New Savage Axis .350 Legend

[Acknott]

I just picked up a .350 legend today and noticed most of the ammo is in the 150-170 grain range. Do they have any 200 or 200+ grain loads for it? It seems to be a really nice gun but there doesn't seem to be too much out for it.

[FergusonTO35]

Roll your own is the way to go I say!

[cwlongshot]

There is a 260 sub load... but near as I femember no 145, 150, 165,170 & 180 g offerings from at least four suppliers.

Making your own is only way now.

I like the 200 & 230 MP bullets myself. But that 200 LEE is a dandy too

CW

[richhodg66]

Do you live in a state that requires straight walled cartridges? If not, I've always wondered what the appeal of that cartridge is.

I do shoot .35s and the RCBS 200 grain FP is a great bullet, hunting or target. As mentioned, the 200 grain Lee is a clone of that RCBS bullet and has the advantage of being available in their great six-cavity blocks.

[cwlongshot]

Speaking for myself. I can use anything 243 or larger to 502 for big game on 10acres or more.

BUT many parcels are small where good deer are found. Meaning with no leaves, ya may see a roof or see lights in the dark. Your plenty safe but you know folks are near and the excessive noise and range capabul from say 30/06 class cartridges simply are not appropriate.

I turned to the 45 Colt WAY BACK and its been awesome! Then in the mid '80's the Maximum cane ta be and I switched to that in the Contender and later the H&R carbines but wanted a repeater.

couple years ago this "Legend" showed up and I was thrilled then QUICKLY DEFLATED when I learned of the stupidity of the .355 bullet and case design eliminating use of common 223 cases and the countless dozens of propper 35 cal bullets on shelves across the country. BUT Looking at this caliber as a bullet caster... WHAT DID I CARE OF DIA?!?!? I ordered a rifle and pretty quickly it arrived. As matter of facts it was here before ammo was found!!!

There is more, allot more to this caliber then just used where it's mandated. Its a DANDY med range big game caliber! Keep the shots under 200 and you will not want for a "better" caliber. You will enjoy LIGHT RECOIL miserly powder appetites and light weight!

For you, (and me) it shoots that DANDY RCBS 35-200FP bullet very very well! (Or the lee copy!)

CW

[SSGOldfart]

It's about the same as a 357Maximum, recoil is lighter than the Maximum and more Rifles are available( most of the time) lol.

[richhodg66]

"There is more, allot more to this caliber then just used where it's mandated. Its a DANDY med range big game caliber! Keep the shots under 200 and you will not want for a "better" caliber. You will enjoy LIGHT RECOIL miserly powder appetites and light weight!"

And the .35 Remington plus quite a few others have been doing exactly that for a century. I can do anything I need regarding deer hunting with a .30-30 using cast.

Have to scratch my head over how many people hate on the 6.5 Creedmoor because it's new and does what other century old cartridges did for years but everybody falls all over themselves about this one when all of the same arguments about the Creedmoor and more apply to the Legend.

[cwlongshot]

Not the same. The Legend works in a MSR the 35 Rem with near identical ballistics cannot. The Legend can plink or vermin hunt with 9mm bullets most reloaders already have on there benches. Altho the 35 Ram can also its a might small so accuracy will likely suffer PLUS seating a non crimped bullet in a tube is a recipe for "stuffing".

"I can do anything I need deer hunting, with a 30/30 Cast!" I wont touch taht argument with a ten foot pole. Actually Im on your side arguing FOR THAT! !!!!!!!

Im a 35 cal nut there aint allot I have t seen or done with them and appreciate them all.


But 100% agreed on the thinking. I have owned shot and hunted the Swede for decades. Many of these folks with there woke mentality think the creed is something specail. What the creed does is allow better use if the longer bullet because of its faster twist. I moved from the swede to the 6.5/06 and aside from the dandy lil grendel I dont look back. With the Grendel and my 6.5/06 I can do anything 6.5 I might ever need.

CW

[Acknott]

I do live in a straight wall restricted state, and it has to be less than 1.80" case length. I really like the gun and it is very smooth with the 150gr deer season rounds I bought with it, (mainly to have 20pcs of brass available right away). I have been looking at the lee mold as well as the RCBS 180gr Silhouette mold. It is gas checked and can be sized to .356, with a total gas checked and lubed weight of 195-200 grains. I am thinking a BHN of 15-17 for either bullet, and starting with 23 grains of Lil Gun. Any reason why that wont work? Check for pressure and maybe load up from there until I see signs and then back off a grain or 2?

[cwlongshot]

I have the Saeco 180 Silhouette bullet mold. Mine is PB & with my PC its a dandy. But at lower velocities I want a larger meplat for game.

The LEE 200 FP is great!! As is the RCBS it was copied from. Great 35 cal bullets.

IMHO That is a bit hard if you want expansion. You likely wont see 2000 fps. 13-15 is dandy for me @ 1800 ish.

Good luck

CW

[Krag 1901]

I thought the Legend was a good idea, until I found that it takes .355 boolets and special brass. Winchester is like Apple, making rounds that only take their parts! But I don't live in a straight walled state, and I ain't buying any more guns until my Krag wears out. Might take a while.

[Acknott]

So I decided to test the gun out at a game ranch to see what it would do to a large animal, not really hunting but meat in the freezer and a good test for the gun. Shot a 1300lb Longhorn bull just under the horns and git a pass through on the skull and completely broke the spine at the brain stem. This is a nice caliber. I have some HI-TEK coated cast 158 grain I have been shooting at the range at about 22-2300fps with decent results so far. Still no heavy molds yet though. I see no problems using this gun on deer or hogs at 200yds in the coming year, maybe a Bison next year, we will see.

[Earlwb]

I thought the Legend was a good idea, until I found that it takes .355 boolets and special brass. Winchester is like Apple, making rounds that only take their parts! But I don't live in a straight walled state, and I ain't buying any more guns until my Krag wears out. Might take a while.

If I remember correctly, one of the states or is it two states put a weird limit on bullet diameter thus the .355" came about because of some states have a law out there about it. Straight wall case and a weird bullet diameter rule too.

But since you can use regular 9mm bullets with it, it would be theoretically cheaper for reloading and making practice or target ammo for it. As soon as the ammo shortage is over though. But you could always run the bigger .357" bullets though a resizer die before using them too.