350 Legend Ammo: Loads, Ballistics and State Rules
350 Legend exists because of state hunting law, and SAAMI measures it in a 16-inch barrel, which is why its published velocities look modest.
Last updated: October 6, 2026 · Originally published September 10, 2026
350 Legend ammo exists because of state hunting law, and the cartridge’s own numbers are measured in a way almost no other rifle cartridge is: SAAMI tests it in a 16-inch barrel, not the 24-inch barrel it uses for nearly everything else. That single decision explains why its published velocities look modest next to cartridges it actually competes with.
What I want you to walk away with
- SAAMI specifies a .357 inch bullet, a 1.710 inch case, a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi and a 16-inch test barrel a named exception to SAAMI’s own 24-inch rifle default.
- Winchester publishes no absolute recoil figure. Its claims are all relative: “approximately 20% less recoil than 243 Win with 20% more penetration.”
- Sixteen loads are currently catalogd across Winchester, Browning, Hornady, Federal and Remington. Three more have quietly disappeared from their makers’ own sites.
- Indiana repealed its straight-wall restriction in 2025. Winchester’s own FAQ still lists Indiana among the states that have one.
- The three states that still restrict do it three different ways Ohio by diameter alone, Michigan by caliber and case length, Iowa by diameter and muzzle energy.
Here’s how I read this chart
Every number in this table is a published figure, copied from the source named underneath it — none of it is my own measurement. The card shows the top rows; the complete table is further down this page. Read across a row to compare one entry, and down a column to compare them all on the same measure.
What is 350 Legend ammo, and why does it exist?
Winchester introduced it as, in their words, “the fastest straight-walled hunting cartridge in the world,” built “with hunters and sport shooters in mind.” The reason a cartridge would be designed around being straight-walled at all is regulatory: several US states restrict deer hunting in parts of their territory to cartridges whose cases have no shoulder.
Winchester is direct about the parentage question, which comes up constantly: “350 Legend has no parent case. But 350 Legend uses the same .378 nominal rim diameter as 223 Rem. The 350 Legend shellcase is a new design.” And on reloading from .223 brass, the answer is a flat no.
Quick answers
What is the effective range of 350 Legend ammo?
Winchester’s own answer: “350 Legend was designed for deer hunting out to 250 yards.” That is the maker’s design intent, not a measurement, and it is the only figure they publish on the question.
What twist rate does 350 Legend need?
SAAMI’s drawing says 1 turn in 16 inches and marks it optional; its own test barrel is cut the same. Winchester’s FAQ agrees: “Barrels with 1:16 twist rates have shown to stabilize a variety of bullet weights and types.”
Does it really have more energy than 30-30?
Winchester says yes, and unusually, they show their working. Their FAQ notes that the catalog lists the 30-30 load from a 24-inch barrel and the 350 Legend from a 20-inch one, then republishes both at a matched 20 inches: 350 Legend 2,325 fps and 1,800 ft-lb against 30-30 at 2,205 fps and 1,619 ft-lb. Publishing the barrel mismatch rather than hiding it is rare.
Is 350 Legend legal where I hunt?
Check your own state’s current rule, because they differ and they change. Indiana dropped its straight-wall requirement entirely in 2025. Ohio, Michigan and Iowa each still have one, written to a different test.
Can I reload it from .223 brass?
No. Winchester: “the 350 Legend was designed to maximize effectiveness of a .357 diameter bullet loaded into a straight-walled shellcase… In doing so, an entirely new shellcase was designed.”
What does SAAMI specify for 350 Legend ammo?
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Bullet diameter | .357 − .003 in |
| Case length | 1.710 − .010 in |
| Cartridge overall length | 2.125 in min – 2.260 in max |
| Bore / groove diameter | .346 in / .355 in, 6 grooves |
| Rim diameter | 0.378 in |
| Twist | 1 turn in 16 in, right hand — marked OPTIONAL |
| Maximum average pressure, transducer | 55,000 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, crusher | Not established — SAAMI’s own wording |
| Test barrel length | 16.000 in — a named exception to the 24 in rifle default |
That last row does more work than any other on this page. SAAMI’s standard test barrel for centerfire rifle cartridges is 24 inches; 350 Legend is one of a short list of cartridges tested in something shorter. So when you compare a published 350 Legend velocity with a published .243 or 30-30 velocity, you are usually comparing a 16-inch barrel against a 24-inch one, and the 350 Legend is carrying an eight-inch handicap into the comparison.
