.338 Marlin express
Encyclopedia
The .338 Marlin Express is a new 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.
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. Further, 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 yds. 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 relatively high Bc bullets Hornady designed for the rounds. Its trajectory is 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 (10 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.
Marlin Firearms
Marlin Firearms Co., formerly of North Haven, Connecticut, is a manufacturer of high power, center fire, lever action, and .22 caliber rimfire rifles. In the past, the company made shotguns, derringers and revolvers...
and Hornady
Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.Hornady...
. It is based on the .376 Steyr
.376 Steyr
The .376 Steyr cartridge is a rifle cartridge jointly developed by Hornady and Steyr for use in the Steyr Scout rifle.Introduced in 1999, it is based on the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke case, necked up to accept a diameter bullet...
with a goal to duplicate the venerable .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
's performance in a cartridge compatible with lever-action firearms. The cartridge uses a slightly shorter, rimmed
Rim (firearms)
A rim is an external flange that is machined, cast, molded, stamped or pressed around the bottom of a firearms cartridge. The rim may serve a number of purposes, the most common being as the place for the extractor to engage...
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
.308 Marlin Express
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, rimmed case to function in lever action rifles...
which preceded it. The .338MX fires heavier .338 caliber bullets than the .308 Marlin Express
.308 Marlin Express
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, rimmed case to function in lever action rifles...
at roughly the same velocity. It is chambered in Marlin's Model 338MX and 338MXLR rifles using the Marlin Model 336
Marlin Model 336
The Marlin Model 336 is a lever-action carbine made by Marlin Firearms. It is most often chambered in .30-30 Winchester or .35 Remington, though it has also been chambered in several other cartridges over the years.-History:...
action.
Design History and Cartridge Performance
Whereas the .308 Marlin Express.308 Marlin Express
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, rimmed case to function in lever action rifles...
began by modifying the .307 Winchester
.307 Winchester
The 307 Winchester cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1982 to meet the demand of .300 Savage performance in a lever-action rifle equipped with a tubular magazine...
, Hornady
Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.Hornady...
and Marlin
Marlin Firearms
Marlin Firearms Co., formerly of North Haven, Connecticut, is a manufacturer of high power, center fire, lever action, and .22 caliber rimfire rifles. In the past, the company made shotguns, derringers and revolvers...
engineers started with a previous collaboration between Hornady and the Austrian arms maker Steyr
Steyr Mannlicher
Steyr Mannlicher is a firearms manufacturer based in the city of Steyr, Austria. Originally a part of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch manufacturing conglomerate, it became independent when the conglomerate was broken in 1990.-History:...
, the .376 Steyr
.376 Steyr
The .376 Steyr cartridge is a rifle cartridge jointly developed by Hornady and Steyr for use in the Steyr Scout rifle.Introduced in 1999, it is based on the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke case, necked up to accept a diameter bullet...
, when designing the .338 Marlin Express. The case of the .376 Steyr
.376 Steyr
The .376 Steyr cartridge is a rifle cartridge jointly developed by Hornady and Steyr for use in the Steyr Scout rifle.Introduced in 1999, it is based on the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke case, necked up to accept a diameter bullet...
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
.338 Federal
The .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber. It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles.-Comparison:...
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
.338 Winchester Magnum
The .338 Winchester Magnum is a .33 caliber belted rimless bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company|Winchester. It is based on the blown out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .33 is the caliber at which medium bore cartridges are considered to begin...
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. Further, the projectile's high ballistic coefficient
Ballistic coefficient
In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration—a high number indicates a low negative acceleration. BC is a function of mass, diameter, and drag coefficient...
allows the .338 Marlin Express to maintain velocity to greater distances than big bore lever cartridges such as .45-70
.45-70
The .45-70 rifle cartridge, also known as .45-70 Government, was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873...
, .444 Marlin
.444 Marlin
The .444 Marlin is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. It was designed to fill in a gap for the older .45-70 at a time when that cartridge was not currently available in any lever action, making it the largest at the time available lever-action cartridge...
, or even the high performance .450 Marlin
.450 Marlin
The .450 Marlin is a firearms cartridge designed as a modernized equivalent to the venerable .45-70 lever-action 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...
. 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 yds. 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 relatively high Bc bullets Hornady designed for the rounds. Its trajectory is similar to the .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
.
Comparison
The .338 Marlin Express was designed to produce performance similar to the .30-06 Springfield.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
. This would give lever-action hunters improved performance over their .30-30 Winchester
.30-30 Winchester
The .30-30 Winchester/.30 Winchester Center Fire/7.62×51mmR cartridge was first marketed in early 1895 for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle. The .30-30 , as it is most commonly known, was the USA's first small-bore, sporting rifle cartridge designed for smokeless powder. The .30-30 is...
rounds. The table below shows how the rounds compare. Note that reloading data for 200-grain (10 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
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
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.
