.338 Lapua Magnum ballistics chart
The .338 Lapua Magnum trajectory with a 285-grain match bullet: drop, wind drift and retained velocity from a 100-yard zero out to 1,600 yards.
What is the .338 Lapua Magnum?
The .338 Lapua Magnum was developed as a military anti-personnel and anti-materiel cartridge to bridge the gap between .300 magnums and the .50 BMG. It drives 250-300 grain high-BC bullets around 2,700-2,900 fps, staying supersonic well past 1,500 yards and carrying far more energy downrange than any .30-calibre.
The cost is heavy recoil, large and expensive brass, a big receiver, and barrel life measured in the low four figures. It is the classic choice for ELR competition and military overwatch out to and past 1,500 metres.
Typical uses: Extreme long-range competition, military anti-personnel / anti-materiel use, and the largest game.
Sample load
The trajectory below is calculated for this representative factory load in a standard ICAO atmosphere. The bullet is an entry from the app’s bullet library, so the calculator opens with it already selected. Your rifle will differ — enter your own chronographed velocity and verified BC in the calculator for numbers you can dial.
- Bullet
- Hornady 285 gr ELD Match
- Muzzle velocity
- 2,745 fps
- Ballistic coefficient
- 0.417 (G7)
- Zero
- 100 yd
.338 Lapua Magnum key figures
- Muzzle energy
- 4,770 ft⋅lb
- Supersonic to
- About 1,800 yd
- Point-blank range, 6 in zone
- 284 yd (241 yd zero)
- Point-blank range, 3 in zone
- 218 yd (187 yd zero)
- Drop at 300 yd, 100 yd zero
- 12.5 in
Point-blank range is how far you can hold dead on and still hit a target zone of that height, using the zero shown. Work it out for your own load with the maximum point-blank range calculator , or see how the .338 Lapua Magnum stacks up in the cartridge comparison chart .
.338 Lapua Magnum trajectory table
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft⋅lb) | Drop (in) | Elevation (MIL) | Elevation (MOA) | Wind 10 mph (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 2,634 | 4,392 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| 200 | 2,526 | 4,038 | -3.5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| 300 | 2,420 | 3,706 | -12.5 | 1.2 | 4.0 | 0.4 |
| 400 | 2,316 | 3,396 | -27.4 | 1.9 | 6.5 | 0.6 |
| 500 | 2,216 | 3,108 | -48.8 | 2.8 | 9.3 | 0.7 |
| 600 | 2,118 | 2,839 | -77.2 | 3.6 | 12.3 | 0.9 |
| 700 | 2,022 | 2,588 | -113.4 | 4.6 | 15.5 | 1.0 |
| 800 | 1,929 | 2,356 | -158.2 | 5.6 | 18.9 | 1.2 |
| 900 | 1,838 | 2,139 | -212.3 | 6.7 | 22.5 | 1.4 |
| 1,000 | 1,749 | 1,937 | -276.6 | 7.8 | 26.4 | 1.6 |
| 1,100 | 1,662 | 1,749 | -352.4 | 9.1 | 30.6 | 1.8 |
| 1,200 | 1,577 | 1,574 | -440.7 | 10.4 | 35.1 | 2.0 |
| 1,300 | 1,494 | 1,412 | -543.1 | 11.8 | 39.9 | 2.2 |
| 1,400 | 1,412 | 1,263 | -661.0 | 13.4 | 45.1 | 2.5 |
| 1,500 | 1,333 | 1,125 | -796.5 | 15.0 | 50.7 | 2.7 |
| 1,600 | 1,257 | 1,000 | -951.5 | 16.8 | 56.8 | 3.0 |
Learn more
New to reading a table like this? These guides explain the numbers: