338lm Archives

Introduction

In the world of long-range shooting there are many legendary cartridges, the reasons behind the legend differ but they all share a mystical status among shooters. One of those cartridges is the 338 Lapua Magnum, and today we will take a hard look at the Lapua and what makes it so sought after.

Often it’s a particular story or mission that highlights a particular cartridge, or the firearm it is most famous for; like the 308 Winchester in the M24, or the Mk 13 SOCOM rifle chambered in the 300 Winchester Magnum. But as stories are told, and reputations made, the shooting public is keen to appreciate a good performer, and before long it becomes a legend.

The PGW Timberwolf is a popular sniper rifle chambered in 338LM

As technology improves, it takes less and less time for products to improve and be implemented. The 338 Lapua Magnum (LM) has been around a relatively short time compared to most others, and yet it is incredibly famous for its prolific use as a sniper cartridge. Even video gamers who’ve never held a real firearm in their life know that if you are going to get a sniper rifle, get the 338.

Lapua Products

The 338LM is based off of the .416 Rigby case with some additional improvements to safely operate at higher pressures.

What sets it apart?

The mighty 338 Lapua Magnum has many things going for it, and probably the most notable is its power. With a .33 caliber bore, larger bullets can be fired than typical .30 caliber sniper cartridges like the 300WM or 308Win. Not only are they bigger bullets but they are heavier and carry their energy for much further, which are both good traits for long-range accuracy and lethality.

But the mighty Lapua also offers accuracy with its power. With quality components and an adequate rifle, the .338LM is easily capable of shooting 1/2 MOA or better. For many of the years it has been commercially available, it has been offered in many of the best sniper rifles ever produced like; the Accuracy International AXSR, the Desert Tech SRS M2, and the Barrett MRAD (Mk22). And more recently it has been offered in more affordable rifles from manufacturers like Ruger and Savage.

The Ruger RPR in 338LM has lowered the entry price for shooting the big Lapua

I’ve been shooting the 338 for a few years now in various of these different platforms, and despite not lusting after the Lapua like many, I cannot oppose its impressive performance. And today I’ll take you down a thirty-three caliber rabbit hole.

33 and Me

I’ve been shooting the Desert Tech SRS for over a decade now, and the rifle was built for the 338. I’ve made some impressive shots with it over the years, surprising even myself. That’s not meant to be boasting, I’ll explain.

The significant power of the Lapua can be a lot to handle, and for those of us accustomed to shooting short action cartridges the recoil and muzzle blast from the 338 can be “unwelcome”. And yet nearly every time I shoot the 338 for accuracy, I find myself so pleased with the accuracy that I ask myself why I dont shoot it more.

The 338 gets such an impressive bark from the 100’ish (give or take) grains of powder that it runs on. These large powder charges push 250-300 grain bullets up to over 2500 feet per second, which is where all that power comes from. Loading the Lapua can lower the cost of ammunition like most others, but it still hurts to watch a pound of Retumbo disappear so fast.

It is an easy cartridge to load for, and handloaders will find everything about it to be familiar all but for volumes and prices perhaps. Components are not as hard to find as they once were, even American Eagle is making 338 Lapua cases now. Though I greatly prefer the higher quality ones from Lapua, Petersen, and RUAG. If you are going to shoot this this thing you may as well do it right to maximise the performance.

A handful of a few of the worlds best 338LM rifles at a recent military trial I attended

Seeing as I am no sniper, the majority of my experience shooting the 338 has been in recreation, hunting, and a little bit of military demonstration. The same attributes that make it a good long-range sniper cartridge also make it an excellent long-range hunting cartridge. And we have used it over and over for outstanding downrange performance on large Rocky Mountain game like Elk and Moose.

We have used the big Lapua to take down many large Rocky Mountain animals like elk and moose

The significant power of the 338LM makes it an easy choice for hunting big animals or any animal that is far away. Sure it is more than necessary for many animals, but they certainly aren’t going to get up and ask you about it.

Bullets and barrel twists

The big Lapua works best when shooting 250 grain or larger bullets, not that it wont do well with smaller bullets just that you aren’t getting the full performance. Most of the factory ammunition I am familiar with is usually using a 250 or 300 grain match bullet, and they are typically either Sierra Match Kings or Lapua Scenar bullets. Of course there are others from companies like Hornady and Berger, the .338 caliber enjoys a great selection of bullets so you’ll always have something to choose from. Technological advances haven’t skipped over the .338 either, you can get some extremely high performing lathe turned solid bullets in .338 as well from companies like Warner Tool and Cutting Edge. These monolithic solids are lighter than typical lead cored bullets, and come with a much higher ballistic coefficient. These two qualities allow them to be fired faster and fly better than traditional bullets, but it certainly comes at a cost.

