I just received my Ruger Ranch in 350. I haven’t had it out yet due to the extremely wet weather but it would seem to be proportioned for a young hunter depending on how the stock fits her. It certainly is a light-weight. A scope gets it up roughly to the +/- 7 lb range.
I can’t imagine that the 350 L would cause too much ruckus in that weight rifle as it’s just a “lengthened 357 mag.” Even with the very stubby barrel I think it will serve well in the 150-200 yard range with one of the loads Win shows for it.
Its not .357" bullets are .355" (9mm).....not many good .355"bullets out there now.....I see it as a mistake like the 348 Winchester and 351 Winchester Self-Loader only Winchester is making ammo, bullets and brass....handloaders for now only proper custom bullets are available....there's no other cartridge you can form brass from.....
Winchester would have been smarter if they would have made it .357".....Clymer is making reamers to use .357" barrels......
Ha! Maybe I'm a bit biased for some reason, but the .348 was, IMO, hardly a mistake, with a 20-year run and still a number of happy users, though sadly not me at present. Time ran out on the rifle for a couple of reasons, but when it came out, handloading wasn't much of a factor in the market.
Not sure why they went 9mm on this one, but you can bet there's a reason, and again handloading considerations likely aren't on their radar for their rather small target market- deer hunters in areas with restrictions on rifle cartridges, not Loonies.
