The relatively new 338 Lapua Magnum was originally designed for long-range sniping, but is now used by both trapshooters and hunters. 338 Lapua Magnum slots between.50 BMG and.308 Winchester ammunition.
Destination
In 1983, the US Department of Defense announced a competition to create a new sniper cartridge. The cartridge had to meet several parameters. Firstly, his task was to hit a growth target at a long distance (more than 1500 meters), and secondly, to accelerate the bullet to 900 m / s with a mass of 250 grains (1 grain=0.0647 grams).
History
Among others, Research Armament Industries from the USA took up the creation. Based on the.416 Rigby hunting cartridge, designers Boots Obermeyer and Jim Bell (who later created the.700 Nitro Express, which became the most powerful hunting cartridge) create a cartridge that meets the requirements of the competition. It gets the name.338 Bell. But despite the formal observance of the conditions, there is a significant drawback. The.416 Rigby case could not withstand the strong pressure of powder gases and was severely deformed, which not only led to rapid wear of the weapon, but could also be dangerous for the shooter.
After the first failures
Palm treechampionship passed to the company Lapua from Finland. They created an original sleeve, which solved the problem of deformation. The cartridge has a bottle-shaped sleeve, the rim does not protrude. The maximum pressure of the gunpowder during the explosion is 400 MPa, and the sleeve withstood a pressure of 420 MPa. Then they developed another bullet, more suitable for shooting at a person at such a great distance. Four years later, in 1987, the company began producing caliber 338 (in 8.6 x 70 mm) under the Lapua Magnum marking.
The Silent Assassin
In parallel with the creation of the cartridge, Accuracy International LTD from England was developing a rifle for caliber 338, the purpose of which was accurate shooting at great distances in extreme conditions (low temperatures, strong winds). The so-called arctic sniper rifle, nicknamed the "silent killer". Now we know it under the names Arctic Warfare Magnum, L115A, and L96. When firing from one kilometer, the rifle had a spread of 15-16 cm, this is a very accurate indicator. For example, a.50 Browning rifle had a dispersion of about a meter under the same conditions, given the greater recoil, weight, and much louder shot.
A record has been set from an arctic rifle that has not yet been broken by anyone: two people were killed at a distance of about two and a half kilometers with two shots. The Arctic Warfare Magnum rifle can be of two more calibers: 6, 2 and 7, 62. Its weight with an empty magazine can vary depending on the modification from 6.1 to 7.3 kg.
Typesbullets
The cartridge had only one type of bullet until 1996. The advent of new bullets has significantly expanded the options for the possibility of cartridge service. Five types of bullets have been developed for.338 LM:
- SP (half-shell).
- Partition (expansive, compound core).
- HPBT (Tapered Tail, Hollow Nose).
- FMJBT (shell, tapered tail).
- FMJ (jacketed bullet).
A cartridge with an SP bullet weighing 12.96 grams (200 grains) has a muzzle velocity of 1002 m/s. The expansive bullet at 250 grains (16.2 g) produces an indicator of 897 m / s, and the hunting GB488 VLD has a speed of 910 m / s for the same weight. Armor Piercing and Armor Piercing Incendiary bullets are also used.
Several types of hunting bullets (Barnes XLC-Bullit - 14.6 g, Sierra MatchKing - 19.4 g, Homady SpirePoint - 16.2 g), designed for the cartridge, also met all the characteristics. Their flight speed varied from 754 to 920 m/sec.
Application of cartridge
The Caliber 338 "Lapua" was designed for sniper shooting and did an excellent job due to its flat trajectory and high accuracy, but it began to be used in clay target shooting even before its official introduction. In 1986, American shooters won competitions with him in Virginia. The cartridge is also used by hunters. It is very popular among fans of varmeeting (hunting at long distances) and benchrest.(shooting from a long distance at a paper target).
Hunting bullets were developed for the cartridge, effective in shooting animals weighing up to a ton.
