.350 Legend

Introduced by Winchester Ammunition in 2019, the .350 Legend is a relatively new cartridge designed to meet the needs of American hunters and shooters, particularly those affected by restrictions allowing only straight-walled rifle cartridges for deer hunting in several states, such as Ohio, Iowa, and Michigan. The caliber addresses a significant gap in the mid-bore rifle market by offering a legal, versatile, and cost-effective alternative to traditional bottleneck cartridges like the .223 Remington or .243 Winchester. Developed for use in both bolt-action rifles and modern sporting rifles (AR-15 platforms), the .350 Legend was engineered from the ground up to provide impressive ballistic performance while maintaining manageable recoil, making it attractive to a broad range of shooters.

The .350 Legend’s primary application is hunting, particularly for medium-sized game such as white-tailed deer, wild hogs, and black bear at moderate ranges. Its design enables compliance with straight-wall cartridge laws, granting hunters improved access to high-performance rifles in states where previously only shotgun slugs or handgun-caliber rifles were permitted. Beyond hunting, the round has carved a niche in home defense and target shooting, owing to its effective terminal ballistics, mild recoil, and compatibility with commonly available AR-15 lowers with only a barrel swap required. Reloaders are especially drawn to the .350 Legend for its versatility and efficiency, enabling affordable range practice and custom load development tailored to specific hunting or shooting needs.

When it comes to selecting target species, the .350 Legend is best suited for medium-sized North American game. Its performance parameters are tailored to dispatch deer-sized animals quickly and humanely within its optimal range, generally considered to be within 200 to 250 yards. The energy and bullet weight ensure reliable penetration and expansion on big game, while the relatively low recoil compared to larger calibers like .450 Bushmaster or .45-70 Government improves shooter accuracy and follow-up shot potential. Some hunters have also reported successful results on larger animals like black bear and wild hogs, though shot placement and bullet selection are even more crucial under these conditions.

For ammunition reloaders, the .350 Legend offers a range of bullet weights, typically from 124 grains up to 180 grains, with the most common factory and reloading projectiles weighing 145, 150, 160, and 180 grains. The 180-grain bullets excel in delivering significant energy and penetration for big game, while lighter bullets in the 124- to 150-grain range offer flatter trajectory and higher velocities, appealing for target shooting or varmints. The cartridge is renowned for its straight-walled case, making it relatively easy to reload, and it operates at moderate pressures (maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi per SAAMI specifications). Standard .357-inch diameter bullets are used, giving reloaders access to a wide variety of component projectiles, including bonded hunting bullets and affordable target options. With its efficient powder consumption, manageable recoil, and compatibility with popular rifle platforms, the .350 Legend has quickly gained a loyal following among reloaders looking for a modern, adaptable straight-walled cartridge.