Want to get into long distance shooting, .338 Lap Mag good?

couple of questions:

What is your intended use? Gongs, paper, varmints can all influence round choice.

Do you reload? If not, long distance shooting is going to become very expensive very rapidly

What do you consider long range?

Are you prepared to spend, at minimum, the same amount of money on optics as you are on the rifle?

Do you have facilities to practice long range shooting?


None of these questions is meant to dissuade you. Just a few realities I have encountered when gearing up for my own long rane experiments


I highly suggest heading over to 6mmbr.com and researching the various long range rounds and their ballistics.

With the correct barrel and loads, even a .243 will get you out to 1k yards, without beating your shoulder into a pulp.

You might also want to look into the 6.5x284. You can purchase an F-class rifle and ammo off the shelf and be in the distance game in a matter of minutes.

Good luck...but watch out. Next thing you know you'll be fire forming brass for a 367 limpwrister shoulderbuster wildcat! The distance game is addicting.

Unless you need to disable light vehicles at 1200 yards.. The 338 lapua is overkill. There is data available for the standard 308 loads. That would be my recommendation. And I don't even own a 308!

what's the cheapest way to get started with it?

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Certainly not with .338 Lapua Magnum.

I would start with .308. It'll keep you busy for a long time before you're ready to move up to a 1700-yard cartridge.

"getting started" and "338 lapua" should probably not even be used in the same sentence. As someone else said, defining what you consider "long range" and what you will be shooting at is the first order of business. Paper punching at 500 yds...223 is plenty. 308 will get you to 1K and a bit more with the right bullet. 300 win mag probably close to 1500, but I don't have personal experience with that, so it is just an estimate, I'm sure others can speak to that from experience.
Bottom line you need to decide what you want to do. Also, are you totally new to shooting, or just to distance shooting?

its actually cheaper to shoot bmg than .338 even buying all the dies and presses for the 50, you still are farther ahead.

"If it's good to start with" Nope its a lot of rifle to start with

"what's the cheapest way to get started with it?" there isn't a cheap way with .338 lap mag

like they said check out 6mmbr or just go get yourself a 308 they are good out to 1 km don't kick to hard, cheaper and a good all round rifle especially if your only starting out in long range.

The cheapest thing to start with at 1K yards is probably the Savage F/TR.

308, 300 WinMag or similar in a Savage would do you wonders.

All the knowledge I have of 338 LM would be summarized in this....

Do you handload? what is better than .308 is a 6mm or 6.5mm cartridge such as the .243 win, with the correct bullets, .260 rem (6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5x47 lapua are in ther same class, better but more expensive) or even a wildcat cartridge. If you want the ultimate cheap 1,000yd gun, then the Savage F/TR in .308 is the good way to go. the .308 does have drop "problems", and has a much latger amount of wind drift and recoil than the above cartridges. this makes it harder to hit the target.

A bolt action in 7mm mag.

Want to get into long distance shooting, .338 Lap Mag good?

If it's good to start with, what's the cheapest way to get started with it? Preferably with bolt action.

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For getting into long distance shooting, not a good choice. Too expensive to allow for the amount of shooting needed for you to become proficient.

Don