338 lapua

[rfc357]

Wisdom from Samuel, especially "the finished product does about the same thing."

People tend to believe something exotic is somehow special. In most cases, not so.

The target on the receiving end of that .338 projectile will have no way of knowing how much you paid for it, nor what the headstamp was on the brass.

[just_a_car]

Originally Posted by samuel

It must have been a non-reloader that made up the story that Lapua was more expensive to reload than any other cartridge in that catagory.The cheapest I found in loaded ammo was:In boxes of 20, .338RUM-$62.99, .338Lapua-$72.99, .338/.378 Weatherby-$102.99.The components to reload are the same,use about the same amount ,cost the same, and the finished product does about the same thing. sam.

Well, I am a non-reloader, but I was comparing the .338Lapua to the .50BMG where the .50 is actually cheaper to buy new and to reload (if you use prices from MidwayUSA)... So, no, not technically in the same category, but will go the distances and do the accuracy claimed by the .338 supporters.

[samuel]

Originally Posted by just_a_car

Well, I am a non-reloader, but I was comparing the .338Lapua to the .50BMG where the .50 is actually cheaper to buy new and to reload (if you use prices from MidwayUSA)... So, no, not technically in the same category, but will go the distances and do the accuracy claimed by the .338 supporters.

I was and am using Midway,s prices. .50BMG: bullets,20 for $35.49,primers-500 for $142.99. Loaded ammo-box of 10,$42.99. .338 bullets,Hornady Interlock-225gr-100 for $31.99-mag primers-1k for $28.49. .50BMG uses better than twice the powder at about the same price per.Also I havnt checked max range but as I recall the .50BMG will travel over 7400yds which is over 4miles,the .338,s travel about 4800 which is about 2 3/4miles.I might be wrong on the .338,s but my math came up with this figure.It cant be off by much.At any rate it is still much cheaper to shoot the .338,s and by the way,using hunting loads,the .338/.378 Weatherby edges out the .338 Lapua slightly.The .50BMG with a 655gr bullet leaves the muzzle at over 3000fps and the .338,s with the heaviest are about 2800.Altho the trajectory may favor the .338,s the power of the .50 greatly excedes them. sam.

[Ron AKA]

Using the calculator a the link below I got the following for maximum trajectory distance:

Yards, BC, Grains, MV, Caliber
8827, 1.05, 750, 2944, 50 cal Browning
6023, .587, 250, 2879, 338 Lapua
5753, .510, 123, 3369, 264 WM

JBM - Calculations - Maximum Distance

[samuel]

Sounds good.Thanks for more accurate figures.I just wanted to point out that the .338,s wouldnt fly as far as the .50,s.You have different mv,s and weights than I but great figures. sam.