400 Legend vs 350 Legend

The ammunition industry is seeing a blizzard of new cartridges, especially straight-wall rounds. Thanks to modern laws that make these rounds legal for hunting in certain areas (where necked cartridges are prohibited), demand for straight-wall ammo is high; manufacturers are responding in kind. In 2019, the .350 Legend made its debut. In 2023, it was time for the .400 Legend, which was designed to meet a growing demand for higher power in a straight-wall cartridge.

Making the selection between one or the other can seem tough, but this useful comparison will help you make the best choice.

400 Legend vs 350 Legend Summary

The 400 legend is a larger cartridge that delivers slightly more velocity out of your rifle barrel than 350 legend. In turn, it also packs more energy toward your target. There are currently more ammo and firearm options for the 350 legend, however. Both cartridges are straight-walled and perfect for states that have restrictions on bottlenecked calibers.

Specs of .350 Legend vs .400 Legend

Physical Differences

There are clear physical differences between these two cartridges. Both are straight-wall rounds with an overall length of roughly two and a quarter inches. That’s about where the similarities stop. The .400 Legend, as you probably surmised, is bigger and heavier. It has a wider bullet, wider case, and wider base. It also has a larger case capacity, so it packs more thrust behind a heavier projectile.

Although bullet weights overlap, the .350 Legend has lighter projectiles than the .400. Most .350 bullets range from about 150 to 180 grain, while .400 projectiles are 190, 215, and 300 grain, although the last bullet is for subsonic shooting.

Pricing and Market Conditions

Both of these cartridges are new. In an industry that relies on products invented decades ago, even a century in the past, cartridges created in the 21st century are newcomers. A product released in 2023 is a virtual newborn. Few manufacturers have taken up these cartridges, so options are still limited. However, the overall market for the .350 Legend, which has been around since 2019, is slightly better.

Currently, across the entire industry, there are three options for the .400 Legend. All come from Winchester: 215- and 190-grain hunting rounds, and a subsonic 300-grain round for suppressed shooting. The .350 Legend may not enjoy the mass adoption of a .233 Remington, but it has a head start on the .400. Winchester currently has six options for the .350 Legend, and makers like Browning, Barnes, Hornady, Underwood, and Federal offer products in this space.

With more options, including budget-friendly FMJ rounds, the .350 Legend tends to have better affordability as well. Also, the cartridge can be fired from a wider variety of rifles, including semiautomatic, bolt-action, and even single-shot rifles. The .400 Legend is currently limited to mostly bolt-action rifles.

Conditions may change (and likely will), but currently the .350 Legend has a more user-friendly, diverse market.

350 Legend vs 400 Legend Ballistics

Because there are only three .400 Legend products available, and we want our comparisons to be as fair as possible, we used the three same product lines for both. Since the .400 is limited to Power Point, Deer Season XP, and Super Suppressed, those are the three options we selected for the .350 Legend.

Here’s how they fared…

Velocity

The .400 Legend is slightly faster than the .350. But it’s not an overwhelming victory. The subsonic rounds have the same speeds from the beginning, but the .400 Legend seems to maintain better downrange speed. It is faster in the non-subsonic rounds as well, but the advantage is about 150 to 200 fps. That’s hardly enough to drive a shooter’s choice.

Still, the .400 Legend has better speeds, although you can find .350 rounds with more velocity. For example, the 145-grain FMJ from Winchester has a listed muzzle velocity of 2,350 fps, which is faster than all current .400 Legend options.

Energy

Heavier bullets and more speed. This creates an easy victory for the .400 Legend. In this case, it’s a clear victory, as the .400 has energies roughly 600 to 700 ft-lbs higher than the .350. Even the suppressed round has a clear advantage in energy.

These stats fulfill the purpose of the .400 Legend, which was created to give straight wall hunters even more power and capability.

Winner: Draw

Trajectory

Neither of these is considered a long-range cartridge. That said, shooters want as straight a trajectory as possible. For trajectory statistics, it’s essentially the same. The only significant standout is the 190-grain XP, which only drops 2 inches at 200 yards when zeroed to 100. All other products drop seven inches or more. This gives the .400 an edge, but, with the larger selection, .350 users can likely find flatter trajectories than the ones we looked at.

Choosing the .350 or .400: Which Legend Do You Prefer

These are excellent options for both hunters and shooters. If you want reliable performance and a reasonable price for short-range to mid-range shooting, you can’t go wrong with either.

Hunters who want a little more reach, however, may prefer the .400 Legend, as it has slightly more power both at the muzzle and down the range. The 350 Legend, with lighter power statistics, offers less recoil, making it more comfortable for high-volume shooting. If an afternoon of affordable shooting is your priority, the .350 Legend will be a better option.

Either way, you’ll find affordable rounds with reliable service, so place your order today!