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Compared: The .30-30 Winchester and the Winchester .350 Legend By Gary Zinn The .350 Legend, developed by Winchester Ammunition, made a considerable splash when unveiled at the 2019 SHOT show. Articles about the new cartridge quickly began appearing on the Internet, most of them very enthusiastic in tone. One pundit went so far as to suggest that the .350 Legend might become the ".30-30 of the 21st Century." I tend to reserve forming strong opinions regarding the capabilities of any new cartridge until it has been thoroughly evaluated by a number of users. Such evaluations would include both trigger time at the shooting bench (mostly for accuracy and feeding reliability) and use in the field. The latter mostly reveals how good a job the manufacturer did with expanding bullet design for the new cartridge: too hard (inadequate expansion) too soft (excessive expansion), too light (inadequate penetration), too heavy (unnecessary recoil and/or rainbow trajectory). Winchester claims their .350 Legend bullets initiate expansion at impact velocities as low as 1550 fps. If true, this is lower than what might be considered the normal minimum expansion velocity of 1600-1800 fps used for many soft point hunting bullets. This reflects the .350 Legend's lower than normal downrange impact velocities. It is too early for such evaluations of the .350 Legend to have been conducted and reported. I am writing these words in February 2019 and the general availability of ammunition is not scheduled until April, 2019. However, there has been enough information released about the specifications and claimed performance of the cartridge that numbers can be crunched to evaluate its external ballistics. With this done, strong inferences can be drawn regarding its performance as a hunting cartridge. The purpose of this article is to explore those inferences, particularly to see how the claimed performance of the .350 Legend compares with the proven performance of the .30-30 Winchester for hunting deer and general Class 2 game animals. Overview of the .350 Legend Briefly, the .350 Legend is a cartridge with a .223 Remington size rim (.378 inch diameter), a maximum case length of 1.71 inches and a maximum COL of 2.26 inches. The cartridge body is .390 inch in diameter at the base, tapering to .378 inch at the case mouth. The cartridge head spaces on the case mouth, which accommodates a .357 inch diameter bullet. Cartridge and chamber specifications have been accepted and published by SAMMI. In summary, the .350 Legend is a straight walled cartridge that fits neatly into AR15 size platforms, accommodating the largest diameter bullet that is practical, without getting into design gyrations, such as fat bodied cartridges with severely rebated rims, single stack magazines and such. However, be clear that the .350 Legend case is not a reformed .223 Remington case. The Legend case is .014 inch larger in diameter at the base than the .223 Remington case and .350 cases cannot be formed from .223 brass. In addition, .223 Remington magazines cannot be used to feed .350 Legend cartridges. The feed lip and magazine follower geometry for the two cartridges is quite different. It is said that hunting laws in some states, which restrict legal firearms to those with straight walled cartridges, was the main impetus for development of the .350 Legend cartridge. Being something of a cynic at times, I suspect that Winchester may also have indulged a wish to have their brand name attached to an AR15 cartridge. Whether Winchester had mixed motives for developing the cartridge is of little consequence. The more interesting question is whether the .350 Legend has the potential to become a go-to cartridge for hunting deer and other Class 2 game, even in jurisdictions where the use of conventional bottle-necked cartridges is allowed. Some of Winchester's promo material for the .350 Legend makes comparisons with the .30-30. Hence my motivation for writing a comparison of the .350 Legend and the .30-30 Winchester. The Comparisons The characteristics to be compared include velocity and energy, maximum point blank range and far zero, trajectory, sectional density and cross-sectional area, killing power and recoil. At the end I will muse about rifle platforms and make some concluding remarks. Here are the loads I will evaluate and compare in each caliber. .350 Legend loads (these are the three hunting loads initially announced by Winchester):
.30-30 Winchester loads:
