Barrels shorter than 16 have significantly more recoil and are usually avoided. 10.5 is considered the shortest length you can go while retaining some reliability with a 5.56 AR pistol. Lets talk about that for a second. Barrels longer than 22 show no real improvement over the 18-20 barrels. It would be easily duplicated with the Winchester 350 legend. Andget thisit can be fired in any .375 Winchester rifle or any .38-55 designed to be used with smokeless powder. The compact 16.38-inch barrel has a 1:16 rate of twist. There is a variety of lever guns chambered for the .357 Magnum. Its an ideal cartridge for states with straight-wall cartridge allowances. The best barrel length for 350 Legend is 16 inches. 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. The fact is, the 357 Magnum is considered a pistol round. Personally I prefer to conceal my 3.5 inch barrel 9mm single stack in my waistband. Is TC producing a 350 Legend barrel? WebThe 350 Legend is 10 percent more powerful and has 25 percent more velocity at the muzzle than 44 Magnum. 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. It's a little bullet with a decent velocity, but will it actually fill the freezer? 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. This rifle is the "compact" version. 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. Straight wall and big bore. In a single shot I would be happy with either. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. Barrel lengths above 20 inches will be more accurate at longer distances. 5845(a)(3)-(4), (c)] (source). Mag. I'm not exactly a diehard with pistol-caliber carbines but I definitely enjoy them. 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. The minimum impact velocity for the .357 Magnum is somewhere between 1,200 and 1,000 fps, depending on the particular bullet. You might call it a Therefore, bullets exit the muzzle at approximately .355 when fired from any of those three cartridges. Enter the 350 Legend. The best barrel length for a 6.5 Grendel Pistol or SBR is 14.5 inches. If you want a bolt action or AR15, or if your going to buy factory ammo, then 350 legend then 350 legend is it. The 350 Legend SAAMI bullet diameter is specified at .357-.003. Anything above 4 inches of barrel length, the 357 magnum would be preferred as the velocity is greater. At a distance less than 400 yards a 16 to 18 inch barrel would be ideal. The American Rifle also comes with a generous recoil pad to help with that. This is a 150gr copper bullet with a ballistic coefficient G1 of .320 at 2450fps from my 20" barreled rifle with very little recoil, an honest 300+ yard deer round. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Its one of my favorite straight-walled cartridges and a nice deer gun in a rifle. It makes a good middle ground hunting rifle in my opinion. But, I recently bought a 350 legend and I am impressed. If youll be hunting at distances less than 300 yards, a 14.5 or 16 inch barrel will work best. 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. This was partly because it was introduced at about the time of the AR-15 craze that hit the United States (at that time, everyone wanted an AR in .223 Remington). Hornadys 170-grain American Whitetail soft-point load, for example, managed 1,551 feet per second out of the Model 350 as compared to 2,200 feet per second from a rifle barrel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The best barrel length for a 357 Magnum revolver is 8 and 3/8 inches because that length allows for decent velocity combined with portability. 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 357 Magnum is 16 for maximum velocity, 20 for maximum accuracy, and 3 for maximum concealment and portability. For the most part, the straight-wall cartridge has been obsolete for more than 100 years. Now we have that out of the way lets get into the best barrel lengths of some of the most popular calibers. 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. For reference, a 450 Bushmaster has a case length of 1.7" and a 350 Legend is 1.71". maxed out.. it looks like Buffalo Boar Heavy 158gr 357 out of an 18" shows 2153fps. The best barrel length for a 357 Sig is 4 inches because the round was designed to be used in shorter barrels. The 350 has a lighter kick than a 243 or 30-30! This is understandable: The ability to launch a bullet of 250 grains or more at 2,300 fps was impressive. The .357 Magnum generally has a reputation as a fast and powerful round, at least for handguns, but The 223/5.56 is the most common centerfire rifle cartridge in the US. Thats where it begins to hit a ballistic wall. .357 good 44mag better. Any barrel length above 18 will not significantly improve velocity. The 30/30 usually shoots either 150 or 170-grain bullets. This rifle is a tack driver that will get the job done on that big buck this season. However, these barrel lengths are not recommended for shots past 200 yards. In fact, Ive used that load to take two African buffalo. 