Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 350 legend

Did they ever stop arguing over the correct diameter bullets? Can we use the same as for .357 or is every maker speccing their barrels differently?

Daughters boy friend was gonna buy one.

I pretty much ta lied him out out it.

We can't use semis to hunt deer, but can use any centerfire cartridge.
With those conditions, I consider it junk.


Limited like some states, I'd buy one.



Heck, my luck one will show up at too cheap of a price.
Have numerous rifles I would have never sought out,
Can't turn down a good deal!

A guy I hunt with uses one. He’s killed 8-10 hogs and a couple deer with his using the 170 Hornady and Imr4227. His shots have been 30-90yds, all pass throughs and the longest track has been around 30yds.



I traded in an Axis II 350 legend with and 18” barrel and topped it off with a 4x40 Buckmaster scope I had on a 22. H110 and the 170 Hornady gave me very nice groups and it’s very handy with its short length. I don’t think it’s superior to anything but it’s light, handy, shoots good and I can buy factory ammo for $14-28 a box if I was so inclined.


I still carry my 35 Rem, 358, 708, etc etc but I enjoy my 350 also.

It's a good fit for the reason it was produced. If those limitations aren't implemented then there's lots of "better" options, especially if range and power are the focus.

Now.....if someone was wanting an efficient, low recoil, short range deer round (or hogs), especially in an AR, it still has lots of pro's going for it. For someone who'd use it as a dedicated still hunting rifle, in thick woods where they wanted quick follow up shots at short range, it seems in a light AR it would be really hard to beat. Nothing would be quicker for follow up shots and the low recoil would be back on target quicker than most rounds. Carried with a 2 point sling with a LPVO would be very quick to put in play for the first shot and easy to carry.

...just random musings....

I agree.

The marketing and hype around the cartridge is frustrating. It’s like people are convinced that it’s a magic cartridge that can somehow recoil like a 223 but also knock down deer at 200 yards like it’s a 30-06. That being said, I have lived and hunted deer in shotgun and now straight wall states and provinces my entire life and I can say that I enjoy my 350L immensely. It’s a pleasure to carry, shoot, and does an adequate job on deer inside 100yds. I can’t speak for reloading, I reload a lot of cartridges and chose to just stay factory ammo with this so far. I do believe 9mm and not 357 bullets are the standard.

Marketing sometimes blows my mind.

Sure gun/ammo companies are gonna blow some smoke,
If they don't promote, they aren't trying.

It's people that are amusing.

Just like a super popular newer round, it is the enthusiasm of
owners that drive this.

A self propagating trend, driven by chasing it's tail.
Guys touting it cause others to chase, then push it.

Read the custom gun forum.

There are a couple rounds that are really only advantageous to very few
that are popular among those guys. Re-boreing all kind of great guns from
good, solid, versatile rounds into bigger bore rounds that really are
a step back for most.

Then, they are "JUST GOT MY XXXXXX BACK!"

Gotta be honest, I was looking for a rifle factory chambered for one
of those rounds for awhile. Would still like to stumble on a gun, dies, brass
package.
Just to try.
But for deer?
Bet they would die.
Just like they do to 30-30, 308, 30-06, 6.5, 7mag.....
And the rest I've tried.

My take on the matter is that it wouldn’t matter to me if it was tricky to load, as long as I could get enough good factory ammo to hunt and practice with. Used to hunt in a shotgun-only area, and no one I knew loaded slugs, they just bought ‘em. Now, slugs, at least the fancy-schmancy ones are very expensive, hard to get, and often get discontinued and replaced with the next new thing, leaving everyone using them back on square one. I could more easily deal with buying some factory for one hunting rifle than that nightmare.

I would however, also add the .450 and maybe the .45/70 to the list of Henrys to be considered, if you can still take a beating😱. I’m out of the heavy recoil business, except for some shotgunning.

BTW, my new .357 did pretty well this morning with some ammo loaded for my S&W. Even better, the old K4 dialed like a champ.

Beating? Nope. I get nasty headaches which are probably some mild form of concussion, if I shoot the big boomers. I can handle my 6.5x55 but that's about it before I need to back off loads.

I shoot the 308 and 270 but I don't ever crank them up to full potential

The 357 I briefly owned would shoot my random hand load into an inch at 75 yards when I sighted it in. I was pretty pleased with that.

I think it was 7 grains of hp38 with a 140 Hornady hp... if I remember right. Check loads to be damn sure it's safe before you try it.

Then you have your answer, or an answer anyway. It’s definitely the easy button for Ohio & such. There certainly are better cartridges on the legal list, but all are harder to come by and spendier I think.

Mine put 158gr XTP HPs into just over an inch at 50, but I’m thinking something a bit stouter would be better at the higher speeds I’ want to reach, maybe the FP or a Monoflex. Can’t quite bring myself to pony up for the A-Frames, gotta save up for my next tank of gas, for the mower……

Need to check the bullet pile. Who know what’s down there that I might have forgotten?

They make 158 soft points. I believe guys still used the xtp bullet is the max.

Seems like at 100 ish yards a 158 would slow down to around the same as a pistol at 25 feet and perform fine?

Looks like comparing from their factory load, federal says if you start it at 1900 fps, it will be doing 1550-ish at 100 yards and packing like 850 ft lbs. It does not specify if this is rifle or pistol-length barrel.

So either leave it as-is, or choose a more streamlined bullet like lever evolution.

Doesn't make much difference in a 100 yard weapon.

Big stick would need a six twist and a four inch long bullet at 100 yards though lol

Just to be clear those loads I mentioned are for 357 only.

I personally get that, but where I am each store has a rack of various 350 L rifles they can’t give away and ammo all over the shelf. 350 L has never left the shelf here in two years.

Maybe thats a reason to get one !

No doubt. My concern is over the typical short-range pokes I get. Another possibility is the 180gr JHP. I'll know more after I check the “store”.

I’d say someone whoopsied by buying all that for Tejas, unless the figgered it for a red-hot pig-popper (which it may well be, but the folks need to be convinced).

Sounds like a buying opportunity may be forthcoming!

Local Wal-Mart has a pile of it. Shelf clear ful
And the only centerfire in stock.


If I had one, I'd stock up.
I'm guessing that one day, it will be gone.
And they won't be in a big dam hurry to make a bunch more.

Darn sure not as long as 243, 308, 270, 30-06 is out selling production.

No it is not. The 350 Legend has more case capacity and a higher pressure rating. The case is around .100 longer. As for it headspacing on the mouth of the case I am not saying it can't happen but the case taper should be taken into account also. I have a 357 Max also but in a ten inch barreled contender, like it a lot. Brass for the 350 is much easier to come by for sure.