Long Range At Loggerheads: .338 Lapua Vs. .50 BMG

Debatable:.338 Lapua or.50 BMG for your next long range cartridge? We break down which cartridge will be most suitable for your needs. Which long-range cartridge is better,.338 Lapua or.50 BMG? It all depends on what you want to use it for..338 Lapua vs..50 BMG Ballistics Both cartridges have very similar muzzle velocity averages, generally ranging between 2,600 fps to 2,900 fps with.50 BMG and between 2,600 and 3,000 feet for.338 Lapua. This explains the large differences in projectile weights and similar velocities. The.338 Lapua produces 4,700 to 4,900 feet of energy. The.50 BMG produces between 12,000 to 14,000 foot-pounds. A 9.5-pound rifle that fires a 225-grain bullet at 3,000 feet per second will produce 37 foot-pounds worth of recoil energy. This is only 2 foot-pounds less than the 225-grain.338 Winchester Magnum cartridges, which are typically loaded at around 2,800 feet per second. A 647-grain bullet fired at 2,710 feet per second from a.50 BMG at 2,710 FPS produces approximately 70 foot-pounds. Although stout recoil is usually manageable by simply gritting your teeth and bearing it, it can be very significant and should be considered when making a decision. Next, let’s look at 2,000-yard tables that show two similar loads. Hornady’s A-MAX.50 BMG load is first. It has a G1-ballistic coefficient of 1.050, and an advertised muzzle velocity at 2,820 fps. It will remain supersonic up to 2,625 yards. At that point, it still carries more then 2,000 foot-pounds. It still has more energy than 1,000 feet at two miles. This is more than a Magnum at the muzzle. It’s also more powerful than a.44 Magnum. The good velocity retention is what makes.50 BMG such an effective cartridge for defeating light armor or vehicles. Velocity is what defeats armour, and.50 BMG has plenty of it considering that it can stay supersonic for 1.5 miles. But what about.338 Lapua. Hornady does not offer an A-MAX factory load, but they do offer the ELD Match which is almost identical (tipped hollow-point boattail). Here’s the table. It features a 285-grain bullet, a G1 BC value of 0.789, and an advertised muzzle velocity at 2,745 feet. The ELD Match is a nearly identical design (tipped hollow-point boat tail) so it has a shorter effective range. It should be noted, however, that the bullet does not drop below supersonic speed until approximately 1,925 yards. At the muzzle, it still has more energy to the.357 Magnum. It’s still supersonic at 1,760 yards (1 mile), with almost 900 foot pounds of energy, making it easily lethal for humans and medium-sized game. Although the effective range of.338 Lapua may seem shorter, it is still more than one mile. This is more than most shooters can actually use. There are many other loadings available for these cartridges. These trajectory tables do not give an overview of the differences between them. Comparison of.338 Lapua and.50 BMG: What do you need one for? Both have their place in a military context. A.50 BMG sniper rifle can punch holes in vehicles, light aircraft, and light armored cars from very far away. It is also an effective anti-personnel bullet at astonishingly long distances. A USMC member using a.50 BMG Barrett rifle. Photo: Wikipedia. The.338 Lapua Magnum rifle is less capable. Although light armor-piercing ammunition is available and has been used, it’s effective range against armor is much shorter. Although the maximum effective anti-personnel range of this ammunition is shorter than other rifle cartridges, it is still superior to most. If your purpose is to ring steel silhouettes from a mile away then neither cartridge will be an issue. Your ability to hit the target is more important. This is dependent on your scope, reticle and knowledge of your holds. You will need more of your Christmas tree with .338 Lapua than with .50 BMG, but you could use either cartridge at ranges greater than what you’re probably capable of reliably hitting.If your goals are more entertainment-oriented than practical, then .50 BMG has obvious appeal. This cartridge is ideal for destroying watermelons and other edibles. It has a significantly higher energy and comes with a Barrett magazine. Photo from Wikipedia. A.338 Lapua Magnum is capable of extreme long-range shooting and hunting. It’s a.338, so the bullets will be the same as the.338 Win. Mag., one the most effective hunting cartridges for anything other than the African Big Five. The Mag. is the best cartridge for long-range shots at elk, black bear and similar-sized African game beyond 500 yards. If you are capable of hitting the target, it is! After all, marksmanship is the lion’s share of lethality. The.338 Lapua Magnum is acceptable for dangerous game hunting. Some African jurisdictions, such as Nairobi, will allow you to hunt with one. However, most won’t. It still falls short of the energy/caliber requirements. A.50 BMG rifle may have been considered by some, but it is only able to be used in a fixed location or as part of a larger team. Although the rifles and ammunition are heavy and bulky, they are also heavy and cumbersome. Unless you have an emergency, a.50 BMG bullet will be far more useful than a 10-pound rifle in.338 Lapua Magum. Both types of ammunition are expensive. However, the cheapest.338 Lapua ammo ($3.75 versus 2.50) is available at the time of writing. Although.338 is lighter on your shoulders, it will feel heavier on your wallet. It matters if you intend to shoot it a lot..338 Lapua Vs..50 BMG Which Is Best? The best cartridge for long-range shooting is not obvious. If you are shooting more than a mile from your target,.50 MMG is better. While sniper shots can be made with.338 Lapua Magnum over a mile, many more have been made using.50 BMG. If you are looking for the longest long-distance shots,.50BMG is the right choice. If you like to make big noises and blow holes,.50BMG is the best choice. Another factor to consider is that.50 BMG is the most practical and useful ammunition you can have without having to register a destructive device. Although it is too powerful for small to medium game such as hogs, deer and pronghorn (and a lot of African game), it is dynamite for large game. Rifles can be carried in a reasonable manner, unlike.50 BMG. A Savage 110 Precision in the.338 Lapua Magnum. It’s easy for people to see the advantages of having one of these cartridges instead of a.50 BMG. They are more willing to shoot at bears, elk, and moose at greater distances than 400 yards. You want a cartridge that can effectively harvest game at that distance. The.338 Lapua Magnum rifle cartridge is the best for this purpose. It is also great for long-range precision shooting. As with all cartridge debates, you will ultimately decide which cartridge is best for your needs. The choice between.338 Lapua and.50 MMG will be more useful to most shooters, but the lower ammo cost and higher energy make.50 MMG a better choice. Download your Storm Tactical printable target pack62 Printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle Range is in YARDSThis amazing target pack comes from Storm Tactical and contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range usage. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.