SAAMI’s own reference velocities, all from that 16-inch barrel, are worth having: 124 grains at 2,470 fps, 145 at 2,250, 155 at 2,200, 180 at 1,985, and 255 at 1,020.
350 Legend ammo: every load currently catalogd
| Load | Gr | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browning FMJ B192803501 | 124 | 2,500 / 1,721 | 1,882 / 975 | 1,380 / 526 | — | .130 |
| Winchester Deer Season XP X350DS | 150 | 2,325 / 1,800 | 1,968 / 1,289 | 1,647 / 903 | 1,373 / 628 | .223 |
| Browning Max Point B192103502 | 150 | 2,325 / 1,800 | 1,968 / 1,289 | 1,647 / 903 | 1,373 / 628 | .363 |
| Federal Fusion F350LFS1 | 160 | 2,300 / 1,879 | 1,993 / 1,411 | 1,712 / 1,041 | 1,463 / 760 | .259 |
| Winchester Copper Impact X350CLF | 150 | 2,260 / 1,701 | 1,909 / 1,213 | 1,595 / 848 | 1,332 / 590 | .223 |
| Winchester USA USA3501 | 145 | 2,250 / 1,630 | 1,828 / 1,075 | 1,539 / 692 | — | .183 |
| Hornady American Whitetail 81196, 20 in barrel | 170 | 2,200 / 1,827 | 1,843 / 1,281 | 1,529 / 882 | 1,271 / 609 | .215 |
| Hornady American Whitetail Tipped 81197, 24 in barrel | 165 | 2,200 / 1,773 | 1,890 / 1,309 | 1,612 / 952 | 1,371 / 689 | .250 |
| Winchester Defender S350PDB | 160 | 2,170 / 1,673 | 1,794 / 1,143 | — | — | .202 |
| Winchester Power-Point X3501 | 180 | 2,100 / 1,762 | 1,762 / 1,240 | 1,466 / 859 | 1,230 / 604 | .221 |
| Federal Power-Shok 350LA | 180 | 2,100 / 1,762 | 1,793 / 1,284 | 1,520 / 924 | 1,292 / 668 | .245 |
| Remington Core-Lokt 20012 | 180 | 2,100 / 1,762 | 1,793 / 1,284 | 1,520 / 924 | 1,292 / 668 | .245 |
| Browning Silver Series B192603501 | 180 | 2,100 / 1,762 | 1,762 / 1,240 | 1,466 / 859 | 1,230 / 604 | .221 |
| Hornady Sub-X 81198, 16 in barrel | 250 | 1,050 / 612 | 969 / 521 | 908 / 457 | 857 / 408 | .265 |
| Winchester Super Suppressed SUP350 | 255 | 1,060 / 636 | 962 / 524 | 892 / 450 | — | .325 |
Three things in that table are worth reading twice.
Several tables are identical across brands. Federal’s 180-grain Power-Shok and Remington’s 180-grain Core-Lokt publish the same numbers at every distance. So do Winchester’s Power-Point and Browning’s Silver Series, and Winchester’s Deer Season XP and Browning’s Max Point. These are shared corporate ballistics, not independent measurements, and two matching tables are not two confirmations.
One pair disagrees with itself. Winchester’s X350DS and Browning’s Max Point publish an identical velocity and energy curve — and different ballistic coefficients, .223 against .363. Both cannot be right for the same flight path. I report the discrepancy rather than picking a winner.
Only Hornady tells you the barrel. Its three loads are measured in 20, 24 and 16-inch barrels respectively, and it says so. Winchester, Browning, Federal and Remington publish no test barrel length at all, which makes their figures hard to place against SAAMI’s 16-inch reference.
Three loads have also quietly left the catalog: Winchester’s Power Max Bonded X3501BP, Federal’s Non-Typical 350LDT1 and Browning’s BXR 155 grain all return a not-found error on their own makers’ sites. Winchester’s 350 Legend landing page still links to the first of them.
What Winchester claims, in their own words
Here’s how I read this chart
Muzzle energy in foot-pounds — how much the bullet is carrying as it leaves the barrel. What makes this chart unusual is that every load on it was measured in the same length of barrel, which almost never happens in published ballistics. Winchester republished these figures at matched barrel lengths precisely because their catalog compares a 20-inch 350 Legend against a 24-inch 30-30, and they said so.
Because Winchester created this cartridge, its marketing is also its primary documentation, so it is worth quoting rather than paraphrasing. The published claims are: “More energy than 30-30 Win., 300 Blackout and 223 Remington”; “Less recoil than 450 Bushmaster”; and “Approximately 20% less recoil than 243 Win with 20% more penetration.”
