350 Legend

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

I'm looking into a Savage Axis II XP in 350 Legend, anybody have experience with one?

I bought this same rifle for my son and for myself to hunt in Ohio.

Here’s what I found:

1) Magazine randomly drops out (have another customer at gun shop experienced the same issue.
2) Approximately 20% of Winchester rounds failed to fire - dimpled primer but no boom
3) Not impressed with 350 Legend Cartridge - shot a 150 lb buck from a stand at 40 yards. No exit hole, No blood trail. Found deer with a grid search.

 

[bueller]

I bought this same rifle for my son and for myself to hunt in Ohio.

Here’s what I found:

1) Magazine randomly drops out (have another customer at gun shop experienced the same issue.
2) Approximately 20% of Winchester rounds failed to fire - dimpled primer but no boom
3) Not impressed with 350 Legend Cartridge - shot a 150 lb buck from a stand at 40 yards. No exit hole, No blood trail. Found deer with a grid search.

Well that's less than awesome. Thank you for sharing.

 

[DJN]

I bought this same rifle for my son and for myself to hunt in Ohio.

Here’s what I found:

1) Magazine randomly drops out (have another customer at gun shop experienced the same issue.
2) Approximately 20% of Winchester rounds failed to fire - dimpled primer but no boom
3) Not impressed with 350 Legend Cartridge - shot a 150 lb buck from a stand at 40 yards. No exit hole, No blood trail. Found deer with a grid search.

Spike - I’m going to guess you were using the 150gr Deer Season Extreme Point rounds on that buck. I have heard many similar stories, as well as witnessing the same on a doe my wife shot. The 150gr darn near act like a varmit round and lacks good penetration. Yet the 180gr bullet seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum, not getting much expansion and goes right through without much shock.
I wouldn’t blame 350 Legend, just the bullet offerings. I used a 150gr copper bullet last year and had no complaints. Took a nice buck at 140yds. Less than ideal hit (liver/paunch), but deer went less than 100 yards with good blood. This was compared to the small doe my wife shot two years prior using the 150gr Winchester loads. Heart/Lung shot, but no blood besides very light spray at impact. Relatively heavy brush with a handful of trails through it. Ended up just following each trail and thankfully found the doe within 40 yards on the third or fourth trail we followed.

The Winchester loads are definitely accurate (the 150gr were the most accurate out of 6 different factory loads in both our rifles - a Savage 110 and a Ruger American), but leave much to be desired in the way of terminal performance.

 

[roymunson]

my son shot a doe at 40 yards with a handload interlock 170 last year. bang/flop.

I like the round especially for kids or if I'm trying to neck shoot something and drop em on the spot without ruining meat. But like i've said, if I'm buck hunting, I'll have the 444 in my hand.

 

[Bszweda]

If you had to choose would you get a CVA Scout or Henry single shot in 350? I've decided on 350 due to ammo availability.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'm ignorant to both in practice but I do think a synthetic stock seems preferable on a rifle where the barrel is connected to the stock and not free floating. Looks like the CVA butt stock would be more helpful in getting a decent cheek weld as well and I get stainless whenever possible. I have no idea of there is a difference in quality between the two,

 

[Mortenson]

Can you look at bolt options also? It's legal to use as long as it's used as a single shot, then if IL ever changes it's law you're ready to go.

 

[yoderjac]

Can you look at bolt options also? It's legal to use as long as it's used as a single shot, then if IL ever changes it's law you're ready to go.

Funny how the game laws and technology change over time. In my county only shotguns were permitted for a long time, buckshot or slug. I spent many years using a 12 gauge Benelli Super Black Eagle with a rifled barrel and lightfield hybrid slugs for many years. As time went on, they really improved the effective range of 20 gauge which is now longer range than 12 gauge. Of course the reason for the restriction is safety. Once projectiles begin to tumble they don't go far.

So, I did my research and was on the verge of buying a good 20 gauge slug gun when the county changed the restriction. They now allow rifles for deer in the county? What happened? Did the population decline? What changed the perception of safety? My best guess is that it was dog hunters. Here in VA, they hunt deer with dogs. It is an old tradition. For years it was good ole boys with cb radios, pickup trucks pulled along the road, chatting and drinking while the dogs chased deer toward them. Not a great image for hunting. I'm not suggesting all dog hunters do this, but it was the face of dog hunting. As the land got carved up into smaller parcels, and hunters attrited in general, dog hunters died off even faster. I think the county was primarily worried about these dog hunters. It was not uncommon for there to be shooting incidents but with buckshot, few died.

I think on the other end of the spectrum, non-dog hunters were doing more muzzleloader hunting and the range of muzzleloaders was improving to the point where it was hard to justify banning rifles based on safety. I've got a legit 300 yard smokeless muzzleloader now.

