Semi-automatic rifles, specifically modern sporting rifles like AR-style platforms, are only becoming more popular across the country among hunters, and deer hunters have not been late to this party.
If you’re thinking about building an AR for deer hunting and live in a straight-wall cartridge-only state, then starting with a .350 Legend upper may be a great bet.
Here’s what you need to know and how to spec out the rifle.
Why .350 Legend?
There are lots of good reasons to make an AR for deer hunting, but why in .350 Legend?
For one, if you live in a state that only allows straight-walled cartridges for deer hunting it is a great bet. It produces less recoil than a .243 and produces better penetration (within effective ranges). It’s also the fastest straight-walled cartridge ever made, so it has that going for it.
As for the AR itself, these are highly modular platforms that allow for endless accessorization and customization and which also offer really rapid follow-up shots.
The .350 Legend Upper and Barrel
If you settle on .350 Legend, you’ll need to either go with a complete .350 Legend upper or build your own.
With respect to the upper, one of the most important considerations you will need to make are with respect to barrel length and rate of twist.
If this rifle is for deer hunting, maneuverability shouldn’t be much of a concern for you if it is at all. A good bet is 20” as you will get greater bullet velocity and superior accuracy the longer the barrel.
Unless you are buying a complete .350 Legend upper (in which all the parts will come pre-configured) you should also give some serious thought to the rate of twist.
A good rate of twist for .350 Legend is 1:16 as this is a relatively slow cartridge - you will note that faster cartridges like .223 and 5.56 generally call for sharper rates of twist like 1:12 or even 1:10. That won’t be optimal here.
AR Parts Accessories
Once you get a .350 Legend upper, then you need to give some thought to the other parts and accessories you will want to incorporate into the build. Consider the following.
- Rail system: If you’re building a .350 Legend AR deer rifle, you’re wasting money if you don’t build it with a good rail system. Our assembled uppers come with rail systems but if you do it yourself you can pick and choose as you see fit. Picatinny is a good standard and there are a lot of options for it. A naked Pic rail also offers really good grip, especially if your hands are gloved and it’s cold out - something to consider for deer hunting. Otherwise, go with a KeyMod or M-LOK rail system. It really doesn’t matter in any case, all of them accept a wide range of different accessories.
- Muzzle device: While not an absolute necessity for hunting, if you are building this rifle from the ground up it won’t hurt to add a muzzle device. Our advice is to go with a muzzle brake that will help reduce your muzzle flash and cut recoil. Not that you will need it that bad, but less recoil is rarely a bad thing.
- Optic: The optic you will perch atop your .350 Legend upper, if this rifle is truly built for deer, will be of the utmost importance. Besides the caliber, the optic you pair with the rifle might be the most important decision you have to make. All in all, it’s a good bet to go with a variable magnification scope with low-light settings. It should have return-to-zero functionality and be sealed off against atmospheric moisture and dust. A shock resistant scope is also a good thing because you won’t want your rifle to cough up its zero just because you accidentally banged into a branch. Beyond that, you can decide what else works for you.
- Sling mount/sling: For deer hunting, it’s definitely worth making sure the rifle is outfitted with slings and mounts. This comes in handy not only if your stand is a ways away from where you enter the land you hunt, but also for tracking purposes. It also will make it easier to carry the rifle if you ever have to track down a deer by following the blood trail. Another note: consider getting a sling with cartridge loops, that way you have some spare cartridges within easy reach, if and when you ever need them.
- Trigger: Mil-spec triggers are alright, but just that - alright, and no better. If you’re hunting over a scoped rifle, a competition grade trigger with minimal creep, zero-mush, a clean, crisp break and reliable reset will help you put more shots on the money, especially if they are just a little bit farther than you’d like. Precision counts here, and a good trigger can make the difference between punching your tag and leaving the field empty.
Not Just Great for Deer
Keep in mind that building an AR-style rifle with a .350 Legend upper will not just be great for deer. It might also be great for hogs and other game like coyotes. Just keep within the effective range and you can use a .350 Legend for a wide range of game. Shot placement is by and large more important than caliber, anyway.
The other good thing is that all of the specifications considered here, like the trigger, optic, and inclusion of a sling, will also work when using a rifle like this for pursuing other game species. So think of the finished build as more of a multi-species medium-game rifle than just a deer gun.
Start with the .350 Legend Upper Here
Ready to get your .350 Legend build off the ground? Take a look through our collection of assembled uppers, lower parts kits, and other build kits and get in touch with us at Sales@MCSGearup.com if you have any questions before buying.