.350 Legend

The .350 Legend, also called 350 LGND (9×43mm), is a SAAMI-standardized[2] straight-walled intermediate rifle cartridge developed by Winchester Repeating Arms. The cartridge was designed for use in American states that have specific regulations for deer hunting with straight-walled centerfire cartridges.[3][4] At the cartridge's introduction, Winchester claimed that the .350 Legend was the fastest production straight-walled hunting cartridge in the world, although some .450 Bushmaster .444 Marlin and .458 Winchester Magnum loads are faster and have much more energy,[3][5] and the .350 Legend would be surpassed in 2023 by the .360 Buckhammer.[6] It is designed for deer hunting out to a maximum effective range of 250 yards (230 m).[4]

.350 Legend
Left, with .222 Remington
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerWinchester Ammunition
Designed2019
ManufacturerWinchester Ammunition
Produced2019–present
Specifications
Case typeRebated, straight
Bullet diameter.3570–.0030 in (9.068–0.076 mm)
Land diameter.3460 in (8.79 mm)
Neck diameter.378 in (9.6 mm)
Base diameter.390 in (9.9 mm)
Rim diameter.378 in (9.6 mm)
Rim thickness.045 in (1.1 mm)
Case length1.71 in (43 mm)
Overall length2.25 in (57 mm)
Case capacity36.5 grains (water)
Rifling twist1 in 16 in (410 mm)
Primer typeSmall rifle
Maximum pressure (SAAMI)55,000 psi (380 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
160 gr (10 g) Federal Fusion 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s) 1,879 ft⋅lbf (2,548 J)
165 gr (11 g) Hornady FTX 2,200 ft/s (670 m/s) 1,773 ft⋅lbf (2,404 J)
180 gr (12 g) Winchester 2,100 ft/s (640 m/s) 1,762 ft⋅lbf (2,389 J)
Test barrel length: 20 in
Source(s): SAAMI[1]

Overview

The .350 Legend shares many characteristics with the .223 Remington, such as an overall cartridge length of 2.26 inches (57 mm) and a rim diameter of .378 inches (9.6 mm).[3][4] Because of its similarities to the .223 Remington and 5.56 mm NATO, the .350 Legend is suitable for use in AR-15 type semiautomatic rifles.[1][4]

History

At the 2019 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the .350 Legend cartridge was introduced by Winchester Ammunition. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI), the U.S. firearms and ammunition industry's technical standards-setting organization, announced the acceptance of the new cartridge and chamber standard on January 31, 2019.[7]

Design

The cartridge was developed to deliver enough energy to achieve lethal terminal effects on large deer out to 200 yd (180 m). The recoil is said to be less than a .243 Winchester. Winchester is currently offering five different loads for the new cartridge: a 150 gr (9.7 g) Deer Season XP at 2,325 ft/s (709 m/s), a 180 gr (12 g) Power-Point at 2,100 ft/s (640 m/s), a 160 gr (10 g) Power Max Bonded at 2,225 ft/s (678 m/s), a 145 gr (9.4 g) FMJ in the USA ammo line at 2,350 ft/s (720 m/s), and a Super Suppressed 255 gr (16.5 g) subsonic load at 1,060 ft/s (320 m/s).

The cartridge offers a flatter trajectory with less recoil and better terminal performance over current straight-wall cartridges while remaining compliant in most applicable states.

The .350 Legend cartridge is designed to cycle in a variety of firearm platforms, and has been shown to operate in bolt-action rifles like the Winchester XPR.[8]

.350 Legend has no parent case. However, .350 Legend uses the same 0.378 in (9.6 mm) nominal rim diameter as .223 Remington. The .350 Legend case is a new design that maximizes terminal performance while optimizing the ability to extract the cartridge from the chambers of a variety of firearms. The .350 Legend did not adapt a .223 Remington parent case in order to incorporate a slight body taper (for extraction), as well as additional shellcase length and case volume.

Winchester engineered .350 Legend hunting projectiles (such as the Extreme Point and Power-Point bullets) for use on big game out to 250 yd (230 m). These bullets were designed specifically to maximize .350 Legend cartridge performance.

