338 Lapua Magnum vs. 308: Do You Really Need a 338 Lapua?

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Good job uncle Rick :hugs:

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:rofl:

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Don’t be rubbin’ up on him…

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Why not he likes it . Still wont get you in his will but he likes it.

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:facepalm:

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I’m lucky enough to have owned a 338 tactical bolt gun, a Barrett 82A1 semi auto, a Teka 308 tactical, a Springfield M1A1 E2 semi auto and a 338 Win Mag bolt gun, at the same time and each has its’ merits and I think I can speak of them. I also load my own in these calibers which most owners do not I suspect. Both of my 338’s share the same heavy bullets of my choice which makes that easier to compare and load them, likewise I can load and shoot the same loads in both of the 308’s.

The Lapua tactical bolt gun puts a big round downrange, a lot further than the Teka does for sure but no further than the 82A1 does with almost or the same accuracy. The 82A1 however can put a second round into the same target and close enough to cause the recvg party sorry. A miss with the Lapua bolt gun is a miss and you might not get a second chance. Re the Teka 308 tactical bolt gun it is incredibly accurate and shooting a slow pace at targets at 500 yards gives very tight groups. Shooting the same round in my Springfield E2 at a slow pace is also very accurate but the group while larger is still fatal to the recipient. Again the semi auto will put more lead on target for a good shooter in a given time than a bolt gun for most shooters. Since my 338 Lapua and Winchester 338 Mag were both bolt guns the range of the Lapua is far better but at closer ranges the Win Mag shines due to its lower recoil and typically lighter physical weight. Carrying a 338 Tactical bolt gun and hunting big game in the brush or open range would be a bitch unless you are rich and have a gun bearer.
After getting over my wet pants of owning a 338 Lapua Tactical it was an easy choice to sell it and keep the others since the 82A1 will put standard ball ammo of the same lot in the kill zone almost as tight as the 338 Lapua with a whole lot more stopping power on any day of the week. And 50BMG late US MFG ammo is waay cheaper at $3 a round than any 250g 338 Lapua from the store or even if it is a handload by a reloader.

So those are my thoughts on 338 Lapua versus the other heavy hitters available and the venerable 308.

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I’d say, wow, good to get a first hand report too :+1:

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