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
