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Winchester 400 Legend

By Mike Dickerson

Some are questionable, but this is one new cartridge that MAKES sense

Winchester’s 350 Legend cartridge has been a hit with hunters, especially in states that ban the use of bottleneck cartridges for deer hunting, but the cartridge left some hunters longing for a straight wall that punches with more authority. Until now, primary alternatives were the shoulder-punishing 450 Bushmaster, 45-70 Govt, or slug-slinging shotguns.

At present, Winchester offers three 400 Legend loads, with bullet weights ranging from 190 grains to 300 grains, each with a specialized purpose.

Winchester has successfully bridged the gap between the 350 Legend and those stout-recoiling alternatives with the new 400 Legend. It produces 25 percent more energy and deeper penetration than its little brother, and it delivers energy on par with the 450 Bushmaster but with considerably less recoil. Compared to a 12-gauge slug gun, the 400 Legend is a clear winner. It delivers 100 percent more energy at 100 yards with half the recoil. Happily, the 400 Legend also works nicely in AR-platform rifles.

The new cartridge’s ballistic performance makes it a great choice for hunting deer, hogs, black bear and other big game within reasonable range. Depending on the load used, the 400 Legend can take deer at up to 300 yards. For larger game, I would likely shave 100 yards off that distance.

The three 400 Legend loads currently offered are, left to right, the reduced-velocity 300-grain Super Suppressed load, a polymer-tipped 190-grain Deer Season XP load, and a 215-grain Power Point load. The hottest of the bunch was the 190-grain Deer Season XP load, which stepped out at 2,453 fps.

To date, Winchester offers three 400 Legend loads: a polymer-tipped 190-grain Deer Season XP load, a 215-grain Power Point load, and a reduced-velocity 300-grain Super Suppressed load. I put all three loads to the test at the range using a Winchester XPR rifle with a 22-inch barrel with a 1:16 rate of twist, topped with a Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10X50 scope. The results were impressive.

The 190-grain Deer Season XP load was the hottest cartridge tested. It launched at a respectable average velocity of 2,453 fps and had the flattest trajectory of the three new loads. Numbers for standard deviation (4.9 fps) and extreme spread (10.8 fps) were the lowest of the tested loads. The 190-grain round printed average 100-yard groups of 1.19 inches and a 0.99-inch best group. Among the available options, this would be my go-to deer cartridge.

Winchester’s 300-grain Super Suppressed subsonic load produced an average muzzle velocity of 983 fps and proved very quiet when paired with Dead Air Silencers’ (www.deadairsilencers.com) Primal suppressor.

The less-aerodynamic 215-grain Power Point load had an average velocity of 2,299 fps. Average group size was 1.14 inches. The best group measured just 0.73 inches. Calculations using factory numbers provide a useful perspective. Zeroed at 150 yards, this round drops 4.9 inches at 200 yards while retaining 1,132 foot-pounds of energy. With its greater bullet mass, this load would be my choice for big hogs, black bear and other big game at reasonable distance.

The 300-grain Super Suppressed load is optimized for use with suppressors and engineered for noise reduction, decreased fouling, and recoil mitigation. I would subjectively rate the recoil of the other two loads about the same as a 308 Win, but I barely noticed the recoil of the Super Suppressed load at the bench. I clocked the load’s muzzle velocity at 983 fps. The load turned in the largest average group size of 1.22 inches, but it also shot the best single group, measuring 0.55 inches.

The 400 Legend proved to be consistently accurate at the bench. All three tested loads turned in average 100-yard groups measuring slightly more than one inch, and all turned in sub-MOA best groups.

As with any new cartridge, it can take time for rifle makers to begin chambering for it. At present, manufacturers producing rifles in 400 Legend include Savage, Winchester, Mossberg, and Ruger, and there are many models to choose from. I have yet to see any AR manufacturers offering guns in 400 Legend, but this is not an issue for those who like to build their own. To convert or build an upper in 400 Legend, you just need to swap in a 400 Legend barrel, a 6.8 SPC BCG, and a 400 Legend magazine. You can find all of these components with some internet sleuthing. For more information on the 400 Legend, contact Winchester Ammunition; Tel.: (618) 258-2000; Web: https://winchester.com.