Are the .338s becoming pointless?

[VLD Pilot]

Not looking to offend or claim they're not effective, BUT...it used to be that the .338 lapua was regarded as in a league apart compared to .300 and 7mms because of the bcs on the 338 bullets. Now this is definitely a thing of the past, with high .7 and even .8 range g1 bc 7mm and .308" bullets that can be driven faster all things equal For true extreme range the big .375s are dominant. For tactical purposes all of the above are way more than adequate antipersonell rounds, body armour or not. None of the above are truly suitable anti material caliber. The way it seems now is that the .33s don't have an advantage over the 7 and 30 trajectory wise and can't match the 375s out of similar size rifles. Nothing wrong with .338 cartridges but not a whole lot I see that would make me choose one with things as they are now. Show me if I'm wrong!

No offense taken here. I understand from a theoretical point of view that it may look as if with all the high BC 7mm and 30 caliber bullets out today that they may mirror the performance of the .338s. They are on paper very close if not identical in ballistics in drop and windage data. After shooting some heavy 30s and heavy 7mm bullets in wind at beyond 1500 yards, those theoretical numbers change in actual "real world" conditions. The heavier 300+ grain .338 bullets really shine better in wind regardless of the numbers being close or even the same. Something has to be said about the extra weight helping in environmental conditions. Your still seeing .338 LM rifles at the ELR events with very few .30s. Yes your seeing many more .375/416s simply due to again, the heavier higher BC bullets. Advantage...weight ! Wind does not effect the heavier bullet nearly as much as the lighter bullets at extreme distances. I'll say that eventually I think the .338 LM cartridge will be few and far between in ELR but for now, it's got a pretty good foothold in ELR.

 

[Betarider]

No offense taken here. I understand from a theoretical point of view that it may look as if with all the high BC 7mm and 30 caliber bullets out today that they may mirror the performance of the .338s. They are on paper very close if not identical in ballistics in drop and windage data. After shooting some heavy 30s and heavy 7mm bullets in wind at beyond 1500 yards, those theoretical numbers change in actual "real world" conditions. The heavier 300+ grain .338 bullets really shine better in wind regardless of the numbers being close or even the same. Something has to be said about the extra weight helping in environmental conditions. Your still seeing .338 LM rifles at the ELR events with very few .30s. Yes your seeing many more .375/416s simply due to again, the heavier higher BC bullets. Advantage...weight ! Wind does not effect the heavier bullet nearly as much as the lighter bullets at extreme distances. I'll say that eventually I think the .338 LM cartridge will be few and far between in ELR but for now, it's got a pretty good foothold in ELR.

Can't see the hits with those small 338's at 2 miles! If you are going big... Do it right...416 Barrett with a 450 grain CEB lazer@ 3100fps
Love me some turbo boost like Mercedes Benz 2 liter .. more power per liter than anything else

 

[VLD Pilot]

Can't see the hits with those small 338's at 2 miles! If you are going big... Do it right...416 Barrett with a 450 grain CEB lazer@ 3100fps
Love me some turbo boost like Mercedes Benz 2 liter .. more power per liter than anything else

I agree. I wasn't talking 2 miles tho. I was thinking 2000-2500. Wouldn't even consider a .338 beyond 2200-2400 yards. The 375 would be my first choice. The .416 would be my second. At those ranges, the last thing I'd think about was seeing bullets hitting. I know they wouldn't be hitting Steel nearly as often as I'd like. The big 375/416s carry the huge advantage at the 2 mile and beyond ranges.

 

[Stgraves260]

338's look kinda pointy to me !

Now lets see a 7mm bullet with a 1.01 g1 bc, please .....

View attachment 212837

Sweet I'll have to look into them. 285 grain around 2850 FPS would be awesome.

 

[Stgraves260]

Fully concur! Wouldn't trade my 338 RUM for anything... Easiest to load and tune over my other customs.. 5 shot string 250 accubonds 1/2" or better...

I'm very interested in a 10.5# fully rigged 338 Rum//338 Lapua with scope and all. The lightest one I can find is built by American Rifle Company it's the M2. It's a multi caliber gun. It comes in at 12.9 lbs with no scope. You might be on to something.

 

[Smithy62]

At this point I couldn't be any more surprised if you had chosen a 177 pellet gun.

