.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
The German 8×68mm S cartridge introduced in 1939 is probably the closest ballistic twin of the .325 Winchester Short Magnum. The .325 Winchester Short Magnum is considerably shorter and fatter and has a more radical rebated rim, much steeper shoulder angle and a shorter neck (7.82 mm) than the 8×68mm S. This makes the 8×68mm S case with its 9.11 mm long neck better suited for loading long heavier bullets and due to its sleeker exterior shape bound to cycle more reliably in bolt-action rifles in extreme situations. On the other hand, the proportions of .325 Winchester Short Magnum promote good internal ballistic efficiency that allows the .325 Winchester Short Magnum to fire shorter lighter bullets at slightly higher muzzle velocities whilst using less propellant than the classically proportioned 8×68mm S.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Performance
The .325 WSM is an efficient, flat shooting 8mm magnum rifle cartridge. Bullet weights range from 125 to 250 gr (8.1 to 16.2 g). Performance is on par with the two other magnum cartridges: 8mm Remington Magnum and the German 8×68mmS cartridge with lighter weight bullets. However, these later two cartridges have a distinct edge of being able to seat long heavy 220 gr (14 g) bullets without encroaching upon the powder space. Due to the necessity of seating heavier longer bullets more deeply into the powder column due to the short design and maximum overall length of the .325


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Performance
WSM cartridge, velocity drops off as bullet weight increases. This is particularly evident with mono-metal bullets such as Nosler's E-Tip bullets, and the Barnes X bullets. These bullets are constructed of copper, which is about 20% less density than that of a conventional lead bullet. The resulting mono-metal bullets are typically longer, which requires these bullets to be seated more deeply to meet standards set for the cartridge and allow reliable feeding and cycling of the cartridges in rifles.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Performance, 8 mm cartridges compared
Maximum muzzle velocity comparison in % of the probably most proliferated European and American 8 mm rifle cartridges out of 650 mm (25.59 in) long barrels loaded with relatively light to heavy 8 mm bullets to their C.I.P. or SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) sanctioned maximum pressures.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Performance, 8 mm cartridges compared
This comparison is not totally objective since the 8mm Remington Magnum and .325 WSM operate at 448.16 MPa (65000 psi), the 8×68mm S at 440 MPa (63817 psi), the 8×64mm S at 405 MPa (58740 psi) and the 7.92×57mm Mauser at 390 MPa (56564 psi) maximum chamber pressure. Higher chamber pressure results in higher muzzle velocities.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Sporting Use
The .325 WSM should be considered primarily a hunting or sporting cartridge. It was intended to take medium and large bodied, dangerous thin skinned game up to 1800 lbs. Bullets of 180 gr or less are intended for smaller deer species such as white tail and mule deer, while those of 200 gr or more are intended for elk, moose and large bear. The .325 WSM being an 8mm cartridge could find favor among European hunters for elk (European moose), wild boar as its performance is similar to the vaunted 8×68mm S cartridge.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Sporting Use
The cartridge is useful for all including the largest bear species. Most outfitters recommend at least a .30 to .37 cal. magnum class cartridge (depending on the hunters recoil threshold) for the larger bear species such as the Alaskan brown bear and the polar bear. Due to the flat shooting and long range performance of the .325 WSM it is also a top performer for most African plains game such as kudu, nyala, wildebeest and zebra.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Sporting Use
The .325 WSM has not made inroads in competitive shooting sports or military use. However, on the contrary to what some competitive shooters and sportsman believe, and as mentioned above, there are quite an array of bullet sizes and shapes to choose from if you reload. Bullet weights from 125 gr. to 250 gr. are offered by premium bullet makers such as Nosler, Sierra, Barnes, Woodleigh, Swift, Hornady and other major manufactures.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Rifles
Winchester Ammunition's release of the .325 WSM was in conjunction with the release by FN Herstal of rifles chambered in the cartridge under the Browning and Winchester brand names. Originally, Winchester released the Ultimate Shadow, Camo Ultimate Shadow, Classic Featherweight, Classic Laminated, Super Grade RMEF (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) and Super Grade III in the 325 WSM while Browning chambered the 325 WSM in their A-Bolt, X-Bolt and BAR rifle lines.


.325 Winchester Short Magnum, Rifles
Typical rifles for the WSM line of cartridges have barrels between 22–24 in (560–610 mm) which is less than the typical magnum rifle. The short action combined with short barrels allow for a lighter rifle than a standard magnum rifle which would be based on a standard action with a 26 in (660 mm) barrel.


.327 Federal Magnum
The .327 Federal Magnum is a cartridge introduced by Federal Premium Ammunition and also sold by Sturm, Ruger & Co., intended to provide the power of a .357 Magnum in six-shot, compact revolvers, whose cylinders would otherwise only hold five rounds. The .327 has also been used in full-sized revolvers with a capacity of seven rounds or more.


.327 Federal Magnum, Development
Introduced by the  Federal Cartridge company, the .327 Federal Magnum was an attempt to improve on the .32 H&R Magnum introduced in 1984. Like the .32 H&R, the .327 Federal is a lengthened version of the original .32 S&W cartridge, which dates back to 1878. In 1896, the .32 S&W Long was introduced, which generated slightly higher velocities. The introduction of the .32 H&R increased pressures from 15,000 psi to 21,000 CUP, giving velocities of approximately 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s).


.327 Federal Magnum, Development
Based on the .32 H&R Magnum, with a 1/8-inch longer case, strengthened web at the base of the case, thicker case walls, and different heat-treatment and metallurgy, the .327 Federal can be loaded to much higher pressure levels (45,000 psi (310,000 kPa)) than its predecessor (21,000 CUP).


.327 Federal Magnum, Development
The .327's actual bullet diameter is .312 in (7.92 mm) and achieves muzzle velocities up to 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s) with 100 gr (6.5 g; 0.23 oz) bullets, and up to 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s) with 115 gr (7.5 g; 0.26 oz) bullets, when fired from the 3 1/16 in (78 mm)-barreled Ruger SP101 revolver.


.327 Federal Magnum, Development
While perceived  recoil exceeds that of the .32 H&R, revolvers in .327 Federal are much easier to control than equivalent models chambered in .357 Magnum. Comparing the two calibers, Chuck Hawks says, "There is no doubt that, for most shooters, the .357 Magnum produces uncomfortable recoil and muzzle blast."


.327 Federal Magnum, Development
The .327's recoil energy is 3.08 ft⋅lbf (4.18 J) for an 85 gr (5.5 g; 0.19 oz) jacketed hollowpoint (JHP) load, 5.62 ft⋅lbf (7.62 J) for the 115 gr (7.5 g; 0.26 oz) JHP, and 5.58 ft⋅lbf (7.57 J) for the  100 gr (6.5 g; 0.23 oz) softpoint (SP). For comparison, the figures are 1.46 ft⋅lbf (1.98 J) for an  85 gr (5.5 g; 0.19 oz) .32 H&R Magnum load and 7.22 ft⋅lbf (9.79 J) for a 125 gr (8.1 g; 0.29 oz) .357 Magnum load.


.327 Federal Magnum, Firearms chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum
Revolvers in .327 Federal Magnum were initially offered by Charter Arms, Taurus, Ruger, and Freedom Arms. The stainless-steel Ruger SP101 was originally selected as the development platform for the new cartridge. Freedom Arms made a single-action design, as did U.S. Fire Arms with its eight-shot Sparrowhawk. Ruger offered the double-action six-shot SP101 and seven-shot GP100, and the full-sized single-action eight-shot Blackhawk, revolvers chambered in .327 Federal Magnum. A version of the Ruger SP101 with a 3 1/16" barrel chambered in the .327 Federal Magnum was released in January 2008.


.327 Federal Magnum, Firearms chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum
In late 2014, Ruger introduced the smaller-framed Ruger Single-Seven, a seven-shot single-action .327 Federal Magnum revolver based on the Single-Six. In March 2015, Ruger re-introduced the SP101 in .327 Federal Magnum. The current version of the SP101 features fully adjustable sights and a longer, 4.2 in (107 mm) barrel. In September 2015, Ruger also introduced the LCR in .327 Federal Magnum, a double-action only, six-shot revolver with a polymer subframe. Ruger also offers the similar LCRx with an exposed hammer in this chambering.


.327 Federal Magnum, Firearms chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum
In early 2017, Henry Repeating Arms announced production of four new lever-action long guns (a rifle and a carbine, each available with its receiver manufactured from either steel or hardened brass), with shipping scheduled to begin in March. Hawks suggests that lever-action carbines in .327 Mag. will make "excellent, fun to shoot centerfire rifles for hunting javelina, jackrabbit, and coyote"; he also notes that revolvers with six-to-eight-inch barrels and adjustable sights "would be excellent hunting handguns for varmints and small predators, as well as offering flat-shooting protection from two-legged predators in the field."


.327 Federal Magnum, Similar cartridges
The .327 Federal Magnum provides performance similar to the high-velocity rifle loadings of the old .32-20 Winchester, though these velocities are achieved in a much shorter revolver barrel, thanks to a much higher pressure ceiling for the .327.


.327 Federal Magnum, Similar cartridges
Another similar cartridge is the .30 Carbine, which has been offered in Ruger's single-action Blackhawk revolver line since 1968. However, the .327 Federal Magnum has a higher maximum pressure (45,000 psi) than the .30 Carbine (40,000 psi).


.327 Federal Magnum, Similar cartridges
Gunsmiths working with Ruger and Freedom Arms have offered custom conversions of single-action .32 H&R Single Six and Freedom Arms revolvers to .327 Federal. Test results from the long barreled guns showed even higher velocities than the .30 Carbine, along with excellent accuracy.


.33 Winchester
The .33 Winchester Center Fire (colloquially .33 WCF or .33 Win) is an American centerfire rifle cartridge.


.33 Winchester, History
Introduced by Winchester for the Model 1886 lever rifle in 1902, it survived until the Model 86 was dropped in 1936. It was also offered in the Marlin Model 1895 and Winchester's own single-shot Model 1885.


.33 Winchester, Use
A good round for deer, elk, or black bear in wooded terrain at medium range, it out performs the ballistically similar .35 Remington and can be improved with modern powders. The .33 WCF was replaced by the more powerful .348 Winchester and stopped being commercially offered in 1940.


.33 Winchester, Notes
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.33-40 Pope
The .33-40 Pope is a wildcat cartridge designed around 1900 by Harry Pope, a noted rifleman. The cartridge is a necked up .32-40 Ballard. It was Pope's favorite wildcat, and was often used with great success by him.


.333 Jeffery
The .333 Jeffery and .333 Jeffery Flanged  are medium-bore rifle cartridges developed by W.J. Jeffery & Co and introduced in 1908.


