The .338 ARC is one of the newer cartridges trying to shake up the short-barreled rifle world. On paper, it promises more energy and better long-range performance than .300 Blackout while still working well in a compact, suppressed setup.
For this review, I ran a 12.5" Faxon Firearms .338 ARC with a Precision Firearms .338 suppressor and an EOTech on top to see if it actually lives up to the hype.
First Impressions
Historically, one of the biggest complaints about .338 ARC has been feeding reliability. Going into this review, that was my biggest concern.
Thankfully, the rifle ran surprisingly well.
After getting it zeroed at 50 yards, I started working through accuracy testing and steel targets to see what it could really do.
Accuracy
At 50 yards, the groups were solid but nothing spectacular. Some of that was me getting accustomed to the rifle and its single-stage trigger.
Once I stretched it to 100 yards, things tightened up considerably. The rifle was hovering close to MOA accuracy, which is pretty impressive considering the setup.
At 200 yards, things got more interesting.
The bullet drop is significant, requiring roughly 22 to 24 inches of holdover. Even so, I was able to connect with steel consistently enough to have some fun, and when this round hits steel, you know it.
Reliability
I ran into a few malfunctions during testing, but honestly, I think that was mostly on me.
The rifle ran for roughly 60 to 80 rounds before experiencing its first issue, and I hadn't lubricated it at all. After adding a little oil, the reliability problems basically disappeared.
The one exception was when I experimented with a very high cyclic-rate setup. At that point, feeding issues started appearing again, which likely means the rifle needs additional tuning for that kind of use.
For normal shooting, reliability was perfectly acceptable.
Shooting Experience
The best way to describe the .338 ARC is simple:
It's fun.
More fun than .300 Blackout? I'd argue yes.
The recoil is still manageable, the rifle remains compact, and the impact on steel is far more noticeable than what most shooters are used to with .300 Blackout.
This is one of those cartridges that just makes you grin when you hear it hit steel.
Ballistics
One of the more interesting parts of testing was looking at ballistic performance comparisons between .338 ARC, .300 Blackout, and 8.6 Blackout.
The .338 ARC clearly has advantages in energy and effective distance compared to traditional .300 Blackout loads, especially as ranges start increasing.
That said, ammo cost is definitely something to consider. .338 ARC isn't cheap, and you'll notice the difference if you're planning on shooting a lot.
What I Like
- Excellent accuracy for a short rifle
- Hits steel extremely hard
- Performs well suppressed
- Better range potential than .300 Blackout
- Compact package
- Very fun to shoot
What I Don't Like
- Ammo is expensive
- Significant holdover at longer distances
- May require tuning depending on your setup
- Not nearly as common as .300 Blackout
Final Thoughts
The Faxon Firearms .338 ARC ended up exceeding my expectations.
It's accurate, fun, and surprisingly capable out to 200 yards and beyond. While ammunition costs are definitely higher than .300 Blackout, you're getting a cartridge that delivers more energy and better performance at distance.
If you're looking for something different from the typical .300 Blackout build and don't mind paying more for ammo, the .338 ARC is absolutely worth a look.
Would I replace all my .300 Blackout rifles with it? Probably not.
Would I build another one? Absolutely.