It’s important when configuring your rifle to ensure you have enough barrel twist to stabilize the bullets you plan on shooting. Modern projectile development seems to be favoring faster barrel twists, particularly as we continue to discover the value of added gyroscopic energy from faster twists. These are part of the reason I recommend a faster twist barrel than has been traditionally used, regardless of caliber. The common 1-10 twist you see in many 338LM will work, though I prefer something a little faster like a 1-9.5 or 1-9 twist.
Most .338LM rifles utilize full length barrels around 26-inches long, some are longer, and few are shorter. Getting the most out of your .338 typically means taking it to the highest velocity possible, and longer barrels are the way to achieve that. I have had some experience shooting shorter barrels however, some would argue too short. And yet even with barrels as short as 18-inches, the .338LM is still impressive and very useful.

Deserving of a Legend?

So does the mighty .338 Lapua deserve the Legendary status? I would argue that it certainly does.

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As far as commercially available cartridges that can produce results like the Lapua, few others rival it. You can go almost anywhere in the world, and if someone is shooting great distances, they probably have a .338 LM.

The accuracy of the cartridge is as good as any, and it carries over 1,000 pounds of energy to targets as far as a mile away. All this can be done with either the finest sniper rifles available today, or with an affordable rifle you can buy on Guns.com.

If you have an itch to try the fantastic .338 Lapua Magnum, my recommendation would be to scratch that itch. Just keep in mind the costs and attributes we’ve outlined here today and get a legend of your own.

-CBM

Top five you say? What kind of maniac could narrow it down to just five of the best cartridges? I mean the world is littered with spent casings from countless different cartridges that offered something that another didn’t. So to avoid being labeled as that guy, I am instead going to go over the process by which anyone can select their top performers as it applies to their shooting. And how I did it for myself. Today we will discuss my top five cartridges for long-range shooting.

The first step in this process would be to know and set your limits. Unless you’re Elon Musk you probably can’t afford or build a rail gun for your weekend shooting exchanges, so obviously there is a budget to keep. And if you live in flat country where the furthest you can see on a clear day is five-hundred yards. You will have very different needs than someone who lives in mountains ranges where one-thousand yards is just to the next turn in the trail. Another important consideration is the target. Hitting paper or steel is much different than meat and bone. So it’s very important to define your needs properly, both ballistically and financially.

Extremist Need Apply

If your goal is extreme distance competitions like King of 2 Miles, then you are going to want something big. My experience here is minimal. However there are many marksman shooting these distances with a cartridge I am quite fond of and my choice for extreme distance. The 375 Chey-tac, or something similar to it. The cartridge is perhaps the most common in big-bore ELR shooting, as the ammunition and components are plentiful. Not only that, it is an outstanding performer.
With high performance bullets like the Cutting Edge MTAC or the Warner Tool Flat-line, you can shoot distances that most people have never considered possible. Of course all this comes with significant cost. And perhaps an above average level of dedication, but how else could you call yourself an extreme shooter?

The **Desert Tech HTI in 375 Cheytac** is an excellent ELR rifle, matched here with a US Optics 25X scope

Okay, Maybe not that extreme

If your goals are perhaps a little more mainstream, and you don’t feel like spending $10-$20 every time you pull the trigger. Let’s talk about a better fit for you. Shooting a mile or less is much more common than it was even ten years ago. One of the reasons it has become so commonplace is the proliferation of the venerable 338 Lapua to so many affordable rifle platforms. But that’s not the cartridge I was about to recommend, I was about to say the 300 Norma Magnum. Why the 300 over the 338 you might ask? I’ll explain.

**Click here to see the 300 Norma in elk hunting action**

300 Norma ballistics when using high ballistic coefficient like those available today, will rival those of the 338 Lapua. There are pros and cons either way between the two, as far as barrel life, recoil, and even suppressors if that’s your thing. High quality bullets loaded in the 300 Norma make it a devastating long-range performer. Whether you are shooting targets, big-game hunting, or anything else. I prefer the more slender and faster fired bullets in the thirty-caliber as compared to the heavier and a bit slower thirty-three caliber bullets of the 338LM.

The 300 Norma will easily shoot to a mile and beyond, handily take down any North American animal. Additionally it has a huge selection of bullets and ammunition selections of the highest quality.

A Poor-Man’s 338 Lapua

Many years ago, before I had experienced both the 338 LM and 300 NM, I found myself in quite a quagmire. I wanted a new barrel for my Desert Tech SRS that would allow me to shoot comparable ranges to those cartridges (1700-2000 yards) , but I was but a common man.

I had nowhere near the money to feed a Lapua or a Norma, which is no small cost. Buying a barrel is one thing. But coming up with all the ammunition components needed to become proficient and shoot as frequently as I do is another entirely. So I began a study to find a suitable replacement, a champaign cartridge on a beer cartridge budget so to speak.

What precipitated from my numbers evaluation, was this; a very high BC bullet in the 7mm (.284) caliber is comparable to the BC of the bullets commonly loaded in the 338LM. So if I could get them up to comparable or better speeds, I would find myself shooting Lapua distances on Remington resources.