Now that you mentioned it; belief it or not, I used to kill a lot of small critters up to Roedeer with that particular caliber, starting as a 6-7 yr old: going from slingshot to a Diana 28/ later a HW35 & several HW77's was quite the step up and subsequently sharpened our stalking skills, shooting skills & proper shot placement! Takes a lot more skills to kill stuff with a pellet gun then any rim or ctr-fire! Off course, I can understand its unfamiliar territory for those of you raised in the country of liberty & freedom, where folks had unlimited excess to any caliber rim-/ctr-firearms in sharp contrast to us, who had to abide to the laws of severe arms restrictions & ownership under socialist-Marxist mainland Europes rulings; I bet you'll be laughing your tits off right now, lol

 

[BPollard]

They kill and disable large game animals a bit better than the .308 and smaller calibers, given equal quality bullets, when killing/disabling quicker has its advantages. And larger calibers even more so than the 338s. I prefer 338s for brown bears more so than smaller calibers.

Also used them on large Alaskan bull moose for many years. Though never had one of them come after me.

Sorry for just throwing this in the middle of the thread but I wanted you guys to know I shoot at 338 in a WinMag and 338 federal which is a 308 necked up. that thing drops deer like no one's business.The wm I haven't taken it on and elk hunt yet but She's taken plenty of deer

 

[VLD Pilot]

Sweet I'll have to look into them. 285 grain around 2850 FPS would be awesome.

I'm getting 3100 from my 338 LM improved with that weight bullet. Haven't seemed to find that 285 ICBM Badlands bullet in stock anywhere. Some sites say in stock but when I call, it's still on back order.

 

[338 dude]

Sorry for just throwing this in the middle of the thread but I wanted you guys to know I shoot at 338 in a WinMag and 338 federal which is a 308 necked up. that thing drops deer like no one's business.The wm I haven't taken it on and elk hunt yet but She's taken plenty of deer

Yeah I got a couple deer with my Lapua

 

[LRNut]

The 338 Lapua actually started life as a long range military sniper round adopted by several Nato countries. Of course not as powerful as the 50 bmg but not an "Anti Material Round" as the 50 was designed to be but more an "Anti Personell Round" which is does ellegantly.

The 50 is used as a personel round but mostly where they are under hard cover. For what ever reason (quality of manufacture) the Lapua 338 brass is almost $3.00 per round. In volume it's out of the reach of many the typical shooter. Some will argue this but the 338 Lapua HAS proven itself to out preform the other 338 offerings, sorry guys. You can trust this, the 338 Lapua is very much alive and well.
There's one in my safe!

The Lapua is no better than the Edge, with the possible exception it might be easier to find an accurate load, in part because is it shorter so you have more seating optionality. But in equally accurate rifles, it doesn't outperform the Edge or RUM. 338 WM, .338-06, or .338 Federal? Yes, as far as LR shooting.

 

[VLD Pilot]

The Lapua is no better than the Edge, with the possible exception it might be easier to find an accurate load, in part because is it shorter so you have more seating optionality. But in equally accurate rifles, it doesn't outperform the Edge or RUM. 338 WM, .338-06, or .338 Federal? Yes, as far as LR shooting.

Building a 338 Edge typically happens when guys already have the 300 Rum rifle and want to convert it to the 338 Edge. It sits right in the middle of the 338 LM and 338 LM improved. 2900 fps can be expected from an Edge with the right length barrel. Most don't want to get into a larger lapua bolt face action when they already have a Remington RUM action. It's definitely a good option.

 

[LRNut]

Building a 338 Edge typically happens when guys already have the 300 Rum rifle and want to convert it to the 338 Edge. It sits right in the middle of the 338 LM and 338 LM improved. 2900 fps can be expected from an Edge with the right length barrel. Most don't want to get into a larger lapua bolt face action when they already have a Remington RUM action. It's definitely a good option.

I have 3 300 RUMs; wouldn't dream of converting one to .338. I did, however, take a bbl off an Edge and convert it to 28 Nosler. Prior to that, I had two each Edges and Lapuas. In all, barrel length is what drove velocity. My current Edge spits our 300 Bergers at 2870; my Lapuas both shoot 285 ELDs, one at 2830 and the other at 2750. But honestly, at long range accuracy trumps 50 to 100 feet of velocity when it comes to allowable wind error.

 

[Mram10us]

The Lapua is no better than the Edge, with the possible exception it might be easier to find an accurate load, in part because is it shorter so you have more seating optionality. But in equally accurate rifles, it doesn't outperform the Edge or RUM. 338 WM, .338-06, or .338 Federal? Yes, as far as LR shooting.

I'd be impressed if the lapua is easier to find an accurate load for. The edges I have built, have been very easy to find loads for. I'd argue, one of the most accurate cartridges i know of.

 

[LRNut]

I'd be impressed if the lapua is easier to find an accurate load for. The edges I have built, have been very easy to find loads for. I'd argue, one of the most accurate cartridges i know of.

For whatever reason, any cartridge based on the 404 Jeffrey/RUM seems to be easy to find an accurate load.