.338 Marlin Express

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.338 Marlin Express
Marlin Expresses.jpg
.308 Winchester (left), with .308 Marlin Express (center), and .338 Marlin Express (right)
TypeRifle
Place of originUS
Production history
Designer Marlin / Hornady
Designed2009
ManufacturerHornady
Produced2009–2019
Specifications
Parent case .376 Steyr
Case typeSemi-rimmed, bottleneck
Bullet diameter.338 in (8.6 mm)
Neck diameter.372 in (9.4 mm)
Shoulder diameter.496 in (12.6 mm)
Base diameter.502 in (12.8 mm)
Rim diameter.548 in (13.9 mm)
Rim thickness.045 in (1.1 mm)
Case length1.886 in (47.9 mm)
Overall length2.583 in (65.6 mm)
Rifling twist1:12 in (300 mm)
Primer typeWLR
Maximum pressure (SAAMI)46,500 psi (321 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/typeVelocityEnergy
200 gr (13 g) FTX (Hornady Flex Tip Expanding) (BC: .430)2,565 ft/s (782 m/s)2,922 ft⋅lbf (3,962 J)
Test barrel length: 24 in (610 mm)
Source(s): 338 Marlin Express LEVERevolution at Hornady web site & MidwayUSA and C.I.P. Data [1]

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. [2] [3]

Contents

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. [4] Since the acquisition of Marlin by Ruger [5] ,regular production of .338 Marlin Express ammunition by Hornady has ceased.[ citation needed ]

Comparison

The .338 Marlin Express has a larger diameter than its .308 companion. Marlin Express bases.jpg
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. Note that 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.[ citation needed ]

.338 Marlin Express quick comparison
CartridgeBullet Weight (gr) Muzzle velocity(ft/s) Muzzle energy(ft-lbf) BC Velocity (ft/s)/Energy (ft-lbf) @ 400yds
.338 Marlin Express20025652922.4301820/1471
.308 Marlin Express 16026602513 [6]  ?1836/1197
.30-30 Winchester 16023001880 [7]
.30-06 Springfield 20025422879 [8]
.30-06 Springfield 20026253061 [9]
.376 Steyr (Parent Cartridge)21030114229
Other comparable cartridges and loadings
CartridgeBullet Weight (gr) Muzzle velocity(ft/s) Muzzle energy(ft-lbf) BC Velocity (ft/s)/Energy (ft-lbf) @ 400yds
.307 Winchester 150gr26932416 [10]
.300 Savage 150gr FMJ27652547 [11]
.308 Winchester 150gr FMJ28092629 [12]
.30-06 Springfield 150gr FMJ29002820
.308 Winchester 180gr Nos AccuBond25502598 [13]
.30-06 Springfield 200gr SP25422879 [8]
.30-06 Springfield 200gr OPP26253061 [9]
.338 Federal 210gr Nos Part26303226
.325 WSM 200gr Accubond CT29503866
.338 Winchester Magnum 200gr SP29503866
.35 Remington 200gr Lead Flat Nose20841929
.348 Winchester 200gr25302840
.358 Winchester 200gr SP25002776
.35 Whelen 200gr27983478
.340 Weatherby Magnum 200gr SP32214607
9.3x62mm Mauser 231 gr Oryx26003550

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Table of handgun and rifle cartridges</span> Small arms cartridge data

This is a table of selected pistol/submachine gun and rifle/machine gun cartridges by common name. Data values are the highest found for the cartridge, and might not occur in the same load.

The .30-06 Springfield cartridge, 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use until the late 1970s. In the cartridge's name, ".30" refers to the nominal caliber of the bullet in inches; "06" refers to the year the cartridge was adopted, 1906. It replaced the .30-03 Springfield, 6mm Lee Navy, and .30-40 Krag cartridges. The .30-06 remained the U.S. Army's primary rifle and machine gun cartridge for nearly 50 years before being replaced by the 7.62×51mm NATO and 5.56×45mm NATO, both of which remain in current U.S. and NATO service. The cartridge remains a very popular sporting round, with ammunition produced by all major manufacturers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire</span> Rimfire cartridge

The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also known as the .22 WMR, .22 Magnum, .22 WMRF, .22 MRF, or .22 Mag, is a rimfire cartridge. Originally loaded with a bullet weight of 40 grains (2.6 g) delivering velocities in the 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) range from a rifle barrel, .22 WMR is now loaded with bullet weights ranging from 50 grains (3.2 g) at 1,530 feet per second (470 m/s) to 30 grains (1.9 g) at 2,200 feet per second (670 m/s).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.243 Winchester</span> Rifle cartridge

