Claims 20 rounds down the tube. BC quantifies a bullet’s aerodynamic efficiency, and SD predicts relative ability to penetrate into a game animal; the larger each number, the better. (If you’re looking for the best .338 Lapua … It comes close to .338 RUM performance but fits into standard (.30-06) length rifle actions. Use the right tool for the right job. The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm or 8.58×70mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. 338 Norma. Thank you, sir! Mag. Effective range in this test is the minimum impact energy recommended for a humane kill on medium game (1200 ft-lbs.) of The 338-378 Keith-Thomson Magnum is a quarter of an inch shorter than the full length 338-378 Weatherby Magnum, this was because … I own 5 Weatherby Accumarks and traded another. Not that you should have any problems feeding the 338-378’s double radius shoulder case from a more typical bolt action rifle either. They provide more performance than most hunters will ever need. If you’re looking at these two rounds, the 338 RUM and 338 Edge are both worth looking at as well, but for today, I’ll just be focusing on the Lapua and Weatherby 338… AccuBond at 2600 fps. Another fun game of round comparison, this time pitting the ferocious 338-378 Weatherby Magnum and the military favored 338 Lapua Magnum. Keith wanted something which would hammer through a quartering-away elk (his favorite game) out to 300 or 400 yards and realized a .338 caliber bullet driven fast enough would get the job done. Question: Would you say the results of the best .338 magnums of your tests/comparison would be the same if reloads were considered? These days, it’s very different. Although, even the least powerful here (.338 Win. 250 gr. As to the muzzle break comment, I have yet to see a rifle around here with a muzzle break. The second newest cartridge in this test, the .338 RUM has been around since 2002. If, however, true long-range hunting is anticipated, they will all benefit from the specialized long-range bullets now on the market which expand well below 1800 fps. They require a hunter to understand bullet construction and terminal performance in depth, especially with cartridges on the power scale’s upper end. Therefore, a cartridge with less recoil than another, but with similar terminal performance, is better for the simple fact a missed shot, no matter how powerful, is useless. Despite their “Thor’s Hammer” performance, .338 magnums are not as popular as their .30 caliber cousins for one big reason: recoil. I’ve sent hundreds of rounds of 340 Weatherby down What does that extra 10% case capacity buy you? A hunter must really want to shoot an elk at 800 yards to consider anything above the .338 Win. Answer: Recoil is a consideration with any cartridge. Finally, the gory details. .338 Lapua Magnum - Manufacturer Loading Data Pistol Rifle Cowboy GR. The 338-378 was not designed with accuracy in mind. It scored just behind the .340 Weatherby and has the least recoil among the cartridges tested. As yet, no one offers a 250 grain AccuBond in factory ammo for the 33 Nosler, and it would have scored closer to the .338 RUM with a 250. 250 gr. Answer: Yes, if your loads used the same bullets at the same velocity as those in the article. The.338-.378 Weatherby makes about 100-150fps more velocity than the Lapua, but with 10-15% more powder. My personal choice? I know I'm going to get flak for this, but it's true to an extent. Here’s one funny thing about Weatherby, they’re chambering a lot of their rifles for both 338-378 AND 338 Lapua. It too needs a magnum length action and few companies other than Weatherby chamber rifles for this powerhouse. The .338 Winchester Magnum derived much from work done by ballistics pioneer, Elmer Keith, among others. Now that 100 fps won’t make spit for difference in the 250 grain partition because its BC sucks so much, but if you’re going long range and firing a slippery Berger hybrid OTM, that extra velocity will translate into some extra range for the Weatherby. The .338 caliber magnums provide all the power most hunters could ever want—or need, but bullet selection is vital to realize their full potential. All calculations were based on the heaviest Nosler AccuBond™ bullet available in factory loaded ammunition for each caliber, unless otherwise noted. The author analyzed six .338 caliber magnum cartridges (.338 Winchester Magnum, .340 Weatherby, .338-378 Weatherby, .338 Remington Ultra Mag., 33 Nosler, and .338 Lapua) for trajectory, effective range, and recoil with modern ballistic software available free online from shooterscalculator.com. Any rifle firing these rounds with a muzzle brake will require hearing protection worn even while hunting, while unbraked models will come with gobs of punishing recoil. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. Another fun game of round comparison, this time pitting the ferocious 338-378 Weatherby Magnum and the military favored 338 Lapua Magnum. Which cartridge to go for is largely a question of rifle. The AccuBond™ is a good all-round hunting bullet with high ballistic coefficients (BC) and terminal performance similar to the time tested Nosler Partition™. Adriel has been hunting all his life, enjoys shooting 3 gun, is a trainer for Project Mapleseed and tries to apply a practical point of views to his reviews. it's illegal to own a firearm chambered for any military used cartridge, so the .338 lapua magnum and the .408 cheytac are illegal, but thee 460 weatherby might be legal as I said, any round not being used by the a military is legal for the laws I've seen. The VSO Gun Channel is an educational resource of VSO Media LLC, a research