which is why I say the information is vague. The most significant thing about these numbers is that trajectory of all loads deteriorates quickly at ranges beyond 200 yards, with bullet drop at 250 yards roughly three to four times that at 200 yards, for all loads. All Rights Reserved. Energy is a measure of the work a bullet can do, which in this case means powering bullet penetration and expansion. This matters to everybody, but especially to new and young shooters. and almost a quarter the recoil force of a .450 Bushmaster of the same weight. The taper is to facilitate extraction, because tapered cases experience much less friction than those without when pulled from the chamber. and the .223 Rem.’s volume is .76 cu.-­in. Unfortunately, many such systems have no correlation with reality at all. (It’s just over a 250-­percent reduction.) I came up with a tentative recoil estimate that may or may not be accurate for the .350 Legend, 180 grain load, but it is the best I can do without verified powder charge data for the new cartridge. By the time the bullet gets to the end of a 20-­inch barrel, the volume of the bore is considerably different between the two rounds. (I base this on the far zero ranges of the loads, as detailed above.). Last but not least, the .350 Legend is a cheap round to shoot. Winchester has also announced 150 and 160 grain hunting loads for the .350 Legend. The low recoil comes from it having the same case head size and powder capacity as a .223 Rem. This leads to the issue of rifle platforms for the cartridge. The killing power analysis, below, sheds more light on this. It can be measured or computed … The 30-30 Winchester cartridge is primarily used for bolt action rifles and for sharpshooters. = 22.6; KPS at 185 yds. Recoil of the 350 Legend will be almost exactly the same as 243. The 350 Legend or the .350 Legend is a new rifle cartridge from Winchester, designed as a replacement for 30-30 Winchester cartridges for AR builds.. On the other hand, performance-wise, the dividing line is thin enough so it's difficult to tip fence-sitters one way or another. I would say the 350 Legend is a gun you could easily shoot recreationally as well as hunting. .450 Bushmaster load There’s no denying, the 450 Bushmaster is a devastating hard hitter when it comes to deer and medium-sized game. Winchester has published some vague promotional material with numbers that suggest that the .350 Legend generates about 12 percent lower recoil than a .30-30. Producing bolt action rifles in .350 Legend should be a snap. Generations of legendary excellence, consistent performance and outstanding value continues with Winchester® “USA White Box” 350 Legend. Since the .350 Legend uses brass that starts off on the same machines, it is relatively simple to produce in large quantities. The .350 Legend has been found to be a good idea in bolt action rifles as well, especially in states where straight walled ammunition is allowed when other rifle ammunition is not. |   350 legend vs 450 bushmaster RECOIL!! figures for our comparison loads at the muzzle, 100 yards and at the 5 yard increment nearest to maximum point blank range (see below). Neophyte, small statured, and recoil adverse shooters would find the .350 Legend much more pleasant to shoot, so would shoot it better. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Winchester manufactures tons of .223 Remington for the US military every month. To me, the trajectory data indicate that taking hunting shots at ranges of 200 yards or more would be both irresponsible and futile with any of these loads. The best part of the 350 Legend is how enjoyable it is to shoot. The first number for each load is its MPBR yardage, the second is the far zero yardage associated with the MPBR. The characteristics compared include velocity and energy, maximum point blank range and far zero, trajectory, sectional density, killing power and recoil. The case mouth, labeled C in the image above, measures .3780″, and the case length is 1.710″. All three loads get MPBR yardage and KPS scores that are adequate (greater than 15.0) for use against Class 2 game in general. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Given the looping trajectories, a self-imposed range limit of about 150 to 165 yards, depending on the cartridge/load combination, would be better. Subscriber Services. The MPBR numbers say that this is an over-reach, for the 180 grain load, as well as the cartridges and loads with which it is compared. The recoil kinetic energy figures below are taken from the Rifle Recoil Table and the Shotgun Recoil Table. Its design means that you aren’t able to use it for more versatile AR-10 and AR-15 rifle platforms. This added weight makes them naturally slower than a … A box of hunting ammunition will sell for $19 to $22. I ran the bolt, got back on the now-­running buck, and quickly sent my second security shot through his shoulder at 27 yards. 350 Legend review says that its bullet range is 145 gr to 265 gr. Loads are listed in descending order of 100 yard KPS values. is far from abusive, but the .350 Legend is positively tame. Results are in descending order of MPBR yardage. 300 grain FTX: KPS at 100 yds. Winchester figured out that using the .223 Remington as the parent case for its new .350 Legend was the way to go, but taking .223 Rem. Give a Gift   For old school deer hunters (like me) the lever action is perhaps the best all-around platform for a hunting cartridge. So, I evaluated the .350 Legend on a Missouri whitetail hunt last fall and I’m happy to say that I had great success with the new cartridge. As one of the newer kids on the block, Federal’s .224 Valkyrie represents a significant … Sectional density (SD) is the ratio of a bullet's weight in pounds to the square of its diameter in inches. Certainly, that last claim is correct. This means the .350 Legend has very mild recoil and little muzzle blast. Hornady BLACK 250 grain FTX - BC .210, .50 Beowulf load Of the cartridges designed to work in standard AR15 rifles the 6.5 Grendel or some variant of the 6.8's are the only ones that really improve on 223 ballistics. That means smaller or young hunters will be offered the same benefits from modern rifles as hunters shooting the more powerful .450 BM. Just as interesting is the fact that 9mm and 350 Legend share exactly the same bore area which is smaller than 357 Mag bore area. These dimensions were aimed at making sure that no bullet of that diameter fired from that type of case would travel far enough from the muzzle to pose much of a threat to potentially nearby residents. in. A longer, smaller diameter projectile penetrates better than a shorter, fatter projectile of the same weight and construction, which only makes sense. What I did notice was how little muzzle blast the .350 Legend generates. Muzzle blast is caused by a high exit pressure, or the pressure of the gas inside the barrel when the bullet leaves the muzzle. Scout .350 Legend – Blued/Black. 9mm and 357 Magnum have a +.004 tolerance and 350 Legend is only +.002. The economies of scale savings from leveraging components from the .223 Rem. (Winchester Ammunition graphic) The 350 Legend has a 180-grain Power Point load, though no 200-grain load as the .35 Remington does. Winchester took note of the increased interest in the .450 Bushmaster, and decided that it was time to develop a cartridge that was more shooter-­friendly, less expensive and more appropriate for deer hunting. At the heart of the rifle is the Model 2020 action which wish designed and built with very tight tolerances thanks to Springfield's technology-driven manufacturing capabilities The stainless steel action features an integral recoil lug, and pairs with a fluted bolt employing dual cocking cams and an enhanced extractor for high pressure loads. Here's a hillbilly demo of why 350 Legend is a failed cartridge. Pocket carry, as a method of concealed carry for a defensive firearm, can be a practical option when done right. In March 2017, the NRC recommended the law’s sunset provision be removed “entirely.”. Last but not least, the .350 Legend is a cheap round to shoot. Then a third draw would swage out the lower portion of the case an additional .013 inch to allow for some cartridge taper. I’m sure there’s a small increase in recoil compared to the .223 Rem. I’m all about a healthy debate, but I’m an optimist at heart. 350 Legend. I, too, have lived and hunted only in areas where normal game hunting cartridges are legal, so I am also baffled by these regulations. Results are in descending order of MPBR. Armed with SIG Sauer's 9-inch-barreled MCX Virtus Pistol loaded with Black Hills' 125-grain TMK ammunition, Beckstrand attempts to ring steel at 600 yards with help from Hornady's 4DOF ballistic calculator in this segment of “Long Range Tech.”. I’m sure there’s a small increase in recoil compared to the .223 Rem. The .45 and .50 caliber loads have SDs that fall short of the .200 benchmark. Its design means that you aren’t able to use it for more versatile AR-10 and AR-15 rifle platforms. Any short-action platform that handles the .223 Remington can be easily reworked to handle the .350 Legend cartridge. All rights reserved. Bullets for the .350 Legend also get produced on the same machines as 9mm projectiles. Bolt action rifles are next. Partition (.384 BC/.242 SD) at 2960 fps. The recoil kinetic energy figures below are taken from the Rifle Recoil Table and the Shotgun Recoil Table. The .44 mag is a venerable deer harvester. Winchester Super-X 180 grain Power Point (PP) - BC .221. With recoil out of a 7.5-pound rifle running between 9 and 11 ft.-lbs., the 350 Legend is quite comfortable to shoot. Despite being a production rifle, the Model 2020 should rival more expensive custom builds. = 16.6. Anyone who thinks the … The 350 Legend generates significantly less recoil than the 450 Bushmaster, .243 Win, and 30-30 Win. A friend of mine on the hunt took another animal with the .350 Legend at just under 200 yards. in., .1605 sq. He was dead at 36 yards. Are AR-15 Type Cartridges Good for Hunting Deer? roll over image to zoom in. Of the cartridges designed to work in standard AR15 rifles the 6.5 Grendel or some variant of the 6.8's are the only ones that really improve on 223 ballistics. … In June 2014, Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) approved the regulation to allow the limited use of certain rifles capable of using .35-­caliber or larger ammunition with straight-­walled cartridges that have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches and a maximum case length of 1.8 inches to take deer in the limited firearms deer zone. 300 grain FTX: +2.8" (100), -3.1" (175), -20.1" (250), .50 