[SHOT Show 2020] Shooting the 350 Legend

I recently told y’all about the 350 Legend cartridge here, and today I got to shoot one for the first time.

It was in a Winchester XPR bolt-action rifle, which uses a polymer removable box magazine. The magazine worked well, and the operation of the rifle’s bolt was pretty smooth. The XPR seems to be a pretty nice rifle overall.

I fired a few rounds of a new load, which features a 160-grain Power Max Bonded jacketed hollowpoint bullet.

I was interested in the recoil, which is reportedly really soft. And while it definitely does kick, it kicks considerably less than your typical big game hunting cartridge — and even less than a 223 / 5.56, which is remarkable. Yes, there is recoil, and if you buy one expecting it not to kick at all, you’ll be disappointed. But it’s pretty dang low in comparison with many other cartridges, making the 350 Legend a good choice for the beginner hunter.

I often hunt at longer range than the 350 Legend is designed for (its limit is roughly 250 yards) and I am not limited to straight-wall rifle cartridges where I hunt. But if I were, this cartridge would be at the top of my list, most likely in a Winchester XPR rifle.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.