The .243 Winchester (6×52mm) is a popular sporting rifle cartridge. Developed as a versatile short action cartridge to hunt both medium game and small game alike, it "took whitetail hunting by storm" when introduced in 1955, and remains one of the most popular whitetail deer cartridges. It is also commonly used for harvesting blacktail deer, pronghorns and mule deer with heavier rounds, and is equally suited to varmint hunting with lighter rounds. The .243 is based on a necked down .308 Winchester, introduced only three years earlier. Expanding monolithic copper bullets of approximately 80 to 85 grains or traditional lead rounds of 90 to 105 grains with controlled expansion designs are best suited for hunting medium game, while lighter rounds are intended for varmints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.25-06 Remington</span> US hunting rifle cartridge

Considered by many as the most balanced of the "quarter bores" for hunting medium-sized game, the .25-06 Remington remained in obscurity as a wildcat cartridge for nearly half a century before being standardized by Remington in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.17 HMR</span> Rifle cartridge

.17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, commonly known as the .17 HMR, is a rimfire rifle cartridge developed by Hornady in 2002. It was developed by necking down a .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire case to take a .17 caliber (4.5 mm) projectile. Commonly loaded with a 17 grain projectile, it can deliver muzzle velocities in excess of 775 m/s (2,650 ft/s).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.30-30 Winchester</span> Rifle cartridge designed by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company

The .30-30 Winchester cartridge was first marketed for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle in 1895. The .30-30, as it is most commonly known, along with the .25-35 Winchester, was offered that year as the United States' first small-bore sporting rifle cartridges designed for smokeless powder. Since its introduction, it has been utilized alongside the development of flatter shooting cartridges, most prominently those derived from designs subsidized by interest in military expenditures, yet the .30-30 has remained in widespread use almost entirely because of reliable effectiveness in civilian applications, proven by putting food on the table for millions of people within a practical range of hunting situations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 Winchester Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .300 Winchester Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard rifle action. It is based on the .375 H&H Magnum, which has been blown out, shortened, and necked down to accept a .30 caliber (7.62 mm) bullet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.444 Marlin</span> Rifle cartridge

The .444 Marlin (10.9×57mmR) is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. It was designed to fill in a gap left by the older .45-70 when that cartridge was not available in any new lever-action rifles; at the time it was the largest lever-action cartridge available. The .444 resembles a lengthened .44 Magnum and provides a significant increase in velocity. It is usually used in the Marlin 444 lever-action rifle. Currently, Marlin, who is now owned by Ruger Firearms, does not offer the .444 chambering in any of their rifles. It remains to be seen when or if they will bring the chambering back into production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.338 Winchester Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .338 Winchester Magnum is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. It is based on the blown-out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .338 in (8.6 mm) is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin. The .338 Winchester Magnum is the first choice among professional brown bear guides in Alaska to back up clients where a powerful stopping caliber is required on charging bears. It is also the most popular medium-bore cartridge in North America and has the most widely available choice in rifles among medium bore rifles. The action length is the same as a .30-06, and most major rifle manufacturers in the United States chamber rifles for the cartridge including the semi-automatic Browning BAR Mk II Safari, making it a very powerful combination against charging dangerous game. The cartridge was intended for larger North American big-game species and has found use as for the hunting of thin-skinned African plains-game species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.308 Marlin Express</span> Firearm cartridge

The .308 Marlin Express is a cartridge developed in 2007 by Marlin Firearms and Hornady. It is based on the .307 Winchester with a goal to duplicate .308 Winchester performance. The cartridge uses a slightly shorter, semi-rimmed case similar to that of the .220 Swift to function in lever-action rifles. As introduced in Hornady's LEVERevolution line of cartridges, it is the highest velocity production cartridge designed for lever action rifles with tubular magazines. It is chambered in Marlin's Model 308MX and 308MXLR rifles using the Marlin Model 336 action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.35 Remington</span> Firearm cartridge from the Remingtons lineup

The .35 Remington (9.1 x 49 mm) is the only cartridge from Remington's lineup of medium-power rimless cartridges still in commercial production. Introduced in 1906, it was originally chambered for the Remington Model 8 semi-automatic rifle in 1908.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.358 Winchester</span> US rimless rifle cartridge

The .358 Winchester is a .35 caliber rifle cartridge based on a necked up .308 Winchester created by Winchester in 1955. The cartridge is also known in Europe as the 9.1x51mm.