My point is that you are smart to prepare for possible changes to the regulations when it comes to equipment.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[roymunson]

My father in law has the CVA Scout in 45/70 and kills em dead. They're inexpensive guns, but shoot as well as you need them to.

I don't know the Henry Single shot, but i have a 350 thats a cheap CVA Cascade bolt gun. Not the smoothest action in the world, but it puts bullets where i need them.

I think you'll probably get the job done with either, but the look of the Henry trumps the look of the Scout, IMO

 

[Bszweda]

My new guns Henry single shot (357 mag), Winchester xpr (350 legend), then a cva optima. I bought the 357 magnum as I couldn’t find it in 350 legend. Then decided to get the xpr as my local gun store had one available. ( gonna have to figure out how to pin / block the mag).

 

[chaded]

So far this week we have added another 4 deer to our .350 legend kills. 3 bang flops and one ran 30 yards.

Two nice does my brother in law and I doubled up on tonight.

 

[Booner21]

If you had to choose would you get a CVA Scout or Henry single shot in 350? I've decided on 350 due to ammo availability.

I ordered 3 scouts for my boys, local gun shop said everyone he has set up has been very much a sub moa gun and he has done a lot of them. I also have a scout in 45/70 converted to a ml it is a 1/2 in at 100 yard gun, trigger is decent and a nice lightweight gun. If I would known the axis xp Black Friday special I may have went that route.

My boys are getting them for Christmas so I will have a range report shortly after then.


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[roymunson]

Good to see. Had my 8 year old out with ours last night. the buck makes a left hand turn and he comes right to us. He went right.

It'll be getting a workout this weekend.

 

[DJN]

My 350 worked as advertised yesterday evening. Granted it was only a 30 yard shot and slight quartering too, but heart shot with an exit wound. Ran 30 yards with a U-turn halfway and crashed 10 yards from where he was shot. To say it was a significant blood trail would be an understatement. Using a Ruger American with 150gr Maker TRex copper bullet.

 

[Mortenson]

I'm still leaning 450 BM for myself. Nothing is in stock right now, so I guess I have time to research longer. I wanted to get the Bergara B-14 Ridge, but it doesn't have a detachable magazine, so it's illegal. Next best affordable options at this point would be a Savage or CVA Scout single shot.

 

[roymunson]

I'm still leaning 450 BM for myself. Nothing is in stock right now, so I guess I have time to research longer. I wanted to get the Bergara B-14 Ridge, but it doesn't have a detachable magazine, so it's illegal. Next best affordable options at this point would be a Savage or CVA Scout single shot.

If you're not recoil shy, a 450 is the one you want. the 350 is a little flatter, a little faster, and a lighter recoiling gun. If it came to knocking one in the shoulder, I'd want the 450 or my 444 as the gun to anchor them down. The 350 will usually do the same, but not with the same surety as the heavier guns

 

[chaded]

My 350 worked as advertised yesterday evening. Granted it was only a 30 yard shot and slight quartering too, but heart shot with an exit wound. Ran 30 yards with a U-turn halfway and crashed 10 yards from where he was shot. To say it was a significant blood trail would be an understatement. Using a Ruger American with 150gr Maker TRex copper bullet.

My brother in law and his kids use something else but I have been using the Winchester deer season xp and I haven’t had any issues at all. The big doe i shot last night was a hard quartering to shot at 70 yards and the one front shoulder I hit was completely destroyed along with the vitals.

 

[Mortenson]

My son's 350 legend will be legal here come 1/1/23. I know you guys have talked about hitting your spots carefully. Should I advise him to aim for the shoulder or needle it just behind? Same ammo as bwoods, the 160 grain copper from Bear Creek.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

My son's 350 legend will be legal here come 1/1/23. I know you guys have talked about hitting your spots carefully. Should I advise him to aim for the shoulder or needle it just behind? Same ammo as bwoods, the 160 grain copper from Bear Creek.

My $0.02 is "aim for the shoulder" can mean different things. When I was a kid I would have assumed the shoulder was the front quarter where the muscular outline can be seen. A lot of that isn't going to be bone. If it's aim for the scapula (which is high) it seems like that might be tough advice for a kid. I've cut up a bunch of deer and elk and I'm not sure I'd know exactly where the scapula is all the time as it moves around with different leg positions.

Seems like on a pure broadside shot going straight up the front leg half the height of the body cavity gives a kid good odds at making a good shot.

 

[Booner21]

My son's 350 legend will be legal here come 1/1/23. I know you guys have talked about hitting your spots carefully. Should I advise him to aim for the shoulder or needle it just behind? Same ammo as bwoods, the 160 grain copper from Bear Creek.

Our aim spot for the kids while not with the legend is straight up the back of front leg and half way up the body. Easy for kids to pick and has proved very lethal. They started shooting ml loads going at speeds of pistol bullets very seldom have we not watched the deer fall.


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