and development/ Testing Evaluation … Expanded Nosler AccuBond recovered from test media. The .300 Win Mag vs .338 Lapua Magnum is an interesting comparison, and we think provides some interesting points of discussion. If you’d have picked up a catalog from Cabela’s 5 or 10 years ago, you wouldn’t have seen any 338 Lapua rifles listed but you may have seen the Weatherby. Answer: As the article said, I chose the heaviest Nosler AccuBond bullet available in factory ammunition. The .338 Lapua Magnum was developed in the eighties specifically to provide Military snipers a round capable of delivering high powered impacts to targets at extended range. Keith and Thomson are Elmer Keith and R.W. MPBR for a 10 inch kill box illustrates the concept. Muzzle velocities are the nominal industry standard for the tested bullet weight in each caliber. The .338-378 Weatherby is currently the most powerful .338” factory cartridge. It hits the shooter the least, has proven itself in both Alaska and Africa for decades, and ammunition is available most places. Trajectory in this test is defined as Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR): the distance over which a bullet rises three inches above sight line and then drops three inches below to hit within a six-inch kill box. AccuBond (.550 BC/.281 SD) at 3025 fps. Mag. It must be chambered in rifles with a magnum length action which means few rifle makers other than Remington offer a model for it. They have the powder capacity to launch them at impressive velocities and thus use those bullets’ high BC and SD advantages. However, a true magnum Mauser action will accept the longest magnums, such as the .416 Rigby which is 3.75 inches long. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet … I don't think I have ever seen a .338 without a muzzle brake. and large game (1500 ft-lbs), and the minimum velocity most hunting bullets require for reliable expansion (1800 fps). If you, the hunter, need or want it, look no further than the .338 caliber magnums. The main factor is to know the maximum and minimum anticipated impact velocities and the intended game, then select a bullet which is reliable under those conditions. This is the real … In a similar manner to the .338 Lapua, the .338-378 employs a full .579” diameter case rim rather than a standard magnum rim diameter of .532” as is All the cartridges tested were limited by the minimum expansion velocity recommended for the standard Nosler AccuBond. The .338 Winchester Magnum became the iconic elk, brown bear, and moose cartridge, and it spawned competitors as the market demanded ever faster velocities. That 9.5% more capacity does translate into faster speeds. Weatherby has developed several rounds by necking down their awe-inspiring .378; the .300-378 and .338-378. proved good enough for old Elmer Keith, it’s good enough for me. Find the Hunting Gear guy on YouTube, © If there is any possibility a hunter might make a shot at less than 100 yards, a tough, controlled expansion bullet is required to avoid the bullet disintegrating when it hits a large animal at close range. While 225 grain projectiles have become the more popular in recent years, the 250 and 300 grain bullets are ideal for large animals such as elk, moose, and the big bears—if one can tolerate the recoil. If a person cannot tolerate a particular cartridges un-braked recoil, they need a different cartridge which they can manage without subterfuge. Like the .338 Lapua, it is a great candidate for the 300 grain long-range bullets now on the market. While waiting on its return, I've been pondering the 338 lapua improved chambering. Savage’s relatively inexpensive 111 Long Range Hunter, the Remington 700 XCR Tactical or 700 Police, or even the McMillan Long Range Hunting Rifle could be used. I have the opportunity to purchase a Mark V Accumark in 378-338 Mag used. This combination is the goal Winchester’s designers had in mind when they introduced the first production .338 magnum in 1958. Functionally, it doesn’t matter a whole heck of a lot, but it can be a bit more troublesome when it comes to reloading the cases. Mag) hits the expansion limit at almost 600 yards! One point for every 25 yards beyond 200 yards for minimum expansion velocity range, one point deducted for every 25 yards less. Their superior sectional densities combined with high velocity and bullet weight anchor these killer bears like few other cartridges. In true Weatherby fashion, the .340 generates velocities almost 300 fps faster than the .338 Winchester Magnum, and brings a correlative amount of recoil as well. In the past, one had to order them from gun makers such as Rigby or Dakota Arms, but now CZ offers them on a production basis, although the CZ magnum is still a bit more expensive than their standard-length actions. The Wound Channel 166,132 views 4:18 OVER 2 MILE SHOT (3561 yards with a 338 Lapua Magnum) - Duration: 13:57. (L-R) Nosler Partition, Nosler AccuBond, Sierra Game King. The loaded cartridge is … Great article. AccuBond at 3060 fps. Question: Do you think a Remington 700 is expensive? As a general rule, more than 15 ft-lbsf is considered enough recoil to affect most shooters’ accuracy. The mere 10% difference between the two cases is not much, but the difference in style of rifle is great. The cartridge is based on the .378 Weatherby Magnum necked up to accept the .458-inch (11.6 mm) bullet. These rounds do have one mission they are ideal for, though: Alaskan brown bears. Comes with dies and some brass plus a Leupold VX 111 3.5-10x40mm for a $1,000 bucks . That includes their hunting oriented Mark V Accumark as well as their tactically minded TRR. Specialized long range bullets were not used as they are unnecessary for most hunting situations. Recoil has a direct effect on most shooter's accuracy--the more recoil, as a general rule, the less accurate the shooter. shoots flat, hits hard, and fits in standard length actions. This put some cartridges at a disadvantage since only factory advertised velocities were used. LJ Bonham is a semi-subsistence hunter, hunting magazine editor, and firearms enthusiast who lives in the Rocky Mountains. Can … It will feed from a standard magnum action with high BC bullets and give you almost identical performance as the 338 Lapua Mag. They offer not just raw violence (at both ends of the barrel) but also flatter trajectories than the big-bores and consummate accuracy. 