.333 Jeffery, Design
The .333 Jeffery and the .333 Jeffery Flanged are both bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridges. Originally both cartridges were released with two factory loads, one with a bullet of 250 grains (16 g) and the other with a bullet of 300 grains (19 g).


.333 Jeffery, Design, .333 Jeffery
The .333 Jeffery, also known as the .333 Jeffery Rimless Nitro Express or as the .333 Rimless Nitro Express, is a rimless cartridge intended for use in magazine rifles. It is derived from the .404 Jeffery and can be used in both standard and magnum-length Mauser 98 actions. It fires the 250-grain bullet at 2,500 feet per second (760 m/s) and the 300-grain bullet at 2,200 feet per second (670 m/s).


.333 Jeffery, Design, .333 Jeffery Flanged
The .333 Jeffery Flanged or .333 Flanged Nitro Express is the rimmed version of the .333 Jeffery, intended for use in single-shot and double rifles. It is loaded to slightly lower velocities than the rimless .333 Jeffery, firing the 250-grain bullet at 2,400 feet per second (730 m/s) and the 300-grain bullet at 2,150 feet per second (660 m/s).


.333 Jeffery, History
Upon its introduction in 1908, the .333 Jeffery firing the 300 grain bullet quickly developed an excellent reputation due to the very high sectional density and exceptional penetration of the round. Unfortunately the original 250 grain bullet was a copper-capped hollowpoint that was too fragile to be fired at 2,500 feet per second, making it unpopular and marring the .333 Jeffery's reputation for some time. The .333 Jeffery Flanged never enjoyed the popularity of its rimless counterpart, this has been attributed to Jeffery's initial reluctance to regulate double rifles in this round for the 300 grain loading.


.333 Jeffery, History
The .333 Jeffery was somewhat overshadowed by the arrival of the .375 Holland & Holland in 1912. As with many British proprietary cartridges, the .333 Jeffery was forced into obsolescence when Kynoch suspended ammunition manufacturing in the 1960s, Kynamco resumed manufacture of the Kynoch range of cartridges in the 1990s meaning the ammunition is again commercially available, although no firearms manufacturers make factory rifles in .333 Jeffery today.


.333 Jeffery, Use
The .333 Jeffery was not intended for dangerous game; however, due to the excellent penetration of the 300-grain round, it has been used successfully on all African game species up to and including elephant. In his African Rifles and Cartridges, John "Pondoro" Taylor wrote of the .333 Jeffery, "Time and again have I driven it the length of an animal’s body, and cut the perfectly mushroomed bullet out of his hindquarters. I have never had one break up."


.333 Jeffery, Use
Sir Alfred Sharpe used a bolt-actioned .333 Jeffery rifle extensively for hunting in Africa, using it to hunt elephant and other game.


.333 Jeffery, Use
The cartridge was very similar in performance to the .318 Westley Richards. The .280 Jeffery was created by W.J. Jeffery & Co by necking down the .333 Jeffery to .288 inches (7.3 mm).


.333 Jeffery, WWI service
In 1914 and early 1915, German snipers were engaging British Army positions with impunity from behind steel plates that were impervious to .303 British ball ammunition. In an attempt to counter this threat, the British War Office purchased a number of larger calibre sporting rifles from British rifle makers, including .333 Jeffery rifles.


.333 Jeffery, WWI service
In his Sniping in France 1914-18, MAJ H. Hesketh-Prichard, DSO, MC, stated "I proceeded to try on these plates all kinds of rifles, from Jeffery’s high velocity .333 to heavy elephant guns of various bores, and was delighted to find the bullets from the .333, as well as the elephant guns, pierced them like butter."


.338 Edge
338 Edge (.338/300 Ultra Mag, .338 Ultra Cat) is a Wildcat rifle cartridge based on the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum round necked up to accept 0.338" diameter bullets. It is gaining popularity as a long-range cartridge due to the wide availability of 0.338" projectiles that have a high ballistic coefficient. For instance, the 300-grain (19 g) Sierra Match King has a ballistic coefficient of 0.765 and is a popular choice for 338 Edge shooters.


.338 Edge, Design
The 338 Edge is similar in ballistics to the .338 Lapua Magnum, but can be chambered in a regular magnum action without modification, making it an attractive cartridge for shooters looking for the high performance of .338 Lapua Magnum without requiring a special or custom action.


.338 Edge, Design
The name "338 Edge" was coined by Shawn Carlock during his work with the wildcat in 2001 in order to distinguish the cartridge from the (then new) slightly shorter 338 Remington Ultra Magnum.


.338 Edge, Design
Velocities in the 338 Edge are high, and the recoil can be substantial enough to make a rifle painful to shoot without a recoil reducing device such as a muzzle brake or suppressor. Recoil is approximately twice that of the popular .30-06 cartridge, for a given weight rifle.


.338 Federal
The .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber. It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles.


.338 Federal, Comparison
The .338 Federal was designed by Federal Ammunition and it is a SAAMI standardized cartridge that was released in 2006. In the table below is a comparison between the .338 Federal and the older .358 Winchester, another cartridge based on the .308 Winchester.


.338 Federal, Rifles
Savage and Heym (Models SR21, SR 30) offer bolt action rifles. LMT, DPMS Panther Arms, and Wilson Combat, offered semi-automatic rifles in .338 Federal as of May 2019. Sako no longer offers rifles in .338 Federal.


.338 Lapua Magnum
The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm or 8.58×70mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. It was used in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. As a result of this, it became widely available.


.338 Lapua Magnum
The loaded .338 cartridge is 14.93 mm (0.588 in) in diameter (rim) and 93.5 mm (3.68 in) long. It can penetrate better-than-standard military body armor at ranges of up to 1,000 metres (1,090 yd), and has a maximum effective range of about 1,750 metres (1,910 yd) with C.I.P. conform ammunition at sea level conditions. Muzzle velocity is dependent on barrel length, seating depth, and powder charge, and varies from 880 to 915 m/s (2,890 to 3,000 ft/s) for commercial loads with 16.2-gram (250 gr) bullets, which corresponds to about 6,525 J (4,813 ft⋅lbf) of muzzle energy.


.338 Lapua Magnum
British military issue overpressure .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges with a 91.4 mm (3.60 in) overall length, loaded with 16.2-gram (250 gr) LockBase B408 very-low-drag bullets fired at 936 m/s (3,071 ft/s) muzzle velocity fired from a L115A3 Long Range Rifle were used in November 2009 by British sniper Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison to establish the then-new record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd). In reports, CoH Harrison mentions the environmental conditions at Musa Qala were perfect for long range shooting: no wind, mild weather, clear visibility.


.338 Lapua Magnum
In addition to its military role, it is increasingly used by hunters and civilian long-range shooting enthusiasts. The .338 Lapua Magnum is capable of taking down any Big game animal, though its suitability for some dangerous game (Cape buffalo, hippopotamus, white rhinoceros, and elephant) is arguable, unless accompanied by a larger "backup" calibre: "There is a huge difference between calibres that will kill an elephant and those that can be relied upon to stop one." In Namibia the .338 Lapua Magnum is legal for hunting Africa's Big five game if the loads have ≥ 5,400 J (3,983 ft⋅lbf) muzzle energy.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Initial development
In 1983, Research Armament Industries (RAI) in the United States began development of a new, long-range sniper cartridge capable of firing a 16.2-gram (250 gr), 0.338-inch (8.6 mm) diameter bullet at 914 metres per second (3,000 ft/s), that could lethally penetrate five layers of military body armour at 1,000 m (1,094 yd). After preliminary experiments, a .416 Rigby case necked down to take a 0.338-inch (8.6 mm) bullet was selected, since this diameter presents an optimum of sectional density and penetrating capability for practical spin-stabilized rifle bullets (bullets up to about 5 to 5.5 calibers in length).


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Initial development
The .416 Rigby is an English big game cartridge that was designed in 1911 to accommodate 325 MPa (47,137 psi) pressures. One of the disadvantages of these old cartridge cases, which were intended for firing cordite charges instead of modern smokeless powder, is the thickness of the sidewall just forward of the web. During ignition, the cartridge's base, just forward of the bolt face, is not supported.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Initial development
During the process RAI employed Jim Bell and Brass Extrusion Labs Ltd. (B.E.L.L.) of Bensenville, Illinois, to make the .338/416 or 8.58×71mm cartridge cases, Hornady produced bullets, and RAI built a sniper rifle under contract for the U.S. Navy. RAI found that the BELL cases did not fulfill the requirements, since they were modified low pressure .416 Rigby cases. Pressed by military deadlines, RAI looked for another case producer and contacted Lapua of Finland in 1984. RAI was forced to drop out of the program due to financial difficulties. Subsequently, Lapua of Finland put this cartridge into limited production. The .338/416 rifle program was later canceled when the contractors were unable to make the cartridge meet the project's velocity target of 914 m/s (3,000 ft/s) for a 16.2 g (250 gr) bullet, due to excessive pressures rupturing cartridge cases.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Final development
The current .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge was developed as a joint venture between the Finnish rifle manufacturer SAKO and the British rifle manufacturer Accuracy International, along with the Finnish ammunition manufacturer Lapua, or more officially Nammo Lapua Oy, which since 1998 is part of the Nordic Ammunition Group (Nammo).


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Final development
Lapua opted to redesign the .338/416 cartridge. In the new case design, particular attention was directed toward thickening and metallurgically strengthening the case's web and sidewall immediately forward of the web. In modern solid head cases, the hardness of the brass is the major factor that determines a case's pressure limit before undergoing plastic deformation. Lapua tackled this problem by creating a hardness distribution ranging from the head and web (hard) to the mouth (soft) as well as a strengthened (thicker) case web and sidewall immediately forward of the web.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Final development
This resulted in a very pressure resistant case, allowing it to operate at high pressure and come within 15 m/s (50 ft/s) of the original velocity goal. Lapua also designed a 16.2-gram (250 gr) .338 calibre Lock Base B408 full metal jacket bullet, modeled after its .30 calibre Lock Base bullet configuration. The result was the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge which was registered with C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) in 1989. With the procurement by the Dutch Army, the cartridge became NATO codified.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Final development
The .338 Lapua Magnum fills the gap between weapons chambered for standard military rounds such as the 7.62×51mm NATO and large, heavy rifles firing the .50 BMG cartridge. It also offers an acceptable amount of barrel wear, which is important to military snipers who tend to fire thousands of rounds a year in practice. This was achieved by coupling a sensible case volume (7.40 ml) to bore area (56.86 mm2/0.5686 cm2) ratio (13.01 Oratio) with ample space for loading relatively long slender projectiles that can provide good aerodynamic efficiency and external ballistic performance for the projectile diameter.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Final development
Like every other comparable large magnum rifle cartridge, the .338 Lapua Magnum presents a stout recoil. An appropriate fitting stock and an effective muzzle brake helps to reduce recoil-induced problems, enabling the operator to fire more rounds before getting too uncomfortable to shoot accurately. Good factory loads, multiple projectile weights and factory special application ammunition are all available.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Final development
Due to its growing civilian popularity, several high quality tactical and match (semi) custom bolt actions designed for the .338 Lapua Magnum are becoming available. These (semi) custom bolt actions are used with other high grade rifle and sighting components to build custom sporting and target rifles.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Law enforcement and military users
The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is in law enforcement or military use with:


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Law enforcement and military users
The .338 Lapua Magnum has been designated a "cartridge of interest" by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). It is being groomed to replace the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .50 BMG for anti-personnel long-range service in the U.S. military. On June 17, 2008, the U.S. government issued a market survey to support a requirement for a Precision Sniper Rifle (PRS) to possibly replace the currently fielded Bolt Action SOF Sniper Systems MK 13 (.300 Winchester Magnum) and the M40 and M24 (7.62×51mm NATO) chambered to safely fire factory produced "non-wildcat" .338 caliber ammunition.