The .375 Ruger (9.5×65.5mm) is a rimless, standard-length rifle cartridge designed for hunting large, dangerous game. It is designed to provide an increase in performance over the .375 H&H cartridge within the context of a standard-length rifle action. The cartridge was designed in partnership by Hornady and Ruger. In 2007, it was released commercially and chambered in the Ruger Hawkeye African and the Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan rifles.

The 7-30 Waters cartridge was originally a wildcat cartridge developed by author Ken Waters in 1976 to give better performance to lever-action rifle shooters than the parent .30-30 Winchester cartridge, by providing a higher velocity and flatter trajectory with a smaller, lighter bullet. By 1984, Winchester introduced a Model 94 rifle chambered for the 7-30 Waters, establishing it as a commercial cartridge. In 1986, Thompson/Center began chambering 10-inch, 14-inch, and 20-inch Contender barrels for the cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.348 Winchester</span> Rifle cartridge

The .348 Winchester is an American rifle cartridge. It was introduced in 1936, and developed for the Winchester Model 71 lever action rifle. The .348 was one of the most powerful rimmed rounds ever used in a lever action rifle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.450 Marlin</span> US rifle cartridge

The .450 Marlin is a firearms cartridge designed as a modernized equivalent to the .45-70 cartridge. It was designed by a joint team of Marlin and Hornady engineers headed by Hornady's Mitch Mittelstaedt, and was released in 2000, with cartridges manufactured by Hornady and rifles manufactured by Marlin, mainly the Model 1895M levergun. The Browning BLR is also now available in .450 Marlin chambering, as is the Ruger No. 1. Marlin ceased manufacture of the 1895M rifle in 2009. In October 2022 it was rumored that Ruger Firearms, the new owner of Marlin Firearms, may be reintroducing the 450 Marlin in their Model 1895 guide gun, but this has not been confirmed by Marlin or Ruger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.219 Zipper</span> Rifle cartridge

The .219 Zipper cartridge was created by Winchester Repeating Arms in 1937 to be used in their lever-action Model 64 rifle. It is a 30-30 Winchester cartridge necked down to a .22 caliber bullet. Marlin Firearms also offered their Marlin Model 336 rifle chambered for the cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.30-06 Springfield wildcat cartridges</span> Non-standard rifle cartridge

.30-06 Springfield wildcat cartridges are cartridges developed from a 30-06 Springfield "parent cartridge" through narrowing or widening the cartridge neck to fit a smaller or larger bullet in an attempt to improve performance in specific areas. Such wildcat cartridges are not standardized with recognized small arms standardization bodies like the SAAMI and the CIP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.356 Winchester</span> Rifle cartridge

The .356 Winchester is a semi-rimmed, bottle-necked, centerfire rifle cartridge which was designed for use in lever-action rifles. It was developed concurrently with the .307 Winchester which acted as the parent cartridge. Both cartridges were introduced in 1982 in the then-new Model 94 XTR lever-action rifle.

References

  1. C.I.P. 338 Marlin Express (online-PDF 39,6 KB)
  2. "308 Marlin Express at Marlin web site". Archived from the original on December 24, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  3. Zwoll, W. van. (2011, January 4). All aboard the .338 Marlin Express. RifleShooter. https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/ammunition_rs_338_122008wo/84273
  4. "All Aboard the .338 Marlin Express" article in Peterson's Rifle Shooter Magazine
  5. "Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Completes the Acquisition of Marlin Assets". Business Wire. November 24, 2020. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023.
  6. "308 Marlin Express LEVERevolution". Hornady. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  7. "The .30-30 Winchester" by Chuck Hawks.
  8. 1 2 "Lapua Mega Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 200 Grain Soft Point Box of 20". MidwayUSA. Archived from the original on October 7, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  9. 1 2 "Norma Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 200 Grain Oryx Protected Point Box of 20". MidwayUSA. Archived from the original on October 7, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  10. ".307 Winchester" (PDF). Accurate Powder. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  11. ".300 Savage" (PDF). Accurate Powder. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  12. ".308 Winchester" (PDF). Accurate. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  13. "Black Hills Gold Ammunition 308 Winchester 180 Grain Nosler AccuBond Box of 20". MidwayUSA. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.