350 legend

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Dinosaur1

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Going to move up to the 350 from the 44. Reviews are all over the place. Does anyone own one, preferably with the longer 20 or 22" barrel, that will pound one factory load in on top of the other if you do your part? Currently looking at the Ruger Predator but the TC Venture 2 looks okay too.
 
You won't really gain much velocity with a straightwall cartridge with a longer barrel. If equipped with iron sights, you'll get a longer sight radius which might help be more precise. But it won't be any more accurate.

I'd grab one with a 16-18" barrel personally and have a handier carbine. The difference in velocity will be negligible.
 
Coworker bought Winchester bolt rig.
Said it shoots great.
Loaned it to a guy for his kid to use.
Dropped an 8 pt with it.

Only field report Ive gotten so far
 
The problem is accuracy and distance. I have a JM 1894 and they are not target weapons by any means. Micro groove barrel. I limit my shots to close and I’ve taken my share of deer with it BUT here in straight wall country the occasional shot opens up at 150 plus. On that .44 so does the pattern. I wouldn’t cal it a group. I watched several guys shoot the short barrel Rugers, accuracy was acceptable but that little barrel put too much blast right in their face. I realize Roger makes them with longer barrels but so does Savage, T.C., etc. I’m just looking for some real world accuracy opinions. Only accurate rifles are interesting after all, right?
 
Well, I sprung for the Ruger with the 22" barrel so here's my initial review. I like the shape of the stock. Does the butt sound hollow? Yes but I hope it can be filled with foam. Is it sturdier than the Savage? Yes. Much less flex in the forearm. The bolt and the magazine seem to have some sort of disagreement going on but I'm working on that. I don't pay much attention to the fit and finish in this price range but I would say it's above average. The magazine is a little loose. Nothing I can't live with. I don't like magazines that stick out. They don't look right to me and they dig in your back when carried with a sling. The mounts included were standard Weaver and when put on the rail they were precisely aligned according to my Wheeler. First time that has ever happened to me. The included scope is the Vortex Crossfire II 4x12. I have other Vortex scopes and they're good for the money involved. The eye relief is lacking on some of the others but this one is fine. The glass is very good for a package and really gathers light as good as or better than the Nikons and Leupolds. I like it. So, the problem became finding ammo. Located a box at inflated price point and brought it home. After a through cleaning went out to the bench and shot off a Caldwell Tack Driver. First shot clean and cold, 4" low and left. Second, a little higher. Three, four and five you could cover with a quarter. Back to the scope. Vortex really doesn't have a click to it. If you're young and can feel the little indents, fine. If not, just a rough guess. So I took a SWAG and cranked it around. Low and right. Another guess and just off the dot. Close enough. Hornady 170's. Went huntin'. Afraid to shoot anymore ammo till after the season but I'll update.
 
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My personal thought would be to get it in an AR since you can buy more versatile cartridges (greater range, more loadings, reloading components, more commonly found, etc) such as .308 Win in a bolt action, but those same chamberings are not always available in a AR-15 sized receiver. I think I’d only get .350 Legend in a bolt gun if I were limited to straight wall cartridges and/or restricted from ARs and/or I had plans to suppress it and wanted to reduce sound signature associated with a semi auto action.

That’s just my perspective. It seems regardless the rounds gets mostly favorable reviews especially by those who own it so I think you’ll be pleased regardless of what direction you go. And you don’t need any reason to buy a particular gun/caliber other that “It’s cool to me”!
 
Henry just announced the new offerings and they have a single shot in .350L. Might want to check it out as well. Of course, no telling when it would actually ship.
 
Well, I sprung for the Ruger with the 22" barrel so here's my initial review. I like the shape of the stock. Does the butt sound hollow? Yes but I hope it can be filled with foam. Is it sturdier than the Savage? Yes. Much less flex in the forearm. The bolt and the magazine seem to have some sort of disagreement going on but I'm working on that. I don't pay much attention to the fit and finish in this price range but I would say it's above average. The magazine is a little loose. Nothing I can't live with. I don't like magazines that stick out. They don't look right to me and they dig in your back when carried with a sling. The mounts included were standard Weaver and when put on the rail they were precisely aligned according to my Wheeler. First time that has ever happened to me. The included scope is the Vortex Crossfire II 4x12. I have other Vortex scopes and they're good for the money involved. The eye relief is lacking on some of the others but this one is fine. The glass is very good for a package and really gathers light as good as or better than the Nikons and Leupolds. I like it. So, the problem became finding ammo. Located a box at inflated price point and brought it home. After a through cleaning went out to the bench and shot off a Caldwell Tack Driver. First shot clean and cold, 4" low and left. Second, a little higher. Three, four and five you could cover with a quarter. Back to the scope. Vortex really doesn't have a click to it. If you're young and can feel the little indents, fine. If not, just a rough guess. So I took a SWAG and cranked it around. Low and right. Another guess and just off the dot. Close enough. Hornady 170's. Went huntin'. Afraid to shoot anymore ammo till after the season but I'll update.

For what its worth 350 is about the only ammo you can find in MO. But MO isnt a straightwall state.

I would think it would work pretty well on deer.
Personally I have little use for one.

Agreed on the Vortex. I was very disapointed in the Crossfire II I bought for my dad. I’d say a $40 simmons has similar glass and tracks better.
 
Long ago and far away Uncle Sam gave me a 16 to try out. I learned you had to carry a cleaning rod with it. Fire one, clear one. It was as dangerous on one end as the other so I don't care for the platform even tho I've owned a couple. Don't feel like huntin' guns to me. As far as reloading components go, there's nothing to be had around here for a hundred miles literally. I love the.350 round tho. No recoil and accurate. Some would say it's under powered at range but if you look up the ballistics you will see that even at 300 yds it is very close to a 158 gr .357 at point blank and I've taken deer with the .357 so it can be done quite well. I wouldn't try a deer at 300 but at 200, yes. HB if I had a box car full of .350 up here I could sell it all in 2 days. Maybe one
 
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I'm going to hold on any 350 Legend...found out that the ammo uses .355 dia bullets...NOT typical bullets used in most 35/357 caliber rifles.

I think Winchester might have a stinker on their hands :(
 
I thought .350 Legend came along to offer the modern sporting rifle folks a cartridge that was legitimate for deer and would load in the same magazines and legal in the SW states. If so, the .350L cartridge, while adaptable to other platforms certainly, only really has traction and makes sense as long as it has that audience. As a bolt gun or lever gun cartridge only I would think there might be better choices for those platforms even for straight wall states. Like a .45-70 Short, oh, wait, that is the .45 Long Colt, lol, ;) .
 
I am on the 350 train. I also own a Marlin 44 lever and it is a nice gun, but I would be reluctant to take more than 100 yard shots with it. The 350 is a whole other animal. I would not hesitate to shoot deer at 200 yards with it, and would even try at 300 if it didn't run out of gas before that. Buy one and try it, I think you will find it gives you a lot more range than the 44 if you need it.

FWIW, I am not in a straight wall state. I just like the 350 because it is economical, accurate, and has a very good power to recoil ratio.
 
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