338 Lapua Magnum vs Body Armor - Duration: 4:18. Imagine a bullet arcing through a six-inch diameter pipe for a certain distance. AccuBond at 2941 fps. 225 gr. Mag and enjoys a cult-like following. Answer: In a way, they are. Driving a 250-grain bullet to 2940 fps, for over 4,800 ft.-lbs. Here’s what you need to know about the 300 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua vs 338 Win Mag. As a big bad round capable of taking big game from a distance, it’s growing in popularity faster than the 338-378 Weatherby, and in the near future it looks like it’ll become the more popular choice. Recently picked up a Savage 110 fcp in 338 lapua and, after working up a satisfactory load, have droped it off at my gunsmith for an accurizing Job. Question: I'm curious why you chose to use different weight bullets for each cartridge? If the minimum energy range exceeds the minimum expansion range, the minimum expansion range becomes the maximum effective range since unexpanded bullets are much less effective regardless how much energy they possess. Mag. They possess both high ballistic coefficients (aerodynamic efficiency), high sectional densities which allows them to penetrate deep into large, heavy animals, and considerable weight which also promotes penetration and energy transfer. Still the most popular .338 magnum in the world, the .338 Win. Mag, the “softest” here, slaps the shooter as hard as a .375 H&H Magnum, while the .338-378 and .338 Lapua are close to .416 Rigby territory. I'd stick with the Lapua. The Weatherby Mark V is the only production rifle which chambers the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum. Both BC and sectional density (SD) are noted for each bullet tested. The newest .338 magnum, the 33 Nosler arrived on the market in 2016. The .338 Lapua Magnum was initially grounded on a .378 Weatherby Magnum case, necked down to accept 0.338-inch (8.6 mm) bullets because this diameter presents optimal sectional density and penetrating capabilities. The .338 Win. Always consult with the bullet or ammunition manufacturer as to your needs before you choose. These are both big, long rounds that feel more like artillery than a rifle. As a result of this, it became more widely available. *.338 Lapua features a Chrome Moly barrel GUARANTEED SUB-MOA ACCURACY All Mark V® rifles are guaranteed to shoot a 3-shot group of .99” or less at 100 yards (SUB-MOA) from a cold barrel when used with Weatherby® factory or premium ammunition within Two-Years of Verified Purchase Date to Original Purchaser. 2020 The Hunting Gear Guy, Mossberg 510 Super Bantam 20 Gauge Review. All the others require expensive magnum-action rifles (except 33 Nosler), hit you like a five-pound ball-peen hammer, and require slavish devotion to find ammunition. If you’re looking at these two rounds, the 338 RUM and 338 Edge are both worth looking at as well, but for today, I’ll just be focusing on the Lapua and Weatherby 338’s. (L-R) .22 Long Rifle, .30-06 case, .338 RUM. The .340 is Roy Weatherby’s answer to the .338 Win. What we need to know without fluff mucking up the targets. Any reason I shouldn't consider this a great deal ? The .338-378 has devoted fans in the long-range hunting sub-culture, but only exceeded the .340 Weatherby’s muzzle velocity by 119 fps; a small reward for the huge recoil it produces. These close to one-ton beasts are often shot at ranges beyond those recommended for other dangerous game animals due to the open terrain common to coastal Alaska and Kodiak Island. While there is some overlap in the applications of these rounds, there are also going to be certain shooting situations where one might be better suited than the other. The 338 Lapua has a case capacity of 114.2 gr of water, while the 340 Weatherby- 98.0 gr, 338 Remington Ultra Mag- 113 gr., and the capacity of 338-378 Weatherby is 125 gr. The Lapua has a slight advantage in that it isn’t a belted case like the big Weatherby is. AccuBond (.575 BC/.313 SD) at 2850 fps. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .270 Winchester vs .338 Lapua Magnum ammo rounds. 338 Lapua Magnum is typically used in heavier tactical or target rifles such as the PGW Timberwolf, TRG-42, Accuracy International, McMillan TAC-338, Savage 110BA, or Remington MSR but there are a few rifles that could be hunted with. One point for each ft-lbsf recoil less than 15, and one point deducted for every ft-lbsf greater than 15. Some cartridges were handicapped by the fact the major ammunition companies don’t offer the heaviest bullet weights, rather they offer the most popular or common. In some cases, there was either no AccuBond load available for a particular cartridge or the only one available was lighter than those for other rounds. Muzzle breaks are a cheat; they produce excessive back blast and flash which both deafens and blinds (in low light) a shooter. .338 diameter bullets are unique. 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