The best barrel length for hunting depends on what caliber youre hunting with. Its a middle ground between flatter shooting and penetration. Barrels longer than 14 inches start to affect bullet velocity in a negative way in many cases. Sorry, no opinion on extraction other than I never had a problem with .223. Its a classic old deer hunting cartridge. Is TC producing a 350 Legend barrel? That shouldnt be much of a surprise. The best barrel length for hunting deer is 18 for a rifle with a 308 or similar caliber or 28 for a shotgun and no shorter than 6 for a handgun or revolver using a caliber with adequate velocity. Copyright 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. There are other firearm designations but the most. Many people get around this by not attaching buttstock to the firearm, effectively making the firearm a pistol instead. But, I recently bought a 350 legend and I am impressed. Originally conceived by the late Elgin Gates and called the .357 SuperMag, the new round was very straightforward. However, the best barrel length for a handgun type 9mm is generally considered to be 5 inches for concealability and portability, and the best barrel length for an AR-9 pistol or SBR type 9mm is 7 to 10 inches. Might be easier to pick up a used 357 Max barrel or convert a 357 Mag barrel. Not to good for hunting. This newfound legal opportunity has brought back interest in old cartridges that were near teetering on extinction or just holding on due to nostalgia. 350 Legend vs .357 Magnum, which is more powerful 350 Legend vs For hunting with 6.5 Creedmoor, 18 to 22 inch barrels are more practical. The 350 Legend also uses the same .346 bore and .355 groove dimensions as 357 Mag and 357 Max. If I swap out 170 grains a bullet weight of 180 grain in my ballistics calculator and adjust the velocity accordingly, the only difference at 250 yards is about an inch of drop. Straight Theres nothing wrong with shooting within 100 yards. If the pistol is going to be suppressed, 7 or 8 inches of barrel length tends to work best, while shooters who prefer a little more range may opt for a 10 to 14 inch barrel. Best Straight-Wall Rifle Round for Deer Hunting But the SBR is also meant to be easy to use and carry around. Similar bullet tolerances also exist for 357 Magnum and 357 Maximum. Theres nothing wrong with hunting deer with a .357 Mag, just realize that although its a pretty potent pistol round, in a rifle, its still less potent and honestly, less effective on deer than a .223. Heres a link to the setup I own. The 350 Legend has a slightly higher Ballistic Coefficient which means it takes longer to slow down than the 44 Mag. Its essentially the same as .357 Magnumon steroidswhich means itll stretch out the range to about 100 or 150 yards (roughly the same as the .450 Bushmaster). Similar bullet tolerances also exist for 357 Magnum and 357 Maximum. He has earned black belts in four martial arts and is a certified Krav Maga instructor. It really is all personal preference. The reason has nothing to do with modern ballistics: Its all about the law. You do lose some accuracy at distances over 300 yards when compared to an 18 inch barrel, for example. If you sit the 350 Legend side by side with a 5.56 round, you'll notice they are roughly the same length. The .350 Legend is no better. It makes a lot of sense in those scenarios, but some shooters would opt for the 357 Sig in that case. The velocity gains approach full rifle levels, and this .350 Legend seems to take that a little further still. The 350 is kind of a flash in the pan but its limited. vs Sure, you can just adjust for bullet drop. Hi my name is Neckbone and I started this site because I love firearms and shooting sports. Many turkey hunters will use a barrel length between 20-24 inch. 350 Ledgend vs 357 Rem Max | Bloodydecks Latest posts Sportboat anglers gearing up for new regulations? Originally conceived by the late Elgin Gates and called the .357 SuperMag, the new round was very straightforward. It is a true joy to shoot, and you'll be more accurate because of it. However, many shotgun owners prefer a longer barrel for the improved sight radius and accuracy. You have entered an incorrect email address! The Winchester factory round is rather anemic; it launches a 255-grain bullet at about 1,300 fps. Is TC producing a 350 Legend barrel? Now, what may be surprising is the energy threshold. Originally conceived by the late Elgin Gates and called the .357 SuperMag, the new round was very straightforward. Change over to a 200 gr bullet, keep the 0.385" seating depth and QL predictions go from around 1770 fps for the magnum case, around 2100 for the max case and around 2170 fps for the 350L case. This is partly because its essentially intended for just a smattering of states. Is TC producing a 350 Legend barrel? The best barrel length for duck hunting is 28 because duck shots tend to be at a good distance. A rifle is subject to the NFA only if the rifle has a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length. However the best barrel length for maximum velocity is 15 with the 45 ACP. