The .338 Lapua Magnum has a much shorter history than the other cartridge we will be examining in this article. Trajectory follows a similar trend where both show very flat trajectories, though the 50 BMG excels in this category as well. While this is important to understand, it’s equally important to remember that the SD, while a good means for comparing two cartridges, only tells part of the story when it comes to penetration. For the 50BMG, we are not going to give a specific round. If you really want a great, customized option, check out ATRS in Canada – they know their business. Most .50 BMG rounds are not designed for much expansion. Another consideration is weapon size. you don't need anything larger than the 30-06 for bear, and the .50 BMG costs $23 per round. The trajectory is what just about every hunter or competitive shooter of every skill level will be interested in when comparing two different cartridges. The velocity of a bullet is key for both hunting and range shooting purposes. A few of these include the bullet design (spitzer, boat tail, flat nose, etc.) And we know we have harped on this several times throughout the article, but we are going to talk regarding cartridge versus cartridge rather than round to round. The .50 BMG will take out an armored personnel carrier at a mile. The purpose of this cartridge was to was to provide snipers with a long range round that had incredible terminal ballistics and could penetrate several layers of body armor at extreme distances. Both are going to penetrate just about any hide or armor that is out there, it’s what they were designed to do, and we have seen from the velocities that they are going to speed and power behind them to get the job done. Seriously, these are heavy duty rounds that fill a very specific niche in the shooting world. From a hunting standpoint, you can consider this versatile caliber as similar to a .30-06 Magnum, a long-distance tack driver, which is especially successful if you are dealing with aggressive and large game. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight The SD comes from the diameter of the bullet and the weight of the bullet. For two cartridges that are touted as extreme distance shooters, the ballistic coefficient is going to be an important factor for potential users. Both of these cartridges are capable of accuracy at extreme distances, and both have enormous stopping power. When dealing with more obscure cartridges that don’t have a huge market and takes quite a lot more material to make and you have the trifecta for expensive rounds. Sniper Country is reader-supported. Both of these cartridges are capable of high accuracy at long distances, and both have extreme stopping power. Now, in this section, we are not looking technically at the actual felt recoil but instead at the recoil energy(ft.lb) that is generated when firing these rounds. There are some options for bulk purchase which can save you some money in the long run. It might not compete with some hand loaded cartridges, but you can’t get much better when it comes to a factory load. With regard to application-- it's even more specialized and expensive than both .50BMG and .338 Lapua. Search for 338 Lapua Vs 50 Bmg Size Comparison And Best 338 Lapua Under 3000 Ads Immediately . When a shooter needs heavy stopping power over extreme long-distance ranges, he looks for cartridges such as these. The rifle was an Accuracy International chambered in .338 Lapua. bigmoney890 May 1, 2012. The range and terminal ballistics of the .338 LM were such that its use could fill several niches in civilian use including long range precision shooting and big game hunting. Regardless, a round with a higher BC is going to maintain a higher BC than a second bullet since both would be effected in the same way. It was designed in response to a request for a medium/heavy rifle cartridge combination that was issued from Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division in late 2004. Today on Kentucky Ballistics we shoot running engines with a 338 Lapua and a 50 BMG! 0. Most people who are using a .50 BMG are not hunting and are looking at extreme distance shooting. The .338 Lapua Magnum was developed in the 1980’s as a dedicated round for military sniper rifles. With that being said, we wouldn’t recommend hunting the majority of game on planet Earth with a 50BMG; it seems pointless with the amount of damage it would cause to perfectly good meat. Today on Kentucky Ballistics we shoot our bullet resistant windshield again. When this is the case, we will be sure to make it clear what we are doing. Velocity is key for proper penetration and expansion, which is critical for hunting. Don’t let the comparison to the 50BMG throw off your judgment as to what this cartridge can do. For accuracy, the 50 BMG is junk. The .338 LM meets those spec… In this cartridge comparison, we are going to take a look at two cartridges, the .338 Lapua and the .50 BMG, two rounds that separate the men from the boys. 1 of 2 Go to page. If we take a closer look at the averages of the round, we see that the 50BMG rounds carry from 200fps (Muzzle-700yds) to 300fps (800-1,000yds) more than the 338LM rounds, which is quite remarkable given how much heavier the 50BMG rounds. We have no desire to act as a moral compass, you do what you want, but the arguments are out there, and we wanted to address it. This article originally appeared at Gun News Daily. We will take a brief look at the origins and histories of these two cartridges and then jump into categories such as stopping power, trajectory, and even price among others. A 338 Lapua rifle is basically the same size and weight as a 300WM (and only 14-18 lbs), whereas the other rifles are considerably heavier and larger -- like 25+ lbs. The ballistic coefficient gives you an idea of how streamlined a bullet is. While the .338 rounds have a much smaller diameter than the huge .50 cal rounds, the exponentially heavier bullet weights of the 50BMG rounds make up for the large size. BONUS OFFER: Get your 500 Page Ammo Comparison Handbook (worth $43) for FREE right into your inbox. 50 Action Express .500 LP 50 BMG .510 CCI 35 500 Linebaugh .511 LPM 500 Nitro Express 3” .510 LR 500 S&W Magnum .500 LR 505 Gibbs Magnum .505 LRM 50-70 Government .513 LR 50-90 Sharps .509 LR 50-95 WCF .513 LR 577 Nitro Express .585 LR 577 Snyder .570 LR 577-450 Martini Henry .455 LR 6.5mm BR (Bench Rest) .264 SR 6.5mm Carcano .264 LR The .338 LM meets those specifications with amazing range and heavy-hitting power at long distances. Can't make up my mind which to get. Of course, how much penetration you need is going to depend on the game you are hunting. You might be asking yourself if the velocities shown here are enough for proper expansion of such a large bullet such as the .50cal. Like most cases, there are better performing rounds for each cartridge type, but on average, the 50 BMG rounds excel in this category, and that distinction becomes clearer the greater the distance. 300 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua vs 338 Win Mag: Cartridge Sizes. Instead, we want to take an unbiased look at the data in several ballistic and other performance category and compare them. Recoil is also a component to accuracy though most will deny it has any effect on them. If you decide to make a go with the .338 or the 50 BMG, with some practice, you’re going to have an accurate cartridge. The design specifications of this cartridge make it suitable for several civilian applications, such as large game hunting and long range competitive shooting. The higher the ballistic coefficient, the better the bullet can resist wind drag and wind drift which would make the bullet less likely to be pulled off of its flight path and, in theory, be more accurate. This cartridge can easily take shots at 1,000+ yards just as the 50BMG, but there might be more dramatic adjustments needed to be made for these shots when compared to the 50 BMG. and the speed of the bullet. The 285-grain.338 Lapua Magnum, despite a lighter projectile, drops 40.3 inches. Joined Aug 14, 2004 Messages 16 Location Darwin Aust. We have compiled the ballistic coefficients for all ten rounds and graphed them here. Go. It is a highly specialized, rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire cartridge that came from the .400 Taylor Magnum. The .338 is also able to be fitted with much heavier bullets than the .300 Win Mag rounds. I love the fifties, but you have to admit, at times, they border on absurd in a shoulder fired rifle. Maybe even more so when looking at these two rounds. Heck, the BC of a bullet can change based on temperature, altitude, and pressure. 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