Production
In addition to the Finnish company Lapua, the cartridge was also produced by the Czech company Sellier & Bellot, Norma Precision (Sweden), but currently.338 Lapua Magnum is produced only in Russia at the Novosibirsk Cartridge Plant. The performance of the Russian lapua is somewhat inferior to the original version. A complete copy of the cartridge is called STs-152.
Weapons chambered
The heavy.338 LM round was built for a specific purpose, and rifles using it had to be up to par. But due to the narrow focus, many rifles never gained distribution, such as the M98 Barrett. М98В Barrett was also developed specifically for the caliber 338 Lapua, it is quite light (weight 6, 1 kg - for a rifle of this type is really not much) and compact (1267 mm in length, besides, it can be transported disassembled), with a longitudinally sliding shutter and magazine for ten rounds, and is equipped with a flash hider. Like other rifles of this type, it can be used to destroy vehicles, but it is designed specifically for live targets
338 caliber Orsis SE T5000 carbine, a manual reloading repeating rifle suitable for both hunting and sport shooting. Also among the Russian rifles there are models for this caliber from the Russian arms company Tsar Cannon.
Produce weapons under the caliber338 by Blaser, Remington, Keppeler, Weatherby, Accuracy International (the creators of the "Arctic rifle"), Sako and a number of others. By the way, many of these rifles are positioned as sporting ones, which means they are used in trap shooting, including and on the territory of Russia. The only thing holding back these high-end rifles is their price.
Fighting qualities
338 LM was a good addition to the.50BMG ammunition, which, however, did an excellent job of shooting light armored vehicles at long distances, but was not suitable for firing at live targets. In addition, 338 caliber rifles turned out to be much lighter than "fifty".
The caliber 338 Lapua Magnum with an expanding bullet has a powerful stopping and lethal effect. The bullet pierces any, even heavy body armor and obstacles. Lapua will penetrate both concrete fence and steel sheets up to 2.4 cm thick
In hunting, the cartridge with the Partition bullet can be used to kill large animals such as bears and large ungulates, however, even with an expansive bullet, the cartridge is ineffective against large African animals: elephants, hippos, rhinos. This type of hunting uses a cartridge designed by Jim Bell and William Feldstein, the.700 Nitro Express. The cartridge is designed for shooting from short distances, the bullet has an initial speed of 590 m / s with a mass of 64.8 g. The optimal distance for firing this ammunition is 122 m, while it has a dispersion of no more than 3 cm. The length of the cartridge is 700 caliberequal to 106, 88 mm, the return, despite the heavy weight of the guns, is colossal - the weapon literally knocks out of the hands. However, it is not for nothing that the.700 Nitro Express is considered the most powerful cartridge in the world. The energy of the cartridge is 11,279 J, which is enough to cause a running rhinoceros or elephant to tip over when hit. Even if hit in a non-lethal place, the animal loses the ability to move for a period of 5 to 20 minutes, and during this time the hunter can finish off the animal with a lighter gun.
Service History
The 338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is used for military purposes. It was used in the war in Afghanistan (2001), in Iraq, as well as in eastern Ukraine and Libya.
The 338 Lapua cartridge fired Craig Harris' famous double-shot (from the equally famous "Arctic rifle") - in 2009, he killed two enemy machine gunners in Afghanistan with two aimed shots.
It was the cartridge used by the famous US sniper Chris Kyle when he fired his longest shot - 1,940 m. Near the city of Sadr in 2008, he killed a grenade launcher who was about to shoot at a US military convoy.
Another famous Lapua Magnum shot was fired by British Corporal Christopher Reynolds. Also in Afghanistan, but a year later, he killed with an aimed shot from 1853 meters the commander of the Taliban detachment, nicknamed Mullah. Christopher Reynolds was awarded a medal for this shot.