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win. Besides, that is one of the most popular barrel lengths anyway. The .350 Legend is no better. However, barrels as short as 22 can be used to hunt bird successfully. Might be easier to pick up a used 357 Max barrel or convert a 357 Mag barrel. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_5',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Does that surprise you? There is a Federal requirement of at least a 16 inch barrel length and 26 inch overall length for a firearm to be considered a standard rifle. For .450 Bushmaster and .444 Marlin, youre looking at $41 to $49 per box, and .45-70 Govt. Hornady's 165-grain FTX Customs are doing 2,200-fps and are hitting with 1,773-foot pounds of energy. The best barrel length for a 1911 is 5 for the best concealability and velocity. Winchester 350 Legend Hornady's 165-grain FTX Customs are doing 2,200-fps and are hitting with 1,773-foot pounds of energy. If they have it in stock, it will usually ship pretty quickly and they have good prices there too. Short-barreled rifle(SBR) is a legal designation in the United States, referring to a shoulder-fired,rifledfirearm, made from a rifle, with abarrellength of less than 16in (41cm) or overall length of less than 26in (66cm), or a handgun fitted with abuttstockand a barrel of less than 16 inches length. Safety mostly, but I do like the versatility range of the 45-70 vs the 450. The speeds are also there. I recommend RTS Tactical for reliable, rifle-stopping options, Youre worth it. This rifle is the "compact" version. The manufacture remains the king of the extreme long range game. The 44 Magnum has 100-yards less effective range than a 350 Legend. Both work well within their effective range. Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more. The 350 Legend will shoot deer much farther and has better bullets available. 10mm AUTO vs .357 Mag, Jordan Buck is an outdoor writer, a man of faith, and a family man. 10.5 is considered the shortest length you can go while retaining some reliability with a 5.56 AR pistol. The best barrel length for 45 ACP is 5 for use in most handguns. comparing similar 180-grain bullets, it has more initial energy and more expected velocity in 16-inch barrels. 357 Magnum rifle versus .350 Legend SBR Most professional hunters can cite 1,000 ft/lbs. And actually, I've always maintained that if I had to choose a .357 Magnum or a .44 in a rifle, I'd choose .357 every-time. The 350 is a great round for deer hunting, and shooters seldom report needing to use a muzzle brake on a 350 Legend rifle. It really boils down to max distance, drop, and how much the bullets are affected by a slight breeze. The 350 Legend will punch through it with every ammo available. Truth About Straight-Walled Cartridge Ballistics - Gun Digest In general though, a majority of AR pistols are between 10.5 and 14.5 inches. The best barrel length for the 7.6239 is 16 which the barrel length most AK-47s are built with. A revolver has no safetys to manipulate during a VERY high stress situation such as a bear attack and not all 1911s have ambidextrous controls should your gun hand be injured. The fast burning powder gives more velocity out of the shorter barrel. The best barrel length for a 350 Legend AR pistol is 10.5 inches. Shooters that plan on using only iron sights often opt for a 20 or longer barrel on a 357 Magnum rifle because the increased sight radius gives the rifle greater accuracy at farther distances. as the minimum energy for a bullet 30 to 35 caliber to reliably penetrate deep enough for deer hunting. The best barrel length for 6.5 Grendel long range shooting is the 24 barrel. The 4 barrels are great for carrying, but the longer barrel offer better sight radius and velocity. These are some of most common calibers but didnt seem as popular as the ones above. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. The best barrel length for a 40 S&W is 4 in a handgun. The fact is, the 357 Magnum is considered a pistol round. Doubletap offers a similar loading, and the LeverEvolution loads from Hornady shoot flat enough to make hitting at 250 yards uncomplicated. As you can see in the chart above, theres not much benefit to velocity with barrels above 16 to 18 inches. Besides, that is one of the most popular barrel lengths anyway. A revolver has no safetys to manipulate during a VERY high stress situation such as a bear attack and not all 1911s have ambidextrous controls should your gun hand be injured. Sometimes I get to thinking about this or that, and lately .357 Magnum carbine versus .350 Legend AR has caught my eye. There is a point of diminishing accuracy returns with barrel length. If hunting at ranges less than 300 yards then a shorter barrel between 16-20 will work better. The best barrel length for a 223 rifle is 14.5 inches to ensure full gun powder burn. But, you better not go beyond the practical limits or you will be an unhappy hunter. Many 22lr rifles were intended to be shot with iron sights, so having an extra 10 inches between the front and rear sights made the shooter a lot more accurate. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');With the 350 Legend, the minimum threshold of expansion comes at around 1,400 fps. It should be a hit in states previously allowing only shotguns. If you want a bolt action or AR15, or if your going to buy factory ammo, then 350 legend then 350 legend is it. 350 legend vs Most 45-70 guns can explode as they are not ment for the pressure of hot 45-70. It is a true joy to shoot, and you'll be more accurate because of it. link to What is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? For me, a 16 barrel in 6.5 Grendel is great for hunting since I dont do much past 300 yards anyway. The .350 Legend loads that normally reach 2,200 to 2,300 feet per second manage between 1,500 and 1,800 fps out of the Model 350s 7.5-inch barrel. The cartridge is comparable in size to a .223 Remington yet has a case length that falls within most state's legal parameters. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'guntradition_com-leader-2','ezslot_11',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-leader-2-0');How do we measure effectiveness? But the self-contained centerfire cartridge advanced into the 20th century, and cartridge cases shaped like those of the .30-30 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield became the norm. If sighted in at 100 yards, the bullet will be about 3 inches low at 150 yards. A good place to start looking for barrels is Here at OpticsPlanet. Sure .44 hits hard, but that's a lot to do with the mass of the bullet over how fast it's going. Enter the 350 Legend. Therefore, bullets exit the muzzle at approximately .355 when fired from any of those three cartridges. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. This sounds very similar to an SBR because it essentially is except the SBR has a stock instead of a brace. The best barrel length for a hunting revolver is 8 and 3/8 for many hunting calibers. Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2019 Shooter's Guide issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. However, most hunting shots are taken at ranges that allow a lighter more manageable 18 to 22 inch barrel to be more practical. In short, your barrel has to be 16 or longer and the entire length of the rifle must be at least 26 to be a rifle. The manufacture remains the king of the extreme long range game. At first, these rifles were relegated to pistol caliber rifles like .44 or .357 Magnum. WebAssuming you can handle each equally well, A .357 Mag has more energy, better penetration and with the proper bullet better expansion. In a single shot I would be happy with either. If you are wanting to use an expanding bullet for the .357, make note of that. A 24 barrel will add an extra 120 fps compared to 16 but is not considered enough extra velocity to warrant the added barrel length. Therefore, bullets exit the muzzle at approximately .355 when fired from any of those three cartridges. WebThe 350 Legend is essentially a long pistol round using pistol powder so 16 tends to be optimal. In fact, Ive used that load to take two African buffalo. I hardly even notice its there. MOLON LABE. Examples of minimum length requirements in federal law [ATF-NFA] include: 16 inch barrel length for rifles, 18 inch barrel length for shotguns, and 26 inch overall length for both rifles and shotguns. 350 Legend or 357 Maximum The .444 Marlin is not as popular as it once was. 350 Legend vs .357 Magnum, which is more powerful Although, you will find the recoil to be similar. The compact 16.38-inch barrel has a 1:16 rate of twist. The best barrel length for a 22lr is 16 for rifles and 10 for pistols. Its also spawned a new cartridge (humans will always find a way to use the law to their advantage). Many people even prefer using a barrel as short as 9 for 350 Legend since you only lose about 240 feet per second when compared to a 16 barrel. Once the powder is burned up in the barrel, any extra barrel length can decrease velocity at the muzzle. If you are looking for a point-and-shoot gun, keep it to 150 yards. 