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.338 Marlin Express

Rifle cartridge

.338 Marlin Express

Rifle cartridge

FieldValue
imageMarlin Expresses.jpg
image_size200px
caption[.308 Winchester](308-winchester) (left), with [.308 Marlin Express](308-marlin-express) (center), and .338 Marlin Express (right)
originUnited States
typeRifle
designerMarlin / Hornady
design_date2009
manufacturerHornady
production_date2009–2019
parent[.376 Steyr](376-steyr)
case_typeSemi-rimmed, bottleneck
bullet.338
neck.372
shoulder.496
base.502
rim_dia.548
rim_thick.045
case_length1.886
length2.583
rifling1:12 in
primerWLR
max_pressure46500
pressure_methodSAAMI
is_SI_ballistics+3"-100yds/0.7"-200y/-8.9"-300y/-27.2"-400y/-56.4-500y
bw1200
btype1FTX (Hornady Flex Tip Expanding) (BC: .430)
vel12565
en12922
test_barrel_length24 in
balsrc[338 Marlin Express LEVERevolution at Hornady web site](http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=787) & [MidwayUSA](http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?tabid=3&categoryid=20480&categorystring=653***690***) and C.I.P. Data

The .338 Marlin Express is a cartridge developed by Marlin Firearms and Hornady. It is based on the .376 Steyr with a goal to duplicate the venerable .30-06 Springfield's performance in a cartridge compatible with lever-action firearms. The cartridge uses a slightly shorter, rimmed case to function in lever-action rifles with tubular magazines. As introduced in Hornady's LEVERevolution line of cartridges, it follows the design logic of the .308 Marlin Express which preceded it. The .338MX fires heavier .338 caliber bullets than the .308 Marlin Express at roughly the same velocity. It is chambered in Marlin's Model 338MX and 338MXLR rifles using the Marlin Model 336 action.

Design History and Cartridge Performance

Whereas the .308 Marlin Express began by modifying the .307 Winchester, Hornady and Marlin engineers started with a previous collaboration between Hornady and the Austrian arms maker Steyr, the .376 Steyr, when designing the .338 Marlin Express. The case of the .376 Steyr was given a thicker web for added strength, then necked down to .338. The .308 Marlin Express, on the other hand, was made with a thinner web than its parent case, the .307 Winchester, for additional capacity.

Although the thicker case webbing reduced capacity, new powders allow the .338 Marlin Express to achieve velocities similar to the .338 Federal with significantly lower pressures. Hornady engineers then looked to the projectile for the new cartridge. They settled on the 200-grain .338 projectile from their .338 Winchester Magnum line. The existing bullet was remade with a thinner jacket in order to promote expansion and upset at longer ranges. This 200-grain .338" projectile is able to impart significantly more energy than the 160 gr projectile used in the .308 Marlin Express, despite similar muzzle velocities.

Furthermore, the projectile's high ballistic coefficient allows the .338 Marlin Express to maintain velocity to greater distances than big bore lever cartridges such as .45-70, .444 Marlin, or even the high performance .450 Marlin.

Although the heavy bullet weight of these cartridges allow them more muzzle energy, the ballistic advantage of the .338 Marlin Express's projectile begins to show beyond 100 yards. After that point the .338 Marlin Express's projectile retains more energy than even the .450 Marlin. Like the .308 Marlin Express, the .338 Marlin Express was designed to be a relatively flat shooting cartridge, taking advantage of the bullets Hornady designed for the rounds. Its trajectory is similar to the .30-06 Springfield.

Comparison

The .338 Marlin Express has a larger diameter than its .308 companion.

The .338 Marlin Express was designed to produce performance similar to the .30-06 Springfield. This would give lever-action hunters improved performance over their .30-30 Winchester rounds. The table below shows how the rounds compare. Reloading data for 200-grain (13 g) bullets for some of the cartridges is not available. Extensive loading data for the .338 Marlin Express is not yet available. The powder used in the Hornady loading is also not yet commercially available as of Feb '09. This round was designed with an elastomer tip, so that the .338 projectile would be safe for use in the tubular magazines of lever-action rifles.

Traditional spitzer bullets are not compatible with the tubular magazines. This is due to the danger of the hard, pointed bullet-tip igniting the primer of the round in front of it under recoil impulse. The softer tip eliminates the hazards of stacking pointed rounds end to end in a tubular magazine.

