360 Buckhammer VS 30-30, 400 Legend and 35 Remington

hunter loading 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt into rifle

If you’re a whitetail fanatic, odds are you’ve hunted bucks with the classic calibers 35 Remington or 30-30 Winchester before. And if you’re hunting one of a handful of midwestern and northeastern states that require the use of straight wall cartridges, you’ve likely heard about 360 Buckhammer, 350 Legend and 400 Legend.

But how do these cartridges compare to one another? Does 360 Buckhammer or the venerable 30-30 have better ballistics? Which ammo performs better, new-kid-on-the-block 400 Legend or 360 BHMR?

Map of States that allow straight wall cartridge deer hunting

360 Buckhammer vs 30-30

360 Buckhammer and 30-30 Winchester (AKA 30 WCF) have similar performance characteristics in the deer woods because 360 BHMR was created by the engineers at Remington Ammunition utilizing a 30-30 case. Buckhammer lacks the familiar 30-30 bottle neck, instead utilizing an expanded case mouth to fit larger .358 diameter bullets, all while coming in at a legal cartridge length (1.08”) for straight wall state hunting.

360 BHMR is faster than 30-30, shooting larger bullets and retaining more foot pounds of terminal energy out farther. Sending 180 grain and 200 grain Core-Lokt bullets at 2,200 and 2,400 FPS respectively, Buckhammer out runs 30-30’s lighter 170 grain bullets (2,200 FPS) and carries a bigger energy punch when arriving on target. 30-30’s lighter bullets do mean a slight reduction in recoil.

360 Buckhammer is ballistically superior to its parent cartridge 30-30 Winchester but 30-30’s century plus head start with hunters means firearms and ammunition availability is better in 30-30 than 360 BHMR.

Just introduced in 2023, time will tell if 360 beats out its older and slower cousin.

	30-30 Winchester	360 Buckhammer
Year Developed	2023	2023
Parent Case	38-55 Winchester	30-30 Winchester
Case Type	Rimmed, bottleneck	Rimmed, straight wall
Straight Wall State Legal?	No	Yes
Case Length	2.03”	1.8”
Cartridge Overall Length	2.550”	2.380 – 2.500”
Platform/Action-Types	Lever action, revolver, bolt action, single shot	Lever action, revolver, bolt action, single shot
SAAMI Pressure Max	42,000 PSI	50,000 PSI
Common Bullet Grain Weight	125 – 170 gr.	150 – 250 gr.
Bullet Diameter	.308”	0.358”
Common Barrel Twist Rate	1:12	1:12 or faster
Muzzle Velocity	2,175 – 2,390 FPS	2,200 – 2,400 FPS
Muzzle Energy	1,902 FT-LBS	2,300 FT-LBS
200 Yards Energy	860 FT-LBS	948 FT-LBS
200 Yard Drop	-7.6”	-7.8”
Free Recoil	9.97 FT-LBS	14.1 FT-LBS

360 Buckhammer vs 400 Legend

Two of the newest straight-wall-state-legal cartridges are 360 Buckhammer and 400 Legend. The primary difference between these two types of ammunition is the type of firearms that they were designed for. 360 BHMR’s rimmed case is ideal lever-action rifles, single shot rifles and even bolt action rifles or revolvers. 400 Legend, as 350 Legend’s big brother, is designed for AR type rifles and lends itself to bolt action easier than BHMR.

Otherwise, 400 legend pushes a larger diameter bullet slightly slower than 360 Buckhammer. 400’s larger projectiles mean more recoil, producing a kick like 308 Win. 400 Legend is more comparable to cartridges like 450 Bushmaster.

For information on 350 Legend vs 360 Buckhammer, click here. For a deep dive on buckhammer vs 450 Bushmaster, click here.

	400 Legend	360 Buckhammer
Year Developed	2023	2023
Parent Case	401 Winchester	30-30 Winchester
Case Type	Rebated rim, straight wall	Rimmed, straight wall
Straight Wall State Legal?	Yes	Yes
Case Length	1.65”	1.8”
Cartridge Overall Length	2.26”	2.380 – 2.500”
Platform/Action-Types	AR/MSR, bolt action, single shot	Lever action, revolver, bolt action, single shot
SAAMI Pressure Max	45,000 PSI	50,000 PSI
Common Bullet Grain Weight	215 gr.	150 – 250 gr.
Bullet Diameter	0.400”	0.358”
Common Barrel Twist Rate	1:16	1:12 or faster
Muzzle Velocity	2,250 FPS	2,200 – 2,400 FPS
Muzzle Energy	2,416 FT-LBS	2,300 FT-LBS
200 Yards Energy	1,132 FT-LBS	948 FT-LBS
200 Yard Drop	-8.54”	-7.8”
Free Recoil	16.26 FT-LBS	14.1 FT-LBS

360 Buckhammer vs 35 Remington

A classic big woods, brush busting cartridge, 35 Remington has a place of honor in the whitetail hunter’s caliber hall of fame. Both 360 Buckhammer and 35 Remington utilize .358 diameter bullets of similar grain weights and are popular in lever-action rifles but the differences between the two types of ammunition stop there.

35 Remington’s overall cartridge length and neck style disqualify it as a legal hunting cartridge in many straight wall states unlike 360 BHMR. 35 Rem has been chambered in its 100+ year life span in all types of actions, but with a lower pressure rating and velocity than 360, 35 Rem is a slightly slower cartridge.

	35 Remington	360 Buckhammer
Year Developed	1906	2023
Parent Case	30-06 SPG	30-30 Winchester
Case Type	Rimless, bottle neck	Rimmed, straight wall
Straight Wall State Legal?	No	Yes
Case Length	1.92”	1.8”
Cartridge Overall Length	2.525”	2.380 – 2.500”
Platform/Action-Types	Lever action, single shot, pump action, bolt action	Lever action, revolver, bolt action, single shot
SAAMI Pressure Max	33,500 PSI	50,000 PSI
Common Bullet Grain Weight	180 -200 gr.	150 – 250 gr.
Bullet Diameter	0.358”	0.358”
Common Barrel Twist Rate	1:16	1:12 or faster
Muzzle Velocity	2,000 – 2,300 FPS	2,200 – 2,400 FPS
Muzzle Energy	1,762 FT-LBS	2,300 FT-LBS
200 Yards Energy	755 FT-LBS	948 FT-LBS
200 Yard Drop	-8.6”	-7.8”
Free Recoil	13.5 FT-LBS	14.1 FT-LBS

360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt being removed from the packaging

360 Buckhammer stacks up favorably against many modern and well-seasoned deer hunting cartridges. Your choice of cartridge will likely come down to your local laws and whether you’re hunting in a straight wall state, as well as your preferred type of rifle or pistol action.