.338 Lapua Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The .338 Lapua (8.6 x 70 mm or 8.58 x 71 mm) is a specialized rimless centerfire cartridge developed for sniping rifles.The .338 Lapua is an anti-personnel round for long-range shooting. The complete cartridge is 14.9 mm in diameter (rim) and 93.5 mm long. It can penetrate better-than-standard military body armour at ranges up to 1000 metres and has a maximum range of about 1750 metres. Muzzle velocity is dependant on load, and the case has a relatively high capacity, but can be as high as 915 m/s (3000 ft/s) with a 250 grain (16.2 g) bullet.
It was first available in 1983 for the US military based on a necked-down .416 Rigby case. It became more popular after 1987 when it was first sold by the Finnish company Lapua [1]. The cartridge was developed to fill the gap between weapons chambered for standard military rounds (7.62 x 51 mm {.308 Winchester}) and the large, weighty rifles firing the .50 BMG (12.7 mm). In terms of performance, trajectory and delivered energy it falls neatly between the .50 (12.7 mm) and rounds such as the .308 Winchester.
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