Being able to swap ammunition between a handgun and a long gun is one of the handiest aspects of gun ownership within our lexicon. A practice that dates back to the early days of metallic cartridges, this interchangeability allows the hunter to utilize the best platform without having to make concessions to lethality. A rifle or carbine will be king of the woods as you’ll pull your maximum speed and energy out of a given load. However, when one desires to get the job done from close quarters, or from the confines of a tight box blind, nothing beats an accurate handgun. Taurus USA has been delivering tools like this to sports folk for generations, with the Raging Hunter being the keystone of its sporting family. Stretching its limitations, these revolvers have been chambered in rounds as large as .460 S&W Magnum with excellent results. For 2025, Taurus has turned things down a bit and has released a more modest adaptation of its latest generation of Raging Hunter. Now in 350 Legend, straight-wall enthusiasts have a revolver that is capable of harvesting medium-sized game with a bit less recoil than the .460, and possibly a bit less meat loss.
At its core is the same oversized cylinder that made the Raging Hunter such a success. A double-action revolver, it uses a pair of locking latches to ensure rigidity with the larger cartridges it’s chambered for. It also has the ability to be cocked into single-action service for a lighter, shorter trigger pull. Leaving ample room for stout steel between each chamber, this revolver has a capacity of six rounds. For those who prefer to carry with an empty chamber under the hammer, there’s no need to do so with this gun, as a transfer bar only permits the firing pin to be struck when the trigger is depressed. The heavy double-action mechanism also acts as a secondary safety to ensure that it doesn’t happen inadvertently.
The 350 Legend cartridge is built with a rebated rim, which presents a classic problem that is remedied with a conventional solution: moon clips. The cylinder is cut to accept these, with five included in the package. This is terrific news for the hunter, as it allows for faster loading and unloading in the field. Simply clip your ammunition up beforehand and drop all six cartridges in and out in one fell swoop when you’ve reached your spot. Having five of these is handy for high-volume hunts, like feral hogs, as reloads will be more akin to a semi-auto than a wheelgun.
Buyers have their choice of a 14- or 10.5-inch barrel, both attached in the same manner. For testing, we went with the shorter one, but I was tempted to work with the longer version, as the launch tube is only about 2 inches shorter than many 350 Legend carbines. The barrel is threaded into the frame, and an abbreviated shroud fits over it and is pinned in place to assure it doesn’t rotate. Picatinny rail sections are incorporated into the 12 and 6 o’clock positions, with the former intended for a pistol scope or red-dot sight and the latter for a bipod or tripod. While adding one of these stabilizing devices might seem goofy, it is a legitimate tactic, as the Raging Hunter series can be as accurate as a rifle if steadied properly. The barrel terminates with a multi-port compensator to eat up recoil and keep the muzzle flat when shooting. Mounted behind that is the front-sight housing that contains a highly visible fiber-optic rod. This is joined by a rear sight of the same composition that is fully adjustable for windage and elevation.
I mounted a Burris 3-12x handgun scope to the top rail before hitting the range. I used a pair of higher Warne rings to clear the rear sight and had an attractive package that could still be easily stowed in a pack to transit to and from my stand. Ammunition selection was interesting, as loads built specifically for 350 Legend handguns don’t seem to exist yet. Instead, we need to work with the available options intended for barrels often twice this length. This undoubtedly meant we’d suffer a bit of velocity loss, but nonetheless, I was interested in seeing what we wound up with. For lighter fare, I chose Winchester’s Copper Impact, which boasts the largest polymer tip in the industry and satisfies lead-free hunting locales. For a heavier cup-and-core load, I chose Federal’s venerable Power-Shok, as this is also one of the most affordable out there. The oddball of the batch would be Winchester’s Super Suppressed, with its whopping 255-grain pill. Theoretically, one could spin the brake off the revolver and put a silencer in its place, but you wouldn’t get much suppression because the gas would be able to escape out of the cylinder gap. Instead, I selected it for the less talked about feature of loads like this: their light recoil. Yes, 350 Legend is exceptionally soft when fired from a rifle, but being that I had no idea what I was in for, I figured I’d err on the side of caution and start with the Winchester Super Suppressed load.
I began testing by shooting groups from a bench at 50 yards. I was impressed with what it was able to produce, particularly since the ammo is built for an entirely different platform. As predicted, velocities were lower than you’d see out of a rifle or carbine, but I can’t say putting them into a handgun makes them anemic for anything deer-sized or smaller. The Super Suppressed load flew at comically low speeds, but since this is only intended to be a target round, I found this to be more of an asset than a deficit. Shooting them produced recoil similar to putting powderpuff .38 Special loads in a full-sized .357 Magnum, which was indeed enjoyable. One should note, though, that impacts were roughly 5 inches lower than the standard velocity ammo; something to keep in mind if you’ve already zeroed for your hunt.
The best shooting ammo, Winchester’s Copper Impact, didn’t widen beyond 2 inches, so I decided to press out farther. Placed 100 yards out, I use an 8-inch-by-6-inch steel target to make initial corrections when zeroing a scope. Placing the crosshairs dead center, I was able to put an entire cylinder on it without having to adjust the optic. While the accuracy was impressive, not having to hold for the distance change sealed the deal for me. When the chips are down, it’s easy to forget to factor that in when taking a shot at a trophy buck; this lessens the chance that the shot will be followed by an evening-long tracking session.
As the list of states that are allowing straight-walled cartridges in place of shotguns and muzzleloaders continues to grow, this is a timely addition to the Raging Hunter family. When I first tested this new generation of Taurus’ faithful revolver, it was chambered in .460 S&W Mag. Floored with what it did to the recoil of that powerhouse cartridge, I was equally excited to see those features applied to something more manageable. Shooting this revolver was effortless, and having moon clips at the ready added to the excitement. If you have a 350 Legend rifle, this makes an excellent companion as it eagerly eats the same ammo. But in these modern times, one doesn’t need an excuse to buy a handgun that is as fun as it is effective.
Taurus Raging Hunter 350 Legend
- taurususa.com
- Type: double-action, centerfire revolver
- Caliber: 350 Legend
- Cylinder Capacity: 6 rnds.
- Barrel: 10.5" (tested) or 14"; stainless steel; fluted; 1:16”; RH twist; compensated
- Trigger: 9 lbs., 1 oz. (SA), 11 lbs., 12 ozs. (DA) pull weight
- Sights: Picatinny rail; adjustable fiber-optic rear; fixed fiber-optic front
- Grip/Stocks: rubber
- Metal Finish: matte stainless/black anodized
- Overall Length: 16.5"
- Weight: 4 lbs., 15 ozs.
- MSRP: $1,533.99
Most Popular