.338 Lapua Magnum, History, Law enforcement and military users
On 7 March 2013, the Remington MSR was declared the winner of the Precision Sniper Rifle competition. Remington announced that the MSR had won on March 8, and it was publicly confirmed on March 9. This was followed by a $79.7 million contract for 5,150 rifles with suppressors, along with 4,696,800 rounds of ammunition to be supplied over the next ten years. The contract was awarded on 12 September 2013. Remington Defense produces the sniper rifles and utilizes two other companies for other system components, with Barnes Bullets for ammunition and Advanced Armament Corporation for muzzle brakes and suppressors; all three companies are subsidiaries of Remington Outdoor Company.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
Extremely thick-walled brass results in a 7.40 ml (114 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity for the .338 Lapua Magnum. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable feeding and extraction in bolt action, semi-automatic, and automatic firearms alike, under extreme conditions.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
.338 Lapua Magnum maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 20 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 254 mm (1 in 10 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 8.38 mm, Ø grooves = 8.58 mm, land width = 2.79 mm and the primer type is large rifle magnum.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) decisions and tables edition 2007 the .338 Lapua Magnum case can handle up to 420.00 MPa (60,916 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. This now prevails over the C.I.P. decisions and tables edition 2003, that rated the .338 Lapua Magnum at 470.00 MPa (68,168 psi) Pmax maximum piezo pressure. The 470.00 MPa (68,168 psi) Pmax maximum piezo pressure C.I.P. ruling for the .300 Lapua Magnum cartridge, which is based on the same case, was at the time not accordingly changed.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of the prevailing maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. This means that .338 Lapua Magnum chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at 525.00 MPa (76,145 psi) PE piezo pressure.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
Lapua has been ambivalent on the maximum piezo pressure of this cartridge. In the article 'From an American dream to a Finnish success story' by Janne Pohjoispää Lapua propagates the C.I.P. 2007 ruling of 420.00 MPa (60,916 psi) maximum piezo pressure. To further complicate matters the mentioned 56,000 CUP C.I.P. copper crusher pressure in this article would translate in ≈ 447.50 MPa (64,904 psi) C.I.P. piezo pressure according to a study on the conversion from CUP to PSI for rifle cartridges by Denton Bramwell.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
The C.I.P. 2003 ruling of 470.00 MPa (68,168 psi) piezo pressure is corroborated by Lapua Australia in the 'History and development of the .338 Lapua Magnum' article by Alan C. Paulson. A reverse engineering simulation with QuickLOAD internal ballistic software predicted that Lapua load their factory .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition at ≈ 420.00 MPa (60,916 psi) piezo pressure as Alan C. Paulson asserts in his article.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
The large boltface combined with the maximum pressure means that the .338 Lapua Magnum should only be chambered in rifles that are capable of handling such large high pressure cartridges and thus high bolt thrust safely. Chambering such powerful super magnum cartridges in rifles intended for normal magnum rifle cartridges and using high pressure loads can cause serious or fatal injury to the shooter and bystanders.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
The American .338-378 Weatherby Magnum cartridge introduced in 1998 and the American .338 Remington Ultra Magnum (.338 RUM) cartridge introduced in 2000 are probably the closest ballistic twins of the .338 Lapua Magnum commercially available as of 2007. The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is however a belted cartridge and the .338 Remington Ultra Magnum is a rebated rim cartridge.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
The American SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) has no normal voluntary guidelines for the .338 Lapua Magnum. On 14 January 2013 it opted to use the metric C.I.P. rulings and add some dimensions that have no C.I.P. analog.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance with C.I.P. conforming cartridges
For a typical .338 Lapua Magnum high end factory military sniper rifle like the Sako TRG-42 with a 690 mm (27.2 in) long 305 mm (1 in 12 inch) rifling twist rate barrel at sea level, 1,500 m (1,640 yd) is considered to be the maximum shooting distance for man sized targets. When using standard Lapua military 16.2 g (250 gr) loads it has a supersonic range of 1,500 m (1,640 yd) under warm summer conditions at a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s).


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance with C.I.P. conforming cartridges
However, to be able to maintain 80 to 90% hit probability on non-moving 45 cm × 90 cm (17.7 in × 35.4 in) reactive army targets, this maximum shooting distance has to be reduced to 1,300 metres (1,422 yd) at freezing point conditions or 1,100 m (1,203 yd) in Arctic winter conditions, when the muzzle velocity may drop to 880 m/s (2,887 ft/s)—i.e. only during optimal warm summer conditions the 1,500 m (1,640 yd) maximum shooting distance is realistically achievable.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance with C.I.P. conforming cartridges
Loaded with more aerodynamic very-low-drag bullets such as the traditionally lead cored 19.44 g (300.0 gr) Lapua Scenar GB528 VLD bullet (G1 BC = 0.736) or the Lost River Ballistics J40 .338 17.5 gram (270 gr) CNC manufactured mono-metal bullet (G1 BC = 0.871) the long-range performance and supersonic range of .338 Lapua Magnum rifles can be improved. These longer very-low-drag bullets require a 254 mm (1 in 10 inch) twist rate to stabilize them.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance with C.I.P. conforming cartridges
Due to the lower practically possible muzzle velocities for a relative heavy bullet like the 19.44 g (300 gr) Lapua Scenar GB528 VLD bullet it gains about 104 m (114 yd) extra supersonic range under International Standard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3) at a muzzle velocity of 837 m/s (2750 ft/s) when compared to the standard 16.2 g (250 gr) Lapua Scenar GB488 VLD at a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s (3002 ft/s).


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance with C.I.P. conforming cartridges
For significant supersonic range improvement the aerodynamic efficiency of the employed bullets has to be significantly improved without sacrificing a lot of practically achievable muzzle velocity - meaning that besides the coefficient of drag of the projectile weight is also an important parameter for its actual downrange flight behavior. The .338 17.5 gram (270 gr) Lost River Ballistic Technologies J40 match bullet made out of a copper-nickel alloy is one of the most aerodynamic .338 calibre bullets available. It has an 1,800 m (1,970 yd) supersonic range under optimal warm summer conditions at a muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2,850 ft/s). This makes engaging static targets up to 1,800 m (1,970 yd) feasible.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
Improvement beyond this standard while still using standard .338 Lapua Magnum brass is possible, but the bullets have to be very long (over 5.5 calibers in length) and the normal cartridge overall length of 93.5 mm has to be exceeded making such cartridges wildcats. The common 254 mm (1:10 inch) rifling twist rate also has to be tightened to stabilize very long projectiles. Such commercially non-existent cartridges are termed "wildcats". The use of a wildcat .338 Lapua Magnum based cartridge demands the use of a custom or customized rifle with an appropriately cut chamber and fast-twist bore. The firearm action and if a repeating arm is required the magazine(s) must also be able to cope with dimensional increases.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
An example of such a special .338 calibre extreme range bullet is the German CNC manufactured mono-metal 18.92 gram (292 gr) LM-105 (Cd = 0.2487 at Mach 2.216 – this drag coefficient and the corresponding G1, G7 and G8 ballistic coefficients are established by Doppler radar measurements). The LM-105 has a supersonic range of ≈ 1,860 metres (2,030 yd) at a muzzle velocity of 915 metres per second (3,002 ft/s) under International Standard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3).


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
The 2010 version of the LM-105 bullet has an overall length of 54.3 millimetres (2.14 in) or 6.33 calibers and derives its exceptional low drag from a radical LD Haack or Sears-Haack profile in the bullet's nose area. Rifles chambered for this wildcat cartridge, with a cartridge overall length of 105 millimetres (4.1 in), and equipped with custom made 178 mm (1:7 inch) progressive twist rate 900 millimetres (35.4 in) long barrels with a 2° cone-angle (the standard C.I.P. cone-angle for the .338 Lapua Magnum is 6°) cone area finished first and second at several long range competitions.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
Its most recent win (2007) was in an international Special Forces and police sniper competition in Switzerland against rifles chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO up to .50 BMG at ranges from 100 m – 1,500 m (109 yd – 1,640 yd). The LM-105 bullet exhibited its very low wind drift susceptibility notably at ranges beyond 800 metres (870 yd). A real world average G1 BC of ≈ 0.83 or a G7 BC of ≈ 0.42 is commonly adopted by the users of this bullet, for making long range trajectory predictions using ballistics calculators. In contrast the LM-105 designer Lutz Möller originally calculated an optimistic G1 BC of ≈ 0.93 and a supersonic range of ≈ 2,000 metres (2,190 yd) at a muzzle velocity of 915 metres per second (3,002 ft/s) under International Standard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3).


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
The .343 Lapua Magnum LM-107 was a wildcat cartridge under development based on the standard .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge case. The LM-107 was hoped to boost the ballistic performance of the LM-105 by achieving an increase in supersonic range. The 19.3 g (298 gr) LM-107 projectile design is 59 millimetres (2.3 in) long and has a Haack profiled nose and an Adams profiled tail.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
The rifling twist rate for the .343 Lapua Magnum LM-107 wildcat cartridge was chosen at 180 mm (1:7 inch), Ø lands = 8.72 mm, Ø grooves = 8.45 mm and loaded with the LM-107 projectile has a cartridge overall length of 107 millimetres (4.2 in). The length of the neck is increased from 8,31 to 8,50 mm to support the bigger LM-107 bullet. Several other dimensions of the .338 Lapua Magnum parental cartridge are also changed. The shoulder angle gets steepened from 40° to 60° and the body taper is set at 1°.


