The newest straight-wall cartridge on the block has found a comfortable home in the equally new Outfitter G3 Pro break-action rifle by Traditions Performance Firearms
by Rob Reaser
I became somewhat enamored with the straightwall cartridge concept several years ago after messing around with the .450 Bushmaster load. That massive chunk of projectile proved to be a genuine hog-roller in the Central Florida oak hammocks, and it made me think real hard about the virtues of “big lead” on whitetail deer. Already a fan of the .50-caliber slug for decisively dropping anything in its path (but not a fan of the hard recoil that comes with it), the .450 Bushmaster just made a lot of sense for the kind of close-quarter hunting I do in my home territory.
This notion of big lead for close-range hunting eventually led me to consider the .44 Magnum — another straightwall cartridge that earned its chops in the handgun but is ideally suited for the carbine rifle. Last year, after fine-tuning a handload with Hornady’s 240-gr. XTP, I used my Henry lever-action in .44 Magnum exclusively for deer hunting, putting two loads of venison in the freezer. Toting a lightweight, compact, and fast-handling carbine with the negligible recoil of a .44 Magnum was downright enjoyable. Much as I love my Remington 700s for deer hunting, I realized that a shorter, lighter, and more maneuverable platform elevates the fun factor considerably — especially when your shooting distance tends to be under 100 yards.
And I’m not alone in this, as the rising popularity of straightwall and pistol-caliber cartridges for big-game hunting will attest. A few years ago, Winchester rolled out their forward-thinking .350 Legend cartridge, and it has been a justifiable hit for hunters in states that mandate straightwall cartridges as well as hunters who appreciate a reduced muzzle blast and recoil without sacrificing terminal performance and knockdown power.
Little wonder, then, that Remington got into the straightwall cartridge game with a chamber and loading of their own making. In a “let’s up the ante” move, Remington announced the .360 Buckhammer in early 2023.
.360 Buckhammer vs. .350 Legend
The .360 Buckhammer follows the general concept of the .350 Legend with its straightwall cartridge case design. The key differences involve ballistics and the case head configuration. The Legend’s rebated rim is intended to operate in a bolt-action or semi-auto firearm — especially AR-platform rifles. The Buckhammer, by contrast, boasts a rimmed head for optimal extraction from break-action and lever-action guns.
As for ballistics, the .360 Buckhammer, as you might expect, sits a notch above the .350 Legend. Comparing apples-to-apples, a 180-gr. Remington Buckhammer load has a muzzle velocity of 2400 fps and 200-yard velocity of 1494 fps. Trajectory shows an 8.2-inch drop at 200 yards with a 100-yard zero. Energy at 100 yards (a good whitetail range) is 1459 ft/lbs. The .350 Legend in 180-gr. (Federal Non-Typical Whitetail) leaves the muzzle at 2100 fps and marks 200-yard velocity at 1520 fps. Drop at 200 yards is 9.4 inches. The energy delivered at 100 yards with the .350 Legend, though, is 1284 ft/lbs — a -175 ft/lbs difference compared to the Buckhammer at that same distance. That is not to diminish the effectiveness of the Legend, but the Buckhammer certainly provides a bigger thump within the typical whitetail envelope than the Legend.
Enter the Traditions Outfitter G3 Pro
Given that Remington developed the .360 Buckhammer for lever-action and break-action rifle platforms, it was no surprise when we learned that Traditions Performance Firearms — best known for their industry-leading range of muzzleloaders — saw this intriguing cartridge as an opportunity to expand their Outfitter G3 series offerings.
The Outfitter G3 is Traditions’ series of break-action single-shot cartridge rifles. A spin-off of sorts from the company’ inline muzzleloader design, the Outfitter G3s are available in several chamberings, including .357 Magnum, .35 Whelen, .44 Magnum, .45-70, .35 Remington, .450 Bushmaster, .300 Blackout, .350 Legend, and now .360 Buckhammer.
