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Deer Hunters, Take Note: New 400 Legend Options From Bear Creek Arsenal
If you’re looking to take advantage of new straight-walled cartridge laws when you’re deer hunting next fall, Bear Creek Arsenal has new offerings in 400 Legend. Whether you want to buy a pre-built gun or go with the roll-your-own approach, they can take care of you, with pricing that should make these options affordable to most hunters.
Modern round for modern rulebooks
The 400 Legend came to market in 2023 as states like Michigan, Ohio and Indiana changed their hunting laws to allow straight-walled cartridges into deer season. The thinking behind the change is that these cartridges pose less of a threat at long distances when compared to more powerful rounds like .30-06 or .270; previously, many jurisdictions restricted gun hunters to using shotguns with slugs for the same reason.
Many classic cartridges like .44 Magnum or .444 Marlin qualify under the new laws, but ammunition manufacturers saw the chance to introduce new cartridges that fit into the rulebook, but also fit into AR-pattern rifles. That’s where 400 Legend comes in. It’s supposed to hit harder than the 350 Legend, but while there’s extra penetration power, there’s also less recoil than the 450 Bushmaster, which was previously a standard cartridge for someone who wanted to build a hard-hitting straightwall AR.
Buy, or buy and build?
If you don’t have the time or interest to build your own straightwall AR, Bear Creek will sell you a completed rifle chambered in 400 Legend. For now, you have two choices. You can buy a BC-15 with an 18-inch Parkerized heavy barrel (with 1:16 twist)m with flash hider at the muzzle. Add optics via Bear Creek Arsenal’s own 15-inch Talon MLOK split rail atop the flat-top M4 7075 billet aluminum upper. This version of the rifle comes with a right-side charging handle. BCA uses their own bolt carrier group on this rifle. MSRP is $499, and no magazine is included—see more specs here. Ten-round Duramags will cost you another $24.95 apiece.
Bear Creek Arsenal also listed a version of this rifle with an ambidextrous charging handle at the back of the receiver. The price is the same (see more specs here), and no mag is included with this rifle either.
If you want to put your own rifle together, Bear Creek Arsenal will sell you the same basic upper receiver package, with an 18-inch barrel and right-side charging handle or rear charging handle. MSRP for these is $324.95 for the rear charging handle, or $334.95 for the rear charging handle.
While not everyone wants to hunt deer with an AR, Bear Creek Arsenal has now made it affordable for anyone interested in straightwalled cartridges to buy an appropriate semi-auto. Their pricing on the complete rifles is within a few bucks of bolt-action Fudd-friendly rifles in 400 Legend, and far cheaper than a wood-and-steel lever gun chambered in a classic rimmed cartridge.
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