Bullet or boolit for 350 legend .355 or .357?

[Schreck5]

My SIL finally decided on a 350 legend on an AR15 platform. ( I tried to get him to get it in bolt action). Anyway, I would like to try reloading for it but don't know what size boolit or bullet to use. Some say .355 and others say .357. Also, crimp or no crimp since it headspaces off the case mouth. Thanks, Bruce

[SSGOldfart]

Bruce your most likely need .355 for the AR platform I'm going with.357 (cast) with a bolt gun

[mdi]

I think I would slug the barrel to see what the groove diameter is and with that knowledge, choose a bullet diameter...

[mehavey]

With cast, go with whatever largest will reliably chamber & easily extract (still loaded). Here are several proven examples:




Cast: 357 - 358
Jktd: 356 (180 Speer HotCor 0.358: Lee sized down to 0.356

[fastdadio]

I'm having good results from both in my Bear Creek AR upper. So far I've loaded Hornady FXT 165grs .355" bullets with both w296 and imr4227. I'm getting better results from the 4227. I got a nice size doe last year with this load. About 45 yds. pass through, good expansion, and drt.
Now I'm loading some Matt's Bullets cast 170gr. .357" tc, gc. with the 4227, I'm getting nice groups with starting loads from Hodgdon data on line. First outing showed no leading, reliable cycling, and no deforming of the boolit nose by repeated hand cycling. If I can get through this box of 100 without drama, I'll likely start the hunt for a good quality mold. I've already got one from Accurate picked out that looks good.
https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.p...v49bruvf22in86

[dverna]

My buddy uses the Hornady 165 gr FTX. Three deer...one shot each...loves it.

For the cost of a decent mold, you can buy 200 bullets. It should take about 50 bullets to find a load that outshoots what you will get with cast...leaves you 150 bullets. If you shoot two deer a year, and use two three shot groups to check/adjust scope every year, you can hunt for over 15 years with a good jacketed bullet that expands reliably, is not as affected by first shot out a cold barrel, and is accurate to 200 yards.

Of course, if you like casting, playing with alloy, lubes, finding the right sizing die, and doing lots of load development...casting is the way to go.

[cwlongshot]

I really like those 165 FTX but they like so many ftx are on the soft/fragile side.

A better bullet can be found from Dennis Fury in Michigan.

Flat awesome
Preformance.

Cw

[fastdadio]

I really like those 165 FTX but they like so many ftx are on the soft/fragile side.

A better bullet can be found from Dennis Fury in Michigan.

Flat awesome
Preformance.

Cw

My son shot a deer last week with one. Although it was a pass through, we found the jacket shed in the lung jello. Mostly complete with about 1/3 of a side missing. Showed sign of very good expansion. I thought the jacket was quite thin. Not that is a bad thing. That one was loaded at .5 grn. over a starting load of w296. +/- 1950fps.

[bruce drake]

I don't own one but I believe the barrels are 9mm in diameter so I'd look at a polycoated 358311 at 160gr for a range bullet. I'll defer to others for a heavy 9mm bullet over 147gr. but a 147gr HP over a decent jacketed load should drop most deer pretty easily.

[Petander]

My buddy uses the Hornady 165 gr FTX. Three deer...one shot each...loves it.

For the cost of a decent mold, you can buy 200 bullets. It should take about 50 bullets to find a load that outshoots what you will get with cast...leaves you 150 bullets. If you shoot two deer a year, and use two three shot groups to check/adjust scope every year, you can hunt for over 15 years with a good jacketed bullet that expands reliably, is not as affected by first shot out a cold barrel, and is accurate to 200 yards.

Of course, if you like casting, playing with alloy, lubes, finding the right sizing die, and doing lots of load development...casting is the way to go.

I like this comment.

I cast as a hobby,for mostly hobby guns. I shoot a couple of pounds of cast every week. Hunting is a hobby to me as well.

But I use factory jacketed bullets for all hunting. And competition. And my guests shoot factory loaded ammo in my guns, just in case.

I like the best possible bullet for each and any given task and very rarely can I cast and load the best one, not legally and not by myself. I Just ordered some RWS and Nosler .224 bullets for a gun that's not even mine.

[armednfree]

I tried 158 grain .357 XTP's in my bear creek upper. even using the bottom charge of LiL-Gun shown for the 170 grain (27 grains) it went substantially over pressure. The second round blew the primer and the case looked like it almost had a case head separation.