12.5 barrels in 7.6239 are very popular for speed, time on target, and close quarters scenarios. Both are 36 caliber bullets (listed as 0.357, with variance), but one has much higher powder volume, chamber pressure, and initial energy. Interesting length choice as that is the case length of a 460 S&W, which the law at one point read "traditional straight wall pistol cartridge." is more comparable to the .350 Legend, but youre losing power and velocity. The 350 Legend is faster, more powerful, and can be used in more guns than the .357 Magnum. It also has a bullet diameter that's lethal on medium-sized big game and a flat trajectory that us Midwestern hunters have never been able to enjoy before. Then Ill put a 5 inch barrel 9mm holstered on the hip if I feel like having more ammo capacity. However the best barrel length for maximum velocity is 15 with the 45 ACP. Many owners of a 357 snub nose will swear by the 3 inch barrel. The 350 Legend is 80 percent more powerful than a .357 Magnum and is effective on deer twice as far away. The speeds are also there. 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. Therefore, bullets exit the muzzle at approximately .355 when fired from any of those three cartridges. Barrel lengths from 20-24 are popular for the 7mm-08 cartridge. .350 Legend is 55,000 and headspaces on that tiny piece of metal we call case mouth. Barrel lengths as short as 3 inches for 9mm are more popular for those who want to conceal the handgun in a purse or on their person. This is a 150gr copper bullet with a ballistic coefficient G1 of .320 at 2450fps from my 20" barreled rifle with very little recoil, an honest 300+ yard deer round. If sighted in at 100 yards, the bullet will be about 3 inches low at 150 yards. 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 that means that even if you could get the same velocities using 180 grain bullets, the 350 Legend would still noticeably outperform the .357 Mag after 100 yards. the 180-grain bullet will give the best penetration from both the .357 and 350. The 350 is kind of a flash in the pan but its limited. Not to good for hunting. The nominal rim diameter is identical as well, but the 350 Legend does not use the 5.56 as its parent case like the 300 Blackout. Any additional barrel length over 15 actually hurts velocity. I help equip people with knowledge and skills so they can be safe and effective with firearms. Winchester is even offering a more affordable non-hunting practice load in its USA line. In states like Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, and Indiana, we've been regulated to using shotguns, muzzleloaders, or handguns only for decades now. WebThe 350 Legend is 10 percent more powerful and has 25 percent more velocity at the muzzle than 44 Magnum. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. For hunting with 6.5 Creedmoor, 18 to 22 inch barrels are more practical. HOW FAR SHOULD YOU PRACTICE SHOOTING BEFORE YOU DEER HUNT. The 350 has a lighter kick than a 243 or 30-30! is even more expensive. You do lose some accuracy at distances over 300 yards when compared to an 18 inch barrel, for example. -The 45 Colt is a slower moving round than the .357 Magnum, which makes it more effective at close range. Hornady's 165-grain FTX Customs are doing 2,200-fps and are hitting with 1,773-foot pounds of energy. In fact some shooters report less performance out of 26 or longer 5.56 barrels. A straight-wall, .452-caliber cartridge with a rebated rim, its capable of pushing a 250-grain bullet to 2,200 fps. The low bullet mass is The 350 Legend will shoot deer much farther and has better bullets available. 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. The .357 Magnum generally has a reputation as a fast and powerful round, at least for handguns, but You will still get more velocity out of longer barrels, as expected, just not as much of an increase. 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. Barrel lengths under 28 will cause loss of unburnt powder. Stopping Power and Caliber. -The recoil of the 45 Colt is much less than that of the .357 Magnum, making it more The caliber you choose depends on what you plan on hunting. The 350 has a lighter kick than a 243 or 30-30! Cwlongshot Cast Bullet Guy Supporter Joined Jan 17, 2014 Messages 13,606 Likes 47,945 Location A longer 30 barrel is used by professional long range shooters to consistently reach out to 1000 yards. The best barrel length for a 458 SOCOM is 16 to achieve maximum powder burn and muzzle velocity. The low bullet mass is as the minimum energy for a bullet 30 to 35 caliber to reliably penetrate deep enough for deer hunting. 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. It should be clear what the .350 Legend brings to the table. This cartridge has become extremely popular for older hunters and youth hunters for that reason. However, most 10mm ARs perform well with 8 to 10 barrels. Everything below is accurate at time of writing but is not a substitute for legal advice. After all, the military chose the 14.5 inch barrel for the 5.56 round for a reason. So this section will mostly cover the best barrel lengths for hunting popular birds and game. 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. The 350 Legend has a slightly higher Ballistic Coefficient which means it takes longer to slow down than the 44 Mag. comparing similar 180-grain bullets, it has more initial energy and more expected velocity in 16-inch barrels. The 350 Legend is a fascinating cartridge. There is a point of diminishing accuracy returns with barrel length. Therefore, bullets exit the muzzle at approximately .355 when fired from any of those three cartridges. 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. It is a true joy to shoot, and you'll be more accurate because of it. 