.338 Lapua Magnum

.338 Lapua Magnum
.338 Lapua Magnum cartridge next to a .338 Norma Magnum
Type	Centrefire rifle
Place of origin	Finland
Service history
Used by	Multiple official and civil users
Wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Production history
Designer	Nammo Lapua Oy
Designed	1989
Produced	1989–present
Specifications
Parent case	.416 Rigby, .338/416
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	8.61 mm (0.339 in)
Land diameter	8.38 mm (0.330 in)
Neck diameter	9.46 mm (0.372 in)
Shoulder diameter	13.82 mm (0.544 in)
Base diameter	14.91 mm (0.587 in)
Rim diameter	14.93 mm (0.588 in)
Rim thickness	1.52 mm (0.060 in)
Case length	69.20 mm (2.724 in)
Overall length	93.50 mm (3.681 in)
Case capacity	7.532 cm3 (116.24 gr H2O)
Rifling twist	254 mm (1-10")
Primer type	Large rifle magnum
Maximum pressure	420.00 MPa (60,916 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 12.96 g (200 gr) SP 1,023 m/s (3,360 ft/s) 6,782 J (5,002 ft⋅lbf) 16.20 g (250 gr) Partition 921 m/s (3,020 ft/s) 6,871 J (5,068 ft⋅lbf) 16.20 g (250 gr) Lapua Scenar GB488 VLD 925 m/s (3,030 ft/s) 6,931 J (5,112 ft⋅lbf) 18.47 g (285 gr) Hornady HPBT 863 m/s (2,830 ft/s) 6,878 J (5,073 ft⋅lbf) 19.44 g (300 gr) Lapua Scenar GB528 VLD 847 m/s (2,780 ft/s) 6,973 J (5,143 ft⋅lbf)
Test barrel length: 690 mm (27.15 inches) Haenel Rs9 and R&S SX1 MTR Source(s): Vihtavuori Powder N570 Lapua (690 mm; 27.15 inches) barrel[1][2][3]

The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm or 8.58×70mm) is a Finnish rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. Due to its use in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, the cartridge has become widely available.

The bullet is named after Finnish town Lapua.

The loaded .338 cartridge is 8.6 mm (0.34 in) in diameter (rim) and 93.5 mm (3.68 in) long. It can penetrate better-than-standard military body armor at ranges of up to 1,000 metres (1,090 yd), and has a maximum effective range of about 1,750 metres (1,910 yd) with C.I.P. conforming ammunition at sea level conditions. Muzzle velocity is dependent on barrel length, seating depth, and powder charge, and varies from 880 to 915 m/s (2,890 to 3,000 ft/s) for commercial loads with 16.2-gram (250 gr) bullets, which corresponds to about 6,525 J (4,813 ft⋅lbf) of muzzle energy.

British military issue overpressure .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges with 70 mm (2.8 in) overall length, loaded with 16.2-gram (250 gr) LockBase B408 very-low-drag bullets fired at 936 m/s (3,071 ft/s) muzzle velocity from a L115A3 Long Range Rifle were used in November 2009 by British sniper Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison to establish a new record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd) (since broken).^[4] In reports, CoH Harrison mentions the environmental conditions at Musa Qala were perfect for long-range shooting: no wind, mild weather, and clear visibility.^[5]

In addition to its military role, it is used by hunters and civilian long-range shooting enthusiasts. The .338 Lapua Magnum is capable of taking down any big game animals, though its suitability for some dangerous game (Cape buffalo, hippopotamus, white rhinoceros, and elephant) is arguable unless accompanied by a larger "backup" caliber: "There is a huge difference between calibers that will kill an elephant and those that can be relied upon to stop one."^[6] In Namibia, the .338 Lapua Magnum in the past was legal for hunting Africa's big five game if the loads had at least 5,400 J (3,983 ft⋅lbf) muzzle energy. Since 2015, Namibia and other sub-Saharan countries generally require larger minimal bore diameters by law for big-five hunting.^[7]