There are a couple of things that make a cartridge effective for extreme long-range rifle shooting, and many things that do not.
For instance, a light bullet that can’t resist wind drift, and a slow muzzle velocity paired with low ballistic coefficient that cause rapid drop create a bad ELR cartridge. These reasons (among others) are why plinker cartridges like .22 LR will never be effective beyond close and intermediate ranges, even though precision rifles chambered in .22LR can be effective at close ranges.
It’s also important to illustrate that caliber alone does not indicate whether a cartridge is effective for long range shooting. There are .22-caliber cartridges, for instance .223 Remington and .220 Swift, which some shooters prefer. They shoot flat and are fast, even though they are in the .22 caliber class.
Then again, even though they can be effective as far as accuracy is concerned, energy delivered to the target is another matter. They just don’t pack enough punch downrange to be used effectively for anti-materiel or big-game hunting applications.
This is why cartridges like the .338 Lapua have been so popular, for so long, for ELR, or extreme long-range rifle shooting.
Many ELR rifles, like the McMillan TAC-338, boast this chambering. This post will take a closer look at why.
A High Level Overview: Muzzle Energy, Velocity, and Ballistic Coefficient
The .338 Lapua is fast, relatively flat-shooting, and heavy. These attributes give it the ability to hit targets far away, resist wind drift and deflection, and importantly, carry sufficient ballistic energy to the target to accomplish their objectives.
The .338 Lapua, also known as .338 Lapua Magnum, is actually not that old of a cartridge. Research and development began in 1983 at Research Armament Industries, for the US Navy. The goal was to create a long-range cartridge that was capable of penetrating body armor at extreme ranges.
Originally, the idea was to use the parent case of a .416 Rigby cartridge to accept a .338-caliber bullet, but the cartridge proved incapable of withstanding the high pressures generated during testing. That’s when a Finnish company called Nammo Lapua Oy took over, redesigning and thickening the walls of the casing, delivering the finished product. That’s where the odd-sounding Finnish name comes from.
The end result has proven one of the most popular ELR cartridges of all time, and not just for military sniper rifles. It also enjoys wide popularity in civilian circles, where it is used in long-range competition shooting, as well as for big-game hunting.
Much of the success of the McMillan TAC-338’s cartridge is that it fires a big, heavy bullet fast. With a 250-grain bullet, the .338 Lapua can generate muzzle velocities in the area of 3000 FPS, and with a heavier bullet, such as a 300-grain bullet, the cartridge can still generate muzzle velocities in excess of 2600 FPS.
This speed is necessary to maintain supersonic velocity at extreme ranges, in the area of 1500m, so that the bullet doesn’t experience shock waves in the transonic zone that throw off accuracy.
In addition, the heavier bullet weights generate impressive muzzle energies in the area of 5000 to 5140 ft-lbs. Paired with a high ballistic coefficient, the .338 Lapua doesn’t just generate high energy at the muzzle but carries it to the target, making it accurate at extreme ranges while still carrying enough energy to dispatch far-off targets. With effective shot placement, a .338 Lapua rifle like the McMillan TAC-338 can be used to effectively dispatch any game in North America.
What Else Makes the .338 Lapua and Effective Cartridge for Long-Range Rifle Shooting?
Power, range and accuracy all make the .338 Lapua an excellent choice for an extreme long-range rifle. While it doesn’t quite offer the same range as other ELR cartridges like .375 and .408 CheyTac, it delivers a greater effective range than other cartridges like .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Magnum.
Another thing that makes .338 Lapua popular is availability. Like other ELR cartridge it is very expensive, but most well-stocked gun shops are likely to carry this or other common calibers like .300 Norma Magnum, whereas other niche ELR cartridges like .375 and .408 CT are not only expensive, they are also hard to find.
At the end of the day, these are some of the best reasons that the McMillan TAC-338’s chambering is so effective for extreme long-range rifle shooting, whether you’re shooting at a target or heavily invested in hunting.
If you’re considering getting an extreme long-range rifle, take a look through our collection and let us know if you have any questions or want a recommendation. We carry enough variety to make a recommendation based on your intended application and would be happy to help.
