Designed to fire larger diameter, heavier projectiles than 300 Blackout at both subsonic and supersonic velocities from AR-15 platforms, the new 338 ARC cartridge from Hornady fills a niche for suppressed hunting at shorter ranges. In fact, it appears to match the performance figures of another .338 cal cartridge, the 8.6 Blackout, but in a smaller, more efficient package without the safety issues or incredibly fast barrel twist rate. Initial offerings are a 307 grain expanding subsonic load and a 175 grain supersonic load.
With the success of fast, high-BC, long-range-focused 6 ARC under Hornady’s belt, the 338 ARC is a neat offering that slots into the opposite end of the ballistic spectrum where slow, heavy, and quiet when suppressed rule the day. We’ll keep our eyes on this one.
You want big subsonic pills from an AR15 platform? Why not Black Butterfly’s 600 grain .458 SOCOM?
If you want to go big, go big!
Split the difference with 350 Legend, use all the small frame AR parts with the exception of the barrel. It’s literally 380 long rifle, and then load it with whatever .355 projectile, as light or as heavy as you want on top of however much powder suites you. This is a solution to a problem no one asked for, like 8.6blk
I am keenly interested in an effective hunting platform for white-tailed deer that is sub-sonic and therefore suitable for a suppressor.
Thus far I have been considering a certain .44 Special load (with a 240 grain Keith semi-wadcutter hardcast bullet) out of my .44 Magnum rifle with a suppressor. The problem with that platform is that the bullet loses velocity fast and I cannot realistically/ethically shoot beyond 50 yards. I would absolutely LOVE to have something that extends that range to 75 yards or even better 100 yards. That has me wondering if this new cartridge with a .338 caliber, 307 grain expanding bullet would fit the bill.
.300 Blackout is one candidate for that.
If you are willing to invest in a big bore can like a Silencerco Hybrid 46M, you could go with a .458 SOCOM upper (I recommend having Tony Rumore at Tromix build it, as he is *the* .458 SOCOM guru). It will throw big subsonic pills with lots of energy: plenty enough to knock down whitetails.
But remember, shooting subsonics means that *any* caliber you shoot is going to have significant drop beyond 150 yards. .300 Blackout subsonics with 1050 fps muzzle velocity are going to have 8” of drop at 100 yards, and 52” at 200. .458 SOCOM subs of similar velocity have drops that are about the same, but are delivering twice the energy. Time of flight, gravity, and the laws of physics simply can’t be wished away.