Velocity and Energy Velocity flattens trajectory and makes hitting easier as the range increases. It is also the most important factor when computing kinetic energy. Energy is a measure of the "work" a bullet can do, which in this case means powering bullet penetration and expansion. Energy is an important component of killing power, as will be discussed below. The muzzle velocity (MV) values quoted by Winchester for its .350 Legend loads are from a 20 inch rifle barrel. This is convenient for comparing ballistics of the .350 and .30-30 loads, for most .30-30 rifles are lever action repeaters with 20 inch barrels. MV values for the .30-30 loads, though, are quoted by both Winchester and Hornady for 24 inch barrels; I reduced the 24 inch barrel MVs by 50 fps to more realistically reflect what the MVs of these loads likely would be from 20 inch barrels. Here are the velocity in feet-per-second (fps) and energy in foot-pounds (ft. lbs.) figures for our comparison loads at the muzzle, 100, 200 and 300 yards. The loads for each cartridge are listed in descending order of their MV. .30-30 Winchester, 160 grain FTX:
.30-30 Winchester, 150 grain EP:
.30-30 Winchester, 170 grain PHP:
.350 Legend, 150 grain EP:
.350 Legend, 160 grain PHP:
.350 Legend, 180 grain PP:
No surprise that the 160 grain Hornady FTX load is the fastest and generates the most energy at all ranges. More interesting is that the 150 grain .350 Legend load nips at the heels of the 150 grain .30-30 load, followed by a noticeable drop in both velocity and energy for the 160 grain .350 load and yet another velocity drop to the 170 grain .30-30 and 180 grain .350 loads. Downrange energy retention is a different matter. The 170 grain .30-30 and 180 grain Legend loads carry more energy downrange (100 yards and beyond), than the 160 grain Legend load. This becomes important later. Winchester has posted a comparison of the 150 and 180 grain Legend loads with their Deer Season 150 grain .30-30 load. This comparison shows that the latter has lower muzzle velocity than the 150 grain Legend load and lower energy than either of the two Legend loads. To get this result, though, they start with the .30-30 load at a MV of 2205 fps from a 20 inch barrel, 185 fps slower than the same load from a 24 inch barrel (2390 fps). That the load would lose this much velocity in a four inch shorter barrel is inconceivable. (Remington and other sources typically estimate a 10 fps loss per inch for cartridges in this velocity range! -Editor) I believe the Winchester numbers were fudged to create results favoring the .350 Legend. These more honest numbers show the .30-30 delivers higher velocity and greater energy at all ranges with all bullet weights (150 grain, 160 grain and 170-180 grain). +/- 3 inch MPBR I am a firm believer in sighting-in hunting rifles and loads for their maximum point blank range (MPBR). I feel that a +/- 3 inch MPBR is appropriate for rifles used to hunt Class 2 game, including the cartridges being evaluated here. My argument is that a prudent and responsible hunter should never attempt a shot at a game animal beyond the MPBR of the cartridge/load being used (and closer is better, always). Here is the MPBR, in yards, for each comparison load. Results are in descending order of MPBR.
Winchester touts the .350 Legend as, "designed for deer hunting out to 250 yards." The MPBR numbers say this is an over-reach. They also clearly show the .30-30 is the flatter shooting cartridge with each bullet weight pair. Trajectory Trajectory matters, because the flatter a bullet flies the easier it is to hit a target down range. Bullet placement is the most important factor in achieving quick, humane kills, so anything that makes hitting easier is desirable. Here are the 100, 200. and 300 yard trajectory figures in inches, with each load, sighted-in for a +/- 3 inch MPBR, computed for a scope mounted 1.5 inches over the bore. Yardage is noted in parentheses.
The 170 grain flat point .30-30, 180 grain Legend and 160 grain Legend bullets drop rapidly past 200 yards. The 150 grain .30-30 and Legend loads hold up somewhat better beyond 200 yards.The .30-30 160 grain FTX load maintains a manageable trajectory out to the neighborhood of 250 yards. It is interesting that all six loads, sighted-in for +/- 3 inch MPBR, shoot right at three inches high at 100 yards. This is typical of medium velocity cartridges in general. Sectional Density Sectional density (SD) is the ratio of a bullet's weight in pounds to the square of its diameter in inches. SD affects penetration, as all other factors being equal (bullet construction, for example) the bullet with the highest sectional density will penetrate deepest. Obviously, to kill cleanly, any hunting bullet must penetrate into the animal's vitals, so hunting bullet SD is important. For Class 2 game, a SD of .200 has long been considered about the minimum acceptable for medium range rifle cartridges. Here are the SD numbers for our comparison bullets, in descending order by caliber.
