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 a dual purpose anti-personnel and anti-materiel round for long-range shooting. With its increased popularity it is also being used for hunting large and dangerous game. 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.
Its predecessor was first available in 1983 for the US military based on a necked-down .416 Rigby case and based on that wildcat cartridge, the .338 Lapua Magnum was developed. 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 and delivered energy it falls neatly between the .50 (12.7 mm) and rounds such as the .308 Winchester, but outperforms the .50 in terms of trajectory.
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