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Posted By: djb 350 Legend field reports - 12/07/19
Let's hear how this new round is performing this year! HShunter36’s mom took a dandy but I didn’t want to step on his thread. I took a button buck (which I initially thought was a medium sized Ohio doe) this week. I used a hand loaded 180 Win. Powerpoint at 2200 fps out of a Ruger American Predator topped with a Weaver K4. The shot was only 15 yds as the deer was trying to slip behind me at sunrise. I normally shot behind the shoulder but took this shot on the onside leg thru some brush, taking out the top of the heart then breaking the offside left with the bullet recovered just under the leg skin. Bullet ended up well expanded and weighing ~140g (80% retention). The damaged was significant, mostly from the leg bones turning into shrapnel- there wasn't a ton off bloodshot meat and the pic is a little deceptive. You can see the busted leg bone at the 10 o'clock position from the 'elbow'. Bone pieces were dropping everywhere as I was skinning it out. I was hesitant to try one of the lighter 350 Legend bullets and think the 180 PP is definitely up to the task on all deer sized game or bigger.

Ouch!
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Left a mark, didn't it?
Posted By: djb Re: 350 Legend field reports - 12/08/19
Originally Posted by CrimsonTide
Left a mark, didn't it?


Yeah....I primarily bow hunt and typically aim for the crease behind the elbow 1/3 of the way up, even with guns. This deer was in some brush and I had to take a shoulder shot.

Just curious about other results on deer. I imagine the '9mm Magnum' will be a pig killin' SOB in an AR.
Posted By: bhemry Re: 350 Legend field reports - 12/08/19
Looks similar to the damage my buddy & I saw out of the 350 Legend of mine that he borrowed. Using a Ruger American 20" stainless barrel with Winchester 150 grain EXtreme Points, we recovered two of the three deer hit. Both bullets were recovered on the inside of the second shoulder.

First deer went up over the top and died on about a 60% slope on the wrong side of the hill- maybe a 50 yard run, the other was shot thru the heart and made a mad dash of maybe 40 yards before collapsing. We trailed the third deer for about 150 yards before the blood petered out in heavy brush. No idea where it was hit.

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Posted By: djb Re: 350 Legend field reports - 12/08/19
Thanks bhemy. I hate heart shots as they do make that mad dash like they have been electrocuted - unless both front legs are busted crazy Sorry, you lost one, it can happen.

I was hesitant to try those lighter bullets due to fragmentation and less penetration. It looks like that bullet did pretty well. I'm hoping Barnes will make a 140g .355 offering for this caliber.

I have no pictures or specifics but my buddy just texted me he took a nice Iowa buck with the not so legendary 350 Legend at a couple of steps beyond 100 yds. One shot...but he’s a very sure shot. Unsure of load specifics.
Posted By: bhemry Re: 350 Legend field reports - 12/09/19
One other thing I wanted to say was that I was shocked at how quiet the shots were. My buddy's blind was about 150 yards away from me and the shots sounded barely louder than a .22 LR from where I was. The last couple of years, when my .450 Bushmaster went off, there was no doubt that something big went off. The recoil was probably about 4 times lighter on the Legend too.
Posted By: djb Re: 350 Legend field reports - 12/09/19
Originally Posted by bhemry
One other thing I wanted to say was that I was shocked at how quiet the shots were. My buddy's blind was about 150 yards away from me and the shots sounded barely louder than a .22 LR from where I was. The last couple of years, when my .450 Bushmaster went off, there was no doubt that something big went off. The recoil was probably about 4 times lighter on the Legend too.


Yup, lots of ooomph for not much recoil or noise. It really is a fun cartridge to shoot.
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