.338 Marlin

[duffy4]

Just doing some reading and looking at the .338 Marlin cartridge. (and the lever action Marlin chambers it in)

Any experience with it?

Not that I need another hunting rifle or anything like that, just curious.

[Traps]

Have the 338 Federal. 338 Marlin looks good but I would only consider if you reload as I think the Federal cartridge would outlast the Marlin.

[Marlin xl7]

Originally Posted by Traps

Have the 338 Federal. 338 Marlin looks good but I would only consider if you reload as I think the Federal cartridge would outlast the Marlin.

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but I'm just wondering how the 338 federal performs on game?

[Traps]

Thats a good question, I was skunked last year so on game I don't know. I have run my loads over a chrono and I have gotten 2850 fps with a 185 grain, 3100 fps with a 160 fps. I suspect performance is not much different than a heavily loaded 30-06 but with a little more speed grain for grain.

[duffy4]

This is from a "Chuck Hawks" comment on the .338 Marlin Express.

"Sometime after World War II Jack O'Connor, the Dean of American gun writers, proposed a new .33 caliber cartridge. He wanted to drive a 200 grain flat point or round nose bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2400-2450 fps. He felt that this would make an excellent brush cartridge for the deer and black bear hunter, particularly if available in a repeating rifle that offered quick follow-up shots."

He goes on to talk about the various different cartridges that come close to fulfilling this idea and ends saying he figures the .338 Marlin Express finally does it the best.