For the modern shooter, it’s easy to forget how many years of innovation it took to arrive at your preferred ammunition. And easier still to forget all the failures lost along the way. Take for example the Space Age HK G11 rifle, a weapon designed to combat the Soviet Union, but which never saw combat.

The G11 was intended to fulfill a niche market; a specialized platform for special forces. Although it faded into obscurity, there are recent examples of successful ammunition types created for special purposes. Calibers like the .350 Legend that, while not common, are vital to a subset of the market in search of particular hunting ammo.

If you haven’t heard of the .350 legend, or want to know more, you’ve come to the right place. Read on as we discuss the history of the Legend cartridge, what purpose it serves, and why you may need it.

Origins of the 350 Legend Ammunition

The .350 Legend is quite young, which is why this may be the first time you’ve ever heard of it. Unless you are an active member of the gun community, you would likely have missed when it released.

This Winchester .350 ammo appeared on the scene in 2019 at the SHOT show. The SHOT show is Comiccon for gun owners, for lack of a better term. It’s where new innovations and firearms get their debut.

Winchester is a household name, so you can imagine the fanfare it got by unveiling a new cartridge. And Winchester did not miss–no pun intended–on this one. The round has seen a considerable amount of interest, particularly in the North American hunting market.

However, what is most surprising about the story is that, at first glance, the round is not a showstopper. On paper, the ballistics are not groundbreaking by any means. And upon further evaluation, it’s clear that the .350 legend is not the go-to round for most hunting situations.

All of that said, it does serve in a very specialized set of circumstances in the hunting community. If you use it for the intended purpose, it is one of the best options on the market–the only one, really. 

Why Winchester Decided to Create the .350 Legend

Winchester is one of the oldest rifle manufacturers in the world. Their weapons have seen combat on multiple fronts, across multiple wars. But they also have a huge reputation in the civil firearms market, particularly hunting.

In the majority of cases, Winchester identifies a need for specific caliber, then creates it. This is where the .350 comes from. The company noticed a surge in demand in a particular area of the Midwest for their .450 Bushmaster.

The .450 Bushmaster is primarily a hunting round. But this rise and usage was strange to Winchester, so they decided to investigate further. They discovered that hunters were making use of it specifically to hunt Whitetail deer.

Fast forward a while and they learned that the primary reason was that the .450 bushmaster is a “straight-walled” cartridge. To understand why this is significant, let’s discuss bottlenecked and straight-walled cartridges.

What Is a Bottlenecked Cartridge?

When it comes to typical rifle cartridges, you have two main varieties: bottlenecked and straight-walled. The most recognizable of the two is the bottlenecked cartridge.

Think of the .223 ammunition, as an example. The bullet has a conical shape, and runs flush with the throat. The throat has steep shoulders, and the rest of the cartridge is flat and level.

This design is intentional; it allows for much higher bullet velocity thanks to a smaller throat. Bottlenecked cartridges have the longest range, while still having impressive penetration and damage.

That said, bottlenecked cartridges are not always ideal for hunting situations. That’s where a straight-walled cartridge comes in.

What Is a Straight-Walled Cartridge?

A straight-walled cartridge has a consistent diameter across the cartridge up to the bullet. The bullet has very little curvature, often with a flathead top. Hence the term “straight wall.”

The straight-walled cartridge is the first kind of bullet cartridge, predating the bottlenecked cartridge. Despite being a somewhat antiquated design, it is still quite effective in hunting situations.

The straight wall cartridge does not have as good muzzle velocity or accuracy as a bottleneck cartridge. It has significantly more recoil, too. But where it excels is in damage.

Particularly where it concerns large game, a straight-walled cartridge has more surface area, and thus heavier impact. A deer is much larger than a person, and won’t go down as easily. Something like the .450 or .350 hits it like a wall of bricks, similar to a shotgun slug.

Why Did Hunters Use the .450?

A major factor to consider is that many states legislate what ammunition you can use while hunting. In certain states, it was only legal to use shotguns when hunting large game. Hunters used shotgun slugs in particular when hunting Whitetail deer.

The reason for this is because these states have a denser population. Naturally, you don’t want hunters using a round with high velocity that could land in a city backyard.

Certain states, such as Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa, introduced legislation to allow straight-walled cartridges. Similar to shotgun munitions, they don’t fly as far, but are still effective in hunting.

This created a dilemma for hunters. There weren’t many rifle types or ammunition types for hunting Whitetailed deer effectively. So, hunters went with the next best thing: the .450 Bushmaster.

However, there were two main problems with this ammunition: it was overkill, and too expensive. It was more than needed to kill a deer, and as a result had way too much recoil.

How the .350 Solves the Problem

The .350 Legend ammunition is the perfect hunting ammo for Whitetail deer.

First, it minimalizes recoil. Shooting it will not blow you off your feet, as is common with such a high caliber like the .450. This gives you superior accuracy–and less shoulder ache after a weekend hunt.

Second, it costs significantly less. This one is obvious since there is less brass, less gunpowder, and less to manufacture. Hunters are only paying for what they need; not overkill like with the .450.

Third, the round still has high velocity and stopping power. Hunters do not need to worry that their target will still be limping away for miles. This helps to ensure that hunters are being more ethically conscious while hunting.

Most importantly, it meets all the regulations. You can use the .350 and not worry about getting into trouble with the hunting commission in your area.

Thanks to the growing popularity of the round, you can purchase it from other manufacturers aside from Winchester. The round has spread beyond the Midwest, too.

Limitations of the .350 Ammunition

The .350 legend is not necessarily perfect, but neither is any round. That said, it’s important to understand that this is a niche ammunition. Winchester created it for a very small set of circumstances.

If you are looking for a round for target practice, look elsewhere. As we mentioned earlier, the bottleneck design is superior in terms of accuracy. Sharp shooters and target shooters almost never use straight-walled ammunition.

Further, hunters who need to take down much larger game may prefer the .450 or other larger ammunition. Conversely, the .350 will be overkill for anything smaller than a Whitetail deer.

Should You Use the .350 Ammunition?

This will depend entirely on you. The vast majority of people will never touch a .350, let alone need it or fire it.

However, if you do happen to live in the Midwest, and you do hunt Whitetail deer, this is the round for you. You won’t have to let the Winchester rifle take your shoulder off with every shot. And you may even save some money in the long run.

Further, you can save yourself some money if you reload by yourself. This also gives you the satisfaction of creating your own ammunition. There are excellent places where you can find bulk certified once fired brass, and primed brass, for your reloading convenience.

If you do decide to fire .350, then you want to rest assured that you have the highest quality hunting ammo. Reloading it yourself at home puts you in charge of quality control.

Find More at Diamond K Brass

The .350 Legend is young when it comes to established calibers like the .450 or other types of hunting ammo. It arrived in 2019 as an alternative for a Whitetail deer hunters. Despite its relatively recent creation, the .350 has exploded in popularity and expanded beyond the Midwest.

Diamond K Brass is the best place that you can find new Starline brass, certified once fired brass, and much more. Follow our blog for discussions on all ammunition types, and check out our pricing for bulk ammunition orders.