We will see it in real life at the next SHOT Show in January 2025, and the lucky ones will be able to try it out in the field at the Industry Day. We are talking about the new cartridge that Hornady announced a few days ago, the .338 ARC.
It is a cartridge intended for use in AR15-style semi-automatic rifles, even and especially suppressed ones. For this reason, the US manufacturer presented both a subsonic and a supersonic load at the same time. The first feature that stands out is the small difference in diameter between the bottlenecked case and the bullet, a characteristic of some of the latest cartridges in the same class, the most famous of which is the .300 Blackout. Compared to the latter, Hornady claims a significantly higher terminal preformance in the subsonic version.
The .338 ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge) features a .338" (8.5 mm) diameter bullet on a 1.293" (32.8mm) long case. The case head diameter is 0.441 inch (11.2 mm) the same as the 6mm Grendel and ARC. The total length of the cartridge is 2.260 inches (57.4 mm) and again is designed for use in AR15 or very short bolt actions without modification. Both Hornady loads offer the highest accuracy with a 1:8 rifle twist and do not require adjustments to the gas block of semi-automatic rifles.
The new Hornady loads in .338 ARC
For the time being, two commercial Hornady loads are available. The first is the Sub-X with a 307-grain bullet. This is a load for defensive and law enforcement use designed to ensure considerable penetration while propelling the massive bullet at a speed below the speed of sound. The Hornady Sub-X bullet has a lead core inside a copper jacket. Long grooves in the metal jacket combine with the flat tip and the plastic Flex Tip insert ensure bullet expansion even at low velocities. The crimp grooves ensure an excellent seal between the bullet and case neck, making the Sub-X very reliable, particularly in semi-automatic rifles. Hornady says that thanks to the choice of propellants used, this version of the .338 ARC produces a reduced amount of gunshot residues, which never gets along well with silencers. The claimed muzzle velocity is 1,050 fps (320 metres per second) with an energy of 1,022 joules.
Hornady's second load in .338 ARC belongs to the proven Black line and uses a hollow-point and optimised bullet, like all those in the same series, for use in military-style semi-automatic rifles (Black Rifles). In this case, bullet weight is "only" 175 grains and the declared muzzle velocity is 2,075 fps, equal to 632 meters per second (2,273 joules of energy). The ideal rifle twist for this version is also 1:8. Cases, propellant and primers used for the Hornady Black ammo line are selected to provide maximum reliability and consistency. Both loads will be marketed in packs of 20 cartridges. For prices, we will probably have to wait until the official presentation at the SHOT Show in January 2025, although it is not excluded that they will arrive a little earlier in US gun shops.
For more information: www.hornady.com
