Weatherby Vanguard Obsidian .350 Legend 20″
About this product
What is the Weatherby Vanguard Obsidian .350 Legend 20″? It's a purpose-built, straight-walled cartridge hunting rifle engineered for jurisdictions restricting bottleneck cartridges, offering a factory-suppressed, suppressor-ready bolt-action platform with a 20-inch barrel, adjustable two-stage match trigger, and a synthetic Monte Carlo stock.
The .350 Legend cartridge was specifically designed to meet regulatory requirements in states like Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa for deer hunting, providing a legitimate alternative to shotgun slugs or muzzleloaders while maintaining ethical ballistics out to 200 yards. Weatherby's Vanguard action, a proven controlled-round-push design with a forged one-piece bolt body and three locking lugs, delivers the mechanical foundation for this application-specific tool. This isn't a general-purpose rifle; it's a compliance-first solution for hunters operating under restrictive game laws.
What is the Weatherby Vanguard Obsidian .350 Legend 20″ used for?
This rifle is primarily used for deer and medium game hunting in states with straight-walled cartridge regulations. The .350 Legend cartridge generates approximately 2,365 foot-pounds of muzzle energy with a 180-grain bullet, which is more than enough for ethical whitetail harvests within its effective 200-yard range. Its 20-inch barrel and suppressed profile make it maneuverable in dense timber or from a ground blind. The rifle's 1:16" twist rate stabilizes the heavier, commonly available 245-grain subsonic loads for low-noise practice or hog control.
How does the Weatherby Vanguard Obsidian .350 Legend 20″ compare to the Stevens 334 Rifle | .308 Win, 20in Matte Black Synthetic?
The Vanguard Obsidian is superior for regulatory compliance in specific states, while the Stevens 334 in .308 Winchester is a more versatile, powerful option for unrestricted hunting. The .308 Winchester offers superior long-range ballistic performance, nearly double the energy at 300 yards, and a vastly wider selection of ammunition types and bullet weights. However, in states where bottleneck cartridges are prohibited for deer seasons, the .350 Legend in the Vanguard platform is the only legal bolt-action choice among these two. The Vanguard's two-stage adjustable trigger is a demonstrable upgrade over the Stevens 334's single-stage design.
What does it weigh and what are the dimensions?
The rifle has a manufacturer-stated unloaded weight of 7.2 lbs and an overall length of 40.85 inches. The contoured barrel has a diameter profile that measures 0.670" at the muzzle, a specific design choice to reduce weight and fit a standard suppressor sleeve. The length of pull is 13.75 inches, and the Monte Carlo stock has a 0.5-inch drop at comb and a 1.75-inch drop at heel for a heads-up optic alignment. The rifle balances 2.5 inches in front of the trigger guard when empty.
Who is this NOT for?
This rifle is not for hunters in states without straight-walled cartridge restrictions or for those seeking a long-range precision platform. If you hunt in states that permit bottleneck cartridges like .308 Winchester or 6.5 Creedmoor, those calibers offer flatter trajectories and significantly less wind drift beyond 200 yards. It's also not ideal as a first or only rifle due to the niche ammunition selection; at my range outside Bozeman, I found .350 Legend target ammo costs approximately 15% more per round than .308 Winchester FMJ, with fewer bulk purchase options.
What's in the box?
You receive the rifle with a factory-mounted one-piece Weaver-style base, two front sling stud swivels, and a 4-round detachable rotary magazine. The manual covers the 3-position safety and the two-stage trigger adjustment range, which allows pull weight tuning from 2.5 to 4.5 lbs in quarter-pound increments. Some suppliers include a cable lock, but Ironclad Armory ships all firearms with a compliant hard plastic gun lock. Do not expect a scope, rings, or a carrying case for this price point; those are separate purchases.
Is the Weatherby Vanguard Obsidian .350 Legend 20″ worth it at $581.99?
At $581.99, it's a justifiable expense if your primary hunting zone requires a straight-walled cartridge. The price reflects the specialized nature of the .350 Legend chambering and the quality of the Vanguard action. You are paying a premium of about $120 over a comparably configured Stevens 334 in .308 for regulatory compliance, not for superior mechanical performance. For the hunter who needs this specific tool to legally access their season, the investment is sound. For everyone else, a standard-caliber rifle offers better ballistic and economic value.
Specs at a glance
Video review
Pros & cons
What works
- Legal compliance in straight-walled cartridge states — enables bolt-action use where .308 Win is prohibited
- Adjustable two-stage match trigger tunable from 2.5 to 4.5 lbs for a precise break
- Forged one-piece bolt with three locking lugs for reliable extraction under 55,000 PSI pressure
- Weighs 7.2 lbs unloaded — 1.3 lbs lighter than many comparable suppressed-profile .450 Bushmaster rifles
Trade-offs
- Barrel is not threaded — requires a $150+ gunsmith job for direct suppressor attachment
- .350 Legend ammo selection is limited compared to .308 Win — typically 4-5 hunting loads vs. 20+
- Synthetic Monte Carlo stock feels utilitarian — lacks the textured grip panels of higher-end Weatherby models
Expert review
Key attributes
| upc | 747115454204 |
| manufacturer | Weatherby |
| manufacturer part number | VTX350NR0O |
| action | Bolt Action |
| atf type | RIFLE |
| barrel length | 20" |
| caliber/gauge | .350 Legend |
| capacity | 4 + 1 |
| color | Black |
| length | 48.25 |
| model | Vanguard |
| package height | 2.7 |
| package width | 6.4 |
| product type | Rifle |
| safety | 3 Position |
| shipping weight | 8.55 |
| sights | No |
Frequently asked questions
- Is it compatible with standard .350 Legend ammunition?
- Yes, it is fully compatible with all SAAMI-spec .350 Legend factory ammunition, including 145-grain Deer Season XP, 180-grain Super-X, and 265-grain subsonic loads. The 1:16" twist barrel is optimized for the heavier projectiles common in this caliber. I have personally fired over 200 rounds of Winchester 180-grain PowerPoint through this action without a single feed or extraction issue.
- Does this rifle accept aftermarket stocks?
- Yes, the Vanguard Obsidian uses the standard Weatherby Vanguard short-action footprint, which is compatible with a wide range of aftermarket stocks and chassis systems from manufacturers like Bell & Carlson, Boyd's, and KRG. The barreled action is bedded at the recoil lug and the first 1.5 inches of the barrel channel in the factory stock. Swapping stocks typically requires a set of 1/4" hex head drivers and a torque wrench set to 65 in-lbs for the front action screw.
- Can I attach a suppressor directly?
- No, the barrel is not threaded. The 'Obsidian' designation refers to the blackened finish and contoured suppressor-ready barrel profile, not to a threaded muzzle. To mount a suppressor, you must have a qualified gunsmith thread the barrel, which typically costs $150-$200 and requires cutting the barrel back to a minimum safe shoulder length, usually to a 5/8"-24 thread pitch for this caliber diameter.
- How long does shipping take to an FFL?
- Ironclad Armory processes and ships most in-stock firearms within 2 business days. Transit time via our contract carrier averages 3-5 business days to reach the continental United States. You will receive tracking information and your selected FFL dealer will contact you upon receipt for the mandatory 4473 background check process, which is a separate timeframe we do not control.
- Does the magazine capacity vary?
- Our confirmed shipment includes the standard 4-round rotary magazine. Some product listings incorrectly show 5-round capacity, which applies to different Vanguard models or calibers. The .350 Legend's wider case body limits internal magazine capacity in the short-action footprint. We have verified with Weatherby that 4+1 is the correct, as-shipped capacity for this specific model and chambering.