CartridgeBullet Weight (gr)Muzzle velocity(ft/s)Muzzle energy(ft-lbf)BCVelocity (ft/s)/Energy (ft-lbf) @ 400yds
.338 Marlin Express20025652922.4301820/1471
[.308 Marlin Express](308-marlin-express)1602660url=http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=481title=308 Marlin Express LEVERevolutionwebsite=Hornadyaccess-date=2009-02-21archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812222543/http://hornady.com/story.php?s=481archive-date=2007-08-12url-status=dead }}?1836/1197
[.30-30 Winchester](30-30-winchester)16023001880
[.30-06 Springfield](30-06-springfield)2002542url=http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=759982title=Lapua Mega Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 200 Grain Soft Point Box of 20website= MidwayUSAaccess-date=2009-02-21archive-date=2009-10-07archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007174956/http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=759982url-status=dead }}
[.30-06 Springfield](30-06-springfield)2002625url=http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=286754title=Norma Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 200 Grain Oryx Protected Point Box of 20website= MidwayUSAaccess-date=2009-02-21archive-date=2009-10-07archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007174946/http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=286754url-status=dead }}
[.376 Steyr](376-steyr) (Parent Cartridge)21030114229
CartridgeBullet Weight (gr)Muzzle velocity(ft/s)Muzzle energy(ft-lbf)BCVelocity (ft/s)/Energy (ft-lbf) @ 400yds
[.307 Winchester](307-winchester)150gr2693url=http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/308Cal(7.82mm)/307%20Winchester%20page%20259.pdftitle=.307 Winchesterpublisher= Accurate Powderaccess-date=2018-11-26archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014626/http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/308Cal(7.82mm)/307%20Winchester%20page%20259.pdfarchive-date=2007-09-28url-status=dead }}
[.300 Savage](300-savage)150gr FMJ2765url=http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/308Cal(7.82mm)/300%20%20Savage%20pages%20257%20to%20258.pdftitle=.300 Savagepublisher=Accurate Powderaccess-date=2009-02-21archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184908/http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata%28Rifle%29/308Cal%287.82mm%29/300%20%20Savage%20pages%20257%20to%20258.pdfarchive-date=2007-09-30url-status=dead }}
[.308 Winchester](308-winchester)150gr FMJ28092629
[.308 Winchester](308-winchester)180gr Nos AccuBond25502598
[.30-06 Springfield](30-06-springfield)150gr FMJ29002820
[.30-06 Springfield](30-06-springfield)200gr SP25422879
[.30-06 Springfield](30-06-springfield)200gr OPP26253061
[.325 WSM](325-wsm)200gr Accubond CT29503866
[.338 Federal](338-federal)210gr Nos Part26303226
[.338-06 A-Square](338-06-a-square)20027733414.430title=Reloading Data .338-06 (Hodgdon Data) Metallicurl=https://loaddata.com/Cartridge/338-06-Hodgdon-Data/7254access-date=2025-08-14website=loaddata.com}}
[.338-06 A-Square](338-06-a-square)22526783582.500± 2200/2000
[.338-06 A-Square](338-06-a-square)25025313555.650± 2300/2000
[.338 Winchester Magnum](338-winchester-magnum)200gr SP29503866
[.340 Weatherby Magnum](340-weatherby-magnum)200gr SP32214607
[.348 Winchester](348-winchester)200gr25302840
[.35 Remington](35-remington)200gr Lead Flat Nose20841929
[.358 Winchester](358-winchester)200gr SP25002776
[.35 Whelen](35-whelen)200gr27983478
[9.3x62mm Mauser](9-3x62mm)231 gr Oryx26003550

References

References

  1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170630083545/http://www.cip-bobp.org/homologation/uploads/tdcc/tab-ii/tabiical-en-page84.pdf C.I.P. 338 Marlin Express (online-PDF 39,6 KB)]
  2. "308 Marlin Express at Marlin web site".
  3. Zwoll, Wayne van. (2011-01-04). "All Aboard the .338 Marlin Express".
  4. [http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammo/ammunition_rs_338_122008wo/ "All Aboard the .338 Marlin Express" article in ''Peterson's Rifle Shooter Magazine'']
  5. "308 Marlin Express LEVERevolution".
  6. [http://www.chuckhawks.com/30-30Win.htm "The .30-30 Winchester" by Chuck Hawks].
  7. "Lapua Mega Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 200 Grain Soft Point Box of 20".
  8. "Norma Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 200 Grain Oryx Protected Point Box of 20".
  9. ".307 Winchester". Accurate Powder.
  10. ".300 Savage". Accurate Powder.
  11. ".308 Winchester". Accurate.
  12. "Black Hills Gold Ammunition 308 Winchester 180 Grain Nosler AccuBond Box of 20".
  13. "Reloading Data .338-06 (Hodgdon Data) Metallic".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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