Beowulf, Hdy. for .357 inch, .452 inch, and .500 inch diameter bullets, respectively.). This high-intensity MAP is no problem with bolt action and AR designs, but a lever rifle chambered in .350 Legend should have a front-locking bolt, such as the Browning BLR and Henry Long Ranger designs. Between these two recent experiences, I’m very comfortable recommending the use of the .350 Legend on whitetail out to 200 yards, where legal, especially for those who prefer as little recoil as possible. The initial factory hunting load uses a .357-­inch, 150-­grain Deer Season Extreme Point (XP) bullet featuring a large polymer-­blend tip. every month for the U.S. military. This may not be a great concern on deer and similar sized thin skinned game, because these large diameter bullets are going to deliver a lot of shock energy to the target, even if they do not always penetrate well. If you see a 0 in the Recoil Velocity column it signifies no data available for that particular load. A prime selling point of the .350 Legend is that it boasts low recoil and low expense when compared directly to the .450 Bushmaster. It may have something to do with this positive news. The Legend looks like a prayer answered for those who hunt in areas where rifles are restricted to short, straight-walled cartridges. Comparing the two in spite of the weight difference, you’ll see the 350 obtaining 2100 fps at the muzzle, and the .35 Remington cruising along at 2080 fps; not a whole lot of difference, though I’d have to give the edge to the .35 Remington for a bit more sectional density with the slightly heavier … It is also the most important factor when computing kinetic energy. This is why I preach the, "never take a shot beyond MPBR, and closer is always better" doctrine. A loaded round uses about 21 grains of powder and pushes the bullet down a large .35-­caliber hole. Moreover, 350 Legend is a cost-saving hunting ammunition. Low extended range velocity of these loads also works against both penetration and bullet expansion. The additional weight tends to make these slower compared to even a 110-grain bullet shot through an identical barrel. and the 9mm machinery are being passed along to the consumer. The 16 inch barrel data are used here, along with .450 Bushmaster and .50 Beowulf data from 16-inch barrels, because 16 inches is the most prevalent barrel length for AR-15 rifles. !GunPrime here: https://bit.ly/3mTvMhSTruly appreciate you watching the videos!! 6.5 Creedmoor was regarded as little more than a necked down .30 TC option until it gained a following and a flood of AR upper options. I do not consider these to be Class 3 cartridges, KPS scores notwithstanding. Rifle cartridges with straight wall cases within the length range specified are not an everyday commodity. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." Winchester has announced that the Winchester XPR bolt action rifle will be chambered in .350 Legend. Muzzle-loaders and single-shots are great for training young hunters to not spray-and-pray. While the 300 AAC Blackout loads usually weigh between 180- and 220-grains. 350 Legend … It also boasts approximately 20-percent less recoil than the .243 Win and has less recoil than the 450 Bushmaster. To illustrate, the 180 grain, .357" diameter bullet (SD .202) barely meets the minimum SD .200 rule of thumb; compare that with a 120 grain, .284" (7mm) diameter bullet, with a SD of .213. The .350 Legend takes it easier on each by a fairly wide margin. In the interest of brevity and to facilitate comparison, I have listed only reasonably well known rifle calibers/loads and shotgun gauges/loads that are similar in recoil energy. Keep in mind that most hunting ammunition currently sells for an average of $28 to $32 per box. The loads being compared are not clearly specified, which is why I say the information is vague. 6.5 Creedmoor was regarded as little more than a necked down .30 TC option until it gained a following and a flood of AR upper options. Comparing the .350 Legend to the .223 Rem., we see both having a maximum chamber pressure of 55,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and both using about 21 grains of powder. This may be the only good reason for hunting regulations dictating short, straight wall cases with large caliber bullets. Compared: Winchester .350 Legend, .450 Bushmaster and .50 Beowulf. Straight-wall cartridge rifles have really taken off for whitetail deer hunting in the Midwest United States the last few years. Bfh_auto, Dec 2, 2019 #19. That makes the .350 Legend a promising choice for new hunters and old guys who don't need lots of recoil to prove they are a man. These loads should be fully Class 2 capable out to their MPBR distances. Winchester – First Look. It is primarily designed for 350 Legend is the best suited for AR-style platforms for its high bullet speed and low recoil. The KPS scores of the Beowulf and Bushmaster loads indicate that they are suitable for use against Class 3 game. Get the top Guns & Ammo stories delivered right to your inbox every week. It is capable of killing hogs, deer, and coyotes. 350 Legend’s Cost: Cost could also be an important factor for the 350 Legend. 250 grain FTX: +3.0" (100), -2.8" (190), -13.7" (250), .350 Legend, Win. The benefits of .350 Legend are that it is indeed inexpensive and produces lower recoil. Killing power is the most difficult factor to estimate, as there is no definitive scientific formula to apply. 