.338 Lapua Magnum, Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum, Performance improvement experiments with non-C.I.P.-conforming cartridges
The throat area is set at a 2° cone-angle. All this modifications make the .343 Lapua Magnum a fairly comprehensively revised wildcat cartridge. Out of a 900 millimetres (35.4 in) long progressive twist barrel Mr. Möller expected to achieve 909 metres per second (2,982 ft/s) muzzle velocity. If Möller's design assumptions are correct the LM-107 projectile with a calculated G1 BC of 1.02 will offer a supersonic range of ≈ 2,170 metres (2,370 yd) at a muzzle velocity of 909 metres per second (2,982 ft/s) under International Standard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3).


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
The commercially successful .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge has functioned as the parent case for the .300 Lapua Magnum, which is essentially a necked-down version of the .338 Lapua Magnum. The .338 cartridge case was used for this since it has the capability to operate with high chamber pressures which, combined with smaller and hence lighter bullets, result in very high muzzle velocities.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
The Finnish ammunition manufacturer Lapua got the .300 Lapua Magnum C.I.P. certified, so it became an officially registered and sanctioned member of the Finnish "family" of super magnum rifle cartridges. The .300 Lapua Magnum is not commercially available and currently exists only as a C.I.P. datasheet. It is however still used by a few shooters who produce the cases from .338 Lapua Magnum brass by reshaping the shoulder and neck, and handloading it with .30 calibre bullets.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
The .300 Lapua Magnum has a 7.33 ml (113 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
.300 Lapua Magnum maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 25 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in), 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves = 7.82 mm, land width = 4.47 mm and the primer type is large rifle magnum.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings the .300 Lapua Magnum can handle up to 440.00 MPa (63,817 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. This now prevails over the C.I.P. decisions and tables edition 2007, that rated the .300 Lapua Magnum at 470.00 MPa (68,168 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. This means that .300 Lapua Magnum chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at 550.00 MPa (79,771 psi) PE piezo pressure.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The .300 Lapua Magnum
The large diameter bolt face, combined with the high maximum pressure, means that the .300 Lapua Magnum should only be chambered in rifles that are capable of handling the resulting high bolt thrust, safely. Chambering such powerful super magnum cartridges in rifles intended for normal magnum rifle cartridges and using 440.00 MPa (63,817 psi) loads can cause serious or fatal injury to the shooter and bystanders.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The 7.62 UKM
The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is also used as the parent case for the German designed 7.62 UKM, which is essentially a necked-down shortened version of the .338 Lapua Magnum. The use of the .338 cartridge case with its capability to operate at high chamber pressures resulted in magnum case capable of producing high muzzle velocities.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The 7.62 UKM
The 7.62 UKM was developed by Michael Uekötter and was C.I.P.-certified in 2002, making it an officially registered and sanctioned member of the Finnish "family" of super magnum rifle cartridges. The 7.62 UKM is not commercially available and currently exists only as a C.I.P. datasheet. It is however still used by a few shooters who produce the cases from .338 Lapua Magnum brass by reshaping the shoulder and neck, and handloading it with .30 calibre bullets.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The 7.62 UKM
The 7.62 UKM has a 5.84 ml (90 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The 7.62 UKM
7.62 UKM maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The 7.62 UKM
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 20 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 254 mm (1 in 10 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves = 7.82 mm, land width = 2.79 mm and the primer type is large rifle magnum.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, The 7.62 UKM
According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings the 7.62 UKM Magnum can handle up to 440.00 MPa (63,817 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. This now prevails over the C.I.P. decisions and tables edition 2007, that rated the 7.62 UKM at 470.00 MPa (68,168 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. This means that 7.62 UKM chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at 550.00 MPa (79,771 psi) PE piezo pressure.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, .375 SWISS P
The .375 SWISS P (9.5×70mm) is a C.I.P. registered chambering introduced in 2021 and advertised by RUAG Ammotec as a cartridge that "fills the gap in ballistic performance between the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm) and the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)". As such .375 SWISS P was designed to be relatively easily (re)chambered by a rebarreling as a performance upgrade in sturdy built rifles originally designed around the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, .375 SWISS P
The .375 SWISS P is a rebated rim bottlenecked cartridge that shares its bolt face, rim diameter and overall length and maximum operating pressure with the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering. It features a larger 15.73 mm (0.619 in) base diameter as found in the .500 Jeffery. This results in a (P1 - R1 = 0.80 mm (0.031 in)) rebated rim.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, Wildcats
The .338 Lapua Magnum case is also used as the parent case for a host of modified variants that are not officially registered with or sanctioned by C.I.P. or its American equivalent, SAAMI. Such cartridges which use commercial factory cases are generally known as wildcats. By changing the shape of standard factory cases (decreasing case taper and/or changing the shoulder geometry) the wildcatter generally increases the case capacity of the factory parent cartridge case, allowing more propellant to be used to generate higher velocities.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, Wildcats
Besides changing the shape and internal volume of the parent cartridge case, wildcatters also can change the original calibre. A reason to change the original calibre can be to comply with a minimal permitted calibre or bullet weight for the legal hunting of certain species of game. Because the .338 Lapua offers a large and exceptionally sturdy, pressure resistant cartridge case that can be relatively easily reloaded and hence be reused several times, it has become quite popular amongst wildcatters.


.338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case, Wildcats
With the .338 Lapua Magnum as the parent case wildcatters have created 7 mm (7 mm Allen Magnum, 7 mm Katzmeier, 7 mm Fatso), .30 (.30-338 Lapua (Triebel), .30 Wolf, 300 Allen Express), 8 mm (8 mm-338 Lapua (Triebel), LM-101), .338 (.338 Yogi, LM-105), .343 (.343 Lapua Magnum LM-107), 9.3 mm (9,3-338 Lapua Magnum (Triebel)), .375 (9.5×70 ELR) and .50 calibre (.510 Whisper) variants. Tom Sarver used a .300 Hulk wildcat cartridge, which is basically a necked-down, blown out, shortened .338 Lapua Magnum variant, to achieve a 1.403-inch (35.64 mm) diameter benchrest 5-shot group on 7 July 2007, establishing a world record.


.338 Marlin Express
The .338 Marlin Express is a cartridge developed by Marlin Firearms and Hornady. It is based on the .376 Steyr with a goal to duplicate the venerable .30-06 Springfield's performance in a cartridge compatible with lever-action firearms. The cartridge uses a slightly shorter, rimmed case to function in lever action rifles with tubular magazines. As introduced in Hornady's LEVERevolution line of cartridges, it follows the design logic of the .308 Marlin Express which preceded it. The .338MX fires heavier .338 caliber bullets than the .308 Marlin Express at roughly the same velocity. It is chambered in Marlin's Model 338MX and 338MXLR rifles using the Marlin Model 336 action.


.338 Marlin Express, Design History and Cartridge Performance
Whereas the .308 Marlin Express began by modifying the .307 Winchester, Hornady and Marlin engineers started with a previous collaboration between Hornady and the Austrian arms maker Steyr, the .376 Steyr, when designing the .338 Marlin Express. The case of the .376 Steyr was given a thicker web for added strength, then necked down to .338. The .308 Marlin Express, on the other hand, was made with a thinner web than its parent case, the .307 Winchester, for additional capacity.


.338 Marlin Express, Design History and Cartridge Performance
Although the thicker case webbing reduced capacity, new powders allow the .338 Marlin Express to achieve velocities similar to the .338 Federal with significantly lower pressures. Hornady engineers then looked to the projectile for the new cartridge. They settled on the 200-grain .338 projectile from their .338 Winchester Magnum line. The existing bullet was remade with a thinner jacket in order to promote expansion and upset at longer ranges. This 200-grain .338" projectile is able to impart significantly more energy than the 160 gr projectile used in the .308 Marlin Express, despite similar muzzle velocities.


.338 Marlin Express, Design History and Cartridge Performance
Furthermore, the projectile's high ballistic coefficient allows the .338 Marlin Express to maintain velocity to greater distances than big bore lever cartridges such as .45-70, .444 Marlin, or even the high performance .450 Marlin. Although the heavy bullet weight of these cartridges allow them more muzzle energy, the ballistic advantage of the .338 Marlin Express's projectile begins to show beyond 100 yards. After that point the .338 Marlin Express's projectile retains more energy than even the .450 Marlin. Like the .308 Marlin Express, the .338 Marlin Express was designed to be a relatively flat shooting cartridge, taking advantage of the bullets Hornady designed for the rounds. Its trajectory is similar to the .30-06 Springfield.


.338 Marlin Express, Comparison
The .338 Marlin Express was designed to produce performance similar to the .30-06 Springfield. This would give lever-action hunters improved performance over their .30-30 Winchester rounds. The table below shows how the rounds compare. Note that reloading data for 200-grain (13 g) bullets for some of the cartridges is not available. Extensive loading data for the .338 Marlin Express is not yet available. The powder used in the Hornady loading is also not yet commercially available as of Feb '09.


.338 Marlin Express, Comparison
This round was designed with an elastomer tip, so that the .338 projectile would be safe for use in the tubular magazines of lever action rifles. Traditional spitzer bullets are not compatible with the tubular magazines. This is due to the danger of the hard, pointed bullet-tip igniting the primer of the round in front of it under recoil impulse. The softer tip eliminates the hazards of stacking pointed rounds end to end in a tubular magazine.


.338 Norma Magnum
The .338 Norma Magnum is a cartridge first introduced in 2008 and came into production in 2009, designed by Norma of Sweden.


.338 Norma Magnum, Design history
The .338 Norma Magnum was originally developed as a long-range sport shooting wildcat cartridge by the American sport shooter Jimmie Sloan with the help of Dave Kiff, owner of Pacific Tool and Gauge, who made the reamers and headspace gauges. Barrels were supplied by Satern Rifle Barrel Company. Various twist rates were tried with 5R rifling. It was designed as a way to optimize shooting the 19.44 g (300 gr) 8.59 mm (.338 in) caliber Sierra HPBT MatchKing projectile from actions and magazines that lack the length to handle cartridges exceeding 91.44 mm (3.60 in) in overall length. Later the design was purchased by the Swedish ammunition manufacturer Norma. The .338 Norma Magnum cartridge was C.I.P. certified on 26 May 2010 and thus became an officially registered and sanctioned rifle cartridge.


.338 Norma Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
The .338 Norma Magnum prior to C.I.P. certification had a shorter cartridge overall length (91.44 mm (3.60 in) compared to the cartridge overall length of the .338 Lapua Magnum (93.50 mm (3.681 in). The .338 Norma Magnum loaded with 19.44 g (300 gr) .338 caliber Sierra HPBT projectiles will have these projectile less deeply seated compared to the .338 Lapua Magnum when both cartridges are loaded to 91.44 mm (3.681 in) overall length.


