350 Legend Recoil: How Much Does It Have Compared To Other Rifle Cartridges?
How hard does the 350 Legend recoil? Compared to similar rifle cartridges, the 350 Legend has minimal recoil. It is designed to minimize recoil, conserve enough power to ethically harvest deer out to 200 yards, and comply with certain states’ hunting laws requiring straight-walled cartridges.
Before diving into the specifics of recoil, make sure you're stocked up on 350 Legend ammo for your testing and hunting needs. Once that's done, let's find out exactly how much recoil the 350 Legend has, what affects recoil, and how to reduce it if needed.
How Much Recoil Does 350 Legend Have?
The 350 Legend generates around 10 to 11 ft-lbs of recoil energy, depending on the circumstances. This is on par with many other hunting rifle cartridges. The ever-popular for beginners 243 Winchester has slightly less recoil, ranging from 8 to 11 ft-lbs (in most cases). The 308 Winchester generates more recoil energy: 13 to 15 ft-lbs.
The 10 to 11 ft-lbs of recoil energy generated by the 350 Legend is very manageable for the average shooter. Fifteen ft-lbs is typically the threshold where shooters begin finding the recoil of a cartridge uncomfortable.
Factors That Influence Recoil
One shooter might claim the 350 Legend's recoil is unbearable, while another will say it's minimal. This illustrates an important point: "Felt recoil" is subjective. It varies from shooter to shooter, and therefore isn't a valid measurement.
Free recoil energy, on the other hand, is objective. We can measure it if we know the cartridge's projectile weight, propellant weight, and muzzle velocity, as well as the weight of the firearm.
For example, a 350 Legend cartridge with 23 grains of propellant firing a 170 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,125 fps from a 7-pound rifle generates 10.28 ft-lbs of recoil energy. A 180 grain bullet backed by 23 grains of propellant fired at a muzzle velocity of 2,100 fps from a 7-pound rifle generates 11.01 ft-lbs of recoil.
How Does 350 Legend Recoil Compare to Other Cartridges?
The 350 Legend has little recoil compared to other hunting cartridges, making it an excellent choice for new hunters and recoil-sensitive shooters. However, it does not offer the same effective range and trajectory of many other higher-recoil cartridges.
The preceding statement shouldn't concern you if you live in a state that requires a straight-walled hunting cartridge. If you don't live in such a state, then you might have better options.
| Cartridge | Free Recoil Energy |
|---|---|
| 300 Blackout | 4 ft-lbs |
| 223 Remington | 5.5 ft-lbs |
| 6.5 Grendel | 6 ft-lbs |
| 22-250 Remington | 7.7 ft-lbs |
| 243 Winchester | 9 ft-lbs |
| 30-30 Winchester | 10 ft-lbs |
| 350 Legend | 10.5 ft-lbs |
| 6.5 Creedmoor | 12 ft-lbs |
| 6.5 PRC | 16 ft-lbs |
| 308 Winchester | 17.6 ft-lbs |
| 450 Bushmaster | 22.2 ft-lbs |
How to Reduce 350 Legend Recoil
Though the 350 Legend doesn't have much recoil, some shooters and hunters prefer to reduce it further. To lower 350 Legend recoil, use a heavier rifle, add weight to your existing rifle, or use ammo with a lighter bullet and/or lower muzzle velocity. You can also install a muzzle brake at the end of your rifle barrel, which will make recoil more manageable and forgiving during a long day of shooting. Upgrading the butt pad on your rifle's stock with a more forgiving one will also help your shoulder feel less wear at the range.
To experience the maximum amount of recoil reduction, combine all the abovementioned methods. It's also important to note that you will experience less recoil when you practice proper form.
Final Take: Is the 350 Legend a Good Choice for Recoil-Sensitive Shooters?
The 350 Legend is a good choice for recoil-sensitive shooters. With only 10 ft-lbs of recoil energy, it's not a shoulder bruiser by any standard. It's ideal for deer hunters in states that require straight-walled cartridges, although many better options are available to those who are at liberty to use a bottleneck cartridge during deer season.