Note what is missing. There is no absolute recoil figure anywhere — no foot-pounds, no test conditions, no rifle weight. Recoil energy depends on the weight of the gun as much as the cartridge, so a percentage without a rifle attached cannot be checked. SAAMI publishes the formula; nobody publishes the inputs for this comparison.
The penetration claim is at least scoped. Winchester’s FAQ narrows it: “when comparing similarly constructed Deer Season XP Extreme Point bullets, 350 Legend achieves greater penetration than 243 Winchester.” Same bullet family, both makers’ own product. That is a fair comparison stated fairly.
The straight-wall rules, state by state — and one that no longer exists
This is the part that decides whether the cartridge is any use to you, and the states do not agree on the test.
| State | The published test | Does 350 Legend qualify? |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | “Chambered for a straight-walled cartridge with a minimum caliber of .357 to a maximum caliber of .515.” No case length limit. Necked-down cartridges unlawful. | Yes — at .357 it is exactly at the stated minimum |
| Michigan | “A .35 caliber or larger rifle loaded with straight-walled cartridges with a minimum case length of 1.16 inches and a maximum case length of 1.80 inches.” Limited firearm zone only. | Yes — .357 and a 1.710 in case |
| Iowa | Bullet diameter “no less than three hundred fifty thousandths of one inch and no larger than five hundred thousandths,” expanding type, “published or calculated muzzle energy of five hundred foot pounds or higher.” No case length limit. | Yes — every cataloged load exceeds 500 ft-lb |
| Indiana | No straight-wall requirement. “The rifle must fire a centerfire cartridge with a bullet diameter of .219 of an inch (5.56 mm) or larger,” following Senate Enrolled Act 280 of 2025. | Yes — but so does almost everything else now |
Indiana is the one to notice. It abolished the restriction in 2025, and the state’s own guidance confirms there is “no longer a difference to the type of firearm that can be used on public vs. private land.” Winchester’s FAQ still names Indiana among the states with a straight-wall rule. That is a maker’s page lagging a law change, which is exactly why a hunting regulation should never be taken from an ammunition company.
What nobody publishes about 350 Legend ammo
- An absolute recoil figure. Winchester publishes only percentage comparisons, with no rifle weight and no test conditions.
- Test barrel length — published by Hornady alone. Winchester, Browning, Federal and Remington publish none, on any load.
- Which drag model a ballistic coefficient uses. Only Hornady says G1. The others publish a bare number.
- Wind drift — published by Federal and Remington. Winchester and Browning publish none for any 350 Legend load.
- Sectional density — Hornady only. Bullet length — Federal only.
- A standalone SAAMI drawing. All three historic per-cartridge PDF links now return a not-found error, including the one Winchester’s own FAQ links to. The figures live inside the full Z299.4 standard.
Where to go next
My 45-70 ammo page covers the other classic straight-wall option and its pressure tiers, 30-30 ammo covers the cartridge Winchester benchmarks against, and the caliber comparison chart shows how .357 sits against everything else. Hunters working out state rules will find related coverage at Freedom’s Lodge.
To see the 350 Legend beside 25 other rifle cartridges at true scale, with SAAMI case lengths and bullet diameters, use my rifle caliber chart.
Sources
- ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4-2025 centerfire rifle standard — 350 Legend cartridge and chamber drawing, velocity and pressure data, test barrel drawing, proof pressure data
- Winchester 350 Legend landing page and FAQ; Winchester product pages for USA3501, X350DS, X350CLF, S350PDB, X3501 and SUP350
- Browning Ammunition product pages for B192803501, B192803502, B192103502 and B192603501
- Federal product pages 350LA and F350LFS1; Remington 20012
- Hornady product pages 81196, 81197 and 81198
- Ohio Administrative Code rule 1501:31-15-11 (authenticated text); Michigan Wildlife Conservation Order Chapter II; Iowa Code section 481A.48 and Iowa Administrative Code 571-106.11; Indiana Department of Natural Resources deer hunting questions and answers
Ammunition reference desk
Three charts readers come back to: what a round costs today, what a cartridge name really measures, and what shipping and tax add.
| .22 LR | 6.59¢ |
| 9mm Luger | 26.98¢ |
| 5.56 NATO | 44.95¢ |
| .270 Win | .278 in |
| .30-30 Win | .309 in |
| .308 Win | .309 in |
| Case price | $269.80 |
| Shipping and tax | +$18.89 |
| Per round | 28.87¢ |
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