8/28/2024 THIS AMMO IS ON RECALL BY HORNADY, and is DISCONTINUED.

Ever since the “straight wall” legal deer regulations appeared, there has been controversy. Many people, myself included, wonder why traditional whitetail woods cartridges, like the .30-30 and 35 Remington are not legal. It makes no sense. The late Chuck Hawks and others could barely contain their contempt for the 350 Legend. Chuck wrote, “Ballistically, the .350 Legend is a slightly less powerful and less versatile cartridge (depending on the loads compared) than the .35 Remington, when the latter is shooting traditional factory loads that launch a 150 grain Pointed Soft Point bullet (SD .168) at a MV of 2300 fps, or a 200 grain Round Nose bullet (SD .223) at 2080 fps (Remington figures).”

Hornady has changed the game with their Hornady Black 350 Legend 150 grain load that has a muzzle velocity of 2500 fps with a G1 ballistic coefficient of .191. This load handily exceeds both the standard .30-30 and 35 Remington loadings.

Above: Sighted in 2.2 inches high at 100 yards, you are only 2.5 inches low at 200 yards.

The most accurate round of the several 350 Legend examples I tested last year was the 170 grain Hornady American Whitetail Round. In my Savage 110 anyway, the Hornady Black round appears to be just as accurate, but takes the trajectory up a clear notch with less drop, wind drift, and a higher strike velocity as well.

Note: The direct listing on the Hornady website (see above) suggests that the G1 BC is around .190, not the .233 G1 BC as stated. I'm puzzled how the 150 grain Spire Point would have a far higher BC than the 170 grain Spire Point (.215 G1). I've e-mailed Hornady for clarification.

Update, 8/14/2024. Hornady, to their great credit, was very quick to respond. "Thanks for reaching out and pointing out that discrepancy.  After some digging, we found that the published BC value is indeed incorrect.  The correct BC value for the 150 gr. InterLock SP is .191.  We are making the necessary correction to the ammo label and the website.  The difference in BC created an error of about 2” at 300 yards." 

So, the Maximum Point Blank Range, assuming a 6 inch kill zone and the .191 BC with a standard atmosphere is 220 yards at sea level.

There is no substitute for good shot placement, and the Hornady Black 350 Legend round makes it easy to 200 yards, it costs about ninety cents per whitetail, the recoil is trivial, and of course it is legal for whitetail hunting in Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio which is the salient point. Certainly, at the ranges most whitetail are taken east of the Mississippi (inside 100 yards, inside 50 yards in deep cover) any number of cartridges can be used and are.

Someone said, "Making it easy is the hard part." That's what Hornady has done here, with everything you need in a 200 yard whitetail point and shoot rifle and nothing that you don't.