24-26 barrels are also popular for the 280 AI, however, anything below 24 and you lose too much velocity and wont be making the most of the round. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The best barrel length for a 357 Sig is 4 inches because the round was designed to be used in shorter barrels. Same parameters as above, gets around 2200 fps from the max case and around 2300 fps from a 350L case. The minimum impact velocity for the .357 Magnum is somewhere between 1,200 and 1,000 fps, depending on the particular bullet. Ammo: Elk, Deer And Everything Else, 10 Best Long-Range Cartridges of All Time (2023), 8 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options (2022), 10 Affordable Double-Barrel Shotgun Options (2022), Best AR-15 Options For Any Budget And Buyers Guide (2022), Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women (2022). Neckbone Armory is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The Best Barrel Length for 350 Legend AR Pistol The vitals zone on a deer is about 8 inches wide. In other words, it slows down and drops a lot. Even the most ballistically inept hunterssuch as those who will not accept or understand the advantages of the 6.5 Creedmoorare savvy enough to understand that just about any rifle cartridge has more reach and precision than a shotgun slug. WebThe 350 Legend is arguably over twice as effective on deer-sized game than a rifle chambered in .357 Magnum. About Ballistic Coefficient (measurement of aerodynamics), the 350 legend actually scores higher than the .357 Mag. The expansion threshold shows that both cartridges are a short-range choice. Most 6.5 Grendel barrels shoot well with a 1:8 twist rate. They're fun, handy, and can be very practical. I wasnt impressed, I think the difference was like 100 to 200 ft/sec. Using the same case head diameter of the .223 Remington at a length of 1.71-inch, the 350 Legend uses a .357-inch diameter bullet, for a combination that is very easy on the shoulder while being effective downrange. The velocity gains approach full rifle levels, and this .350 Legend seems to take that a little further still. 357 vs been pondering another cartridge comparison for Longer barrels tend to be more accurate, but make the firearm heavier, while shorter barrels are more portable, but wont be as accurate at longer distances. Andget thisit can be fired in any .375 Winchester rifle or any .38-55 designed to be used with smokeless powder. The best barrel length for 9mm is 7 inches based on percentage increases of velocity per barrel inch. The .357 Magnum generally has a reputation as a fast and powerful round, at least for handguns, but Heres a link to it. 26-28 barrels are more popular for those wanting to shoot long distance, while 22-24 is more popular for hunting at less than 500 yards. That extra 4 inches doesnt do as much youd think. The barrel is also threaded in case you want to add a suppressor or a muzzle brake of some kind to tame the recoil even more. The 350 Legend is 80 percent more powerful than a .357 Magnum and is effective on deer twice as far away. That being said, if you will be hand-loading and are choosing your barrel length for absolute accuracy at distance for PRS, then the 24 barrel is the way to go. The 350 Legend is a fascinating cartridge. This cartridge has become extremely popular for older hunters and youth hunters for that reason. The best barrel length for the 7mm-08 is 22 to achieve maximum powder burn and velocity per barrel inch. Any barrels longer than 14 inches will not produce much more velocity and may even reduce velocity of a 10mm. This is a revolver round that, from a rifle, will push a 270-grain bullet to similar velocities of around 1,800 fps. Any barrel length under 6 inches will suffer greater muzzle velocity loss, however, that loss is considered acceptable when concealment is a factor. Advantages of the 45 Colt: -The 45 Colt has a larger bullet diameter than the .357 Magnum, which means it can create a larger wound channel. It should be clear what the .350 Legend brings to the table. I bought a barreled upper in 350 Legend for my AR. The 350 is a great round for deer hunting, and shooters seldom report needing to use a muzzle brake on a 350 Legend rifle. Cwlongshot Cast Bullet Guy Supporter Joined Jan 17, 2014 Messages 13,606 Likes 47,945 Location Humans have a way of working around legislation: Give us a rule, law or guideline, and well find a way to circumvent it. Both work well within their effective range. The 350 Legend will shoot deer much farther and has better bullets available. Many AR-9 SBRs and 9mm pistols are between 7 and 10 inches. In closer quarters situations an even shorter barrel is advantageous, and when under 100 yards, the accuracy loss isnt noticeable at all. Bullet selection might swing me toward the Max I would be getting an MGM barrel. 