.338 Norma Magnum, Cartridge dimensions
To achieve this the .338 Norma Magnum cartridge utilizes a shorter case (about 63.30 mm (2.492 in) with less taper and a slightly sharper shoulder angle with a slightly longer neck, resulting in about 6.5% less case capacity. However the cartridge overall lengths of the .338 Norma Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum were, as of 2013, determined at 93.50 mm (3.681 in) by the C.I.P. rulings for these cartridges.


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
On June 17, 2008, the U.S. government issued a market survey to support a requirement for a Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) to possibly replace the currently fielded Bolt Action SOF Sniper Systems MK 13 (.300 Winchester Magnum) and the M40 and M24 (7.62×51mm NATO) chambered to safely fire factory produced "non-wildcat" .338 caliber ammunition. This means the .338 Lapua Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum or derivatives of these cartridges would be two likely candidates for the cartridge part of this market survey and winning future U.S. government contracts.


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
The .338 Norma Magnum was designed to improve upon the .338 Lapua Magnum when loaded with 19.44 g (300 gr) Sierra very-low-drag bullets in magazines and actions that restrict the .338 Lapua Magnum's maximum cartridge overall length.


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
In long range precision sport shooting rifles, which the .338 Norma Magnum cartridges were designed for, the chamber and throat area of the barrel are often custom made by a gunsmith for a particular cartridge, meaning the rifle (system) is consciously constructed for optimal use with a particular cartridge case and projectile combination. If projectiles with differing dimensions are to be used this will generally erode such a custom made system's accuracy potential. This makes objective comparisons between cartridges hard, since cartridges are essential parts of a larger rifle system.


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
Since the .338 Lapua Magnum can be loaded to its C.I.P. overall length or even somewhat longer, the practical difference between the two cartridges gradually becomes negligible. Some manufacturers of .338 Lapua Magnum actions, magazines and rifles have indicated that they intend to offer products that will allow the use of .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges that can handle overall lengths that exceed the current C.I.P. .338 Lapua Magnum maximal overall length standard of 93.50 mm (3.681 in).


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
As of February 2009, the .338 Norma Magnum was still a very new cartridge with little commercial availability. However, it was available for purchase.


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
In May 2017 the United States Special Operations Command, in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps issued a sources sought notice for 5,000 Lightweight Medium Machine Guns (LWMMG) chambered for .338 Norma Magnum polymer-cased ammunition. The aim is to identify a machine gun with a 24 inches (610 mm) long barrel weighing 24 pounds (10.9 kg) or less, which offers sufficient accuracy out to 2,000 metres (2,187 yd) to engage area targets and vehicles.


.338 Norma Magnum, U.S. government market survey and ammunition availability
In 2019 the U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Barrett Manufacturing a $50,000,000 contract, ordering the Barrett MRAD chambered in .338 Norma Magnum as the Mk 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR). In 2020 the U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Sig Sauer a contract, ordering the MG-338 machine gun chambered in .338 Norma Magnum.


.338 Norma Magnum, Chambering availability
The .338 Norma Magnum chambering is offered for these factory rifles:


.338 Norma Magnum, Chambering availability
Almost any bolt action rifle using a long action .585" bolt face, namely .338 lapua and .300 Norma rifles, can be rechambered to .338 Norma magnum.


.338 Remington Ultra Magnum
The .338 Remington Ultra Magnum is a .338 caliber rifle cartridge introduced by Remington Arms in 2002.


.338 Remington Ultra Magnum, Design
It is a beltless, rebated rim cartridge based on the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum case shortened .090" and necked-up to accept a 0.338-inch (.338 caliber) bullet. The .338 Remington Ultra Magnum has a similar case capacity as the .338 Lapua Magnum and somewhat lower than that of the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum. It is one of the most powerful .338-caliber rounds in production.


.338 Remington Ultra Magnum, Design
Because this cartridge already operates at very high pressures (65,000 PSI), handloaders cannot realize significant velocity improvements over factory ammunition as many handloaders have done over the years with more conventional, lower pressure rounds. However, they can still tune their own loads for best precision in their specific rifles, as with any other cartridge.


.338 Ruger Compact Magnum
The .338 Ruger Compact Magnum or .338 RCM is a rimless, short-length rifle cartridge based on the .375 Ruger case. It was designed by Sturm Ruger and Hornady and released in 2008 and chambered in various Ruger rifles. The goal was to create a shorter cartridge than the big .338 magnums that would fit in a more compact rifle with nearly the same performance. Similar to the design ideas for the WSM cartridge family, but somewhat narrower which will frequently allow one more cartridge in the rifle magazine than the WSM equivalent. This round is designed for hunting medium to large sized North American game.


.338 Ruger Compact Magnum, Design & Specifications
The .338 Ruger Compact Magnum uses a unique case designed by Hornady and Ruger based on the powerful .375 Ruger cartridge. The case is of a rimless design having the base and rim diameter of .532 in (13.5 mm) which is the same diameter of the belt on belted magnum cases based on the .300 H&H Magnum and .375 H&H Magnum. This allows the cartridge to have a greater case capacity than a belted magnum case given cases of equal length.


.338 Ruger Compact Magnum, Design & Specifications
As Ruger intended the cartridge to be chambered in short length bolt-action rifles the case length was shortened to 2.10 in (53 mm) which is similar to the .308 Winchester case. Unlike Winchester Short Magnum cartridges, the Ruger Compact Magnums share the same diameter from case head to body. This allowed Ruger to chamber the cartridge without extensively redesigning their M77 rifle to adopt them to the new Ruger cartridge.


.338 Whisper
The .338 Whisper is a wildcat cartridgein the Whisper family, a group of cartridges developed in the early 1990s by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries. Unlike the smaller caliber cartridges in the Whisper family, loads for the .338 Whisper are mainly limited to subsonic velocities.


.338 Whisper, Subsonic
A subsonic cartridge is designed to fire its bullets at velocities slower than the speed of sound (1128 ft/s at 70 °F) to avoid the sonic crack caused by the bullet breaking the sound barrier, which contributes in large part to the overall noise produced when using a firearm. Subsonic loads are often designed to avoid the turbulent transonic zone (~900ft/s - 1350ft/s or 0.8 to 1.2 mach) entirely. This allows the firearm to be suppressed relatively easily. To ensure terminal performance at subsonic velocities, heavy bullets for the caliber (250–300 grains (16–19 g)) are desirable.


.338 Whisper, Subsonic
Of course the silent, subsonic loads should be loaded below the speed of sound with preferably the heaviest and longest bullet the .338 calibre has to offer. Currently this is the 300-grain (19 g) Berger Hybrid Open Tip Match (OTM) with a BC of 0.818 and a length of 1.820 inches (46.2 mm).


.338 Whisper, Supersonic
Only those .338 based on the 7mmBR case offer meaningful supersonic velocities. A full power load with fast powder can push a 165-grain (10.7 g) Barnes bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2,520 ft/s (770 m/s). Another favourite pick for such an exercise would be the 180-grain (12 g) Nosler Accubond or the 200-grain (13 g) Nosler Ballistic tip traveling at 2,200–2,350 ft/s (670–720 m/s). Often found to be too explosive in high power rifles, at such moderate speeds the Ballistic Tips provide both expansion and penetration - this combination with excellent accuracy and a high ballistic coefficient.


.338 Whisper, Trademark
"Whisper" is a registered trademark of SSK Industries. In order to sidestep this branding (and/or any licensing fees required to use the "Whisper" name legally), other manufacturers tend to use different names for cartridges in the Whisper family. For example, .338 Murmur, .338 Phantom and .338 Benchrest. The .300 Whisper (the most popular cartridge of the family) is often called ".300 Fireball" or ".300-221".


.338 Winchester Magnum
The .338 Winchester Magnum is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. It is based on the blown-out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .338 in (8.6 mm) is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin. The .338 Winchester Magnum is the first choice among professional brown bear (specifically grizzly bear) guides in Alaska to back up clients where a powerful stopping caliber is required on charging bears.


.338 Winchester Magnum
It is also the most popular medium-bore cartridge in North America and has the most widely available choice in rifles among medium bore rifles. The action length is the same as a .30-06, and most major rifle manufacturers in the United States chamber rifles for the cartridge including the semi-automatic Browning BAR Mk II Safari, making it a very powerful combination against charging dangerous game. The cartridge was intended for larger North American big-game species and has found use as for the hunting of thin-skinned African plains-game species.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Cartridge history
The .338 Winchester Magnum traces its heritage to the experiments conducted by Charles O'Neil, Elmer Keith and Don Hopkins with cartridges firing .333 in (8.5 mm) bullets in the late 1940s. The use of .333 in (8.5 mm) bullets may seem odd today but at the time this was the standard diameter of European .33 caliber bullets which were more common than the .338 in (8.6 mm) diameter bullets used in cartridges such as the .33 Winchester. Furthermore, the .333 in (8.5 mm) were available in heavier weights than the .338 in (8.6 mm) bullets. O'Neil, Keith and Hopkins experiments led to the creation of the .333 OKH, which was based on the .30-06 Springfield case necked up to accept .33 caliber bullets and the .334 OKH which used a shortened .375 H&H Magnum necked down to accept the same bullets.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Cartridge history
The .338 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1958 together with the .264 Winchester Magnum and the .458 Winchester Magnum, all of which used a common case design based on the .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to 2.500 in (63.5 mm), much like the .334 OKH. When the cartridge was introduced, Winchester offered a 200 gr (13 g) at 3,000 ft/s (910 m/s), a 250 gr (16 g) at 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) and a 300 gr (19 g) at 2,450 ft/s (750 m/s). Sometime later, Winchester introduced the Winchester Model 70 Alaskan chambered for the cartridge. This chambering left little doubt that the cartridge was intended for big heavy dangerous game.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Design and specifications
The .338 Winchester Magnum follows the modern cartridge designs in that the cartridge case features a case with minimal taper so as to maximize case capacity yet providing reliable feeding and extraction. The .338 Winchester Magnum is based on the .375 H&H Magnum, which was shortened to 2.500 in (63.5 mm), blown out and necked down to hold a .338 in (8.6 mm) bullet. The case has a capacity of 86.0 grain of H2O (5.58 cm3). The cartridge follows the design of the standard length Weatherby Magnum cartridges such as the .257 Weatherby Magnum, .270 Weatherby Magnum and the 7 mm Weatherby Magnum for which Winchester had supplied basic brass until 1948.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Design and specifications
Both the Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives(CIP) and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) govern and regulate the specifications regarding the .338 Winchester Magnum.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Design and specifications
SAAMI and the CIP recommend a 6-groove barrel with a twist rate of one revolution in 10 in (250 mm) of barrel length with a bore Ø of .330 in (8.4 mm) and a groove diameter of Ø of .338 in (8.6 mm), with each groove having a width of .110 in (2.8 mm). The SAAMI-recommended average pressure for the cartridge is 64,000 psi (4,400 bar). The CIP enforces a 4,300-bar (62,000 psi) pressure limit for the cartridge.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Performance
This cartridge is able to push a 225-grain (14.6 g) bullet to velocities of 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s), generating 3,918 ft⋅lbf (5,312 J), providing energy values at 200 yards that are roughly equivalent to the .30-06 Springfield's energy values at muzzle. Bullets are available in a very wide range of designs and weights ranging from 150 to 300 grains. SAAMI pressure level is 64,000 psi.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Performance
The .338 Winchester Magnum is capable of launching heavier bullets than the .30 caliber (7.62mm) cartridges. The most common bullets loaded for the .338 Winchester range from 200 gr (13 g) to 250 gr (16 g). Typical bullet weights for factory ammunition are 200 gr (13 g), 210 gr (14 g), 225 gr (14.6 g) and the 250 gr (16 g).


