Any body heard about this ?
I swa a blurb on another sight, suposedly a guy saw it on guns an ammo TV. 200 grain leverution bullets at 2600 FPS.
Suposed to be bases on the 376 styer with a belt.
Sounds like a fun one to me.
Would be a great one for elk or black bear.
Give to me in an 1895 with wood and blue steel, agood set of peep sightes , & lets go hunting...tj3006

I added the 308ME to my list of toys a while back.It really is pretty impressive when compared to a 30-30 however I would like a selection on ammo.

You pretty much know as much as anyone else. I think G&A was not supposed to announce the cartridge yet as hornady has said they planned to release the info in January.

One thing, it did not have a belt but it did have a rim.

Makes complete sense since there are so many FN bullets designed for lever action speeds (read, you are stuck with Hornady ammo)

well, I think there are really quite a few bullets you could load in such a cartridge. There are RN from a few companies in the 200 grain range, (I think).
Any wat its kind of a neat idea.
something I have thought would probably sell prety well would be a marlin 1895 in .348 Win.
I think the .308 is based on the 45/70 case, Are the preasures to much ?
...tj3006

Its true that there arent alot of bullets out for 338 caliber leveractions. Hopefully hornady will bring thier 200 gr. flat point back out and I am sure there will be a few cast bullets designed specifically for this round.

I would have prefered a .358 marlin express but I will still buy the 338 marlin.

.338 Federal Rimmed? .338 Federal Rimmed Short? .338-.356 Winchester?

OK Dokay...

Might just as well, for them that wants one...

Dennis

358 BLR mfg. now

Great cartridge in a misbegotten package.

I think the world needs and deserves a rimmed short .338 levergun round -- I'm talking about one for real leverguns here... .

Why the hell not ?

Dennis

I vote 348 win.

Its proven, but no one ever asks me.

BMT

In my industry we call things like this (338ME. 300ME, 30TC, etc.) "building tomarrows closeouts today"

10 years form now, heck 5 year, try to find any one of these rounds on the dealers shelves or a gun chambered for it on anything but the discounted used gun racks.

Well if it dies out in 5 years, I guess I will enjoy it for 5 years. And I guess I will just have to reload for it when it dies out, oh wait I already load for everything I shoot.

Honestly, I think the gun companies should just shut down, whats the point, the rifles I have now wont ware out in my life time so why should they even bother to make new ones.

Marlin is short sighted. Bring back the .348 Winchester, and skip all this silly crap from Hornady.
I spent years in management in the Pharmaceutical industry. What I see now with rifle makers, and ammo makers mirrors what the Pharm industry did.
Bring out a new generic, knowing that it has a SHORT life, milk the profit, and then screw over the consumer.
Reflect on the fact that most of what Hornady brings out cannot be reloaded by Joe Sixpack. They will not put the powder and the bullets into the marketplace for the reloader. That is BS.

Great cartridge (338), but I'll stick with the 358 Win.

I too would love to see the 348 Win, but I believe it's too long for the Marlin action. Personally, I'd like to see the 450 Marlin or 45-70 necked down to .358, but then the 356 Win didn't set any sales records so that's probably not an option for Marlin/Hornady. I do believe there is a niche to be filled between the 30-30/308 Marlin Express and the 444/450/45-70: more powerful than the 35 Rem but flatter shooting and more versatile than the 356, 375, and 38-55. A round that approximates the ballistics of the old 348 would be about right. Maybe this new round will do that.

JV

I considered buying a 356 Win several times at gun shows, but decided against it every time. When I need a levergun with more whallop than my 30-30, I'll just use my 45-70. And if I need more reach, I'll grab one of several bolt actions.

-

The 20� barrel .356 Winchester will do anything the 20� barrel .348 Winchester will do and from a lighter, scope ready outfit. I�ll grant you the esthetic charm of the Model 71 pulls at our heart strings but the Big Bore Winchester or ER Marlin deliver the same performance.
Marlin - Hornady could not use the .307 Winchester because the action will not handle the cartridge overall length with the pointy bullet, so the shorter .308 ME. The same holds true for the .356 Winchester case.
The availability of the pointy bullet will only help the handloader of the .308 Marlin Express. The Hornady bullet tapers quite quickly above the cannelure and this will cause problems for those who attempt to use the bullet in the .30-30 and the .307 Winchester.
The .307 Winchester is gone for good so I am a big fan of the .308 Marlin Express both for its power level and its accuracy, but I�ll admit I am scratching my head over the choice of the .338 ME. Marlin needs a real good ad campaign and so far their advertising agency has not been up to the task.

I have heard the 348 Winchester cartridge will not work in the Marlin action because the case/rim is too wide.