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight (gr) | Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns... (ft/s) | Muzzle energy Muzzle energy Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from the muzzle of a firearm. It is often used as a rough indication of the destructive potential of a given firearm or load... (ft-lbf Foot-pound force The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot... ) | BC Ballistic coefficient In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration—a high number indicates a low negative acceleration. BC is a function of mass, diameter, and drag coefficient... | Velocity (ft/s)/Energy (ft-lbf Foot-pound force The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot... ) @ 400yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .338 Marlin Express | 200 | 2565 | 2922 | .430 | 1820/1471 |
| .308 Marlin Express .308 Marlin Express 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, rimmed case to function in lever action rifles... |
160 | 2660 | 2513 | ? | 1836/1197 |
| .30-30 Winchester .30-30 Winchester The .30-30 Winchester/.30 Winchester Center Fire/7.62×51mmR cartridge was first marketed in early 1895 for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle. The .30-30 , as it is most commonly known, was the USA's first small-bore, sporting rifle cartridge designed for smokeless powder. The .30-30 is... |
160 | 2300 | 1880 | ||
| .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
200 | 2542 | 2879 | ||
| .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
200 | 2625 | 3061 | ||
| .376 Steyr .376 Steyr The .376 Steyr cartridge is a rifle cartridge jointly developed by Hornady and Steyr for use in the Steyr Scout rifle.Introduced in 1999, it is based on the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke case, necked up to accept a diameter bullet... (Parent Cartridge) |
210 | 3011 | 4229 | ||
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight (gr) | Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns... (ft/s) | Muzzle energy Muzzle energy Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from the muzzle of a firearm. It is often used as a rough indication of the destructive potential of a given firearm or load... (ft-lbf Foot-pound force The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot... ) | BC Ballistic coefficient In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration—a high number indicates a low negative acceleration. BC is a function of mass, diameter, and drag coefficient... | Velocity (ft/s)/Energy (ft-lbf Foot-pound force The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot... ) @ 400yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .307 Winchester .307 Winchester The 307 Winchester cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1982 to meet the demand of .300 Savage performance in a lever-action rifle equipped with a tubular magazine... |
150gr | 2693 | 2416 | ||
| .300 Savage .300 Savage The .300 Savage cartridge is a rimless, .30 caliber rifle cartridge developed by the Savage Arms Company in 1920. It was designed to replace the less powerful .303 Savage in their popular Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle... |
150gr FMJ | 2765 | 2547 | ||
| .308 Winchester .308 Winchester The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65... |
150gr FMJ | 2809 | 2629 | ||
| .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
150gr FMJ | 2900 | 2820 | ||
| .308 Winchester .308 Winchester The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65... |
180gr Nos AccuBond | 2550 | 2598 | ||
| .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
200gr SP | 2542 | 2879 | ||
| .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
200gr OPP | 2625 | 3061 | ||
| .338 Federal .338 Federal The .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber. It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles.-Comparison:... |
210gr Nos Part | 2630 | 3226 | ||
| .325 WSM .325 WSM .325 Winchester Short Magnum is an 8 mm caliber rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridge that was introduced in 2005 by Winchester... |
200gr Accubond CT | 2950 | 3866 | ||
| .338 Winchester Magnum .338 Winchester Magnum The .338 Winchester Magnum is a .33 caliber belted rimless bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company|Winchester. It is based on the blown out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .33 is the caliber at which medium bore cartridges are considered to begin... |
200gr SP | 2950 | 3866 | ||
| .35 Remington .35 Remington The .35 Remington is the only remaining 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.-History:... |
200gr Lead Flat Nose | 2084 | 1929 | ||
| .348 Winchester .348 Winchester The .348 Winchester is an American rifle cartridge. It was introduced in 1936, and developed for the Winchester Model 71 lever rifle. The .348 was one of the most powerful rimmed rounds ever used in a lever rifle.-Performance:... |
200gr | 2530 | 2840 | ||
| .358 Winchester .358 Winchester 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 8.8x51mm. -History:... |
200gr SP | 2500 | 2776 | ||
| .35 Whelen .35 Whelen The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. The parent of this cartridge is the .30-06 Springfield, which is necked-up to accept a bullet diameter of... |
200gr | 2798 | 3478 | ||
| .340 Weatherby Magnum .340 Weatherby Magnum The .340 Weatherby Magnum rifle cartridge was introduced in 1963 by creator Roy Weatherby in response to the .338 Winchester Magnum. The .340 Weatherby Magnum uses the same .338 in. diameter bullets as the .338 Winchester Magnum but it does so at greater velocity than its Winchester competition... |
200gr SP | 3221 | 4607 | ||
| 9.3x62mm Mauser | 231 gr Oryx | 2600 | 3550 | ||
See also
- .30-06 Springfield.30-06 SpringfieldThe .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
- .308 Marlin Express.308 Marlin ExpressThe .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, rimmed case to function in lever action rifles...
- .30-30 Winchester.30-30 WinchesterThe .30-30 Winchester/.30 Winchester Center Fire/7.62×51mmR cartridge was first marketed in early 1895 for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle. The .30-30 , as it is most commonly known, was the USA's first small-bore, sporting rifle cartridge designed for smokeless powder. The .30-30 is...
- .338 Federal.338 FederalThe .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber. It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles.-Comparison:...
- List of rifle cartridges
- 8 mm caliber8 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the empty cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the loaded cartridge.All measurements are in mm .-Pistol cartridges:...