400 Legend: The New Go To Whitetail Cartridge?

I grew up in the slug gun era; 12 gauges were the most popular in the safe, and you could simply trade your bird barrel for a slug barrel come deer season. If you were really committed to gun season, you would have a dedicated slug gun for deer potentially a 20 gauge that offered better ballistics than a 12 gauge. Luckily today, straight wall cartridges are legal in most Midwest states, and they are here to stay. For those of you who do not know what a straight wall cartridge looks like, it simply does not have a tapered neck like most modern rounds. A straight wall is geared for shorter distances which is why most states are allowing this to be used during gun season. The 350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster have ruled this space for a while, but the 400 Legend may just be the new contender you want to take a look at.

The 350 Legend 

I am and always will be a fan of the 350 Legend, I think it will be a caliber my kids will start out with hunting whitetails as it has very little recoil. To me that can make a gun very fun to shoot. For whitetails I have used it plenty and have found great success. Depending on the size of the load, it usually has a 7–8-inch drop at 200 yards. However, at 300 yards it loses its accuracy fast, with drops of 30 inches or more. So for whitetail it is more than effective, easy to shoot, accurate to 200, and packs enough of a punch to kill a whitetail. I normally do not go for the shoulder knock down punch with the 350 Legend as it doesn’t have the energy that a tapered neck load like that of a 30-06. In fact, the 30-06, a very popular round where legal for whitetail, has around 60% more energy than that of the 350 Legend. To sum things up on the 350 Legend, I have no reason to get rid of it, especially if you have kids. With that being said though sometimes things are built for a reason, and the 400 Legend was built do a little more than that of the 350. 

New kid on the block 

One thing I have learned is that when there is a new round introduced it is usually an improvement and something that is built for a reason. Whether it is something that shoots flatter, or offers less recoil, it was built for a reason it seems. The 450 Bushmaster, which I have not had much experience with, kicks a lot and is not a joy to shoot on the range. Now to my favorite point, the 400 Legend shoots flatter than the 350 Legend and the 450 Bushmaster. It also has a similar energy to the 450 Bushmaster, so for those few facts alone it fills a really nice void, one we did not know we needed.  

Now I know what you’re asking, why are you still keeping your slug gun or your 450 Bushmaster in the gun safe when you have the 400 Legend available at the local gun shop? The only drawback I first saw was the issue with ammo. There were not a lot of options, and it had a lot of demand. So naturally there were some empty spaces on the shelf. I know the 400 Legend was released sometime in 2023 but even through 2024 it was tough to get your hands on one. Now a couple years in it seems there are more ammo manufacturers making loads, and it is quickly becoming the most popular whitetail gun out there. 

Don’t walk, run! 

Like most good calibers, this is not a gun you can wait until late summer to purchase in most cases. It has a high demand; I have heard of a few people with late thoughts of purchasing one having trouble finding them or having to drive a little bit further to find a place that had it in stock. A perfect fit between the limitations of the 350 Legend and the 450 Bushmaster, the 400 Legend is here to stay, and I think you will see this become one of the most popular loads in the whitetail woods for years to come as long as the trend of state regulations holds true. So, my advice, don’t walk to your gun shop but run, you are not going to regret having a 400 Legend in the safe.