Other.338 cartridges
The 338 win cartridge can be called narrowly focused, although it has good performance. 338 WinchesterThe Magnum, a hunting cartridge designed for killing large animals (including bears and elk), has only three types of bullets, which reduces its popularity among hunters, although it has established a strong position in its niche as the most powerful medium caliber cartridge not intended for shooting at long distances. In America, it is inferior to 7 mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag in sales. Under the caliber 338 Win Mag in America and around the world, quite a lot of weapons are produced: Remington 700, Steyr - Mannlicher S, Winchester Alaska and others.
Another ammunition in the same caliber is the.338 Weatherby Magnum. The ammunition was based on the.378 WeatherbyMagnum. Just like the designers from Research Armament Industries, Roy Weatherby created a new cartridge by crimping the sleeve. However, unlike the 338 Bell, this case withstood the pressure of powder gases and successfully competed with the.338 Win Mag that entered the market, and at 250 grains it also shows a speed of 900 m / s.
Weatherby launched the production of Akkumark, Synthetic and TPM rifles under the new cartridge.
Interesting fact: 338 Lapua Magnum is the title of a book in the Stalker series. After the development and commissioning of the cartridge, the term "Marksman" appeared. So they began to call shooters at exorbitant distances.
Caliber selection for sniper shooting
There are many opinions, but they all agree on one thing: there is no universal caliber, and 338 is no exception. In addition, the action of the caliber can greatlyvary depending on the bullet used, its weight and shape, as well as the amount of gunpowder. The shooters can modify the cartridges themselves, slightly changing the indicators in the direction they need, however, these are already particulars and one should only talk about factory cartridges. Everywhere has its drawbacks and exceptions. Each caliber only does its job well, so you should decide on those first.
Light calibers (below the thirtieth) are now offered by almost all weapon manufacturers. If earlier it was believed that light calibers are suitable only for shooting at a distance of less than 300 meters, now in competitions athletes use it even when shooting at long distances up to one kilometer. The main advantage of the caliber is mobility. The relatively small weight of weapons and ammunition allows you to carry more ammunition and quickly respond to changing situations.
Medium calibers, to which the.338 belongs, are designed for long-range shooting. Compared to the first group, such weapons are heavier. In addition, its use implies great legal responsibility: 338 "Lapua" breaks through a concrete fence, and when using an expansive bullet, it can be said with almost 100% probability that a person will have no chance of surviving.
Heavy calibers - "fifties" are very controversial. On the one hand, they do an excellent job of defeating equipment at long distances, but against manpower they are not so effective. Yes, a.50 caliber rifle can send a bullet more than two miles away.kilometers, but so many factors influence here that it becomes almost impossible to conduct aimed shooting at a growth target. So an exact hit in such situations is a non-trivial case. Do not forget that the cartridge was originally created for firing from a machine gun.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the ammunition coped with the tasks assigned to it, it has some drawbacks. Compared to the "fifty" 338 caliber rifles are more compact. They have an average weight of one and a half times less. However, the caliber 338 does not negate the strong recoil and deafening sound of the shot. Rifles must be equipped with a muzzle brake and the shooter is strongly advised to wear hearing protection. The 4.3kg rifle has a recoil of 6.88kg/cm, which is in the above average category.
338 rifles are not a budget category. To fully realize the potential of weapons and ammunition, it is necessary to purchase expensive powerful optics. It is also recommended to equip the rifle with a silencer to protect the shooter's hearing and prevent debris from being thrown around.
It is believed that caliber 338 was created to fill the gap between.30 (7.62mm) and.50 (12.7mm) calibers. Maybe it is so. Compared to the first, the caliber 338 Lapua, due to the reinforced bullet, was less exposed to wind, and also better retained kinetic energy at a distance, which provided more lethal action.
Due to its flat trajectory, the ammunition is firmlysettled among professional army and police snipers. With the right weapon, it is capable of a range of over a kilometer, and under ideal conditions, as mentioned above, it gives a spread of only 15 centimeters when fired from such a distance. Otherwise, everything is limited only by the capabilities of the shooter himself.
