Tell me what you think ...350 Legend hunting rifle

[44caliberkid]

In Iowa, we had the 450 Bushmaster for 2 years prior to the 350 Legend. Everyone built or bought their rifles in that caliber, no reason to try a 350 Legend. Around hunting season, 450 can be hard to find, while cases of 350 languish on the shelf. During the current, politically induced shortages, 350 Legend is one of the few cartridges no one ran out of.

[NoSecondBest]

With the exception of Stag, how many of the naysayers own or load for the LEGEND ?

If they’re “naysayers” why would the own one? They’re “naysayers”.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by mehavey

With the exception of Stag, how many of the naysayers own or load for the LEGEND ?

I don't know that I am a naysayer, but I do load the .350 Legend. More of a T&E process than anything else. Will it stay or will it go? Who knows. I don't have a 300BO. 450BM, or a .224V anymore, but I did keep the 6.5CMs.

Niche cartridges need a lot of marketing and support, plus buy in from enough to support bullets and guns in the caliber. Being a 10mm and .41Mag fan, I have seen the ups and downs in the popularity of those two which are fringe cartridges. Big fan of the .280AI and .338-06, also fringe cartridges.

The point is, if you like a cartridge and it works for you, go for it, but make sure to have dies, brass and bullets (or a way to make them) while you still can.

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by mehavey

As to Taylorce... you didn't tell your wife you were in this gun-game to save money did you?

My wife lets me have my gun habit, as long as we don't discuss her shoe collection!

I forgot about that Ruger made a stainless steel M77 RSI in .223. That would be the cheapest way into a full stocked .350 Legend. It would probably cost close to $3000 to go that route. Plus finding a hens tooth .223 RSI for sale would be the biggest hurdle. Then making it a .350 Legend would totally ruin the value of that RSI.

[stagpanther]

I love novel ideas when building rifles--but why the obsession for a controlled-feed for 350L that you pay a high premium for? I'm just curious, not attacking the idea.

Big fan of the .280AI and .338-06, also fringe cartridges.

I think the 280 AI, now that nosler has laid down "the standard," is going to have a long overdue surge in popularity. I think it's one of the best all-around rifle cartridges ever conceived and companies are starting to introduce it to their line-ups.

If Nathan's 350L must be a controlled feed, the M77 looks like a great way to go, can't go wrong with a M77 (or M70) IMO. Finding someone with the skill and equipment to fit the barrel and set the headspace at the same time (unless you go the barrel nut route which Bart has mentioned in the past) is going to take money and time.

[HiBC]

What about choosing a bullet weight for the 350 L that tops out just under 2000 fps?
It would be a great window of cast bullet performance.
I'm not sure about cast bullets and the AR gas system,but the OP is talking about a bolt gun.
That would answer the bullet dia question. Use what fits the rifle.

[7.62 man]

Originally Posted by HiBC

What about choosing a bullet weight for the 350 L that tops out just under 2000 fps?
It would be a great window of cast bullet performance.
I'm not sure about cast bullets and the AR gas system,but the OP is talking about a bolt gun.
That would answer the bullet dia question. Use what fits the rifle.

I tried cast bullets trough my 350 Legend AR, I get no accuracy out of it at all.
I guess the rough cycling puts too much of a dent in the lead & it won't hit the same place twice. It may work in a bolt gun.

[mehavey]

CAST: Just pick right bullet(s) and powder.
No problemmo... (CMMG 16" upper)




SAECO #352-240gr/Lym#2/ Sized .358"/Norma-200/24.3gr/2.26 OAL/QL:40,000psi/ALOX/1,721fps

[ds-10-speed]

Here is my .350 Legend:

https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=608661

[eastbank]

the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

[Joe-ker]

Originally Posted by Shadow9mm

yes, 4 or 5 states that have thousands of hunters that now have better options.

Absolutely. I don’t deer hunt because I’m not interested in pushing a woods with a slug gun. But the 350 option has me actually considering it for the first time.

[PatientWolf]

I’d like to find a 350 Legend in a Lever action, personally.

