Shooting Tips
Extended Ballistics: The .338 Lapua Magnum, 250-Grain BTHP Match Round
by Major John L. Plaster, USA (ret)
Lately I've done a lot of firing with my Savage 110BA, .338 Lapua Magnum rifle, taking on targets up to 1400 yards away.
My preferred load is the 250-grain match round, which is offered by Black Hills and Hornady, both of which have proved accurate in my rifle. To begin the process of fine-tuning ballistic data, I calculated the target knob settings for elevation and windage out to 1500 yards. My Millett LRS scope has 1-10th mil increment knobs, so I first worked up this data in mils.
This 1-10th Mil data is also useful for my Bushnell HDMR riflescope, which has both 1-10th Mil knobs and a Horus H59 reticle, which contains a grid of holds and leads at increments of 1/5th Mil.
Knowing that most other shooters have 1/4 MOA target knobs, I worked up that data too, offering you both Mil and MOA versions. Whichever you use, KEEP IN MIND that this data is a starting point and, like me, you'll fine-tune it by firing at assorted distances.
Although there are slight variances between the Hornady and Black Hills loads (due to a 50-feet-per-second difference in muzzle velocity), their trajectories are so close that you can use this as starting data for fine-tuning either round.
Also, note that my LRS scope has a 35mm tube and a 56mm objective lens, requiring that it be mounted 2 inches above the bore, a half-inch higher than some other scopes.
I analyzed the trajectory differences between mounting it 2 inches above the bore, and 1-1/2 inches, and found the variances less than 1/2 MOA all the way to 1000 yards – or less than 2/10ths of a mil. Again, that's close enough to start, after which you can fine-tune your data.
This original trajectory and windage data were computed using Sierra Infinity 6 software, after which I manually converted it into 1/10th mil and 1/4 MOA target knob settings. Sierra's software assumes a 24-inch barrel, sea-level altitude and 59-degrees F. temperature and, as cited above, my scope mounted two inches above the bore.
1/10th Mil Settings for the .338 Lapua Magnum, 250-grain BTHP Match Round
Settings rounded off to the closest 1/10th of a Mil| Distance | Trajectory Path | 1/10th Mil Elev. Setting | 10 MPH Wind Drift | 1/10th Mil Wind Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards | Inches | Mils + 1/10th clicks | Inches | Mils + 1/10th Mil clicks |
| 100 | Zero | Zero | Zero | Zero |
| 125 | -0.18" | None | None | None |
| 150 | -0.64" | 0 Mil + 1 click | 1.1" | 0 Mils + 2 clicks |
| 175 | -1.39" | 0 Mil + 2 clicks | 1.5" | 0 Mils + 2 clicks |
| 200 | -2.45" | 0 Mil + 3 clicks | 2.0" | 0 Mils + 3 clicks |
| 225 | -3.81" | 0 Mil + 5 clicks | 2.5" | 0 Mils + 3 clicks |
| 250 | -5.50" | 0 Mil + 6 clicks | 3.1" | 0 Mils + 3 clicks |
| 275 | -7.51" | 0 Mil + 8 clicks | 3.8" | 0 Mils + 4 clicks |
| 300 | -9.86" | 0 Mil + 9 clicks | 4.6" | 0 Mils + 4 clicks |
| 325 | -12.55" | 1 Mil + 0 clicks | 5.4" | 0 Mils + 5 clicks | 350 | -15.60" | 1 Mil + 2 clicks | 6.3" | 0 Mils + 5 clicks |
| 375 | -19.02" | 1 Mil + 4 clicks | 7.3" | 0 Mils + 5 clicks |
| 400 | -22.80" | 1 Mil + 6 clicks | 8.4" | 0 Mils + 6 clicks |
| 425 | -26.99" | 1 Mil + 8 clicks | 9.5" | 0 Mils + 6 clicks |
| 450 | -31.57" | 2 Mils + 0 clicks | 10.8" | 0 Mils + 7 clicks |
| 475 | -36.56" | 2 Mils + 1 click | 12.0" | 0 Mils + 7 clicks |
| 500 | -41.98" | 2 Mils + 3 clicks | 13.5" | 0 Mils + 8 clicks |
| 525 | -47.83" | 2 Mils + 5 clicks | 15.0" | 0 Mils + 8 clicks |
| 550 | -54.13" | 2 Mils + 7 clicks | 16.5" | 0 Mils + 8 clicks |
| 575 | -60.90" | 3 Mils + 0 clicks | 18.2" | 0 Mils + 9 clicks |
| 600 | -68.14" | 3 Mils + 1 click | 20.0" | 0 Mils + 9 clicks |
| 625 | -75.87" | 3 Mils + 4 clicks | 21.8" | 1 Mil + 0 clicks |
| 650 | -84.10" | 3 Mils + 7 clicks | 24.0" | 1 Mil + 0 clicks |
| 675 | -92.87" | 3 Mils + 8 clicks | 25.8" | 1 Mil + 0 clicks |
| 700 | -102.17" | 4 Mils + 0 clicks | 28.0" | 1 Mil + 1 click |
| 725 | -112.03" | 4 Mils + 3 clicks | 30.1" | 1 Mil + 2 clicks |
| 750 | -122.44" | 4 Mils + 5 clicks | 32.5 | 1 Mil + 2 clicks |
| 775 | -133.45" | 4 Mils + 8 clicks | 35.0" | 1 Mil + 3 clicks |
| 800 | -145.00" | 5 Mils + 0 clicks | 37.5" | 1 Mil + 3 clicks |
| 825 | -157.30" | 5 Mils + 3 clicks | 40.2" | 1 Mil + 4 clicks |
| 850 | -170.20" | 5 Mils + 6 clicks | 43.0" | 1 Mil + 4 clicks |
| 875 | -183.70" | 5 Mils + 8 clicks | 46.0" | 1 Mil + 5 clicks |
| 900 | -198.00" | 6 Mils + 1 click | 49.0" | 1 Mil + 5 clicks |
| 925 | -213.00" | 6 Mils + 4 clicks | 52.0" | 1 Mil + 6 clicks |
| 950 | -229.00" | 6 Mils + 7 clicks | 55.0" | 1 Mil + 6 clicks |
| 975 | -245.00" | 7 Mils + 0 clicks | 59.0" | 1 Mil + 7 clicks |
| 1000 | -262.00" | 7 Mils + 3 clicks | 62.0" | 1 Mil + 7 clicks |
| 025 | -280.00" | 7 Mils + 6 clicks | 66.0" | 1 Mil + 8 clicks |
| 1050 | -299.00" | 7 Mils + 9 clicks | 70.0" | 1 Mil + 8 clicks |