Usage

The .350 Legend cartridge is engineered for deer hunters requiring a modern straight-walled cartridge.[9] It is capable of killing hogs, deer, black bear and coyotes. With bullet weights ranging from 125 to 280 gr (8.1 to 18.1 g), the .350 Legend is a highly versatile cartridge with many end uses.

The ability to practice cheaply with low recoil, high velocity .35 caliber (9.1 mm) rounds legal for deer hunting opens the door for many new shooters whose recoil sensitivity precludes their use of cartridges such as .450 Bushmaster or 12 gauge slug guns.

State legislation

.350 Legend also addresses a rapidly growing market segment known as "straight-wall-cartridge-compliant" deer-hunting states. A growing number of states that previously restricted deer hunting to limited-range slug guns or muzzleloading firearms are now allowing rifles chambered in straight-walled centerfire cartridges.[8]

The .350 Legend was designed for deer hunting in states that have specific regulations requiring straight-walled cartridges for use on deer, such as Ohio, Iowa, Indiana public land, and the Southern Lower Peninsula region of Michigan.[10] Illinois also allows straight-walled cartridges if used with a pistol or a single-shot rifle. The pistol must be a centerfire revolver or centerfire single-shot handgun of .30 caliber or larger with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches. Single-shot rifles in those specified calibers became legal on January 1, 2023.

Ohio's Deer Hunting Regulations allow the use of a straight-walled rifle cartridge with a minimum caliber of .357 inches (9.1 mm). The .350 Legend is only .355 inches (9.0 mm), two thousandths of an inch too small to satisfy Ohio's Deer Hunting Regulations as codified. All .350 Legend cartridges have bullets that measure between .354 and .355 in diameter, and barrels chambered in .350 Legend have a bore that is only .355 in diameter.[11] After Winchester designed the cartridge for .355 bullets rather than using .357 or .358 bullets that would comply with Ohio's hunting regulations, they claimed in their SAAMI submission that the .350 Legend is ".357 - 0.0030" in diameter.[1] As a result, published state hunting regulations specifically indicate that .350 Legend is permitted.[12]

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Indiana DNR) website lists most cartridges, both bottlenecked and straight-walled, of at least .243" (6.2 mm) bullet diameter as allowed on private land. But when hunting on public lands in Indiana, the DNR cartridge specifications require cartridges with minimum and maximum case lengths of 1.16 inches (29 mm) and 1.8 inches (46 mm), respectively, and a minimum bullet diameter of .357 inches (9.1 mm). It is a common misconception that Indiana is a "straight-wall state" for public land deer hunting. Many straight-wall cartridges are legal in Indiana, but they are not required, as some rounds with bottlenecked cases—wildcat rounds such as .358 Hoosier and .358 WSSM, as well as the commercial (though not SAAMI-standardized) .458 SOCOM—still meet the state requirements. [13]

See also

References
  1. SAAMI, "350 Legend (350 LGND)", saami.org, retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. ".350 Legend". Gun Loads Forum. Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute. 21 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  3. Shooting Illustrated, "First look: Winchester .350 Legend cartridge", shootingillustrated.com, retrieved 15 February 2019.
  4. Winchester Ammunition, "350 Legend frequently asked questions", winchester.com, retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. Winchester Ammunition, "350 Legend: straight-up legendary", winchester.com, retrieved 13 February 2019.
  6. Every, Matthew (27 January 2023). "Remington 360 Buckhammer: First Look at This Straight-Wall Cartridge". Field and Stream. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  7. "SAAMI Announces Acceptance of the 350 Legend Cartridge". 31 January 2019.
  8. White, Slaton (28 January 2020). "Birth of the Winchester 350 Legend". range365.com. Range 365. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. "350 Legend | The Perfect Straight Walled Deer Hunting Round". 1 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  10. "Michigan Deer APR Charts and Map" (PDF).
  11. "What's Going On With .350 Legend?". 24 July 2019.
  12. "Legal Deer Hunting Equipment" (PDF). Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2022–2023. Ohio Division of Wildlife. p. 9. Retrieved 6 April 2023. All straightwalled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50 (includes .350 Legend).
  13. "Deer Regulations - Indiana Hunting".
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