350 Legend- Stabilizing Subsonic Bullets in 1:16 Twist?

[SBRSarge]

I’ve tried the factory Winchester subs and Maker Bullet’s subs. Both keyhole.

My barrel is a KAK Industry 12.5 inch.

Has anyone else had any luck with subs in a 1:16 barrel?

Specifically, I’d like an expanding subsonic bullet for hunting, and don’t want to re-barrel my gun with a faster twist.

 

[Yondering]

Not sure about those specific bullets, but I've shot a lot of subs up to 280gr from 1:16 twist 35 caliber bores, including 38/357, 35 Rem, and 35 Whelen. The same bullets sized down to .356" work well in my 1:16 Legend barrel too, but I haven't tried the factory subs. You might want to check actual bore/groove diameter of your barrel and measure the actual twist rate.

Hopefully you're not testing these with a suppressor attached? If you are, try them without the suppressor; sometimes alignment of the can is the issue and will cause keyholing and terrible accuracy. Always test without the suppressor first, as you probably know.

 

[SBRSarge]

Thanks Yondering.

I haven’t tested the barrel for actual twist but will do that. I’ll have to see if my caliper will measure the inside of the barrel. If not, I’ll have to go on faith. I’ll try measuring that tomorrow, just had some great Woodford Reserve, so the gun stays stowed tonight!

I tested the subs and supers without my can attached. The supers are great. Both the 150 gr Winchester Deer Season loads and the 150 gr Maker loads shoot to the same POI at 100 yds and group really well. The subs all key hole at 50 yards.

I’ll see if I can dig up some different subs to try, but that is hard right now and I don’t reload. I gotta get back to that but sold all my equipment years ago, sadly.

 

[Yondering]

Calipers aren’t any good for measuring bore diameter accurately; you’ll need to drive a soft lead slug through the bore (or a few inches in past the chamber throat and back out again) and measure the result on the slug. A swaged lead 38 Spl bullet works great for this cartridge, like those wadcutters that used to be so common. 36 cal round balls and fishing sinkers also work, just about any soft lead round object that’s a little bigger than the bore diameter will get the job done.

To measure twist - get a cleaning rod set up with a tight fitting patch in the barrel (make sure it can’t spin), and use a sharpie to mark a long straight vertical line up the side of the cleaning rod as a reference point, make it about 2 feet long. With the rod and patch started in the barrel, mark a line around the rod right at the muzzle, and put an index mark on the muzzle that lines up with the vertical line on the rod. Now just push the rod in the barrel until that vertical line makes one full revolution and lines up again, and mark another line around the rod at the muzzle.
Then you can pull the rod out and measure between the two marks around it; that distance is your twist rate.

Both of these procedures are a lot simpler to do than they are to describe; don’t let my descriptions make it sound too complicated.

 

[SBRSarge]

Thanks Yondering.

The twist seems right. I got about 3/4 of a turn and the barrel is 12 inches.

I think we have some old wad cutter loads at work that I can do a bullet pull from.

 

[AP2020]

Mos-Tek 8" 1:10 twist. Maker bullets 280gr @1,050fps

 

[RickyRodney]

Mos-Tek 8" 1:10 twist. Maker bullets 280gr @1,050fps

Might have just sold me on fast twist 350 legend and subs.

 

[SBRSarge]

Might have just sold me on fast twist 350 legend and subs.

Me too!

I have a 1:16 barrel and subs are keyholing. I think it’s time to rebarrel with a 1”10. I can’t imagine the fast twist would make a difference to the supersonic loads and would make the gun much more versatile.

 

[steve101610]

I have a few 350s with 16 and 10 twist barrels. I dont think I will build another with a 16 twist. The 10 twist works great with every weight bullet. With the velocity of the 350 I dont think you could get enough rpms to cause jacket failure. For subs in my 16 twist bolt action I use 180gr xtp and hardcast with trailboss and they shoot sub moa at 100 yards. My 10 twist subs are 280 makers with h110 and are also sub moa at 100 yards.

 

[RickyRodney]

I have a few 350s with 16 and 10 twist barrels. I dont think I will build another with a 16 twist. The 10 twist works great with every weight bullet. With the velocity of the 350 I dont think you could get enough rpms to cause jacket failure. For subs in my 16 twist bolt action I use 180gr xtp and hardcast with trailboss and they shoot sub moa at 100 yards. My 10 twist subs are 280 makers with h110 and are also sub moa at 100 yards.

what barrel length are you running with your 10 twist?

 

[steve101610]

what barrel length are you running with your 10 twist?

10.5” and 16. The 10.5” is by far my favorite. With supers the velocity difference with my hand loads is only 40 FPS slower. The 350 is a very efficient cartridge for shorter barrels.

 

[AP2020]

Works on deer, too!

 

[SBRSarge]

Hey AP,

Looks like fresh backstrap, fried liver and heart are on the menu!

Life doesn't get much better than that.

I dropped three with my Legend this year using Bear Creek Ballistics solid copper supersonic loads. I’m liking this caliber a lot.