SUMMARY Ultra-wideband (UWB) pulsed plane wave scattering from a large but finite strip grating in free space is analysed in the frequency domain via decomposition into plane wave spectra, implemented numerically by the method of moments, and then inverted into the time domain (TD). To make this procedure practical under UWB conditions, closed form expressions are derived for interaction integrals involving widely separated expansion and testing functions. These closed forms are based on a judicious choice of the basis functions, and on asymptotic methods for reducing the integrals. Although large separation distances are assumed, the expressions have been found to be accurate for separations as small as 0-1 wavelengths. The TD self terms can also be evaluated efficiently. To test the frequency domain algorithm, comparisons are made with available data in the literature for surface currents and far-field scattering from multiple strips. New short pulse TD results are shown as well.