An ever increasing interest in hunting with a straight walled cartridge led Winchester to develop the .350 Legend. When compared to other cartridges, it effectively combines energy and penetration demands while producing less recoil for similar performance

The .350 Legend offers more energy than the .30-30 Winchester, .300 Blackout or the .223 Remington. To keep costs affordable for the consumer, the .350 Legend utilizes manufacturing capabilities that combine Winchester’s ability to make .223 brass with its ability to make .35 caliber projectiles. (The .350 Legend features a tapered case.) It proved shooter friendly and exhibited less recoil than straight walled cartridges popular in states that require use of a .35 caliber or larger load for deer hunting. The Legend even features 20 percent less recoil than a .243 Winchester and penetrates deeper.

Since the 2018 whitetail season began, G & A staff have backed up these impressive numbers. Winchester’s initial 150 grain Deer Season XP features a polymer tip that improves the bullet’s ballistic coefficient and ensures expansion down to an impact velocity of 1,500 feet per second (fps). With a muzzle velocity of 2,290 fps out of a 20-inch barrel, the .350 Legend also offers hunters longer effective reach.

Since its introduction, Winchester has also developed five additional loads while shooters are finding popular makes of rifles that take the cartridge beyond the bolt action. We are now seeing popular semiautomatic platforms and barrels such as those from CMMG and Ruger chambering the .350 Legend.

Guns & Ammo December 2019

• Always treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Keep your finger straight an off of the trigger until your sights are on the target.
• Never point the muzzle of your firearm at anything that you are not willing to shoot.
• Know your target and what lies beyond it.

In the “old” days almost everyone had a “wheel gun” sitting in the sock drawer at home, carried in a leather holster, or sometimes just shoved into a pant’s pocket. It was what was most available then. Revolvers for defensive use are not for beginners, and if you want to learn to shoot a revolver start with a .22. Revolvers seem simple, but are more challenging than autos in almost every respect. Most new shooters are recoil sensitive and almost all of the revolver’s recoil is absorbed by your hand. With an auto a lot of recoil is soaked up by the operation of the gun. 

Some of the worst “training” scars I’ve seen occurred when new shooters fired their first shots with a medium or large bore revolver. Plus, factory revolver triggers are heavy, requiring up to 12 lbs. of pressure. Even with a trigger job the DA weight of the trigger, which is the only way you shoot, will still be about seven lbs. For shooters without much hand strength a smooth trigger stroke is difficult to achieve, especially over long periods of time.

There are many reasons revolvers are ideal for home defense. “But,” you say, “they’re old and famous for their lack of stopping power.” Yes, they’re old, production on what we know as the DA revolver seriously began in the early 1900s. The fact they are old is precisely why they’re still in use today, it’s a proven design.

To cure the “lack of stopping power” simply use defensive ammo. Prior to HP ammo, most everyone
used military type ball ammo, designed to penetrate without transferring much of its energy into the body. Some used “wadcutters,” a pure lead round with a flat nose, which was supposed to expand, but often didn’t penetrate enough.

Pair up modern defensive ammo with a revolver, which come in impressive calibers, and you’ve got a proven package. Just keep in mind no pistol does a good job of stopping threats. Multiple shots, usually three to four, will probably be required. However, .357 and .44 Magnums do perform better than other calibers, including the various autos. As long as you do your job, the five, six, seven, or eight round revolver has plenty of ammo, so capacity isn’t an issue, particularly for home defense.

Revolvers, regardless of caliber, are very accurate, even short barreled “snubbies.” Numerous documented situations have shown the revolver, in the right hands, is capable of making “long” shots to end the fight. They’re also ideal for close quarter situations, like in your home where distances can be compressed and tight. The attacker is literally on top of you. You jam the weapon against his ribcage and press the trigger. With a semi-auto the pressure against the threat’s body can push the slide out of battery and the pistol will not fire in this condition. With a revolver, especially shrouded/hidden hammer revolvers, if you can press the trigger, the cylinder will rotate and the hammer has free travel. It will fire.

The wheelgun is extremely versatile, unusually so when it comes to “fit.” Since revolvers come in a variety of sizes it’s easy to switch back and forth between a small compact gun for concealment, like an S & W J-frame, and larger K, L, or N frames to fit any needs yet maintain consistency in platform, operation and caliber.