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 3 barrel loses too much velocity and energy but is easier to conceal. Its unethical to shoot an animal if you know its not a sure shot. It would be easily duplicated with the Winchester 350 legend. A former police ofcer and serviceman with the U.S. Army, Richard A. Mann is one of the most well-respected rearms authorities writing on the subject today. Both cartridges can be practical for hunting midsized, and some large game. It really boils down to max distance, drop, and how much the bullets are affected by a slight breeze. Its a middle ground between flatter shooting and penetration. The best barrel length for 30-06 is 24 for a good compromise between velocity and portability. the 170-grain bullets penetrate more and perform very closely to the 180 grain 350 legend ammo. While deer hunters have adjusted to this kind of hunting, many of us have been left green with envy at the hunters who could use centerfire rifles to reach out to longer ranges. If hunting at ranges less than 300 yards then a shorter barrel between 16-20 will work better. Anything above a 26 barrel for 6.5 Grendel doesnt make much sense statistically. Humans have a way of working around legislation: Give us a rule, law or guideline, and well find a way to circumvent it. Besides, that is one of the most popular barrel lengths anyway. see more at [ 1] 10mm AUTO vs .357 Mag, Jordan Buck is an outdoor writer, a man of faith, and a family man. 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. 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. comparing similar 180-grain bullets, it has more initial energy and more expected velocity in 16-inch barrels. Now, many states are allowing straight-wall cartridges for deer hunting. The best barrel length for a 5.56 for home defense is 10.5 inches, however, 11.5 and 12.5 inch barrels are also popular for this use. The best barrel length for a hunting rifle is between 22-26 depending on caliber and powder burn rate. Anything above a 26 barrel with 6.5 Creedmoor isnt much of an improvement. ( Should you buy one, I will earn a small commission). This is a revolver round that, from a rifle, will push a 270-grain bullet to similar velocities of around 1,800 fps. AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. Even though a 20 barrel is best for long distance, really consider if thats all you want to use that rifle for. If you are looking for a point-and-shoot gun, keep it to 150 yards. For reference, a 450 Bushmaster has a case length of 1.7" and a 350 Legend is 1.71". Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. The 350 Legend SAAMI bullet diameter is specified at .357-.003. If shooting anywhere past 400 or 500 yards having a 20 inch barrel is beneficial. Jordan has taught marksmanship, woodsmanship, and self-defense classes. Designed by Marlin in 1964, it became a favorite cartridge for deer hunters and developed an almost cult-like following. Many shooters opt for a 16 barrel if they dont plan on shooting past 500 yards or theyll prefer a 26 barrel for mile shots or long range shooting. A 5 barrel would give more velocity, but the drop from 4 to 3 is more significant than the drop from 5 to 4 is in terms of velocity loss. For .450 Bushmaster and .444 Marlin, youre looking at $41 to $49 per box, and .45-70 Govt. It makes a lot of sense in those scenarios, but some shooters would opt for the 357 Sig in that case. The manufacture remains the king of the extreme long range game. 14-16 barrels are generally considered best for an all purpose rifle chambered in 223. After about 16 of barrel length, the 357 Magnum is past the point of diminishing returns on velocity. Although many like to argue that one cartridge is better than another, thats really not the case; they all have strengths and weaknesses and even appeal. now, that in a 35 caliber bullet, even without expansion it will do some damage. In fact, I only got one because of that. The numbers tell us just what can be expected from this new kid on the block (see the chart above). If you sit the 350 Legend side by side with a 5.56 round, you'll notice they are roughly the same length. In a single shot I would be happy with either. For close quarters or indoors, its really personal preference to sacrifice the muzzle velocity for ease of use and concealability. Of course, youll have a shorter effective range to use the firearm but for home defense youll rarely need to get past 50 yards. The 350 Legend is essentially a long pistol round using pistol powder so 16 tends to be optimal. When you get above three inches of needed elevation or windage adjustment, you can no longer just hold center and shoot. This is partly due to the acquisition of Marlin by Remington Arms, along with the subsequent discontinuance of the lever-action rifle it was chambered in. I recommend RTS Tactical for reliable, rifle-stopping options, Youre worth it. The velocity gains approach full rifle levels, and this .350 Legend seems to take that a little further still. However, barrels as short as 22-24 are often used to hunt duck successfully. Browning makes a 124-grain load going 2500 fps. 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. That is, how fast the bullet is going at a given distance, and how much bullet energy should be reliable enough. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. Im talking the 147 grain, Winchester ammo. 