[bamaranger]

Build what you want, 'cause you can ( and hopefully will still be able too).........but if it were me .350 doesn't ring any bells. I like short, tidy bolt rifles and Mannlicher stocks too! I'd consider .358 Win, but that's me. I can't hardly run peep sights on a short barrel carbine these days, so I'd opt for some type of low power variable, maybe with an illumination option if I could afford it. To me, a Mannlicher with a dot would seem cross culture, but again that's me.

[GeauxTide]

Not a naysayer, just a realist. Winchester has been on the pipe for a few years with cartridge intros. Been loading for more than 40 years and below are the cartridges I load for. I was shooting a 260 Remington for years before the Creed Craze. I've also got dies and brass for the Creed if anyone wants them.

[The Happy kaboomer]

I prefer the 7.62x39. To me the .355 in. legend is a weenie.

[mehavey]

I prefer the 7.62x39. To me the .355 in. legend is a weenie

180gr @ 2,200fps 20" barrel
154gr @ 2,100fps 20" barrel

Which do you prefer?

[stagpanther]

180gr @ 2,200fps 20" barrel
154gr @ 2,100fps 20" barrel

Which do you prefer?

My 16" AR47 carbine will propel a 123 sst or 125 cavity back to almost 2600 fps and quite accurately.



Here's my very best 350 legend load for 180 PP shot out of a 22" barrel--it is one of the hottest loads and is very accurate. At best, a draw IMO but I'd lean towards the 7.62 for over-all proven reliability if I had a choice.

[mehavey]

As before, my 180 Speer CoreLock (out of a 15" (rifled) AR barrel)

Matching that exactly in QL and extending the barrel to 22" (my other Legend/WIN_XPR), it hits 2,240fps

But this isn't a my-brother-can-beat-your-brother problem. It's an issue that people aren't looking at the data (speaking of COVID),
but rather making heart-felt proclamations as though they were.

Wrung out, the LEGEND works quite well ballistically in comparable platforms.
At that point it's a personal choice... no problem there at all.

[MarkCO]

I have a set of .350 Legend Dies. Just can't bring myself to buy a barrel...

[reynolds357]

Originally Posted by The Happy kaboomer

I prefer the 7.62x39. To me the .355 in. legend is a weenie.

I don't. The legend has a fun factor the old Soviet round just can't match.

[stagpanther]

I have a set of .350 Legend Dies. Just can't bring myself to buy a barrel...

Listen to that inner voice. What's the status on your 280 AI? Still eager to hear about that.

[reynolds357]

Originally Posted by MarkCO

I have a set of .350 Legend Dies. Just can't bring myself to buy a barrel...

The .350 Legend is a stupid accurate cartridge. I took my Ruger ranch and just playing shot a perfect 100 yard card. I am seriously considering building a bench rest rifle in it if I can get a written guarantee from my club that they won't ban it in non-registered shoots. That big ole bullet makes finding the x pretty easy. I don't think it would be worth a flip at 200, but that's its own discussion.

[the possum]

The CZ 527 family of rifles and carbines have controlled round feed, are already available with a Mannlicher stock, aftermarket peep sights are available, and already chambered in rounds like the .223 and 7.62x39. So it may be cheaper to convert one of those. I have a carbine, and it's very light and handy- basically the same size/weight as a Ruger 10/22. The one sticking point would be the protruding magazine in front of the trigger guard. Just a thought.

[ccSnoopycc]

I am fascinated by the 350 Legend and am not sure why there is a lot of dislike for it. I can see it as a round to be used in the 4 or 5 states with hunting restrictions as well as a big niche for it in the recoil sensitive and youth hunter categories outside of those 4 or 5 states. Hand loaders may have a hard time with it but I think the idea around it was that factories could reconfigure and retool their 223 lines to produce it relatively cheap. Once all this pandemic ammo stuff goes away I could see the rounds going for almost the same price as 223 making it extremely economical for range shooting and plinking. The Ruger Ranch Rifles are pretty darn compact and lightweight. I may just pick one up one of these days in 350 legend just for the fact of having a cheap shooting low recoiling compact rifle.

As for the idea of a custom 350 Legend worth a pretty penny well I think that may be stretching it a little.

[ammo.crafter]

not 357 mag...look at 357 MAX