.338 lapua vs. .338-378

[Duff]

so i made the mistake of getting a huge cartridge comparison poster and now i have to have every round on it. just looking at the poster the 338-378 weatherby looks pretty similar to the 338 lapua imp. looking at load data and velocity the 338-378 seems to vary a lot. some guys get around 3000 fps with 300 gr. bullets and others seem to stick around the same as 338 lapua. I'm not too worried about the ammo availability at all because i already reload for almost all my rifles and if i do buy factory ammo i buy online. i do like the prospect of a bit of extra velocity and (at least what I've read about the lapua improved) not having to get custom dies. anyways is there any advantage of the 338-378 over the lapua? will it work on a lapua bolt face or would it have to be specific for the case? will it work in lapua magazines? is beltless really more accurate than belted cases? thanks for the help!

 

[diderr]

I'd stick with the Lapua. I know I'm going to get flak for this, but it's true to an extent. The 338-378 was not designed with accuracy in mind. It is a big belted magnum designed to get a projectile going as fast as it can, and that is the trend in all of the Weatherby cartridges. I'd just stick with a regular Lapua or try the lapua AI. I'm also not a fan of belted magnums, but my hunting rifle is a 300 WM.

 

[Straight Shooter]

They will both run on the same bolt face. The belt has no affect on accuracy. The primary advantage is the Lapua brass is harder and will withstand repeated exposure to higher pressures. The Weatheby is slightly faster but not enough to warrant rebarreling a rifle. The Weatherby case designs are very capable of being exceptionally accurate. No disadvantage from design. I chose the Lapua for myself for the long brass life.