Obviously, the .30 caliber bullets have a consistent advantage in SD over .357 bullets of the same or similar weight. A longer, smaller diameter projectile penetrates better than a shorter, fatter projectile of the same weight and construction, which only makes sense. For instance, it would take a .357 bullet weighing 215 grains to achieve the same SD as a 160 grain .308 bullet. This explains why the bullets used in the classic .35 caliber rifle cartridges, such as the .35 Remington, .358 Winchester, .35 Whelen and .350 Remington Magnum typically weigh 200-250 grains. The .350 Legend hunting loads are inferior, in terms of SD, compared with our .30-30 loads, and also the vast majority of successful hunting loads in all calibers of hunting rifles. Only the 180 grain .35 caliber bullet can be considered (marginally) acceptable for deer hunting. Cross-sectional Area The cross-sectional area (frontal area) of a hunting bullet matters, because a fatter bullet makes a bigger hole in the target (other factors, like bullet expansion ratio, being equal). The larger the wound channel is in diameter, the more tissue is damaged. In other words, size matters. Here are the cross-sectional areas of our two bullet diameters, in square inches (sq. in.).
It is obvious that .35 caliber bullets have a greater cross-sectional area than .30 caliber bullets. This accounts for their generally good reputation for lethality in the field, as long as the bullet penetrates through, or at least well into, the animal's vitals. It is also obvious that typical hunting weight .30 caliber bullets (150-180 grain) strike a nice balance between cross-sectional area and SD with manageable recoil. In the next section we will compare the potential killing power of our two cartridges using a formula that includes both SD and Cross-sectional area weighted equally, along with other vital factors. Killing Power Killing power is the most difficult factor to estimate, as there is no definitive scientific formula to apply. Various systems have been created to estimate the killing power of rifle cartridges, with varying results in terms of accuracy. Unfortunately, many such systems have no correlation with reality at all. One of the best, in terms of positive correlation with reality, has proven to be the G&S Online Rifle Cartridge Killing Power Formula. Not only is it generally consistent with results in the field, it can be used to compare any load at any range and includes the factors of energy at impact (which includes velocity), SD and cross-sectional area in an easy to use formula to arrive at a Killing Power Score (KPS) for a given load at a given distance, via the formula: KPS at "y" yards (you pick the yardage) = (impact energy at y yards) x (sectional density) x (cross-section area), or simply: KPS @ y = E @ y x SD x A Note that this is a comparative system. We estimate that a rifle cartridge should generate a KPS of at least 12.5 at the range the bullet impacts to be a viable hunting cartridge for common Class 2 game, up to roughly 150 - 175 pounds (e.g., deer and pronghorn), while a KPS of 15.0 gives a margin of killing power for larger Class 2 game (up to 300 pounds) I calculated the killing power of our .30-30 and .350 Legend loads at 100 yards, as most whitetail deer, blacktail deer and feral hogs are killed at 100 yards, or less. 200 yard KPS values are included, to document the power of each load near the longest range at which a responsible hunter should use them. Loads are listed in descending order of 100 yard KPS values.
The results are clear. Five of the six loads get 200 yard KPS scores that are adequate (greater than 15.0) for use against Class 2 game in general. With MPBRs ranging from 200 to 226 yards, these five loads are fully Class 2 capable out to their MPBR distances. The .350 Legend, 160 grain PHP load has a 193 yard MPBR, with a KPS slightly below 15.0 at 200 yards. This is not enough of a deficiency to get troubled about and this load is probably fully Class 2 capable at all but the outer limits of its practical range. Our KPS parameters and results assume vital area hits, of course. A game animal hit somewhere other than in the vitals is not likely to go down cleanly, no matter the size, weight and impact energy of the bullet. This is why I preach the "never take a shot beyond MPBR, and closer is always better" doctrine. Shorter range shots improve the likelihood of placing a bullet in the right place. Recoil Evaluating recoil of the .350 Legend is shaky right now, because there is no body of reloading data that can be consulted to get load powder charges, a necessary variable in recoil calculations. Winchester has published some questionable promotional material with numbers that suggest that the .350 Legend (rated at 8.52 ft. lbs. of recoil energy) generates about 12 percent lower recoil than a .30-30 (9.64 ft. lbs.) and both kick less than a .243 Win. (10.38 ft. lbs.). Since the .243 is widely considered an excellent starting deer cartridge for young and recoil sensitive shooters, perhaps the minimum practical, it is clear that the new .350 legend and the old .30-30 must be mild kicking cartridges. What loads they are comparing is not specified, but the rife weight is given as seven pounds. (.350, .30-30 and .243 carbines with a scope, sling and full magazine will probably weigh closer to eight pounds in the field.) I came up with a tentative recoil comparison that, if valid, is even more in favor of the Legend cartridge. This is a comparison of the .350 and .30-30 150 grain loads. Hodgdon load data lists a .30-30 Winchester load, using 34.0 grains of H4895 powder to get 2390 fps MV with a 150 grain bullet, in a 24 inch barrel. This is the MV and barrel length I started from, deducting 50 fps MV to estimate what the load would do in a 20 inch barrel. The recoil of this load would be 10.76 ft. lbs. in an 8.0 pound rifle (field ready weight) with a 20 inch barrel. Though dependable load data has yet been published for the .350 Legend, I did find one online article that indicated the 150 grain load uses 21 grains of powder. If this is correct, the 150-grain, .350 Legend load would generate 8.16 ft. lbs. of recoil in an eight pound rifle. This would be 24 percent less than the .30-30 load just cited. Whatever the true recoil numbers turn out to be, they will surely show that the Legend is a soft shooter. The case is not large enough to hold a lot of powder and it is burning large quantities of powder to get a little more muzzle velocity that gives us hard kicking cartridges and loads. Commercial ammo makers and reloaders will not be able to play that game with this cartridge. Additional Thoughts and Conclusions The numbers convince me that the .350 Legend has potential as an effective hunting cartridge, especially when fed 180 grain bullets that provide adequate SD for deer and hog hunting. The Legend looks like a prayer answered for those who hunt deer in areas where rifles are restricted to short, straight-walled cartridges, plus AR15 fanciers, long saddled with marginal deer cartridges, are likely to jump all over the cartridge. This brings up the issue of rifle platforms for the cartridge. Winchester has announced that the Winchester XPR bolt action rifle will be chambered in .350 Legend. CMMG has announced an AR15 carbine (with a 16 inch barrel) in the cartridge, plus 5 and 10 round magazines. Winchester notes, "several other firearm manufacturers are gearing up" to produce rifles chambered in .350 Legend. Producing bolt action rifles in .350 Legend should be a snap. Any short-action platform that handles the .223 Remington can be easily reworked to handle the .350 Legend cartridge. Ditto for AR15 platforms, whether complete rifles or uppers. For old school deer hunters (like me) the lever action is perhaps the best all-around platform for a hunting cartridge. (I say this even though I have carried compact, short-action bolt rifles on the majority of my deer hunts.) Lever action rifles, such as the Winchester Model 94, Marlin Model 336 and Henry Lever Action .30-30, carry and mount well and cycle fast when more than a single shot is needed. A well-designed bolt rifle also carries and mounts well, but cycles slower than a lever gun. Meanwhile, my limited experience with AR15s in the field is that they are uncomfortable to carry and awkward to mount, but that may be just me. Unfortunately, the traditional lever rifle designs, with rear-locking bolts, cannot handle the .350 Legend cartridge, for the simple but critical reason that its MAP is 55,000 psi, well above what rear-locking lever designs can handle. This high-intensity MAP is no problem with bolt action and AR designs, but a lever rifle chambered in .350 Legend must have a front-locking bolt, such as the Browning BLR and Henry Long Ranger designs. I hope those companies will take a close look at offering the .350 Legend in their modern lever rifles. I have studied the non-proprietary, larger-caliber cartridges designed to work in the AR15 platform. (See Are AR-15 Type Cartridges Good for Hunting Deer?). I am underwhelmed by most of them as potential hunting cartridges, but the .350 Legend may be one that prospers. It has a lot going for it, though I will not go so far as to join the enthusiast who gave it a way too early endorsement as, "the .30-30 of the 21st Century." (The .30-30 will remain the ".30-30 of the 21st Century, just as it was in the 20th Century. -Editor) It will be interesting to see whether the .350 Legend becomes well established in the crowded commercial cartridge market. |
Copyright 2019 by Gary Zinn and/or chuckhawks.com. All rights reserved.
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