Most accurate .338 Lapua Magnum rifle?

[artherd]

What is the most accurate .338 Lapua Magnum rifle made? I am thinking of picking up an Armalite AR-30. Bolt action, box fed, 12-pounds.

For $1200? Is it any good?

How accurate? Is there better out there to shoot the expensive .338 Lapua round? (now that I mention it, what's a good load other than Black Hills at $60/20rounds?

 

[Nightcrawler]

You know, I don't think any of the major American ammo firms (other than Black Hills) even make .338 Lapua.

Can .338 Lapua really do anything .338 Winchester Magnum can't? Though, I don't think you can get an AR-30 in that other .338 caliber...

 

[artherd]

The .338 Laupa is supposed to be an outstandingly accurate round, with a fair bit more oomph (both energy and velocity) than the .338 Win Mag, though neither are to be slouched at The Laupa is even supposed to be more accurate than the .50BMG (though the latter is unquestionably more powerful!)

I've not shot either yet.

.338 Laupa - The 8.58x71mm military load uses a 250 grain spitzer-boat tail FMJ bullet at a MV of 2950 fps with muzzle energy (ME) of 4830 ft. lbs. This round is considered effective for sniping at 1500 meters.

.338 Laupa - Winchester loads their 200 grain (Nosler) Ballistic Silvertip spitzer bullet (BC .415, SD .250) to a MV of 2,950 fps and a ME of 3,864 ft. lbs.

 

[cheygriz]

The .338 Lapua is the functional equivalent of the .338-.378, but without the belted case. It is an order of magnitude more powerful than either the .338 WinMag or the .340 Weatherby.

The British use it as their primary sniper cartridge. Royal Marine snipers are required to hit human size targets at 1,500 meters. That's fifteen hundred meters!

The most accurate rifles are made by "Accuracy International" who is the supplier to the British military. A rifle virtually identical to the rifles supplied to the Royal Marines is available for about $5,500.

Your best bet for ammo is Lapua, or Norma

 

[igor]

What about the Sako TRG-42? It was recently adopted as the issue sniper rifle here. Tests with Lapua ammo (16,2 g Scenar bullet) yielded 0,57 MOA results.

 

[TX65]

I own a Sako TRG-42 .338 Lapua Mag. The rifle is extremely accurate and I have achieved .5 MOA accuracy at 1,000 yards.

The .338 Lapua was developed specifically to provide an increase in long distance capability over the 300 Winchester Mag. Actually, was developed for the US Navy and was commercialized by Lapua. It is used by Finland, UK and quite a few military orgs around the world including the US.

The 50 BMG is considered an anti-material round,,,, the .338 Lapua is considered primarily an anti-personnel round with anti-material capability. The real benefit of it over the 50 BMG is weight with a 338 Lapua rifle weighing only slightly more then a 7.62 NATO rifle. In contrast, a typical 50 BMG rifle will weigh 3-4 times what a 7.62 NATO rifle would.

Interesting trivia, the .338 Lapua holds what is probably easily the record for the longest shot on a living animal. A couple of shooters in Colorado nailed a prarie dog at 3,120 yards using a 300 grain Sierra Match King.

 

[12-34hom]

1000 yard shooting.

.5 moa at 1000 yards???? Where & When???? Witnesses?? What type of ammo used??? = handloads or factory???

I believe the current world's record is just under 4 inches for ten shots at 1000 yards.

12-34hom.

 

[TX65]

Was done in South Texas on a friend's ranch where 1,000 yards has been measured off and I confirmed it with a Leica laser range finder.

I was testing handloads using Lapua 250 Scenars, 250 Sierra Match Kings and 300 Sierra Match Kings moly coated using the NECO process behind a load of VV N170. Brass was Lapua fully prepared and a Federal primer. Scope was a Leupold Mark 4 powder boosted by Premier to 32X.

Yes, there were two witnesses and it was fired last April.

I also shoot a 6.5-284 and 6.5 Grendel at 1,000 yards.

I believe the current light gun world record for 1,000 yard benchrest is actually 1.564 inches (5 Shots) with a 6.5mm-284 Ackley Imp 40 using a 147 grain Clinch River Bullet. This was fired by Rich De who lives in North Carolina.

 

[atek3]

1.564 inches

jeebus. Either there was no wind or he is one heck of a doper.

atek3