350 legend factory ammo results

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  • camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    There no ammo section so i'm sticking this here.

    350 legend factory ammo results with my new 350 legend AR upper. As far as the build is was a more or less parts-i-have-laying around except for the Faxon 20" barrel and I put a Geissele trigger in the lower.

    sighted in with standard 145 grain Winchester FM ( middle group below). I have not calipered it but looks about 2 MOA. All these targets are from 100yds. Edit: 1.51 MOA/5 shot group
    edit: this chronos at 2237 fps avg from a 20" barrel (32 fps sd)

    Hornady 165gr FTX Custom (left): dogshit. I had to aim like 4" high to get in in the circle and it was all over the map. I pulled some of the bullets they were seated weird. I was very disappointed. Ammo QC during the pandemic is crap.

    Edit: So apparently feeding issues in a SWC cause accuracy issues. If the bulletsjam in the brass while feeding, it can cause accuracy issues. I fixed the feeding issues now I print acceptable groups with this (see image)

    chrono: 2258 avg 7.6 sd for the group shown. 1.35 MOA

    Hornady Whitetail 170 gr soft point (right). looks sub MOA to my eye - 3 if the 5 bullets touching. The 5th flier was 100% me. Edit:0.86 MOA/4 shot group

    edit: this chronos at 2275 fps avg from a
    20" barrel (12 fps sd)

    Winchester 160 sp I may paper.: I shot some a range session ago so i know it groups better than the Winchester target, but i did not paper the results. tbh today I kinda quit after the Hornady Whitetail because clearly thats what I am going with.

    See below. After I fixed the feeding issues I was able to get an acceptable group. 2278 fps avg, 22.8 sd. 1.6 MOA

    Here are ballistics gel results of the 170 Hornady whitetail (there are others as well on this yt channel).



    Add 11/11: I got a hold of some factory Browning 155 gr BXR.

    avg speed 2,236 ( 15 shots)
    sd 27 fps
     

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    • Ballistic-X-Export-Browning 155gr.jpg
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    Last edited:

    pre64hunter

    Active Member
    Mar 19, 2010
    643
    Harford County
    350 in Ruger American

    I shot 3 different Ruger American Ranches a few weeks ago, all 16" barrels with 2.5x8 Leupolds @100yards. Plus we have another that shoots the 170 Hornady best, the others shoot the Winchester 150XP around an inch. All 4 guns shoot similar to each other and everything shot good for a short barrel short range deer rifle. Better than a shotgun I think. We shot 5 deer last year with the 170 Hornady Whitetail, ranges from 30 yards to 213, all past through shots and the deer didn't go far.
     

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    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    I wanted to try the Winchester 150 with the XP, but its been out of stock everywhere until recently. I've read a lot of good reviews though. Now I am loaded up with the Hornady 170.

    Way better than shotgun!
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    i edited my post. I fixed feeding issues with my magazines and all my groups tightened up (except Hornady 170 sp, which were already tight).
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    So if you have an AR upper my advice is to make sure to work out feeding issues. Depending which barrel you have, some are more prone to feeding issues than others.

    Feeding issues equals accuracy issues with a SWC. I was getting dogshit results with two kinds of ammo until I worked out the feeding issues which required me to mod my magazines. See: https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=260418. When the bullet jams in the brass during feeding, the bullet does not present to the rifling consistently. With a SWC the bullet is not crimped so it seems easy to dislodge. Look at your brass, look for signs the brass is deformed or slightly bulged because the cartridge got rammed into the feed ramp.

    As far as grain weight etc, any of the common loads (Hornday 165 ftx or 170 soft point, or Winchester 150 xp, 160 hollow point, or 180 hp) will kill deer very dead. They won't travel far.

    But the grain weight and bullet style is irrelevant if you can't hit the deer or your gun jams.

    tbh, you may not have a lot of choice. Stock is limited, some of these get bought out of stock quick. Now that ive worked out the feed issues, I would trust any of them inside 150 yds.
     

    USArmyJoe

    Pretty good shot
    Oct 5, 2021
    163
    AA County
    Thanks, I appreciate this. I have two of the CMMG mags, and I got some cheaper ammo for sighting in my scope. I'll fine tune it with some of that Hornady. Thanks!
     

    platoonDaddy

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 30, 2011
    4,125
    SouthOfBalto
    i edited my post. I fixed feeding issues with my magazines and all my groups tightened up (except Hornady 170 sp, which were already tight).

    What did you do to fix ur feeding issues. I have a Ruger American with Duramag magazines that came with the Ruger.

    Forget to state the feed issue - the rounds comes out at such an extreme angle it doesn’t follow the feed ramp. It gets jammed sideways and doesn’t enter the chamber.

    Browning FMJ 125 gr, zero issues

    Win 150 gr extreme point, many feeding issues

    Win 160 gr bonded protected HP, zero issues.

    What bore brush or snake do. U use to clean ur 350 legend
     

    Batt816

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 1, 2018
    4,087
    Eastern Shore
    What did you do to fix ur feeding issues. I have a Ruger American with stock magazines.

    Browning FMJ 125 gr, zero issues

    Win 150 gr extreme point, many feeding issues

    Win 160 gr bonded protected HP, zero issues.

    What bore brush or snake do. U use to clean ur 350 legend

    Have you tried calling Ruger? They will probably send you new mags to try.
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    What did you do to fix ur feeding issues. I have a Ruger American with Duramag magazines that came with the Ruger.

    Forget to state the feed issue - the rounds comes out at such an extreme angle it doesn’t follow the feed ramp. It gets jammed sideways and doesn’t enter the chamber.

    Browning FMJ 125 gr, zero issues

    Win 150 gr extreme point, many feeding issues

    Win 160 gr bonded protected HP, zero issues.

    What bore brush or snake do. U use to clean ur 350 legend

    Have you tried calling Ruger? They will probably send you new mags to try.

    350 legend is known to be finicky depending on the barrel maker and the feed ramps. It's not the magazine per se. If the feed ramp is too steep, the straight walled cartridge can jam before it lifts out of the mag. A lot depends on the overall length, the taper of the brass the manufacturer uses. Longer cartridges like polymer tipped jam more than the fmj flat nosed.

    First caveat: I have an AR and not a Ruger American. This may or may not work.

    Mine was jamming similarly to how yours sounds. Basically jamming the feed ramp before it left the mag.

    What I did is posted in another thread. basically what ended up working is shortening the magazine feed lips about .25" The cartridge will come up from the mag earlier.

    see post # 3 here with pictures

    https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=260418

    Other ppl have also had luck dremeling a bit off the front of the magazine or polishing the feed ramp.

    Since I've fixed my mags I've gone through quite a bit experimenting with trajectories at 200 yds.

    Also: I don't clean my guns. :lol2: but if I did I'd use a normal 9mm bore snake.
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    also, I should note: I now have 3 kinds of mags: Ruger Duramag, CMMG, and Midway AR Stoner. They are literally all the same. I read on another place only one company makes mags and they are simply rebranded. It sure looks that way to me.
     

    outobie

    Active Member
    Mar 7, 2012
    142
    Annapolis
    Thanks for the write up I also just built a 350 upper with the faxon 20” gunner barrel. I’m running Winchester 150 and it seems to run pretty smooth
     

    platoonDaddy

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 30, 2011
    4,125
    SouthOfBalto
    Just hung up with Ruger with a RMA. Shipping it back with both magazines.

    Great CS, hopefully they solve my very annoying issue.


    Will give update..
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    Just hung up with Ruger with a RMA. Shipping it back with both magazines.

    Great CS, hopefully they solve my very annoying issue.


    Will give update..

    Hopefully you can tell what they fixed, it would be very useful. Unfortunately, sometimes a rifle simply slips through QC and the manufacturers are very vague.
     

    platoonDaddy

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 30, 2011
    4,125
    SouthOfBalto
    Ruger shipping my rifle back. Said they replaced the bolt. Believe they fixed a symptom vs the cause.

    Friend said, I guess something in the lower geometry of the bolt as it feeds the cartridge??

    When I receive & test, will post results
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    Maybe the bolt face had some rough edges. I have read that polishing the bolt face allows the brass to slide better during feeding.

    Hope they fixed it!
     

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