Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Handloading the 350 Legend

I picked up a Ruger American Predator in 350 Legend for Ohio deer season (there is a thread in hunting rifles). It shot well with factory loads but I like to handload, and shoot a lot, so naturally wanted to load for this. Time is short before season, as are components and load data, for this new cartridge. There are few loading threads on line, none here, so I thought I post my results and hopefully get some other’s data too.

I have only been loading the Win 180 PP (only bullet I found available), Lee dies (including their collet crimp die), Win., Starline, and Hornady brass with CCI 400 primers. Hodgen’s online data was the only published loading source located and it matches the data sent with my Lee dies.

Factory loads were fired to document velocities recording from my 21 Inch barrel (I cut the threaded portion off my 22 inch barrel off and re-crowned):
-Win 180PP published 2100fps – actual 2064fps
-Hornady 170 IL published 2200fps – actual 2341fps!
-Federal 180 published 2200fps – actual 2200fps

Seems Winchester is underloading their factory stuff and the Hornady loads seems HOT. With this info I assumed ~2200fps as a safe max for the 180 PP. The Hodgen data lists Lil Gun starting 23g (2049fps) and max 25.5g (2213fps). I loaded up 24g (2257 fps), 24.5g (2288fps), and 25g (2359 fps). I only shot one round of 25g as I had the primer cratering around the firing pin and velocity was through the roof . All these loads appear to be over pressure by the velocity I was getting but there is little data out there. I dropped back to the starting load of 23g and got velocities noted in the picture below. I have never loaded a cartridge so sensitive to seating depth both in terms of accuracy and velocity as is evident by the groups. .020 difference in seating depth made a good 20 fps difference in velocity with no other change, and seating this bullet out really opened up the groups. 2.125 OAL seems to be the magic seating depth for this bullet.




A couple other random observations:
- I would love for Barnes to come out with a 140 .355 expander bullet similar to their muzzleloader slugs. At 2500 fps that would be impressive.
-Winchester components continue to SUCK. Their brass is barely usable, thick, tight primer pockets etc.
-Seating depth is significant in this cartridge for velocity & accuracy
-Don’t follow the Lee instructions for setting up their expander die or crimp die. I turned the crimp die in until it stopped turning against the shell holder THEN turned it in ½ turn in order to get a crimp. To adjust the expander, place a piece of brass in the shell holder, turn die the die until it makes contact and then adjust down as needed (~1/2 turn).
-I got a lot of groups with 2 in and 1 out. Not sure it it’s me, loads, or the flex in the fore end of the stock. The American stock is not great for shooting groups off bags, especially with a AR style magazine.
-The Starline brass is great!

I'd love to hear from other guys loading results.

I went a slightly different route than the legend. I built two different 357 Rimless at 1.79” case length using .358 bullets. One is in an Encore And the other is in a Remington 700. I’m experimenting still but am running a 180 gr Hornady SSP at 2600 FPS using 35.0 gr of AA1680 in the Encore 26” MGM barrel. Ran out of Time to finish the 700 but will be my winter project. I played with some 150 core lokts checking speeds and they ran around 2850-2870 FPS range. Have not checked the 150 for accuracy just acquiring load data. I did harvest a big doe Friday evening quartering towards me hitting her in the shoulder ripping off the top of her heart. Whole front leg was junk. She did a nose diving run for 15 yards and rolled face first dead. It piled drives her. Bullet exited. Best part was I watched it all through the scope.
Starline .223 basic brass
Rem 7 1/2 primer.
.358 180 SSP Hornady
.080 off lands.
35.0 gr AA1680 2600 FPS

2500HD,

That's pretty cool. I wish Winchester would have went .357-.358 but we got the "9mm Magnum". Hey, I like that name better better than 350 legend! Bullet selection is very limited and that 150 tipped Winchester bullet looks like a bomb and we may see a lot of what you describe happening to that doe's shoulder. We'll have a better idea after Ohio gun season.

Despite it's warts, the 9 Magnum is very fun to shoot, and they are selling like hotcakes here in Ohio.

I wouldn't want to run across some 357" ammo I thought was 9mm and shoot it in a Legend.

357 ammo of any kind won’t chamber in a 350 Legend. Hand loading .357 or .358 bullets in a 350 legend would be real bad.

djb,
I too reside in Ohio. I've used a rifled shotgun or pistol for years but got the itch for a 350 Legend. I went a different route though. I bought a 16" upper for my AR-15. The 180 grain Power Points are pretty accurate, but only 1900 fps in my rifle. At the ranges I hunt at, this should be fine. The 150 grain Deer Season XP went 2150 fps.

Ron

I reread this thread and then went back to Winchester's website. On Winchester's site it says bullet diameter. 357. I have looked at other sites and they have said .355 and .356. Has anybody measured an actual bullet from Winchester to see? There is several different answers according to where you look on the web.

I too would like "9mm magnum" also. I think this round would be awesome around the farm for varmints and wild dogs. If the bore is 9mm looks to me like some of the new monometal pistol bullets in this would be a hoot.

Yeah, should have been clearer. That's what I mean.

Bullets are .355.

Even mono 9mm pistol bullets would surely grenade at 2200+ FPS, but may be emphatic on varmints.

Hornady now makes a 165 grain FTX, and a 170 grain Spire point in .355 diameter. Both have a ballistic coefficient of .212.

Ron

I shot two deer with my Winchester XPR 350 Legend in Ohio this year- a big doe and an 8 point. I used factory Winchester Deer season XP 150 gr rounds, which performed well. I was getting 1.1" 3 shot 100 yard groups with this load, but being an ex-high power rifle shooter, that's not good enough. I bought lee dies and Starline brass but I'm waiting for better bullets to hit the market than what is currently available. I may try the Hornady 165 FTX, if I can find some.

So, factory ammo bullet diameter is .355"?

From what I information I’ve found.355.

I gave in and bought a 350 Legend AR15 upper the other day. My primary interest for this one is subsonic loads (with a suppressor), but I'll also be experimenting with full power loads as well. I will be investigating some of the things we're told we "can't" do on this one - using .357" and even .358" bullets, forming brass from 5.56, etc.

It's good to hear confirmation in the OP that the Winchester brass sucks; I had a suspicion of that. Fortunately I found Starline brass for a pretty similar price.

That could cause a problem.



This could prove problematic.

I have been swaging speer 200 grain 358 round noses down to 355 for loading in my 9x56 mannlicher shoenauer but am thinking about trying these 180 grain legend bullets. Has anyone tried this yet?

Yours apparently has different chamber dimensions than mine. Rounds loaded with .357" or .358" bullets will fit the chamber with a couple thousandths to spare; the issue is the small throat diameter.

Loading and firing .357" bullets in a .355" bore is not a big deal; just start low and work up. Max loads are a little below the same for .355" bullets, but less difference than some would expect.

On the 5.56 brass question - you can expand the necks out to 35 cal as has been done long before the Legend, and when fired in the 350 Legend they expand to fit the chamber just in front of the case web, looking about the same as fired brass from some of the looser hunting rifle chambers I've used. However, after trimming the brass to square up the case necks, the brass ends up about .050" too short for the Legend chamber - no go, can't use it that way.

At $18 a box for factory Winchester or Federal ammo is it really worth reloading? Kind of like reloading a 30-30

Sorry Yondering. Couple guys from my club tried reloading the .358 bullets and they stuck in the throat. Wouldn’t load. 2 of them casted the chamber and they said needed.355’s. .357 wouldn’t fit. I don’t have one. Was in the middle of waiting for my 357 Rimless barrels when they announced.

do a JES rebore to 358.