-

Remember, Remington owns Marlin now. What can you expect from a company that sells M98 Mausers as Remingtons.

I would be willing to give it a try. I know that my local sporting goods store can't keep the 308 Marlin Express ammo in stock, and the rifles sell as soon as he gets them in. Same goes for the 30-30, 35, 444, 45-70 and 450 LE ammo. I really think that these are selling much better than people are giving them credit for. I would lay even odds that at least the 308 and maybe the 338 will still be fairly popular in 10 years.

Have you ever considered that the 45-70 might just be a flash-in-the-pan and might die out in 5 or 6 years? Then you (and those with trapdoor Springfields) will have orphans on their hands, just like 338 Marlin owners!

A cartridge will only survive if it has a useful purpose that is not met by other avaialble cartridges. I agree that some of the current hot-shots will not make it, but 30-06, 45-70, etc. will be here long after we've departed the scene.

I ended up trading for a 308 MX XLR (with some boot on my part) when I took my M94 30-30 to a gun show. Yeah, it's a niche kind of gun, but it is very accurate and I am very pleasantly surprised with how much I like the gun. It gave nice groups at 50 yds with open sights and when I finally scoped it (Weaver V3), it was a one ragged holer at 50 and <MOA at 100 yds. This is with the Hornady ammo. Speed varied from 2593 to 2613 fps for the 10 rounds that were chronied. Not exactly the 2660 they advertise, but it's at least in the ball park and with a 160 gr bullet it does way out perform a 30-30, but it ain't no 308 Win. A 338 with similar performance from a 200 gr bullet would be a hoot and it sounds like it would be very close in performance to the 338 Fed.

Hate to be a nattering nabob of negativism...can this .338express do anything a .35Rem or .45/70 or .444marlin not do?

What can it do?

There were plenty of times that I would leave my 35 rem at home and take a bolt gun in 30-06 because there was a possiblity of a 300 yard shot. Now I have never needed to shoot 300 yards but there was the possiblity. I just dont care for bolt actions so the 338 marlin will let me take a leveraction and have a rifle that shoots flat enough and has a bullet designed to expand on deer at longer ranges. I know that the 308 marlin does the same thing but I just prefer larger bore size, thats why I like the 35 rem and 45-70. Sure you can take 200+ yard shots with the 35 rem, 45-70 and 444 but the bullet drop ends up being over 20inches at 300 yards and you start to have problems with bullet expansion.

I'm glad to see the 338 Marlin Express,I've owned 356 winnys ,375 Winnys,
But i never could see much improvement over a well handloaded 35 Remmy (2250 fps.).,..the 356 winny went a little faster ,but those ole 200gr. Cor-lokt bullets worked so well at 35 rem. Vel.

These 200gr. 338 bullets with a SD of .250 as compared to a 200gr. .358 bullet to SD of .223
the longer slimmer .338 bullet 200gr. will be travlin @ 2600 FPS. It will truely make a hard hitting long range Levergun round. And be a good performer at close range with its .338 Dia.
Those .358 slugs just don't fight the LAW (gravity) as well as a longer slimmer 200gr. 338 bullet.
I have been debateing on gettin a 35 Whelen . but this 338ME maybe the ticket.

As for comparing it to a 30-06 ,(everthing is compared to the BEST) In real world the 338 ME ,does not come close ,I'm not knocking the 338ME ...but its not a fair comparison, the 30-06 is a longer cartridge ,operates at a higher pressure ,and the 180 gr. .308 bullet has a SD of .271 and can be pushed to 2800 fps... the .308 bullet has less frontal area ,but those .308 bullets are made to expand perfectly at 30-06 Vel. the cartrige has been around for over 100 yr.s and the bullets have been truly perfected,,like no other (sans the 270 win.)

As I mentioned how well the 200gr. Cor-Lokt works in the 35 Remmy. thats how the Power Point,Cor-lokts .308 bullets work in the 30-06. They work perfectly.

The 338 ME should be compared to other levergun cartridges the 308 ME, .356 and 375 win. and the great 35 Rem. ,,,which hands down it truly will out perform all three.
But it is not a boltgun cartridge and shouldn't be compared in that group.(even though it gives a bunch of'em a run for their money)

There is really no NEED for a new cartirdge, the market seems to be covered with the current crop from 17 Fireball to 458 Lott. But new cartridges sure stir the imagination and keeps the juices flowing. Unfortunately, every time a new cartridges / riflle is introduced, I've lost interest by the time it is generaly available (about 2 years from introduction) and, I stick with the 30-06 and 308 Winchester!

SAAMI specs show the .348 has a rim of about 0.610". The .45-70 rim is 0.608, so it's likely not the rim width that prevents use in the Marlin action. The .348 case has a head diameter of 0.553, while the .45-70's is about .506; it may be this difference presents the problem.

