Ruger Releases New Rifles Chambered in 350 Legend at NRAAM

Rifles chambered in .350 Legend, like this new Ruger AR-556 MPR seen in Indy last week, are not exclusively destined for the so-called “straight-wall states” but you can bet that sportsmen there will be interested. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Ruger had three rifles chambered for the new Winchester-designed straight-walled .350 Legend cartridge at the NRA Annual Meeting in Indy last week.

The new round, which premiered at SHOT Show earlier this year and caused buzz for its attributes that included a claim to the throne of the fastest production straight wall cartridge on the market, offers more energy than the classic .30-30 Win. with less recoil than the .243 Win. Ruger this month added the chambering to two models of their American Ranch Rifle and one of their AR-556 MPR.

“We heard our customers loud and clear, and are proud to answer their call,” said Ruger President and CEO Chris Killoy. “We anticipate the woods of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and many other states will be full of new Ruger rifles this fall.”

The .350-caliber MPR uses a 16.38-inch nitrided barrel with a radial-port muzzle brake that uses 1/2x28TPI threads. The rifle includes a Ruger Elite 452 AR-trigger, Magpul furniture and a 15-inch free-float handguard with M-LOK slots. MSRP is $1,099.

The two models of Ruger American Ranch rifles chambered for the new round differ by having a standard (13.75-inch) and compact (12.50-inch) lengths of pull on a flat dark earth synthetic stock. The rifles feature a 16.38-inch cold hammer-forged threaded barrel with a 1-in-16-inch twist rate. They come standard with a five-round metal AR-style magazine, one-piece Picatinny scope base, Ruger Marksman adjustable trigger, and an ambi tang safety. MSRP is $549.

The Ruger American Ranch Rifles chambered in .350 Legend both have an FDE stock and 16.38-inch barrels, differing in their stock length-of-pull.

Aimed at the increasing number of “straight-wall-cartridge-compliant” deer-hunting states, the .350 looks to capitalize on the trend that has seen new rounds such as the .450 Bushmaster grow in popularity in the past few years. Winchester contends the Legend offers a flatter trajectory and better terminal performance over their competitors while remaining compliant in most states.

Winchester is currently offering the Legend in a variety of loads including a 350-grain open tip Super Suppressed subsonic, a 150-grain Extreme Point, a 145-grain FMJ, and a 180-grain Power Point.