I’ve shot the Outfitter G3s in several different chamberings over the years, and absolutely love their design and operational simplicity. Pull the break-action lever at the front of the trigger guard, load a round into the chamber, close, and fire. As one who enjoys the slower, more methodical pace of muzzleloader shooting, the one-cartridge-at-a-time nature of the Outfitter G3 appeals to me. This slower pace bothers me not in the hunting fields because I am exceedingly deliberate in taking my shots and won’t pull the trigger until everything is perfect. I pass up many shot opportunities as a result, but when the hammer drops, I know the animal will be quickly on the ground. If your approach to hunting and shooting is the same, the Outfitter G3 will be right in your groove.
When Traditions developed their new Outfitter G3 Pro in the .360 Buckhammer chambering, the company simultaneously launched the new Pro Series variant of this single-shot classic. Those of you who are familiar with the G3 series will quickly identify the several upgrades the Pro Series brings to bear.
Starting at the end of the distinctive fluted, 22-inch chromoly barrel is an M18x1 threaded muzzle fitted with a muzzle brake. In the .360 Buckhammer version, the barrel incorporates a 1:12 twist and is completed with a Cerakote finish.
As with the .350 Legend, the .360 Buckhammer delivers a modest push against the shoulder. The recoil, in other words, is nothing to make you flinch. With the addition of the brake, the shooting experience is even more satisfactory.
The other features demarcating the Pro Series from the standard Outfitter G3 series are found in the stock. This new polymer stock offers a similar grip and wrist profile as the conventional G3 models but comes with a spacer system forward of the butt pad. This allows the shooter to customize the length-of-pull by adding or removing spacers.
Additionally, the stock includes an adjustable cheek riser that, unlike more than a few cheek riser systems I’ve used, is simple and easy to adjust. Getting proper eye alignment behind the scope and a solid cheek weld is important to promoting good shooting form and to minimizing shooter-induced shot disturbance. Turning one screw allows you to raise or lower the cheek piece to get that custom fit.
Elsewhere, the Outfitter G3 Pro is standard G3 fare. It uses Traditions’ common rebounding hammer system, which means a spring pushes the hammer back into the safe position (engaging an internal hammer block) immediately after the hammer strikes the firing pin.
Since a scope interferes with accessing the hammer spur, twin knurled knobs on either side of the hammer allow for ambidextrous cocking operation.
In addition to the internal hammer block, the Outfitter G3 includes a basic crossbolt safety. Push left to fire, right to engage the safety.
Forward of the trigger guard is the barrel catch lever. To open the breech, simply pull the lever rearward and pivot the barrel downward. The latch automatically locks the breech closed when you swing the barreled action back into position.
The Traditions Elite XT trigger system is also included. The hallmark of this trigger is that you can open the breech with the crossbolt safety engaged for safe loading and unloading.
As for the trigger operation, it is remarkably smooth and crisp for such a straightforward design. The initial take up is almost effortless until it hits the solid “wall.” From there, the break is short and clean. I could feel no discernible travel between the wall and the sear break — much like you would find on a premium aftermarket trigger. The trigger pull is also right in the sweet zone. I measured a ten-pull average on the Lyman scale at 3 lbs., 3.5 oz.
On the bench, the Outfitter G3 Pro proved to be a fun shooter. Taking advantage of the factory-installed 3-9×40 duplex reticle scope, the 25-yard zero required only two shots and then I set the target at 100 yards for fine-tuning.
Ammo for the test was Remington’s 180- and 200-gr. Core-Lokt loadings of the .360 Buckhammer. Of the two, my Outfitter G3 Pro definitely favored the 200-gr. load, offering a best .704-in. group at 100 yards. I did get some vertical stringing, moving top to bottom, if I allowed the barrel to get too warm between shots. Nevertheless, I’ll call it a solid 1 MOA gun.
Traditions lists the MSRP for the Outfitter G3 Pro in .360 Buckhammer at $749.95, but I found it (at this writing) for around the mid-$600s at the leading online retailers.
In sum, I find this to be a fine rifle at its price point, and the .360 Buckhammer is one cartridge I can’t wait to try out in the whitetail woods this fall. If you fancy the challenge of a single-shot and a loading that can deliver a wallop in the big woods or in the swamp, you’ll probably find this combo to be just what you’re looking for.
