Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles For hunting out to 600 meters 300 Win Mag or .338 Laupa

Here's another one to ponder...300 Norma Mag.

Or 308 regular

OK, the Lapua CAN hit harder at 600 yards and drop and drift CAN be less. But...

Using Nosler AccuBond data and normalizing for 24" barrel on the Lapua (-50fps from the 26" barrel Nosler used), my Point Blank calculator shows the following. All calculations are for 50F, 7500ft and MPBR zero for a 6" diameter target and a 600 yard range. Recoil calculations are for a rifle/ammo/scope @ 8.3 pounds.

.300WM, 24" barrel
180g @ 3160fps = .507 B.C., .271 S.D., -44.1", 2325fps, 2160fpe, 16.7" drift, recoil @ 31.8 ft-lb
200g @ 2972fps = .588 B.C., .301 S.D., -49.9", 2271fps, 2291fpe, 15.4" drift, recoil @ 32.9 ft-lb

.338WM, 22" barrel (Mine, with handload)
225g @ 2742fps = .550 B.C., .281 S.D., -63.8 ", 2033fps, 2064 fpe, 18.7" drift, recoil @ 33.8 ft-lb

.338WM, 24" barrel
225g @ 2882fps = .550 B.C., .281 S.D., -55.7 ", 2151fps, 2311 fpe, 17.5" drift, recoil @ 37.0 ft-lb
250g @ 2780fps = .575 B.C., .313 S.D., -60.6 ", 2094fps, 2433 fpe, 17.5" drift, recoil @ 40.6 ft-lb

.338 Lapua, normalized for 24" barrel at -50fps M.V.
225g @ 3054fps = 550 B.C., .281 S.D., -47.3", 2296fps, 2633fpe, 15.9" drift, recoil @ 50.5 ft-lb
250g @ 2891fps = .575 B.C., .313 S.D., -54.5", 2187fps, 2655fpe, 16.6" drift, recoil @ 48.5 ft-lb

From a practical and personal perspective, the .338 Lapua would mean a heavier and much more expensive rifle, brass that costs $1.40 to $2.00 more per piece, a higher rate of powder consumption and significantly more recoil. Adding a brake to the Lapua would reduce recoil but, apples to apples, a .300 WM with a brake would have far less recoil.

At 600 the .300WM wins the race in drop or drift, depending on which load you look at. The 180g load wins the drop race and loses in drift by less than 1". The 200g load wins the drift race and falls in-between the Lapua loads for drop.

Again at 600, my slowpoke 22" .338WM only gives up 2.1" to 2.8" in drift to the Lapua and adjusting for the extra 9.5" to 16.5" in drop is easily done - so much so that I've shot clay pigeons at 600 with it and regularly use it to bang 10" steel at that distance. All with significantly less cost and recoil.

While my .338WM/225g AB load is a hammer on elk, my .300 WM/180g TTSX load is no slouch. Both are Ruger MKII rifles in skeleton boat-paddle stocks and both are reasonably light weight with easily tolerated recoil, but the .300WM shoots flatter with 600 yard drop and drift at -50.6" and 18.8" respectively. The .300WM/180g TTSX load delivers 2185fps/1908fpe at 600, similar to a .30-30 at the muzzle.

For me the choice is a no-brainer. Out to 600 I'll take quite a few cartridges over the .338 Lapua. That list includes my 6.5-06AI, .280 Rem, 7mm RM. .30-06, .300 WM, .338WM and a bunch of others I don't already own.

The best and easiest way to measure anything. Increments of 10 in all measurements, unlike the ridiculous English system.

What kind of critter are you hunting that requires a 338 Lapua? Lol. 600yds isn't far regardless. A 7 rem mag would do it all for less...

Well [bleep] me

Plus one!

A nominal division from the N. pole (geographic, not magnetic, which moves) to the equator IIRC. French built. The metric system is the only thing they ever did that's worth a damn IMO.

I like it, easy to use within system, but the conversions to it are a PITA!

Given the choices, I'd go 300 win mag. Probably short mag. For best accuracy with reloads you want to head space off the shoulder anyway (my and my hunting bud's .338WMs both showed a significant improvement), so the belt becomes superfluous. The short mag can almost equal the mv of the WM, but that too is negotiable and largely unimportant within limits. You want to go for best accuracy, whatever. MV is way over-hyped- again, to a point. Danged near anything will kill to 600 yards, if properly placed.

Know the range (range finder) and the drop of your load, and you are home free.

Factor in wind of course.

Personally, I'd go with a .30-06 with a moderately heavy barrel. It will do anything the 300, 7 Mag, or .338 will, with what should be obvous advantages, and few if any signifcant disadvantages. My heavy barreled '98 in '06 is zeroed at 300, producing from solid rest, 3 shot groups right at 1" plus or minus at that range. I'm pretty sure I'm the inconsistent factor- and limit myself to 500 yards on game. So far.

The rifle is more capable than I am....I haven't shot the .338 in 8 years.... :and it is a 1.25MOA or less, 500 yard capable rifle. but then, I've not been in .338 circumstances, either.

Most people shoot lighter calibers (and heavier guns) better (other things being equal), even if they can handle a boomer's recoil... fact of life. You will have to decide where your compromises lie.

heck 600 yards is well within reason for a plain vanilla 06...

I once thought I needed a 300 Win Mag and even a 338...

both pretty accurate... but they collected a lot of dust in the gun safe I use to have...

only time I really shot them was to pull them out and take them to the range to get the dust off of them...

usually was just shooting them down loaded...

if ya gotta need for a mag tho, make it a Magnum..

with these new Hornady ELD bullets up to 225 grains... that will put a lot of long range thump out there...

gotta friend who thinks he needs one for elk hunting...

I'm trying to tell him an 06 or even 270 with partitions and he's good to go..

for some reason, everyone thinks you only shoot elk at 1000 yds...not if you are a good enough hunter...

so many guys here in Oregon think that way... you need w things for elk hunting... a Magnum and a 4WD full size pickup for the road hunting you're going to be doing...

Why burn anything more than 45 grains of powder for 600 yards....

Anything -08 cased or similar is the easy answer....

More oomph doesn't get you anything if you cant place it...

Or a WSM or SAUM. Stay short-action for sure.

Stick w/ the 300win.. lots of brass and good loads.. An 06 is good, but still an 06..

Some guy at the range was strutting around after hitting the 900 yd gong with his 338 lapua. Then I pulled out the 6 creed "ding" and he and his redneck buddy looked confused. Those who actually shoot know...

You told your buddy right.

Before my hip surgery I was pretty much reduced to road hunting the last year - that or nothing. Didn't need a "1,000 yard rifle" because I couldn't get anywhere near that far from the road. Don't remember what I was using and too lazy to look it up. Given that fact that I was alone and had to pack whatever out by myself, my .30-30 would have been adequate. Still, I had a good time. As a result, I empathize with those who choose to road hunt rather than stay home.

The truth is an -06 is more than adequate for the vast majority of hunting situations. As is pretty much anything based on a .308, x57 or -06 case.

(Says the guy who just loaded up fifty 225g rounds for his .338WM last night...)

Q. What do you shoot now and how accurate are you with that gun? say at 500 yards.

dogcatcher223, We've got a 6.5-284 for long range fun. There's a considerable difference between "ding" at extended ranges and "rocking the steel" with mass and velocity!! memtb

i agree with gtscotty,hunting what? i would use a 300 wsm,or 7mm or 270 wsm

That gets lost somewhere along the way.
Good point.

Jerry

Hear hear !! That English measuring system is absolutely ridiculous. Absolute gibberish.