The 338 ARC was developed to compete with the 300 Blackout and 8.6 Blackout for mainly suppressed subsonic use. It is able to run the heavier .338 caliber bullets like the 8.6 Blackout so it has more energy than the 300 Blackout, but is still able to run in the AR-15 platform unlike the 8.6. It is capable of supersonic loadings as well, but keep in mind that many of the .338” hunting type bullets were designed for the large magnum calibers and may not perform properly on game at the slower velocities. Many companies are putting out bullets designed to expand at the subsonic velocities that would work well in this cartridge for hunting applications.
In firearms that use a floating firing pin (such as the AR-15 and its variants), dropping the bolt on a chambered round could lead to a slam fire. It is important that these firearms are loaded from the magazine so that the bolt loses inertia when it strips a round from the magazine. It is also important NOT to use sensitive primers that aren’t designed for use in an AR, as this increases the chance of a slam fire.