Not going back there.

[mehavey]

Stay away from Lil'Gun (and H110/W296) in the AR/Legend.
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...8&postcount=93

I don't whether it's extraction timing or the brass/base/web design ...
But stay away from it.

[Moleman-]

mehavey, The pic from the firingline link looks like there is a ring just back from the casemouth. What is it's diameter and who made your barrel?

[rockrat]

I loaded the 165 ftx in my Ruger American. Tried many cast at different diameters and pistol bullets sized down to .356" but no joy except for the 9mm 147gr bullets. Found some 165 ftx and tried different powder, but same results. Finally grabbed some 300MP I had and the light turned on. OK groups but vertical stringing, so up the ladder of powder I went, since I started low. Kept going up slowly, watching primers and velocities, noticing vertical stringing was diminishing. Finally started to get a bit of primer flattening and sound of the shot was changing and velocities were getting decent. Group size was getting a lot smaller. Finally settled on a load that will group 3 shots @100yds in 1/2" or slightly less. Speed was right at 2200fps. No deer showed up at my spot this year, but lots of coyotes yipping just before sunset!!! Probably why no deer. Maybe next year get to see how the load performs, be it deer or coyote!!.

[cwlongshot]

I tried 158 grain .357 XTP's in my bear creek upper. even using the bottom charge of LiL-Gun shown for the 170 grain (27 grains) it went substantially over pressure. The second round blew the primer and the case looked like it almost had a case head separation.

Not going back there.

First glad that you is Ok.

Lil gun is a ornery booger.
It burns very very hot. Just feel your barrel after a shot or two much hotter then most any other powder.
Second if remotely compressed is prone to pressure spikes. These can be quite dangerous.
Many of us have sworn off its use. The few fps lost using other powders is immaterial.

Our esteemed Mehavey recommends against it as well as 296/H110. I have burned a few pounds of 296 and it is just fine for me. (5 different barrels)
Case in fact, 296 is one of my most accurate loadings with a 165 FTX and 170 FURY bullet @ 2260 fps. Three if my barrels love it!! One still shoots it about 1.5". Fifth was returned defective to Faxon.

[mehavey]

Hey !

If your AR/timing likes 296/110, go for it -- great powder.
I use it in the XPR/BOLT LEGEND w/o a problem.
Something about extraction sequencing in the Stoner (only 2@350 Uppers myself) it don't like.

[Moleman-]

mehavey, I've seen similar looking fired cases with the 350L the past couple years. I only got a reamer for 350L this past year, but have been working with the 357AR coming up on 10 years now. So far I haven't run into this issue using H110/W296 or LilGun. I've pushed the 357AR cases pretty hard up to loosening primer pockets after a couple shots without the cases looking like that. I wonder if the bases have more unsuppored area on some batches of ar15 barrels than your XPR or a tighter casemouth diameter in the chamber which is driving up pressure. I know KAK had an early run of ar15 barrels with an improperly cut chamber which was causing similar overpressure issues. While I know you're not, I have seen pics where some newer reloaders have been roll crimping into cannelures or using too large of bullets both which can drive up pressures. Hopefully if it's a case web design issue they'll strengthen it.

[mehavey]

Moleman -- I agree (`have gone so far as to actually write) that it's a combination of case web-thickness/chamber-relief/extraction timing -- a witch's-combo brew if one is not careful.

My problems started w/ Starline and a Durkin Tactical upper (The "Belted Magnum" Legend in the above post). Several others suddenly popped up saying "Me Too!". That's when I started looking at both brass & chamber
See:
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...=1#post5087739
and
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...&postcount=257

Since then I've switch to a CMMG upper with Winchester cases, and everything settled down AR-wise.

The XPR bolt action eats both Starline and the Winchester easily* -- but I've still stayed away from Lil-Gun because Norma-200 turned into such do-all magic stuff.

*... as long as cases are kept between 1.700 and 1.707" everything is copasetic.

[Moleman-]

mehavey, Thank you for the info, especialy the pics and links to the sectioned cases. What peaked my curiosity was a pic over on weaponsguild where a member had the same issue with a cmmg barrel. I thought the expanded area on the case seemed excessivly long. His pic-



I'd bought the 350L reamer because I have a few neices and nephews who's fathers don't reload or I'd of given them a 357AR by now. I've always kept the chamber bevel on the conservative side and it appears to be prudent to continue that with the 350L.