.350 Legend

The .350 Legend (9×43 mm), also called 350 LGND, is a SAAMI-approved[2] straight-walled hunting 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] Winchester, the cartridge's designer, claims that the .350 Legend is the fastest production straight-walled hunting cartridge in the world. While it is a close race the 350 legend is in fact not the fastest straight walled cartridge with the 45-70 Govt still holding the crown.[3][5] It is designed for deer hunting out to a maximum effective range of 250 yards (230 m).[4]

.350 Legend
TypeCenterfire
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerWinchester Ammunition
Designed2019
ManufacturerWinchester Ammunition
Produced2019
Specifications
Case typeRebated rim, straight walled
Bullet diameter.357 in (9.1 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 length2.26 in (57 mm)
Case capacity36.5 grains (water)
Rifling twist1 in 16 in (410 mm)
Primer typeSmall Rifle
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
145 gr (9 g) 2,250 ft/s (690 m/s) 1,630 ft⋅lbf (2,210 J)
Test barrel length: 16 in
Source(s): SAAMI[1]

Overview

The .350 Legend shares many characteristics with the .223 Remington, the overall cartridge length is 2.26 inches (57 mm) long with a rim diameter of .378 inches (9.6 mm), but it is not derived from the .223 Remington.[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] although it will not fit in standard AR-15 magazines.[4] A modified magazine must be used for proper operation.

History

Winchester has introduced many successful cartridges, including the .44-40 WCF (Winchester Center Fire), the .30 WCF (.30-30), the .50 BMG, the .270 Winchester, the .308 Winchester, the .243 Winchester, the .22 WMR (.22 Magnum), the Winchester Short Magnums (WSM) and the .300 Winchester Magnum.

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.[6]

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 2,350 ft/s (720 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 265 gr (17.2 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. With the same barrel length, .350 Legend generates more muzzle energy than 30-30 Winchester and 300 Blackout.[7]

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.[7]

.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 shellcase 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 to deliver massive downrange energy transfer with improved penetration from a modern straight-walled cartridge. It is also capable of harvestings hogs, bears, predators and other big game. With bullet weights ranging from 145 to 265 gr (9.4 to 17.2 g), the .350 Legend is a highly versatile cartridge among 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 muzzle loading firearms are now allowing rifles chambered in straight-walled centerfire cartridges.[7]

The .350 Legend was designed for deer hunting in states that have specific regulations for straight-walled cartridges, such as Michigan, Ohio and Iowa. Illinois also allows straight-walled cartridges if used with a pistol. 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.

Indiana is sometimes also mentioned as having laws requiring a straight walled case; however this is not correct. For example, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Indiana DNR) website list most calibers above .243" (6.2 mm) as allowed on private land. On public land in Indiana, the DNR cartridge specifications do not require the case needing to be straight walled. Although most cartridges for such use are straight walled, for example the bottle necked cartridge .458 SOCOM (11.63×40 mm) is specifically listed by DNR as being a legal deer hunting cartridge.[8]

See also

References
  1. SAAMI, "350 Legend (350 LGND)", saami.org, retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. .350 Legend - SAAMI
  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. https://www.nssf.org/saami-announces-acceptance-350-legend-cartridge/
  7. White, Slaton. "Birth of the Winchester 350 Legend". range365.com. Range 365. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  8. http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/deer/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.