The .348 is at least 0.20 inches longer than the .45-70; this is another difference that could cause difficulties.

--Bob

The 348 is to long for the 94 Action and the 336 action...the 348 uses a 348 Dia. bullet (limited) the 348 really doesn't offer much more than the 356 Win. the Marlin 338 concept seems to be a dandy ...

Anytime a new tradional levergun cartridge comes out I'm happy (keeps the Levergun alive)

Let's see-- the .356 Winchester was dead on arrival and the .338 Marlin sounds a lot like the .356.

I guess I should not be saying such negative things, seeing as I just bought a .356.

I'd have been more tickled if they just chambered the damn things for 356 Winchester again.

I was talking with the sales person at Dicks Sporting Goods in Rockwall Texas today.I dont believe hunters and shooters realize how many Marlin lever guns are sold.He sales about 15 30-30's a month.That is just the plain jane Marlin 30-30.He sales about 6 of the stainless a month.Now I dont pretend to know what is normal but that seems like a lot to me.He can not get enough to stay stocked,keeps running out every month.

re to Skidrow

Remington don't sell only Mauser as Remington but also Russian gun known in Europe as Baikal. But don't you know also that a lot of powders you use to reload in the USA come from Europe or Australia or Canada...The Ramshot ball powders are mostly french powders made in Eurenco/SNPE factory "Poudrerie de Clermont" in Belgium and most of your RL powders come from Sweden except the new RL17 that come from Switzerland..But leaving in France i like my Remington 700Titanium for mountain and my 700BDL in 8mmRem Mag for heavy and big critters. If i had chance to try it i would like to test a 338Marlin to compare it to my 94 in 356 (very good on running hogs) or my Browning 71 in 348Winch...Even for an european (more than that a french guy): life is too short to hunt with only one gun or caliber!

Personally I'll be looking forward reading an article on it John.

Hornady has it up on their site....see link below

338 Marlin Express on Hornady Website

Looks intriguing.

And add the 300 WSM to the querry about what can be doen that isn't already by the '06 or Win mag....




Certainly!

And why doesn't Ruger just chamber their #1 for the 225 Winchester? Their factory loading upon introduction was virtually proprietary in the accuracy it was producing for a factory load at the time.

Why not just neck down thw 444 marlin case. It has more capacity than this offering. I use a similar round, the 358 ALPO, which is a 444 ran through a 35 Whelen Imp. die, and in the weak T/C action it is more impressive than this 338.

The Marlin action could have launched 250 grain 358 caliber bullets at 2750 fps easily. With the new Evolution bullets that would have finally given us an honest 300 yard lever action Elk rifle. (Appologies to the BLR, which does this, sort of.)

At least this 338 shouldn't kick to much.

Hornady's web site discusses the 338 Marlin. At the muzzle, it produces 2921 ft. lbs. of energy and at 200 yard, this drops to 2099 ft. lbs. with a 200 gr. bullet. This is a little disappointing to me. I was expecting it would be at least 3500 ft. lbs. at the muzzle, or about that of the 444 Marlin.

The new 338 marlin does not use the same case as the 308mx, it is based off of the styre case so it is will have a larger capacity than if they had used a 444 case. I would have liked to see a 35mx but I guess they wanted to have a higher ballistic coef than the 35 would have allowed.

It is looking like they have come up with just about the optimum performance when you are trying to have a flat shooting, high energy cartridge that is in a very limiting action.

My thoughts as well. Looks like it should easily be a honest 300 yard elk capable rifle in a honest lever action.
If the 308 MX rifle/cartridge combo is any indication of how the 338 will shoot it will be an easy MOA lever rifle at that.

ANOTHER GREAT FLOP.
what bullet are they going to use? the 200 grain flat point was discontinued years ago (Hornady offered a 200 grain flat point Interlock bullet (#3315).
so it looks like another leverolution line of calibers.
great if your a ammo company.
a rifle that only shoots factory bullets? great addition to the already endless chain of useless calibers.
there isnt a suitable .338 caliber bullet being made to reload into a .338 caliber gun that will expand below 1800 FPS. thats pretty limiting if you ask me.

why not just bring back the 348 Winchester or the 33 winchester or the .307 Winchester or the 356 Winchester or the .358 Winchester or the .32 Winchester Special ?

because they dont say MARLIN on the headstamp they say WINCHESTER, thats why.

"Big Bore rifles and cartridges"
.33 Winchester 200 gr Hornady
charge...........powder.........M/V
(fps)..........variation..........E(ft/lbs)
47................IMR4064........2467...............73...................2688
45................IMR4895........2471...............128.................2710

Can't say how the 338 will do but the 308MX seems to have made it. Leverelution bullets as components are starting to become available. I see Nosler has come out with a similar bullet for the 30-30. Bullet evolution marches on.