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. With more than 3,500 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, the Buffalo Bore 430-grain, hardcast bullet is suitable for anything walking on four legs. Lengths smaller than the Federal requirement must either meet the legal pistol definition or be registered as an NFA short barreled rifle (SBR). That means more muzzle energy and momentum than the .357 with a bigger hole, and with similar trajectory. I worked as a 45B Small Arms Repairer in the Army and since then I've been enjoying the hobby. MOLON LABE. The speeds are also there. Hornady (the designer of the cartridge) said the round will perform well in barrel lengths ranging from 12 to 26 inches and all in between. However, most 6mm ARC rifle barrels will be found in the 18 to 22 inch range. As you can see, there isnt a crazy difference between 20 and 24 barrels with 6.5 Grendel. Winchester designed the cartridge from the ground up. 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 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 can be used not only on deer, but elk and bears. Many turkey hunters will use a barrel length between 20-24 inch. A box of .357 Mag. This is still allowed as far as I know at the time of this writing. But you have to know exactly what distance the deer is at. Barrels longer than 14 inches start to affect bullet velocity in a negative way in many cases. Bullet selection might swing me toward the Max I would be getting an MGM barrel. The .444 Marlin is not as popular as it once was. Keep in mind, an 18 or 20 inch barrel will still deliver more foot pounds of energy at any range when compared to a 12 or 10.5 inch barrel. At 250 yards, the 30/30 has 6 percent more energy, three inches less drop, and is 150 fps faster. Stopping Power Of course, its compatibility with the AR-15 is tempting to a lot of deer hunters who were previously regulated to shotguns. Yes, those states have a lot of deer hunters, but it would not surprise me that if in a few years, those same states open up rifle season to more-traditional rifle cartridges. The best barre length for a 44 Magnum revolver is 6 for a good balance between weight and muzzle velocity. If you want a bolt action or AR15, or if your going to buy factory ammo, then 350 legend then 350 legend is it. The reason a lot of 22lr barrels are 22 to 26 inches is because the added sight radius and balancing is worth the extra weight of the longer barrels. The .350 Legend is no better. 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. How to Fix, Why Does My Glock Rattle? Stopping Power The 44 Magnum has 100-yards less effective range than a 350 Legend. The most popular barrel lengths range from 16 to 22 for 6.5 Grendel. Yes, a 20 inch barrel will give slightly more muzzle velocity and accuracy at that distance, but not as much as youd hope. Similar bullet tolerances also exist for 357 Magnum and 357 Maximum. Yes, by modern standards, those numbers are anemic, but modern .45-70 loadsin modern .45-70 riflesturn the .45-70 into a cartridge of another order. But the SBR is also meant to be easy to use and carry around. If youre interested, I have an article detailing the ballistics of 350 Legend with various barrel lengths. The longer barrels will help accuracy because the shooter will have greater sight radius. The vitals zone on a deer is about 8 inches wide. The velocity gains approach full rifle levels, and this .350 Legend seems to take that a little further still. A lot of people like to add a suppressor especially since the intended use is probably indoors. Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2019 Shooter's Guide issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. That'd be the one I would use. Interesting length choice as that is the case length of a 460 S&W, which the law at one point read "traditional straight wall pistol cartridge." The nominal rim diameter is identical as well, but the 350 Legend does not use the 5.56 as its parent case like the 300 Blackout. I need to point out that if you plan to get a suppressor for a 6.5 Grendel pistol or SBR, then a 12 barrel will be more than accurate to make 300 yards shots and is kind of a sweet set up. -The 45 Colt is a slower moving round than the .357 Magnum, which makes it more effective at close range. However, 8 and even 7 barrels are very popular in 300 blackout pistols with the use of subsonic ammunition and a suppressor. Most commonly Short barreled rifles have barrel lengths between 7 and 16 inches with the most popular barrel length being 11.5 inches or 9 inches depending on caliber used. 350 Ledgend vs 357 Rem Max | Bloodydecks Latest posts Sportboat anglers gearing up for new regulations? 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. With the .357, the most popular hunting bullet is a 157-grain bullet. I first was interested in .350 Legend (although I do not hunt), but no longer. Some mistakenly consider it light for deer, but its an ideal short-range whitetail cartridge thatll shoot much more accurately than any slug. The best barrel length for a 5.56mm rifle is 14.5 to ensure full powder burn. Stopping Power that means dont just read the ballistic charts, but get out there and shoot. The 350 Legend also uses the same .346 bore and .355 groove dimensions as 357 Mag and 357 Max. Most 45-70 guns can explode as they are not ment for the pressure of hot 45-70.