Cartridge profile · 1989 · Lapua

.338 Lapua Magnum

Long-range sniper round designed to reach 1,500 m with full power. Also a heavy-game hunting round.

Good for: ELR, Military/LE, Hunting too

A typical factory load is a 300 gr Sierra MatchKing bullet at about 2,700 ft/s, with roughly 4,856 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.

Typical load
300 grSierra MatchKing
Muzzle speed
2,700 ft/s
Muzzle energy
4,856 ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
0.768maker's G1, used for the drop figures
Twist rate
1:10
Recommended platform
ELR rifle, 15–18 lb with brakeHeavy recoil; a brake is close to required

On the Precision Rifle chart

Made for
Long-range sniper round designed to reach 1,500 m with full power. Also a heavy-game hunting round.ELR · Military/LE · Hunting too
Typical load
300 grSierra MatchKing
Typical muzzle fps
2,700ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
4,856ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
0.768maker's G1, used for the drop figures
Twist rate for typical load
1:10
500 yd
Drop 51.5" (9.8 MOA)Wind 12.2" (2.3 MOA) · Speed 2,137 fps
800 yd
Drop 168.5" (20.1 MOA)Wind 33.5" (4.0 MOA) · Speed 1,835 fps
1,000 yd
Drop 296.6" (28.3 MOA)Wind 55.2" (5.3 MOA) · Speed 1,650 fps
Supersonic to
1,764 ydstays above 1,125 fps
Barrel life
2,500rounds
Recoil & cost
HeavyCost $$$$
Recommended platform
ELR rifle, 15–18 lb with brakeHeavy recoil; a brake is close to required

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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.

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