.338 Winchester Magnum, Performance
Typical velocities for these bullet weights range from 2,960 ft/s (900 m/s) for the 200 gr (13 g) to about 2,660 ft/s (810 m/s) for the 250 gr (16 g) bullet each generating approximately 3,900 ft⋅lbf (5,300 J) of energy. This is approximately 25% more energy generated than the 30-06 Springfield.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Performance
Winchester's 200 gr (13 g) Ballistic Silvertip ammunition (SBST338) retains over 1,600 ft⋅lbf (2,200 J) at 625 yd (572 m) and has 1,000 ft⋅lbf (1,400 J) energy at 800 yd (730 m). Winchester's Combined Technologies Accubond ammunition (S338CT) extend the range for these energy levels even further to 675 yd (617 m) and 850 yd (780 m) respectively.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Performance
Hornady's 200 gr (13 g) SST Superformance load has muzzle energy of 4,076 ft⋅lbf (5,526 J) @ 3030fps. It maintains 1,899 ft⋅lbf (2,575 J) @ 2068fps @ 500 meters. Hornady's 225 gr (14.6 g) SST Superformance load has muzzle energy of 4,029 ft⋅lbf (5,463 J) @ 2840fps. It maintains 2,025 ft⋅lbf (2,746 J) @ 2014fps @ 500 meters. This is from a 24" test barrel as compared to 27.5" test barrel for a 338 Lapua. Figures would be higher if shot from a 27.5" test barrel but still over 150fps slower than a 338 Lapua if tested with the same length barrel.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Performance
The recoil of this caliber is quite heavy, with about 31 ft⋅lbf (42 J) of recoil energy in a 9 lb (4.1 kg) rifle. This is about twice as much as the recoil from an average .308 Winchester. Strong recoil like this can be mitigated with the use of properly designed stocks and recoil pads. By comparison, this cartridge has less recoil than other more powerful .338-caliber rifles such as the .338 RUM, .340 Weatherby and .338 Lapua.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Sporting usage
When the .338 Winchester was introduced there was a general preference for heavier bullet weights between 250–300 gr (16–19 g). However, since that time preferred bullet weights have decreased to weights between 200–225 gr (13.0–14.6 g). This is due in part to the bullet technology available today. Lighter bullets made today are able to hold together and penetrate deeper than heavier bullets of the past.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Sporting usage
In North America, the .338 Winchester Magnum is most commonly used for the hunting of larger deer species such as elk and moose. It is quite popular with elk hunters, with bullets ranging between 200–225 gr (13.0–14.6 g) generally preferred for large class 3 game such as elk or moose.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Sporting usage
Apart from the larger deer species, the .338 Winchester Magnum is often used for the hunting of and defense against dangerous class 3 game, particularly the great bears including grizzly, polar and brown bears. It is often carried by fishermen, hunters and guides in Alaska and Canada for protection as encounters with these larger bear species can be common.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Sporting usage
The .338 Winchester Magnum can be considered a good all-round plains game hunting rifle in Africa. It has also been found to be effective against the big cats where hunting allows for the use of the cartridge.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Rifles and ammunition
Due to the cartridge's popularity all North American rifle manufacturers offer rifles chambered in the .338 Winchester Magnum. Ruger, Browning, Kimber, Remington, Savage, Weatherby, Mossberg, Howa and Winchester chamber the cartridge in several product lines. Almost all custom rifle makers in the United States and Canada produce .338 Winchester rifles. In European rifle makers Blaser, Mauser, Sako and Tikka also manufacture rifles for this cartridge. The large number of rifle choices available in the .338 Winchester Magnum offers the rifleman a greater choice in available rifles.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Rifles and ammunition
All North American ammunition makers offer several loadings of the .338 Winchester Magnum to the public for sale. At this point in time Federal has six in their Vital-Shok and Fusion ammunition lines, Hornady has five, including four in their Superformance ammunition which is putting an end to the light magnum and heavy magnum line of ammo but adds up to 200 ft/s (61 m/s) more without added recoil or muzzle blast. The 185 gr.


.338 Winchester Magnum, Rifles and ammunition
GMX (gilding metal expanding) round has the following performance: 3,080 ft/s (940 m/s) at the muzzle, 2,850 ft/s (870 m/s) at 100 yards, 3,896 ft⋅lbf (5,282 J) of kinetic energy at the muzzle and 3,337 ft⋅lbf (4,524 J) at 100 yards. 200 gr. Remington and Winchester offer four loadings each for the cartridge. Several smaller ammunition including Cor-Bon and Double Tap also manufacture loaded ammunition.


.338 Xtreme
Introduced in 2008 the .338 Xtreme cartridge (or .338 XT for short), is based on a necked down .505 Gibbs cartridge case with a sharper 35 degree shoulder angle. The cases, commercially produced by Bertram Bullets, have a length of 3.030" and a head diameter of 0.640". Case capacity is 167.5 grains. Factory loads drive a 266 grain bullet at 3350 feet per second from a 30" barrel. The factory loads are loaded with a Tellurium Copper alloy solid very-low-drag bullet, These projectiles are manufactured by Xtreme Machining and of a patent pending design.


.338 Xtreme
The secant ogive projectile measures 1.808" long, including a 6 degree boat tail of 0.285". The patent refers to a "dual diameter" aspect of the projectile, where the main cylindrical portion of the bullet measures 0.331", 0.001" greater than the lands of the rifling. About 1.440" from the tip, the diameter increases to 0.338", creating a 0.15" "driving band". This both reduces driving force required for the high muzzle velocity as well as improves accuracy.


.338 Xtreme
The .338 Xtreme possesses a full 50% more case capacity than a .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, but it drives a projectile with a claimed G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.825 of like mass at only 10–12% more velocity from a similar length barrel when measured at the muzzle. Casual observers might conclude that the cartridge is overbore, but the ballistics tables tell a different story. Between 1000 and 2000 yards, the normal operating envelope for extreme long range shooting, the .338


.338 Xtreme
Xtreme demonstrates 50% higher velocity, is 50% flatter shooting, and maintains more than double the energy of C.I.P. conform with .338 Lapua Magnum loads with conventional 250-grain very-low-drag bullets. The  external ballistic performance expectations of this .338 Xtreme load and non C.I.P.conform .338 Lapua Magnum based cartridges like the LM-105 wildcat cartridge utilizing the LM-105 projectile with a claimed G1 ballistic coefficient of ≈ 0.93 are similar.


.338 Xtreme
A small production facility and single-source manufacturing affect availability of both the weapon and the ammunition components, so it is unlikely that the .338 Xtreme will be adopted as a military cartridge.


.338-06
The .338-06 is a  cartridge based on the .30-06. It allows heavier .338 caliber bullets to be used from the .30-06 non-belted case. This can be a suitable choice for heavy bodied game such as moose, elk, and brown bear. The number and variety of .338 caliber bullets increased after the introduction in the late 1950s of the .338 Winchester Magnum cartridge, frequently chambered in the Winchester Model 70 rifle. More recently the introduction of the .338 Lapua magnum has caused an increase in interest in the .338 caliber and their projectiles.


.338-06
The .338-06 maintains much of the benefits of the .338 Winchester Magnum cartridge but has substantially less recoil, makes more efficient use of powder, and allows use of widely available .30-06 commercial and military cases. It is similar in concept to the .333 OKH as well as the .35 Whelen, which also use the .30-06 brass case as a basis for the cartridge. Thanks to the large number of rifles based on the .30-06 family of cartridges, having a .338-06 made usually only requires a simple barrel change by a competent gun smith.


.338-06
A-Square adopted the caliber as the .338-06 A-Square in approximately 1998, and was approved by SAAMI as a standardized caliber. Weatherby offered factory rifles and ammunition, but has now dropped the rifles from its inventory. The .338-06 A-Square tends to have a velocity advantage over the .35 Whelen and uses bullets that retain velocity and resist wind drift better than similar weight bullets fired from the .35 Whelen.


.338-06, Practical Use
The .338-06 is a versatile cartridge for hunting bigger game. Loaded with light weight bullets, such as the 180gr. Nosler Accubond, it is adequate for species like deer or pronghorn at medium to long range, and when loaded with heavier premium bullets like the 225gr. Nosler Partition or even the 250gr partition the .338-06 can handle the largest North America game including moose and brown bear.


.338-06, Practical Use
Rifles chambered in .338-06 need not be as heavy as a .338 Winchester Magnum or other .338 magnums; therefore, .338-06 chambered rifles are desirable for mountain hunting or where excessive weight is an issue. While the .338-06 performs well from a 22" barrel most magnum rifle cartridges in the same caliber, such as the .340 Weatherby, require a longer 24-26" barrel to reach their full potential.


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum started out as the wildcat cartridge, .338-378 Keith-Thomson Magnum during the early 1960s. Keith and Thomson are Elmer Keith and R.W. "Bob" Thomson. The 338-378 Keith-Thomson Magnum is a quarter of an inch shorter than the full length 338-378 Weatherby Magnum, this was because they thought it was better balanced with the slowest powder generally available at that time (H4831). The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum was added to the Weatherby product line in 1998.


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum's parent case is the .378 Weatherby Magnum. The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is created by necking down the .378 Weatherby Magnum to 8.59 mm (.338 in) then fire forming it in the rifle chamber. The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum has a case capacity of about 8.1 g (125 gr). Bullets commercially available for the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum range from: 11.7 g (180 gr) to 19.4 g (300 gr) in the construction of; boat-tail hollow-point; boat-tail pointed soft; pointed soft point; heavy jacketed pointed soft point; partition; multi-core; truncated solid and monolithic solid.