350 Legend vs If you can shoot, it really wont matter all that much: Theyre all deer-killers. Your family is worth it. At those distances, both are at the minimum energy threshold for deer of 750 ft/lbs. We have lots more on the site to show you. The 350 is a great round for deer hunting, and shooters seldom report needing to use a muzzle brake on a 350 Legend rifle. A pistol can have any barrel length under 16 inches, and will often be between 3 and 16 inches. However, most 10mm ARs perform well with 8 to 10 barrels. However an 18 barrel is recommended for youth shooters which the 410 shotgun is popular with. The best barrel length for a 357 Magnum Rifle is 16 for the round to reach maximum velocity. Knowing the weird laws above can help clarify a bit why some of the barrel lengths below have become so popular. is more comparable to the .350 Legend, but youre losing power and velocity. However, for an all around good hunting rifle, an 18 barrel is the most popular option for 6.5 Grendel. Its nothing more than a .223 Remington cartridge case with the shoulders blown out to form a straight-wall case that will accept a .358-caliber bullet. The first is impact velocity and the second is the minimum energy threshold. Judging from the ballistic coefficient alone, the 30-30 has a slight advantage. This is still allowed as far as I know at the time of this writing. A carbine is most commonly any barrel length less than 18 inches and greater than 10 inches. The longer barrel allows for more velocity and range from the shell as well as a better sight radius for the shooter. 350 With these shorter length barrels being advantageous for home defense, most people will opt for an AR pistol. Winchester designed the cartridge from the ground up. comparing similar 180-grain bullets, it has more initial energy and more expected velocity in 16-inch barrels. The best barrel length for a 50 Beowulf is 16 for the greatest velocity vs. length. The 30/30 usually shoots either 150 or 170-grain bullets. Enter the 350 Legend. However, the M2 is chambered in 50 BMG and has a 45 barrel. For me the problem is that 350 legend headspaces on case mouth (as there is no rim like .357 or .41 mag) Normally, a cartridge that headspaces on case mouth does not see more than say 37,000 psi of pressure. Only, it is used quite successfully every year. Those rounds can handle most big game in North America. The best barrel length for a suppressed 22lr is 14 inches for a mostly clean burn of the powder or 10 inches for increased portability. For the most part, the straight-wall cartridge has been obsolete for more than 100 years. Anything above a 26 barrel for 6.5 Grendel doesnt make much sense statistically. Change over to a 200 gr bullet, keep the 0.385" seating depth and QL predictions go from around 1770 fps for the magnum case, around 2100 for the max case and around 2170 fps for the 350L case. Latest: Pitchinwedge 3 minutes ago Fishing Chit Chat Thai curry fish cakes Latest: Cactus Chris 7 minutes ago Fishing and Hunting Cooking Recipes garmin gt52hw Latest: thesaltyhooker 7 minutes ago Classifieds Node Pay First The best barrel length for a 410 shotgun is 20 to achieve great velocity and accuracy. Personally I prefer to conceal my 3.5 inch barrel 9mm single stack in my waistband. -The 45 Colt is a slower moving round than the .357 Magnum, which makes it more effective at close range. I have a contender pistol in 357 maximum and love it, but if the 350 legend had been available when I bought it I might have gone that route. It will shoot a bit flatter than the .45-70 Government or .444 Marlin. Many owners of a 357 snub nose will swear by the 3 inch barrel. 350 Legend vs. .35 Remington This is a revolver round that, from a rifle, will push a 270-grain bullet to similar velocities of around 1,800 fps. if you look at a 180-grain bullet for both the 350 and .357, you will see that the .350 has a flat blunt nose, while the 350 is longer and pointed. Remember, the point is not to keep things at the lowest minimum, but to keep things reliable. That gives plenty of velocity and allows for longer range shots while still letting the rifle remain fairly portable. The best barrel length for the 50 BMG is 32 for a good long range rifle. 350 Legend