.338 Lapua Magnum Recoil
Calculated free recoil for the loads .338 Lapua Magnum actually shoots, across rifle weights, with honest comparisons against the cartridges people weigh against it.
The .338 Lapua Magnum burns around 90 grains of powder behind a 300 grain bullet. Even in a 14 pound rifle that works out past 40 foot-pounds, and the heavy rifle is the only reason the number is not far worse.
Rifle weight is doing enormous work here. The same load in a 10 pound rifle would produce close to 60 foot-pounds, which is why nearly every .338 Lapua wears a brake and weighs what it weighs.
Most shooters want a brake, a suppressor or more rifle weight before shooting volume.
.338 Lapua Magnum recoil chart
Free recoil energy in foot-pounds for common .338 Lapua Magnum loads, at three rifle weights. The middle column is a typical scoped rifle.
| Load | Velocity | Powder | 7 lb rifle | 8.5 lb rifle | 10 lb rifle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 gr match | 2950 fps | 91 gr | 66.0 | 54.4 | 46.2 |
| 285 gr match | 2745 fps | 88 gr | 65.8 | 54.2 | 46.1 |
| 300 gr match | 2700 fps | 87 gr | 67.6 | 55.6 | 47.3 |
Green is mild enough for high-volume practice, amber is where long sessions start costing form, red usually wants a brake, a suppressor or more rifle weight. Powder gas is counted at 1.75× bullet velocity.
.338 Lapua Magnum recoil vs comparable cartridges
Each cartridge with a typical load in the rifle weight it is usually shot from, so the comparison reflects real rifles rather than a made-up common weight.
| Cartridge | Load | Rifle | Recoil | vs .338 Lapua |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .338 Lapua | 285 gr match | 14 lb | 32.9 ft·lbs | — |
| .300 PRC | 212 gr match | 10 lb | 31.2 ft·lbs | -5% |
| .300 Win Mag | 180 gr hunting | 9 lb | 29.2 ft·lbs | -11% |
Check your own .338 Lapua Magnum rifle
Pre-filled with a typical .338 Lapua Magnum load. Put in your actual rifle weight and load to get the figure that applies to you.
Load
Rifle
Weigh the rifle the way you shoot it — scope, bipod, suppressor, loaded magazine and all. Powder gas is included at 1.75× bullet velocity.
Most shooters want a brake, a suppressor or more rifle weight before shooting volume.
Details
If you changed the rifle weight
What drives .338 Lapua Magnum recoil
The same cartridge can be pleasant or brutal depending on what it is fired from. Recoil energy scales with rifle weight, so adding two pounds of scope, suppressor and bipod to a mountain rifle cuts the punch noticeably, which is exactly why lightweight magnums have their reputation.
Powder matters more than most shooters credit. Gas leaves the muzzle at roughly 1.75 times bullet velocity and carries real momentum, so a case burning 70 grains recoils harder than bullet weight alone would suggest. Every figure here includes it.
Velocity beats bullet weight too, because energy goes with the square of speed. Backing off 100 fps costs far less recoil than expected, and a mild accuracy load often kicks meaningfully less than a maximum one while shooting better.
Recoil is worth managing because it drives flinch, and flinch costs more points and more animals than ballistics ever will. If a rifle makes you close your eyes on the shot, the number is too high for you regardless of what any chart calls acceptable.
Recoil for other cartridges
Calculated recoil energy for common loads, a chart across rifle weights, and head-to-head comparisons for each cartridge.
.308 Win
6.5 CM
.243 Win
.223 Rem
.30-06
.300 Win Mag
7mm Rem Mag
6.5 PRC
7 PRC
.300 PRC
.270 Win
6 CM
6 ARC
6.5 Grendel
.22-250
.204 Ruger
25 CM
.277 Fury
.30-30
.350 Legend
.45-70
Wondering how it flies, not just how it kicks? See the full .338 Lapua Magnum ballistics chart.
Want the raw calculator without a cartridge preset? Use the recoil energy calculator.
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