350 Legend for Whitetails

Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
30
Location
Indianapolis
I shoot a 357 maximum and hand load. The legend I’d pretty comparable, shoot a .355 bullet compared to 357-358 in the Max but they claim the Legend is faster, not faster than my hand loads but very comparable.
I use a 180gr spire point Hornady bullet and out of about 13 bucks ranging from about 210-240 field dressed (so larger bucks) 1 made it further than 30yds. 9 were bang flops.
they are very hard hitting guns! The Max has little to no recoil and my 6yr old grandson shoots the same loads that, I do, without hesitation.
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
81
Location
Michigan
Was planning on getting the 450 bushmaster for being in lower Michigan but I'm glad i waited. I'm picking up the 350 this offseason. Sadly have to wait a year but those Winchester XPR 350 seem sweet.
 

CBECK61

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
160
Following. I'd love to see some targets out of guns with factory ammo. Looking to get a family friend set up with an Iowa deer rifle and right now I'm leaning towards a Ruger MPR 350 Legend. I'd just like to know the gun will cycle well and shoot 2 inch groups with factory ammo before he spends his money. I'm excited to see that Hornady is now offering an FTX bullet in a .355 as I don't love a lot of the 9mm bullet offering currently on the market and their are mixed reviews on whether or not you can use the .358 rifle bullets that you can load in a 35 remington. Any input would be great.

Also considering a 450 bushmaster but want a lighter recoiling gun and won't be shooting whitetails past 200 yards.
 
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
473
Following. I'd love to see some targets out of guns with factory ammo. Looking to get a family friend set up with an Iowa deer rifle and right now I'm leaning towards a Ruger MPR 350 Legend. I'd just like to know the gun will cycle well and shoot 2 inch groups with factory ammo before he spends his money. I'm excited to see that Hornady is now offering an FTX bullet in a .355 as I don't love a lot of the 9mm bullet offering currently on the market and their are mixed reviews on whether or not you can use the .358 rifle bullets that you can load in a 35 remington. Any input would be great.

Also considering a 450 bushmaster but want a lighter recoiling gun and won't be shooting whitetails past 200 yards.
Check out Michigan sportsman site huge thread on the 350 and lots of target pics with different ammo out of about every rifle built in it.
 
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
1,212
Location
se ga
this was designed for hunters in midwest that now have laws to allow straight wall cartridges,,,and I agree for deer east of the miss. it should be perfect. Now try and convince the rednecks here in Georgia of that,,,they think the 130 pound deer here will not go down lest you hit them with a 7mm mag,,,think I'm kidding???just axe em!
 

jmez

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
7,558
Location
Piedmont, SD
No pics but mine grouped about 1.5 inches at 150 yards with Win factory 180gr.

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CBECK61

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
160
this was designed for hunters in midwest that now have laws to allow straight wall cartridges,,,and I agree for deer east of the miss. it should be perfect. Now try and convince the rednecks here in Georgia of that,,,they think the 130 pound deer here will not go down lest you hit them with a 7mm mag,,,think I'm kidding???just axe em!
I agree that there are much better cartridges available but I am very happy to see the move from shotgun only. Most people think its a safety think with the lack of hills and lack of timber which may be part of it but I'm more inclined to believe the slug only law was a conservation thing. I grew up hunting in Iowa with a 12 ga or muzzle loader and now that I've moved west and seen what guys do with rifles I'm of the belief that if you let guys run around with 7 mags the age class of deer would drop drastically.

Happy to see the straight wall law as they are much more accurate than the shotguns most hunters were using but doesn't extend the range all that much. Lots of effort needs to be put into a 450 bushmaster to be effective at 400 yards. I believe the 350 legend will really only be relevant in Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan but I think it is a great offering in states where you must use a straight wall.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,582
Location
Orlando
I believe the 350 legend will really only be relevant in Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan but I think it is a great offering in states where you must use a straight wall.

I see a lot of potential for beginner guns for kids and recoil sensitive adults. Another tool in the toolbox kind of deal.

I'm off tomorrow w 243 and m77-357, 357 mag bolt gun. 2 light recoil guns. If I hunt where shots will be inside 100 yards, it'll be the 357 as it kills deer better than the 243. 243 will be for the possibility of 200 yd shot.

350 Legend would solve that 200 yd puzzle for me. Just need more data and real life reports from nonoutdoor writer types.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2019
Messages
54
Location
Michigan
I’d say the .350 is definitely a 200 yard gun and maybe a 250 yard Whitetail killer but if you want a 300 yard rifle got to go up to the .450 bushmaster. For youth hunter 350 would be nice for sure but honestly my Savage.450 doesn’t have much kick at all. Its a heavier rifle though. I’d say my .450 kicks less than a 20 gauge slug gun. The lighter rugers probably kick the same as a 20 gauge.
 

3Blade

FNG
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Messages
13
ive been thinking about this for my son because of the lighter recoil mostly. otherwise i would probably jump straight to the 450 bushmaster instead.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2019
Messages
54
Location
Michigan
If it’s for you son, then definitely .350 legend in the ruger american ranch...every American I’ve seen at the range was sub moa with the right ammo. They handle well as they’re lightweight with shorter barrels.
 

3Blade

FNG
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Messages
13
If it’s for you son, then definitely .350 legend in the ruger american ranch...every American I’ve seen at the range was sub moa with the right ammo. They handle well as they’re lightweight with shorter barrels.
thanks for the reassurance....yes recoil and lighter weight with the shorter barrel was my main reason for leaning this way.
 

CBECK61

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
160
thanks for the reassurance....yes recoil and lighter weight with the shorter barrel was my main reason for leaning this way.
My wife is pretty recoil sensitive and I got her a 6.5 creedmoor and ran the reduced recoil loads to start out with. Very much a 200 yard gun and she now handle the full loads very well. 7mm-08 i feel is in the same category. They work well with short barrel and have very mild recoil. I see the draw to the 350 for the same application it would just be nice for them to have a flatter shooting cartridge if they mature as a shooter past the 200 yard mark even if its just for target shooting.
 

Ckiko3

FNG
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
Messages
19
These things are awesome. Everyone and their brothers are hunting with them in Ohio


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Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
473
Would like to see Ruger make this available in the 77 line but use the same platform as the 44mag and 357 mag... would be a more solid platform, all the American series and Savage axis rifles feel cheep and flimsy to me.
 
OP
cpoage125

cpoage125

WKR
Joined
Sep 25, 2018
Messages
718
Would like to see Ruger make this available in the 77 line but use the same platform as the 44mag and 357 mag... would be a more solid platform, all the American series and Savage axis rifles feel cheep and flimsy to me.

I have the axis and I will agree that it doesn’t “feel” like a super well made rifle. But it’s also about $250. I bought mine for an experiment at that price with a rebate, so I’ve got about 225 in it all in.
I plan on giving this axis to my son for this upcoming season and upgrading my rig to one of the winchesters in same caliber.


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Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
473
Yeah the Winchester does seem like a nicer made unit, I've heard that the new Mossberg rifles are really nice as well.
 

Gen273

WKR
Joined
Apr 27, 2020
Messages
523
Would like to see Ruger make this available in the 77 line but use the same platform as the 44mag and 357 mag... would be a more solid platform, all the American series and Savage axis rifles feel cheep and flimsy to me.
I agree!
 
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