Best .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo
Every load we price, sorted by cost per round delivered to your state
We track 9 .338 Lapua Magnum loads from 2 dealers. The cheapest delivered to AR, shipping included, is Federal Gold Medal Match .338 Lapua Magnum 250gr Sierra MatchKing BTHP Ammo at $5.43 a round. By use: Competition from $5.43, Hunting from $6.11, and Target & Range from $6.24.
The .338 Lapua Magnum is an extreme-range cartridge for heavy bolt rifles, used by military snipers in many NATO countries, by long-range competitors, and by hunters for large game at distance. It is a rimless magnum on a necked-down .416 Rigby case, registered with C.I.P. in 1989 after work by Lapua, Sako and Accuracy International. It fires .338" bullets of 240 to 300 grains at roughly 2,580 to 2,950 fps.
Most loads on this page are match ammo. The 250 grain loads run fastest, and the 285 and 300 grain match bullets hold velocity and resist wind better past 1,000 yards. For hunting, choose the 270 grain ELD-X or the 280 grain Barnes LRX, which are built to expand. Match hollow points are not hunting bullets. The case needs a true magnum action; it will not fit a .300 Win Mag rifle.
All .338 Lapua Magnum Loads
Compare ballistics and prices across 9 products
| PRODUCT ↕ | GRAIN ↕ | VELOCITY ↕ | ENERGY ↕ | BC ↕ | USE CASE ↕ | BEST PRICE ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Barnes Precision Match .338 Lapua Magnum 300gr OTM BT Ammo
300gr
• 2600 fps
• Competition
|
300gr | 2600 | 4504 | .716 | Competition | $6.74/rd |
|
Barnes VOR-TX .338 Lapua Magnum 280gr LRX BT Ammo
280gr
• 2600 fps
• Hunting
|
280gr | 2600 | 4202 | .667 | Hunting | $8.42/rd |
|
Federal Gold Medal Match .338 Lapua Magnum 250gr Sierra MatchKing BTHP Ammo
250gr
• 2950 fps
• Competition
|
250gr | 2950 | 4833 | .587 | Competition | $5.43/rd |
|
Federal Premium Sierra MatchKing .338 Lapua Magnum 300gr HPBT Ammo
300gr
• 2580 fps
• Competition
|
300gr | 2580 | 4434 | .768 | Competition | $7.17/rd |
|
Hornady Match .338 Lapua Magnum 250gr BTHP Ammo
250gr
• 2860 fps
• Competition
|
250gr | 2860 | 4540 | .67 | Competition | $6.62/rd |
|
Hornady Match .338 Lapua Magnum 285gr ELD Match Ammo
285gr
• 2745 fps
• Competition
|
285gr | 2745 | 4768 | .789 | Competition | $5.70/rd |
|
Hornady Precision Hunter .338 Lapua Magnum 270gr ELD-X Ammo
270gr
• 2800 fps
• Hunting
|
270gr | 2800 | 4702 | .757 | Hunting | $6.11/rd |
|
Prvi Partizan .338 Lapua Magnum 240gr Solid Copper Ammo
240gr
• 2950 fps
• Target & Range
|
240gr | 2950 | 4641 | .45 | Target & Range | $6.24/rd |
|
Underwood Custom Competition .338 Lapua Magnum 300gr HPBT Match Ammo
300gr
• 2700 fps
• Competition
|
300gr | 2700 | 4857 | .8 | Competition | $6.81/rd |
.338 Lapua Magnum Trajectory Calculator
Calculate drop, velocity, and energy at any range
Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros
- Over .300 Win Mag: 250 to 300 grain bullets with far higher BC, so they stay supersonic and drift less at 1,000 yards and beyond.
- Far lighter rifles and ammunition than a .50 BMG while still reaching extreme long range targets.
- Thick, rimless .416 Rigby-based case handles high pressure and survives many reloadings.
Cons
- Recoil and muzzle blast are heavy enough that most rifles wear a muzzle brake, which makes them louder still.
- Rifles are large, long-action guns that are hard to carry on a mountain hunt.
- Throat erosion is fast, so barrels need replacing sooner than on a .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor.
- Heavy bullets and big powder charges are far more than deer or elk inside 500 yards need.