I personaly have no use for the338 Marlin Express, bullet and mold availability is a problem for this cartridge and I have a 356 Winchester.
It is funny that we read threads everyday from handloaders looking for a one do-it-all powder for several cartridges and we hear from hunterswho have picked one bullet and powder for their rifle and that is all they shoot. Then we turn around and complain there is only one load available for the 308 and 338 Marlin Express cartridges.
I will say this about the 308 Marlin Express, you need to load very carefully to beat the accuracy from the Hornady ammunition.
For 100% of my hunting I do not need the pointy bullet. These cartridges and rifles do fill a gap. If you dont already have one of several rifles which were previously made for a cartridge of similar performance this is your chance to buy a new rifle with a good cartridge. The Marlin Express cartridges are not any better than the:348 WCF, 307/308 Win, 356/358 Win, or the 33 WCF for that matter but they are made in a new in the box rifle today, at a price a young shooter can just about afford.

Hey, look what I invented - a wheel!

Don't really have anything relevant or pithy to add, just noting this is why marketing people drink so heavily.

The .444 and .35 Remington chug on slowly but surely, the .45-70 seems to have found yet another home, and the weak kneed pitiful old .30-30 (tic) just keeps ruling the roost.

Oh well, the Marlin marketing guy is buying the first "round"...

i cant think of why i would buy a rifle chambered in a new round thats only avail in factory ammo at a premium cost. the listed MV is only attainable in the 24" XLR rifle.
im sure a $200 35 remington would be just as usefull and the purchaser could buy a case of ammo for the difference in rifle cost.

One reason that I am excited about the 338ME is that I have had outstanding results with the 30/30 LE ammo. If they thicken the jacket on the 338 version (like they said they would), it will be some good stuff.

While not for everyone, I bet I can buff the lead off the end of the 210 partition and come up with a safe flatpoint alturnative to factory. This of course will take some experimentation.

i doubt that any shot further than 100 yards with a 210 partition from a marlin would have enough velocity to expand it more than , say, 10-15%.

Well if we push this modified partition at a mild 2400 fps and assume that it has a ballistic coefficient of 0.330; then it is still going over 1800 fps at 250 yards.

Might want to drool over this guys.

The 348DC. 45/70 necked to 348. My 1895 will be going to Dave's shop this winter.I have hundreds of 348 bullets on hand and have grown tired of the 45/70 chambering as it reall overkill for where I hunt.

www.clementscustomguns.com









.348 DC: This is our newest caliber offering for the 1895 Marlin in .45/70 and should prove to be superior to any medium bore cartridge for the Marlin to date. It is made from the .45/70 case necked down to .348 caliber and shortened to 2". No fireforming is needed. Maximum OAL length is 2.55". Bullets are available from Hornady, Barnes, and Hawk along with a few custom makers. Velocities are as follows from a 22" barrel: 180 gr. @2700, 200 gr. @2600, 220 gr. @2500, 250 gr. @2300. The cartridge is easy to load and seems to be at its best with Reloader 15. Conversion to the .348 DC includes a new match grade barrel from 18-24" long, reinstall factory sights if wanted, and a set of Hornady custom dies with all reloading and case forming data. $925 on your 1895 .45/70. $1425 on mine. Many options are available to add to this if desired.

I prefer to use the 1895SS with its pistol grip stock to build big bore rifles. It handles recoil much better than the straight stock. Other chamberings will be considered where feasible. We take proper cartridge feeding of the Marlin leveraction seriously. Everything possible is done to correct any problems. Actions are checked with a variety of ammo and adjusted as needed. An FFL from a local dealer is required before shipment when I furnish the base gun. Stainless base guns are slightly higher and will be beadblasted to a matte finish. Packages can be customized to suit the individual needs of the customer. Stainless barrels can be used when necessary at above prices. When ordering packages with recoil pad installation, please specify LOP desired. On all Marlin packages, the forearm hanger and mag tube stud will be permanently installed with silver solder to keep them from coming loose under recoil. I highly recommend glassbedding of the stock to receiver especially on guns in .444 and .45/70. The stock usually does not fit very well and can split as a result of shooting the heavy loads used in these guns. I can add this service to any package where it is not included for $45. At the present time, I only offer rebarreling for Marlins with round barrels to a maximum length of 24".
I have standardized on using the Terminator recoil pads for all custom installations. I have found them to be of the highest quality and easy to work with. They can be furnished in black or brown.



Clements Custom Guns
2766 Mt. Zion Rd.
Woodlawn, VA 24381

Phone: 276-238-8761 e-mail: Clements Custom Guns