The 7mm SAUM

After some careful market evaluation, I was quoted a build for a 24″ 1-8 twist barrel chambered in the mighty 7mm Short Action Ultra Magnum (7SAUM). And before I knew it, my poor-man’s Lapua was in my hands. I had done all my prep work before-hand, and I had loading components ready to go.

I ended up shooting the Sierra Bullets 183 Match King, which has a very high BC. My new barrel would launch them at a magnificent 3050 feet per second (FPS). After spending a few seasons hunting with the 7SAUM, I was completely convinced I had made a good choice for the times. My SAUM shooting the 183’s actually shot flatter than the mighty 338 out to around a mile. The energy on impact wasn’t as high obviously but I wasn’t planning on hitting anything besides steel at those ranges. Even so, the SAUM retained more than enough energy to take down an animal as far away as 1000 yards, so I was certainly in good company.

The popularity of the 7 SAUM has waned some with the passage of time, another more popular choice with many of the same qualities is the 7 PRC.

Two elk taken down by a single shot from the 7SAUM, at 900 and 500 yards respectively

Lets Get Common

Nothing I’ve mentioned above is particularly common, or very cost effective for your average shooter. Sharp marksmen have been shooting significant distances for a very long time with everyday cartridges like the .308 and 30 06. And with proper bullet selection and load development, you could certainly continue on that fine tradition. Or you could embrace something more contemporary.

Go ahead and light your torches, sharpen the pitchforks, and prepare your best effeminate insults because we’re about to use the “C” word. Just prior to the current ammo crisis, the 6.5 Creedmoor has infiltrated nearly every little ammo shelf across the country. And for good reason.

The 6.5 Creedmoor

The 6.5 CM offers 300WM ballistics with recoil and cost subordinate to even the 308 Winchester. There is an extremely high-quality components and ammunition selection for the 6.5, and its easy to load and shoot. There is so much to like about the cartridge, it begs the question why it is the subject of every sophomoric and unsophisticated insult the internet has to offer.

excellent Creedmoor performance can be had from a simple setup like this **Ruger American Gen2** and **Maven Scope**

Personally I believe it to be its own worst enemy, unfledged shooters are easily tired of hearing how great the Creedmoor is. Especially since what they choose to shoot is obviously better because they chose it, at least that’s how they feel.
Do not discount the Creedmoor, it is what it was built to be; a great shooting cartridge for those first thousand yards. A great deer hunting cartridge, and anything similar to those two disciplines. It can be found nearly anywhere ammunition is sold, making it a strong contender on this list.

These 129 grain Cayuga bullets perform exceptionally in the Creedmoor, read more about them here

Out of Left Field

My tastes have changed, and my budgets matured, so I’d be remiss to omit my latest favorite. I wasn’t sure whether to put it in my list or not, due to the obscurity, but this is my list so I’ll do it my way.

Wildcats are a little different, like fingerless gloves at the range, or guys who wear fedoras. Wildcats if you didn’t know, are illegitimate children of the cartridge world, derived from other cartridges. They are either “necked up” or “necked down” and usually “blown out” to create a whole new cartridge. Many of our best cartridges were born this way, and to that list I add this one of my personal favorites.

The 257 Blackjack

The 257 Blackjack is a cartridge formed by shortening the SAUM case. Changing the shoulder geometry, and necking it down to twenty-five caliber. Simple enough, but the crown jewel of the cartridge is another very high BC bullet built by Blackjack Bullets (designer of the cartridge). The 131 grain bullet has a .340 BC, which is nearly untouchable by anything comparable in size and price. Nearly none of the 6.5 and 6mm bullets that would give the Blackjack a run for the money can. Especially when shot from the 257 Blackjack cartridge.

Blackjack has since closed, but the 131gr bullet is still made by Sierra.

From my 24” barrel the muzzle velocity is 3270 FPS, and with that impressive .340 BC you can imagine the extremely flat trajectory. There are also other high BC bullets available from Berger andHornady that have a predictably outstanding performance

This little short action cartridge will reach a thousand yards with less than 5 MRAD of elevation. And when it gets there it will still be packing well over a thousand pounds of energy and more than 2200 fps. It doesn’t go subsonic till well beyond two-thousand yards. Making it very competitive in the same ranges as the 338LM and 300 NM mentioned above.

My wife took this pronghorn doe with the 257 Blackjack, seen here with the **US Optics FDN25X**

Would I recommend the 257 Blackjack for long-range shooting? Not at the moment. The tediousness and dedication it takes to run a wildcat cartridge like this is probably more than most would care for. But should factory made brass become available, this would be a shoo-in for anyone interested. It is truly an amazing little cartridge.

Conclusion

So there you have it, my list of my top five long range shooting cartridges. You may take them or leave them, and you wont get any argument from me. Every shooter can decide what works best for his/her needs, and create their own top five.
The good news is that there are so many great choices. Despite my little list of cartridges, I could probably make due for the rest of my life with just a plain jane 308.

-CBM