243 Winchester, 26.7 Points. The .35 Remington has been offered in a variety of pump, autoloading and bolt action rifles over the years and is primarily offered in the Marlin 336 and Henry Side Gate lever actions today. These three cartridges are birds of a feather, in that they are straight wall case designs, sized to function in AR-15 rifle platforms. lbs.) I’ve been told that Winchester will soon produce full-­metal-­jacket (FMJ) ammunition for the .350 Legend, and that the FMJ load will cost even less per box. Note that all five loads, sighted-in for +/- 3 inch MPBR, shoot right at three inches high at 100 yards. CMMG has announced an AR15 carbine (with a 16 inch barrel) in the cartridge, plus 5 and 10 round magazines. This is a safety benefit, for it lessens the chance of an errant bullet striking a person or property somewhere far down range. A Comparison of Metro Denver and the Chicago, Ill Metropolitan Division DATA SUMMARY GEOGRAPHY LEGEND Data for seven‐county Metro Denver and the six‐county Chicago MD are not available for every indicator. Here at Guns and Shooting Online, we have made something of a cottage industry of evaluating the performance of the recently introduced .350 Legend cartridge, compared with other relevant cartridges. What does that savings look like in the gun store? I am a firm believer in sighting-in hunting rifles and loads for maximum point blank range. One of the disadvantages of the 450 Bushmaster is the amount of It passed through and created a large exit wound. With a muzzle velocity of about 2,290 fps out of a 20-­inch barrel, that gives the .350 Legend an effective range of somewhere between 200 and 250 yards. However, for those affected (or afflicted) by such regulations, practically any rifle cartridge is more useful than a shotgun slug." Chuck then commented that, "I have lived in the far west my entire life, so please forgive me if I find such detailed and restrictive regulations not only incomprehensible, but a huge over-reach of bureaucratic authority. due to the Legend’s heavier bullet, but I didn’t notice. Rise Armament's meticulousness turns out some mighty fine rifles, including the 1121XR... Colt reintroduces the Anaconda, the company's popular Snake Gun revolver series. While the performance of the .350 Legend is excellent, the cost of the cartridge is another attraction. lbs., respectively, in eight pound rifles. Bullets from the three cartridges being evaluated, fired at a target within 200 yards, will go to ground by the time they fly 300 yards or less downrange. The results are clear. and almost a quarter the recoil force of a .450 Bushmaster of the same weight. 180 grain PP: +2.9" (100), -3.0" (185), -15.7" (250), .500 Beowulf, Hdy. Winchester has published some vague promotional material with numbers that suggest that the .350 Legend generates about 12 percent lower recoil than a .30-30. Here are the loads I will evaluate and compare. Ditto for AR15 platforms, whether complete rifles or uppers. .350 Legend Ammo At The Range A size comparison of the Winchester .350 Legend (Left), and the 6.5 Creedmoor (Right). 350 Legend Paul Pluff of Ruger, one of the earliest firms to chamber guns for the new .350 Legend, poses with a big Texas axis deer he took with … Hornady 300 grain FTX - BC .200 (Handload, based on .50 Beowulf data in Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 10th edition.). At the end I will summarize results, muse about rifle platforms and make some concluding remarks. Offering high velocity and low recoil, the 350 Legend is easy to shoot. The .350 Legend doesn't have much recoil. Prices can change drastically depending on how and where you buy, but because these cartridges are based on the .223 Remington case, a product that is already widely available, you can expect these cartridges to have a … The blueprinted and precisely machined action allows Springfield to offer the Model 2020 with .75" MOA accuracy guarantee. .350 Legend load I think it was a 1990s hip-­hop and rap artist who once wrote the lyrics, “I like big bullets and I cannot lie,” or something to that effect. Additionally, the .350 Legend produces scant recoil—just 8.52 pounds in a seven-pound rifle. For Class 2 game, a SD of .200 has long been considered about the minimum acceptable for medium range rifle cartridges. For the sake of a direct comparison, the 350 Legend-firing CMMG kicks just a sliver more than a 7.62x39 mm AK-47, and even the 6-lb. (An exception is the Savage Model 99.) When a new cartridge comes out, shooters seem to fall into one of two camps. The 180 grain Legend load does not generate the killing power (KPS) of the larger, heavier loads, but the Legend generates much lower recoil and so will be easier for most of us to shoot accurately. = 40.0, .450 Bushmaster, Hdy. I would not trust the penetration of those bullets on large animals at distances much beyond 100 yards. The low recoil comes from it having the same case head size and powder capacity as a .223 Rem. (I say this even though I have carried compact, short-action bolt rifles on the majority of my deer hunts.) .450 Bushmaster, Hornady 250 grain FTX: 191 / 164, .350 Legend, Winchester 180 grain PP: 185 / 158, .500 Beowulf, Hornady 300 grain FTX: 174 / 149, .450 Bushmaster, Hdy.