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Read about this cartridge in the latest American Rifleman and it seems like it should be a very popular round for hunters in midwestern states that restrict deer hunters to straight-walled cartridges.

And it should work very well in the AR platform as well.

Though I just built an AR in .450 Bushmaster, so I'm good to go there, I would have heavily considered the 350 Legend for my handy camping and hiking carbine.

Any thoughts?

First Look: Winchester 350 Legend Cartridge

First Look: Winchester 350 Legend Cartridge
by SI Staff - Tuesday, January 22, 2019

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With the introduction of the 350 Legend cartridge, Winchester Ammunition adds to its lineup of high-performance rifle cartridges. Perfect for use in states that require a straight-walled cartridge for deer hunting, the new 350 Legend is fastest straight-walled rifle cartridge in the world, delivering more power with each shot than .30-30 Win., 300 Blackout or .223 Rem.

"The 350 Legend is a high-performing, straight-walled cartridge that dominates in velocity, energy, recoil and affordability," said Matt Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. "Winchester innovation began decades ago and it's paramount that we continue to deliver meaningful, technology driven products that have a tremendous impact on the hunting and shooting sports industry."

Other key features of this innovative new cartridge are:

  • Approximately 20 percent less recoil than .243 Win.
  • 20 more more penetration than .243 Win.
  • Less recoil than 450 Bushmaster
  • Uses a modified, straight-walled .223 Rem. shell case and a .357-inch bullet
The 350 Legend round is initially offered in six variations:

  • Deer Season XP - 150-grain Extreme Point
  • Super X - 180-grain Power-Point
  • Hog Special - 180-grain Power-Point
  • USA White Box - 145-grain FMJ Flat Nose
  • Power Max Bonded - 160-grain Bonded JHP
  • Super Suppressed - 265-grain Open Tip

Winchester also announced a XPR bolt-action rifle, chambered in 350 Legend, packing all the features we've come to expect from Winchester's XPR line, such as their exclusive MOA trigger system, a nickel Teflon coated 60-degree bolt, free-floating barrel, cross mounted recoil lug and advanced ergonomic stock design. The XPR rifle, combined with the new 350 Legend, is sure to be a winner both in the field and on the range.

More information about the new innovative 350 Legend cartridge and the new XPR Rifle is available at winchester.com.
 
Interesting be nice to see the actual numbers they are comparing. I have maybe 12 different loads for my 30-30's so saying this has X amount more energy/penetration then a 30-30 is pretty dam vague.
 
The differences are in-fact, vague, but the ballistics edge still favors the .30-30, to me, at realistic ranges. But, the new cartridge is designed for an AR type platform, which could make this cartridge interesting to a completely different group of shooters, in different areas, for different reasons...

X350DS | Winchester Ammunition
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X30306 | Winchester Ammunition
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Probably not much use to shooters and hunters out here in the west, but maybe interesting to mid-west/eastern hunters for the straight wall hunting cartridge thing.
 
The differences are in-fact, vague, but the ballistics edge still favors the .30-30, to me, at realistic ranges. But, the new cartridge is designed for an AR type platform, which could make this cartridge interesting to a completely different group of shooters, in different areas, for different reasons...

X350DS | Winchester Ammunition
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View attachment 564099


X30306 | Winchester Ammunition
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Thanks for sharing the info. Glad to see more options coming out for the AR platform. Not super impressed with those ballistics though as you mentioned. The .357 bullets are not very aerodynamic.
 
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We are fortunate that out west, there are relatively few places requiring a shotgun for deer hunting. Back east, where shotguns are required in many areas, there are now slug options that mimic some center fire cartridges. So now, folks smarter than me have decided instead of slugs performing like a center fire, why not allow straight walled metallic cartridges that perform like a slug?

It's a win-win for the folks that have been burdened by the requirement of a shotgun for deer hunting, as these new straight walled center fire cartridges perform much better.:cool:
 
I think they already screwed this cartridges potential by not having an AR15 shooting it at shotshow.

I also think they screwed the pooch by not having a suppressor company shooting it through their 9mm cans at shotshow.

Third, I think they should have had shorter barrels running it. Like pistol AR length barrels plunking subsonic loads through a 9mm can.

I think if they did those three things at shotshow, it would have been a more popular idea.

I think they screwed up releasing it without any names in the game running it.

Not selling it as a suppressor ready cartridge.

Not selling it as a modern rifle cartridge.

Killed it before it hit shelves.
 
Kind of reminds me of the old 351 winchester. It was a straight walled case but I believe slightly larger in diameter. My hunting rifles tend to be bolts and i would take a 358 winchester over this and a 358 should in a ar10 properly converted. This legend will die quickly is my prediction
 
I would hate to be in the cartridge business. No matter what they try, gunowners pronounce it dead without giving it a chance. There's little chance that anything survives. :D
 
I would hate to be in the cartridge business. No matter what they try, gunowners pronounce it dead without giving it a chance. There's little chance that anything survives. :D
I want this solely as a more potential for suppression use. I was highly disappointed when no one had it going through their cans at shot show. I figured that would open the doors to it being more than just one type of shooters cartridge.

I'm all for it succeeding, I just think they, Winchester, isn't trying hard enough to get it out there to the current gun owners. It seems they settled for trying to sell it to the eastern states hunters limited to straight walled cartridges. That is a relatively small percentage of gun owners.

If you want the cartridge to be successful these days, I believe it needs to be a universal cartridge for all sorts of uses. Hunting, plinking, suppression, etc. Too many groups that didn't get marketed too.

Otherwise it will go into the books as a non popular like the many already in existence, with limited runs in manufacturing and prices high and availability being low.
 
If Ruger came out with this in it I'd buy it.

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You are perzactly correct. The Gunsite Scout, or the American Ranch are perfect platforms for such a cartridge. The American, already produced in 7.62x39, 5.56, and .450 Bushmaster would be a shoo-in. It could be suppressed if a feller wanted, or used as-is for close quarters deer hunting. :cool:
 
I would hate to be in the cartridge business. No matter what they try, gunowners pronounce it dead without giving it a chance. There's little chance that anything survives

I think your comment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. But don't feel too sorry for ammunition manufacturers. They are always coming up with the latest and greatest to sell us something new. And that's the reason some people will buy it, not necessarily because it will make deer any deader. Winchester Big Bore Series in 1978, short fat magnums in early 2000's, it's a long parade.

This is just what the industry needed at a time when sales are slow, the Trump era being as it is for guns. Too bad the west coast didn't get the word about hands off guns in the Trump era.
 
Kind of reminds me of the old 351 winchester. It was a straight walled case but I believe slightly larger in diameter. My hunting rifles tend to be bolts and i would take a 358 winchester over this and a 358 should in a ar10 properly converted. This legend will die quickly is my prediction
It does look like a slightly faster rimless .351. And the .351 was actually .351 (slightly smaller than .357) caliber semi-rimmed which made it an odd caliber and ammo was spendy and rare. I have one and it's a real kick to load for and shoot.

I wouldn't market it strictly as a hunting cartridge. I'd stick it in a handy semi-auto platform (think m-1 carbine or AR) and market it as a fun shooter that you can pack along. It needs to get common like .357 mag or it won't be successful. Even so it's a hard sell with the straight wall cartridge as a deer gun these days. Kinda trying to sell old tech as something new.
 

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