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum's main appeal is long-range shooting. A Weatherby factory cartridge loaded with a 16.2 g (250 gr) hunting bullet, in a rifle with a 71 cm (28 in) barrel will yield a muzzle velocity of 933 m/s (3060 ft/s) and muzzle energy of 7046 J (5197 ft·lbf). This same bullet will carry a down range velocity to 457 m (500 yd) of 648 m/s (2125 ft/s) and energy of 3391 J (2501 ft · lbf).


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
A hand loaded .338-378 Weatherby Magnum used for 1000 yd target shooting loaded with a 19.4 g (300 gr) boat-tail hollow point from a rifle with a 71 cm (28 in) target barrel will yield a muzzle velocity of 917 m/s (3010 ft/s), at 914 m (1000 yd) will carry a down range velocity of 590 m/s (1936 ft/s) and at 1372 m (1500 yd) will still be carrying a supersonic down range velocity of 462 m/s (1517 ft/s).


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is appropriate for hunting all game animals on the North American, European and Asian continents. In Africa the 338-378 Weatherby Magnum is appropriate for taking medium and large game.


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
The free recoil of the 338-378 Weatherby Magnum from a (11 lb) rifle (including magazine rounds, scope, base and rings) is 73 J (54 ft · lbf) as compared to an average 27 J (20 ft · lbf) from a rifle chambered for .30-06 Springfield.


.338-378 Weatherby Magnum
The Finnish .338 Lapua Magnum (.338 LM) cartridge introduced in 1989, the American .338 Remington Ultra Magnum (.338 RUM) cartridge introduced in 2000 and the Swedish .338 Norma Magnum (.338 NM) cartridge introduced in 2008 are probably the closest currently (2018) commercially available ballistic twins of the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum. The .338 Lapua Magnum is however a rimless cartridge, the .338 Remington Ultra Magnum is a rebated rim cartridge while the .338 Norma Magnum is a rimless cartridge.


.340 Weatherby Magnum
The .340 Weatherby Magnum rifle cartridge was introduced in 1962 by creator Roy Weatherby to fill the gap between the .300 Weatherby Magnum and the .378 Weatherby Magnum, and in response to the .338 Winchester Magnum released in 1958.


.340 Weatherby Magnum
The .340 Weatherby Magnum uses the same .338 in. diameter bullets as the .338 Winchester Magnum, but it does so at greater velocity than its Winchester competition. Reloaders may have trouble matching the published Weatherby velocities as Weatherby factory ammunition is loaded to maximum specifications. Weatherby no longer loads the 250gr. round-nose cartridge pictured but continues to load the 250 gr. Spire Point and 250 gr. Nosler Partition. Weatherby has also expanded their factory loads including Nosler Ballistic-tip and Barnes TSX bullets complementing the powerful cartridge. Currently  A-square is the only other factory ammunition producer of the .340 Weatherby Magnum, which has led to limited popularity of the caliber. In field tests the .340 clearly outperforms the 300 Ultra mag, .338 Win mag. and even rivals the larger .375 H&H, providing a much flatter shooting and harder hitting performance.


.340 Weatherby Magnum
This cartridge is powerful enough for even the largest North American game and is suitable for most African game as well.


.345 Winchester Self-Loading
The .345 Winchester Self-Loading (colloquially .345 WSL or eventually .345 Winchester Machine Rifle) is a rimless, rifle fire cartridge in a "cylindrical" shape, created in 1917 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.


.345 Winchester Self-Loading
According to . It was designed for aircraft use, but there was also an alternate barrel with bayonet attachment for ground use. The rifle was the Winchester-Burton Machine Rifle, also known as the Winchester Model 1917 and was developed by Frank F. Burton. Little documentation on the rifle survives, but it was believed to have been intended for use as an anti-balloon weapon.


.345 Winchester Self-Loading, History
During the outbreak of the First World War, observation balloons were essential for both sides of the front. These static balloons inflated with hydrogen, became targets for airmen on both sides, and were defended by anti-aircraft batteries and patrol fighters.


.345 Winchester Self-Loading, History
To face these balloons, conventional ammunition proved to be inefficient, and other alternatives were sought. In 1916, French officer Yves le Prieur created a rocket system powered by electricity, but its range was limited. In 1917, tracer and incendiary ammunition was being developed to target these balloons.


.345 Winchester Self-Loading, History
To meet this need, Frank F. Burton of Winchester, developed the "Burton Light Machine Rifle", a semi-automatic blowback rifle, with selection of rate of fire to be used in observation and surveillance planes, the first practical version of which was ready in 1917. For this rifle, he adapted the .351 WSL cartridge into a rimless cartridge, firing an incendiary Spitzer bullet, resulting in the .345 Winchester Self-Loading.


.348 Winchester
The .348 Winchester is an American rifle cartridge. It was introduced in 1936, and developed for the Winchester Model 71 lever action rifle. The .348 was one of the most powerful rimmed rounds ever used in a lever action rifle.


.348 Winchester, Performance
It is excellent for any North American big game in woods or brush, if the 250 grain bullet is used, but not especially suited to long range (400 yards and beyond) as a result of the need to use flat-nose slugs due to the Model 71's tubular magazine.


.348 Winchester, Performance
Until Hornady's FTX flex tip pointed bullets, 300 yards with a good peep sight is a fairly easy shot  (Factory-loaded, midrange trajectory at 200 yards (180 m) is 2.9 in (7.4 cm) for the 150-grain (9.7 g) bullet, 3.6 in (9.1 cm) for the 200-grain (13 g) round, and 4.4 in (11 cm) for the 250-grain (16 g) slug.) The 200-and-250-grain (13 and 16 g) loadings are preferred for anything past 100 yd (91 m).


.348 Winchester, Performance
In 1962, Winchester dropped the factory 150 gr and 250 gr loads, retaining only the 200 gr. No other rifle was ever offered in .348 by Winchester (although Uberti has made some 400 rifles chambered for the .348 in the Cimarron 1885 Hi-Wall in 2005-06), and it has been supplanted by the .358 Winchester (in the Model 88). (The Model 71 was discontinued in 1958.)


.348 Winchester, Performance
In 1987 Browning produced a modern version of the Model 71 in Japan. These have different thread sizes in places, most notably the barrels, and many parts will not interchange with the originals. The Browning version was a limited production model only.


.348 Winchester, Performance
The case of the .348 was used to produce the 8-348w wildcat, used to rechamber World War 1-era rifles such as Lebel or Berthier, instead of the original 8x50mmR, which at the time of such conversions were still considered war materiel in France and therefore strictly regulated. The .348 is also the basis for the .348 Ackley Improved, The .348  Ackley improved has about a 200 fps advantage over the standard  pushing the 200 grain FTX bullet at 2800 feet a second with some of the new hybrid powders. The .348 also served as the basis for the .50 Alaskan and .500 Linebaugh cartridges.


.35 Remington
The .35 Remington (8.9x49mm) is the only remaining cartridge from Remington's lineup of medium-power rimless cartridges still in commercial production. Introduced in 1906, it was originally chambered for the Remington Model 8 semi-automatic rifle in 1908.


.35 Remington
It is also known as 9x49mm Browning and 9mm Don Gonzalo.


.35 Remington, History
Over the years, the .35 Remington has been chambered in a variety of rifles by most firearms manufacturers, and continues in popularity today in the Marlin Model 336 lever-action and Henry Side Gate Lever Action. It is also a popular cartridge for single-shot hunting pistols like the Thompson/Center Contender and the Remington XP-100. For hunters looking for a good woods gun, (i.e., a medium power rifle with moderate recoil, for short to medium ranges) the .35 Remington is popular, taking second place to the .30-30 Winchester. It has a small but loyal following in the northeast and areas of the southern United States.


.35 Remington, History
The cartridge uses a medium to heavy bullet and has moderate recoil based on a moderate pressure level of 33,500 CUP as set by SAAMI. The normal factory load consists of a 200 grain round-nosed bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2080 feet per second. This 200 grain bullet is nearly 18% heavier than the .30-30's 170 grain bullet, and has a 16% larger frontal area. This gives it a substantial increase in power over the .30-30, especially when used on larger game species.


.35 Remington, History
Remington helped promote the advantage in power that the .35 Remington had over the .30-30 through a series of advertising campaigns in the early 1900s. One of their advertisements even publicized the ability of the .35 Remington to penetrate a 5/16″ steel plate, which the .30-30 Winchester could not do.


.35 Remington, History
The .35 Remington is considered a fine round for deer, elk, black bear, and other medium and large game as long as ranges are reasonable. Hornady currently produces a .35 Remington load in their LEVERevolution line that features a rubber-tipped spitzer bullet which is safe to use in lever action or pump guns with tubular magazines.


.35 Remington, History
(Left to right) .308 Winchester, .35 Remington Soft Point, and .223 Remington


.35 S&W Auto
The .35 Smith & Wesson (S&W) is an obsolete centerfire pistol cartridge developed in 1912 for the newly designed Model 1913 self-loading pocket pistol.


.35 S&W Auto, Description
The .35 S&W Automatic intended to compete with the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP and Model 1908 .380 ACP pistols. The .35 caliber name implied a cartridge of diameter directly between those two popular calibers. In reality, actual bullet diameters were .312 for the .32 ACP and the .35 S&W, and .355 for the .380 ACP. As such, the .35 S&W Auto is actually an 8mm round instead of a 9mm round as the name implies. Smith & Wesson named it as such so as to not be confused with the similarly sized .32 ACP. Despite possible reliability problems, .35 S&W pistols can fire .32 ACP ammunition.


.35 S&W Auto, Description
The bullets are rather unusual with a full diameter un-jacketed lead-alloy surface enclosed within the case, and a sub-caliber jacket encasing the exposed nose with a rounded form for reliable loading. The .35 S&W failed to catch on for a couple of reasons. One reason is that the advanced features of the Model 1913 failed to compensate for the earlier availability of the Colt pistols. Gun purchasers were also skeptical about a non-standard cartridge when .32 ACP ammunition was widely available, as at the time it was one of the most popular pistol cartridges in the world. The .35 S&W Auto also did not perform as well ballistically as the .32 ACP that it was trying to compete with.


.35 S&W Auto, Description
Approximately 8,350 Model 1913 had been made when production stopped about 1921. Smith & Wesson shifted production to their Model 32 self-loading pistol chambered for the .32 ACP from 1924 to 1937. No other firearms were chambered for the .35 S&W, and the cartridge is considered obsolete, and ammunition is rare and highly collectible.


.35 Whelen
The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. The parent of this cartridge is the .30-06 Springfield, which is necked-up to accept a bullet diameter of .358 in (9.1 mm). This cartridge is more powerful than its parent, especially in killing power on large game. That being said, with much wider availability, and the higher BC 30 caliber bullets of today. The power gap between the two cartridges has be decreased.


.35 Whelen, History
The .35 Whelen was developed in 1922 as a wildcat cartridge. Remington Arms Company standardized the cartridge as a regular commercial round and first made it  available in the Remington model 700 Classic in 1988. It has since been chambered by other arms makers in bolt-action, semi-automatic and single shot rifles. It has a modest but steady following among big game hunters in North America.


.35 Whelen, History
One version of its origin is that it was designed by Colonel Townsend Whelen when he was commanding officer of the Frankford Arsenal. In a 1923 issue of American Rifleman Col. Whelen refers to it as "the first cartridge that I designed" and states that, "Mr. James V. Howe undertook this work of making dies, reamers, chambering tools, and of chambering the rifles, all in accordance with my design." James V. Howe was a toolmaker at the Arsenal and later a founder of Griffin & Howe.


.35 Whelen, History
In his 1940 book The Hunting Rifle: Design, Selection, Ballistics, Marksmanship, Col. Whelen gives a different version of its origin after describing the .400 Whelen.


.35 Whelen, History
About the time we completed development of this cartridge, I went on a long hunting trip in the Northwest, and when I returned, Mr. Howe showed me another cartridge he had developed. The .30-06 case was necked to .35 caliber to use existing .35-caliber bullets. Mr. Howe asked my permission to call this cartridge the .35 Whelen, but he alone deserves credit for its development.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
The 35 Whelen has an interesting history. It was designed by James Howe, of Griffin and Howe, partially in response to letters from Leslie Simpson and Stewart Edward White, suggesting that a good all-round rifle for African use would be one of 333 to 350 caliber, with a bullet of 250- to 300 grains (ideally 275 at 2500 fps.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
Both men (along with Roy Chapman Andrews and the Rev. Dr. Harry Caldwell, who were active in Asia,) perhaps the finest big game shots our country has produced, were aware of the outstanding performance of the 318 Westley-Richards with a 250-grain bullet, the 333 Jeffrey with a 300-grain bullet and the 350 Rigby with a 310-grain bullet on thin-skinned dangerous and non-dangerous game in Africa. It is of passing interest that the bullet for the old British 333 Jeffery is much like the 300-grain copper tube bullet which Winchester introduced for the 338 Magnum.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
The 35 Whelen was the first of  3 (three) efforts by Griffin and Howe to produce a cartridge that would meet this ideal. All were in 35 caliber. The 35 Whelen is simply the 30-06 necked up to 35 caliber  and it’s about as easy to form from '06 brass as is the 270. Later, an "improved" version of the 35 Whelen, with venturi shoulders like Weatherby cartridges, was made up, but it never caught on.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
The 35 Whelen, now available in several factory rounds, and factory chambered in several different rifles (although some gunsmiths still sell properly formed brass for it) has racked up a tremendous record all over the world, rivaling the 375 Holland and Holland in its effectiveness.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
It was originally designed, partially, as a substitute for the 375 H & H, since rifles for it could be made up using inexpensive 30-06 actions rather than costly magnum-length Mauser Actions It has killed, with aplomb and efficiency, all of the trophy animals in the world, with the possible exception of the “Big Three” (elephant, rhinoceros, and cape buffalo.) It can be loaded down to 35 Remington speeds for light recoil and pot-shooting, or loaded up to provide terrific stopping power--more than should ever be needed by a competent rifleman facing American big game.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
Although not legal in certain parts of Africa for dangerous game (some countries require that rifles of at least 375 or 400 caliber be used,) solid nose bullets are available so that, in a pinch, it would probably serve.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
It is easy to rebarrel an action to this cartridge-- it does not even require opening up the bolt face or free-boring; the rimless brass for it, as with the 358, is cheaper and easier to manufacture than the belted brass necessary for the 350 Remington, 35 Griffin and Howe (or Holland and Holland, as it is sometimes known) and 358 Norma Magnum. There is still a great future awaiting the 35 Whelen and, now that the 22-250 has been legitimized, perhaps we can hope that the 35 Whelen will meet the same good fortune.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
Most people think that the .35 Whelen cartridge, which is a .30/06 case necked up to .35 caliber, was designed by Colonel Townsend Whelen. As a matter of fact, it was only named for Colonel Whelen, but was designed by James Howe, who was then with the famous firm of Griffin and Howe.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
The cartridge was designed in the early 1920s at a time when the only way to get a .375 Magnum was to have one built up on the long expensive Magnum Mauser action. The great advantage of the .35 Whelen was that this was a cartridge that could handle heavy bullets and yet could be used on short actions like 98 Mauser and the Springfield.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
Because .30/06 cases are cheap and plentiful and because good bullets like those made by Speer Inc. in 35 caliber are available, the 35 Whelen still retains considerable popularity. However, there are probably fewer .35 Whelens in use today than there were back in the 1920s and early 1930s, because with a minimum of fuss and bother one can get a factory Winchester Model 70 in .375 caliber. That great cartridge, of course, will beat the .35 Whelen on every count.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
However, the man who has a yen for a rifle using heavy bullets of fairly large diameter at good velocities can’t go wrong on a .35 Whelen, if he is a handloader—and of course, he is a handloader or he would not be reading this book.


.35 Whelen, History, 35 Whelen
There are two varieties of the .35 Whelen and maybe more. The original cartridge had a short shoulder with the same slope as that of the .30/06. The so-called improved version has a sharper shoulder which theoretically at least will maintain headspace against the blow of the firing pin better.


.35 Whelen, Performance
Suitable .358 in (9.1 mm) bullets range in weight from 150 to 300 grains (9.7 to 19.4 g). Using a 250-grain (16 g) bullet, the .35 Whelen will generate 3,500 ft⋅lbf (4,700 J) at the muzzle from a 24 in (61 cm) barrel.


.35 Whelen, Performance
The .35 Whelen is not the ballistic twin of the .350 Remington Magnum and falls about 500 foot pounds short. With the correct bullet choice this cartridge is suitable for virtually all thin-skinned large and dangerous game. The European designation for this cartridge would be 9 × 63 mm; with its wide bullet selection and high muzzle energy it is in the same echelon as the 9.3×62mm.


.35 Winchester
The .35 Winchester (colloquially .35 Win) cartridge was created in 1903 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company for use in the Winchester Model 1895 lever-action rifle, and was also available in the bolt action Remington-Lee, or the Model E-10 Factory Sporter Ross Rifle in Canada.


.35 Winchester, Description and performance
Because of the 1895 rifle's box magazine pointed bullets may be used which enhance the long range effectiveness of the cartridge. While obsolete, it is generally considered sufficient for all large game animals in North America. .30-40 Krag brass can be used to form .35 Winchester casings, and the Bertram Bullet Company of Australia manufactures and sells .35 Winchester brass.


.35 Winchester, Description and performance
It was intended to be a medium-sized caliber falling between the .30-40 Krag and the .405 Winchester, and so it outperformed the .33 Winchester but was less potent than the .348 or .358. Enough at short or medium ranges against moose, elk, or even brown bear, it is suitable for any big game in North America, though it lacks the versatility of more modern rounds.


.35 Winchester, Description and performance
It was dropped in 1936, along with the M95. Loadings developing 45,000 CUP or over should be avoided in the old M95 lever guns.


.35 Winchester Self-Loading
The .35 Winchester Self-Loading (also called .35SL, .35SLR, or .35WSL) is an American rifle cartridge.


.35 Winchester Self-Loading, Overview
Winchester introduced the .32SL and .35SL in the Winchester '05 self-loading rifle as a centerfire cartridge version of the Winchester '03. The .35SL proved popular at first with the general public as a short-range deer and black bear hunting cartridge, but was soon superseded by the introduction of the more powerful .351SL in the Winchester '07.


.35 Winchester Self-Loading, Overview
Many now consider the .35SL inadequate as a deer round, but it may still be suitable for coyote or similar medium-sized game at close ranges. When first introduced however, the notable firearm expert Townsend Whelen noted the .35SL cartridge as displaying similar ballistics as the .38-40 black powder, low-pressure cartridge.


.350 Legend
The .350 Legend (9×43 mm), also called 350 LGND, is a SAAMI-standardized straight-walled hunting cartridge developed by Winchester Repeating Arms. The cartridge was designed for use in American states that have specific regulations for deer hunting with straight-walled centerfire cartridges. Winchester claims that the .350 Legend is the fastest production straight-walled hunting cartridge in the world, although some .444 Marlin and .458 Winchester Magnum loads are faster. It is designed for deer hunting out to a maximum effective range of 250 yards (230 m).


.350 Legend
Ohio's Deer Hunting Regulations allow the use of a straight-walled rifle cartridge with a minimum caliber of .357 inches (9.1 mm). Consequently, the .350 Legend is a legal hunting rifle cartridge there.


.350 Legend, Overview
The .350 Legend shares many characteristics with the .223 Remington, the overall cartridge length is 2.26 inches (57 mm) long with a rim diameter of .378 inches (9.6 mm), but it is not derived from the .223 Remington. Because of its similarities to the .223 Remington and 5.56 mm NATO, the .350 Legend is suitable for use in AR-15 type semiautomatic rifles, and will fit in most standard AR-15 magazines without modification.


.350 Legend, History
Winchester has introduced many successful cartridges, including the .44-40 WCF (Winchester Center Fire), the .30 WCF (.30-30), the .50 BMG, the .270 Winchester, the .308 Winchester, the .243 Winchester, the .22 WMR (.22 Magnum), the Winchester Short Magnums (WSM), the .264 Winchester Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum, the .458 Winchester Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum.


.350 Legend, History
At the 2019 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the .350 Legend cartridge was introduced by Winchester Ammunition. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI), the U.S. firearms and ammunition industry’s technical standards-setting organization, announced the acceptance of the new cartridge and chamber standard on January 31, 2019.


.350 Legend, Design
The cartridge was developed to deliver enough energy to achieve lethal terminal effects on large deer out to 200 yd (180 m). The recoil is said to be less than a .243 Winchester.


.350 Legend, Design
Winchester is currently offering five different loads for the new cartridge: a 150 gr (9.7 g) Deer Season XP at 2,325 ft/s (709 m/s), a 180 gr (12 g) Power-Point at 2,100 ft/s (640 m/s), a 160 gr (10 g) Power Max Bonded at 2,225 ft/s (678 m/s), a 145 gr (9.4 g) FMJ in the USA ammo line at 2,350 ft/s (720 m/s), and a Super Suppressed 265 gr (17.2 g) subsonic load at 1,060 ft/s (320 m/s).