Posted on 10/09/2007 4:37:41 AM PDT by Renfield
October 9, 2007: The British Army is replacing most of its 3,000 7.62mm L96A1 sniper rifles with one modified to use the .338 (8.6mm) Lapua Magnum caliber round. The Accuracy International "Super Magnum" rifle is basically a L96A1 "Arctic Warfare" rifle modified to handle the larger, 8.6mm Lapua Magnum round. The new rifle (the L118A1) weighs 15 pounds (without a scope), is fifty inches long and has a 27 inch barrel and a five round magazine.
Snipers in Iraq, and especially Afghanistan, have been calling for a longer range round, but find the 12.7mm (.50 caliber) weapons too heavy. The .338 (8.6mm) Lapua Magnum round has an effective range (about 1,500 meters) about 50 percent greater than the 7.62mm standard NATO round. The 8.6mm round entered use in the early 1990s, and became increasingly popular with police and military snipers. Dutch snipers have used this round in Afghanistan with much success, and have a decade of experience with these larger caliber rifles. British snipers in Afghanistan are also using the new round.
Recognizing the popularity of the 8.6mm round, Barrett, the pioneer in 12.7mm sniper rifles, came out with a 15.5 pound version of its rifle, chambered for the 8.6mm.
“The .338 (8.6mm) Lapua Magnum round has an effective range (about 1,500 meters) about 50 percent greater than the 7.62mm standard NATO round.”
That’s impressive!
One of the most accurate rifles I ever owned was a BAR in .338. I would practice on ground squirrels with it and it was as accurate as my eyes could use the iron sights...about 150 yards on a ground squirrel sticking up out of its hole.
You must have good eyes.
Time was, when I was a good shot with iron sights. However, a couple of recent misses (easy shots at whitetails at ~50 yards) have brought home the message that my eyes are too old to do it anymore. Bought Leupold scope, no deer is safe now, freezer is full of venison.
338 ping
Threads like this are always more enjoyable with a bit of gun porn. Here’s a place to start:
http://www.securityarms.com/all.html
Has anyone else got some good ones?
Buddy of mine has an Armalite AR-30M in .338. I’ve fired it about a dozen times, It’s a kickass round, specially on woodchucks at 1000m, a bit of overkill, but a lot of fun.
Wusses...
.338 RUM baby! If I could just find a rifle chambered in it. Lapua cartridges are as expensive as .50 BMG! Here's a 950 yard shot w/ .338 Edge - RUM is supposed to be a bit better, but talk about splitting hairs. .338Edge
target is a white smudge in roughly the center of the frame.
Unfortunately, there's a cost. My understanding is a sniper rifle chambered for the .338 Lapua is only good for about 1500 rounds before requiring a new barrel, whereas a .308 can maintain sniper level accuracy in excess of 5000 rounds.
Come on Lizard, get serious. Ya want half the Army up all night handloading so 100 snipers can each have their box of 20? I also hope you ain't talking to one of the SWAT Team members that are infesting the countryside (Like the Maine Mental Hospital Swat Team, or the Girl Guides Swat Team) They see something like this in print, they start ordering it from the back of those magazines they read. We can barely afford all the black SWAT Team fashion accessories as it is.
The military don’t have to worry about costs. I couldn’t afford it in the first place.
I think my cousin leads the Girls Guides Swat Team. Don’t they operate out of Biddeford? Or were you referring to the inland Team out of Millinocket?
I guess if you have to have a factory load, Lapua is fine... tho’ I don’t think Gooch’s stocks them either.
The well dressed Alaskan carries the 338 for most critters as well as a 44 mag on their hip!
My story takes place back in ‘71. I was just out of the service and was a damned good shot. The years have taken their toll. I can use a hologram still because they’re able to get my vision back to almost 20/15 with contacts.
The future is clear however and I’ll probably be going to a scope within a few years myself.
can you spare an eye bro?
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