It’s easy to swap out stocks too. For a home defense revolver where concealment isn’t an issue larger stocks may be a better fit, or softer stocks with more cushion for repetitive training and practice or even smaller stocks to fit the hands of another family member. A definite advantage with magnum calibers is the ability to shoot “special” loads during training, greatly reducing recoil and fatigue in the weapon and your hands. An added benefit of most new model revolvers is the ability to attach lights and lasers. Revolvers are versatile, and easily configured for carry and home defense.

Revolvers are “old,” but when paired with modern ammo they are great defensive weapons. When I’m not teaching and have to carry a semi-auto I’m usually wearing revolvers. Should you decide to go down the revolver path get instruction. Revolver manipulations are complex, and none of it is instinctual. To load, unload and reload you can keep it in the strong hand, or transition it to the support hand. There are multiple ways to carry ammo too.

Even if you don’t plan to own one, you should get some instruction on how they work. It’s a good idea to know how to handle any type of weapon and there are a lot of revolvers out there. Plus, they are fun to shoot, and for you it may be something new, with an old design.

Revolvers for self defense are not for beginners, or what I call “amateur” defensive owners, those who get little or no training, and less practice. However, in the hands of knowledgeable, experienced shooters they are very effective, and one of their best roles is in home defense.

Tiger McKee American Handgunner July/August 2019

One of the tasks we accomplish when resizing a cartridge case during reloading is moving the shoulder back so the cartridge can headspace properly in the chamber. The problem is that few handloaders are able to quantify just how far they are “bumping” the shoulder. Years ago, I was taught to adjust the die until the rifle’s bolt would just close on a resized case, a technique that works but it isn’t necessarily repeatable. Excessive resizing can shorten case life and reduce accuracy. The solution is to use a gauge, such as Hornady’s Lock-N-Load Headspace Comparator, to determine the precise amount of movement. This set includes five bushings that accommodate a variety of cartridges. The bushings are used in conjunction with a caliper and Hornady’s Anvil Base, which secures the bushing to the caliper.

A fired case is placed into the jaws of the caliper, and the bushing intersects with the case datum line, the position at which headspace occurs. Take a measurement and write it down or, with a digital caliper, zero out the readout. Adjust the sizing die until it just touches the shellholder with the press’s ram at its topmost position, then back the die off one quarter turn. Lube and resize the case. Remeasure the case and subtract the second measurement from the first. The figure that remains is the amount of headspace change that has occurred on the case. John Whidden, a six time national champion long range shooter and custom reloading die maker, (who includes a similar gauge with each of his sizing dies) recommends 0.001” to 0.002” of headspace on bolt action rifles and 0.004” to 0.005” for repeaters. This quantifiable and repeatable technique ensures minimal brass stretching, increases case life and often increases accuracy.

Our longest standing event, Bulls Eye is still going strong. Meeting every Monday morning and Wednesday evening, the Group will be gearing up to return to outdoor shooting as the weather improves.

As Spring get closer and closer the 2020 Season of Events is getting underway for our club. Starting in January we had 7 members show up to shoot Steel Challenge. For Pistol Caliber Carbine Optic (PCCO) James Caldwell took first place (65.20), For Center Fire Pistol Optic (CFPO) David Belmont took first place (83.99), for Center Fire Revolver Optic (CFRO) Euguene Econ took first place (92.41), for Center Fire Pistol Iron (CRPI) Axel Schuller took first place (130.32), RIm Fire Pistol Optic (RFPO) Gene Robinson took first place (190.85), and Rim Fire Pistol Irons (RFPI) Chris Wilder took first place (313.73). Full results can be found here

Coming this spring (April 26th at 10:00)  we will also be demoing a Center Fire Rifle match headed by Chris Wilder and Bill Small. For more information click this link.

All Club events and Range closures are on the calendar as far in advance as we can and if less than thirty days we will send an email to the members to let them know!

Hope to see you all at an event! Remember the club calendar is posted at www.wenrrc.org/calendar

David Belmont, WRRC President and Chairman of the Events Committee