.338 Edge
338 Edge (.338/300 Ultra Mag, .338 Ultra Cat) is a Wildcat rifle cartridge based on the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum round necked up to accept 0.338" diameter bullets.[1] It is gaining popularity as a long-range cartridge due to the wide availability of 0.338" projectiles that have a high ballistic coefficient. For instance, the 300-grain (19 g) Sierra Match King has a ballistic coefficient of 0.765[2] and is a popular choice for 338 Edge shooters.
| .338 Edge | |
|---|---|
| Type | Rifle |
| Place of origin | USA |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Shawn Carlock |
| Designed | 2001 |
| Specifications | |
| Parent case | .300 Remington Ultra Magnum/.404 Jeffery |
| Case type | Rimless, bottleneck |
| Bullet diameter | .338 in (8.6 mm) |
| Neck diameter | .371 in (9.4 mm) |
| Shoulder diameter | .525 in (13.3 mm) |
| Base diameter | .550 in (14.0 mm) |
| Rim diameter | .534 in (13.6 mm) |
| Case length | 2.850 in (72.4 mm) |
| Overall length | 3.600 in (91.4 mm) |
| Case capacity | 122.5 gr H2O (7.94 cm3) |
| Primer type | Large rifle magnum |
Design
The 338 Edge is similar in ballistics to the .338 Lapua Magnum, but can be chambered in a regular magnum action without modification, making it an attractive cartridge for shooters looking for the high performance of .338 Lapua Magnum without requiring a special or custom action.
The name "338 Edge" was coined by Shawn Carlock during his work with the wildcat in 2001 in order to distinguish the cartridge from the (then new) slightly shorter 338 Remington Ultra Magnum.[3]
Velocities in the 338 Edge are high, and the recoil can be substantial enough to make a rifle painful to shoot without a recoil reducing device such as a muzzle brake or suppressor. Recoil is approximately twice that of the popular .30-06 cartridge, for a given weight rifle.
See also
References
- Carlock, Shawn. "338 Edge – History and Development". Len Backus' Long Range Hunting online magazine. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
- ".338 300 gr HPBT ballistics". Sierra Bullets. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- "338 Edge History & Development". Defensive Edge. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
- October 2000 issue of "The Accurate Rifle"
External links
- Encyclopedia of firearms and ammo of the XX and XXI centuries. Archived 10 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine