Difference Between 338 Win Mag And 338 Lapua Magnum.

by william castle william castle

A lot of time many people get confused between the two rounds, as the names are similar many people they are the same and it is just two different names of the same caliber, which is the case in many calibers as the same caliber is known by different names. But these are two different calibers with the main difference in their performance. Both excel in long-range shooting with an effective range of over half a mile. 338 Lapua Ammo is the preferred choice of military snipers as it was developed to punch the body armor at 1000 yards whereas 338 win mag is the choice of hunters involved in dangerous games. The similarity between the two is only that both fire the same .338” diameter bullets otherwise there is hardly any similarity between the two. Talking of differences the biggest difference is in the design 338 win mag uses belted magnum design whereas 338 Lapua Magnum Ammo uses non belted one. 338 win mag can be fitted in a long action like 30-06 SPRINGFIELD but 338 LAPUA needs a magnum action. as far as case length is concerned 338 LAPUA bigger case length than 338 win mag.

As far as recoil is concerned both the calibers are known for higher recoil, in fact, in LAPUA there is a company fitted muzzle brake. 338 LAPUA magnum will burn the barrel faster than 300 win mag although both are harsh on the barrel. As far as trajectory of both are concerned both have similar trajectories at 500 yards but at 1000 yards there is more bullet drop in 338 win mag as compared to 338 LAPUA MAGNUM . BULLET COEFFICIENT which is a measure of resistance that is offered by a bullet, LAPUA has a higher BC. With higher muzzle velocity LAPUA has better penetration also. 338 win mag is a better option although when it comes to hunting rifles are much lighter and easy to carry whereas rifles used to fire 338 LAPUA are much heavier. also, the cost is a factor if compare win mag and LAPUA of the same brand then you would find 338 LAPUA is expensive and hunters opt for CHEAP AMMO although even win mag is not a CHEAP AMMO but in comparison, it would cost less. Both the win mag rifle and caliber are less expensive than LAPUA. BALLASTICS of both is also quite different. finally, we can say that though both are effective cartridges for long-range shooting but are very different from each other.