History
Norma introduced the .338 Norma Magnum around 2009 to match the .338 Lapua from a shorter, more efficient case. Shorten the case and a long 300-grain match bullet seats to a sensible length without crowding the powder column, and the whole round drops into a standard-length magnum action instead of the oversized one the Lapua demands.
That packaging delivers near-Lapua performance, and it has carried the cartridge into both precision shooting and belt-fed military service, including lightweight medium machine guns. ELR shooters take it as the handier, very accurate alternative.
Lineage
The case belongs to the big beltless .416 Rigby-derived family it shares with the .338 Lapua, shortened here and tuned for heavy bullets. It headspaces on the shoulder and carries a large head near .588 inch behind the .338 inch (8.59mm) bullet. Neck it down to .30 and you get its sibling, the .300 Norma Magnum. Its rival is the Lapua it set out to improve on.
Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Case type | Rimless, bottlenecked (beltless magnum) |
| Bullet diameter | 8.59 mm (.338 in) |
| Neck diameter | 9.44 mm (.3717 in) |
| Shoulder diameter | 14.50 mm (.571 in) |
| Base diameter | 14.93 mm (.588 in) |
| Case length | 63.30 mm (2.492 in) |
| Overall length | 93.50 mm (3.681 in) |
| Case capacity | ~94 gr H2O (nominal; varies by brand) |
| Primer size | Large rifle magnum |
| Belted | No |
| Rifling twist | 1 in 9 in (C.I.P. reference standard) |
| Max pressure | 63,817 psi / 4,400 bar (C.I.P.) |
| Recommended barrel | 36 in, 1:9 twist |
Barrel Design
This is an overbore ELR case, and like the Lapua it wants a long barrel. The efficiency gain is real but modest; a large charge of slow powder still sits behind a .338 inch bore, so length pays. For the extreme-long-range work this site is built around, the baseline is 36 inches, which collects velocity and tightens standard deviation, the number that governs hits at distance.
Twist runs 1:9 for the heavy 300-grain match bullets. Norma designed the case around seating that long bullet well, and a slower twist that fails to stabilize it throws the design away. A 1:9 holds it with margin through the transonic far downrange.
A shorter barrel builds a more transportable rifle, and efficiency lets the .338 Norma tolerate the chop a little better than the Lapua, but you still surrender the velocity that justifies the cartridge. The tables below are computed at the 36 inch recommended barrel.
Match Ammo Performance
Norma Golden Target · 300 gr Sierra MatchKing HPBT $3.88/rd
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Elevation (mil) | Energy (ft-lb) | Windage (mil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2837 | -0.4 | 5361 | 0.3 |
| 100 | 2722 | 0.0 | 4937 | 0.2 |
| 200 | 2610 | -0.4 | 4538 | 0.3 |
| 300 | 2501 | -1.0 | 4166 | 0.5 |
| 400 | 2394 | -1.6 | 3817 | 0.7 |
| 500 | 2290 | -2.4 | 3492 | 0.8 |
| 600 | 2188 | -3.2 | 3189 | 1.0 |
| 700 | 2090 | -4.1 | 2908 | 1.2 |
| 800 | 1993 | -5.0 | 2646 | 1.4 |
| 900 | 1899 | -6.0 | 2403 | 1.6 |
| 1000 | 1807 | -7.1 | 2176 | 1.8 |
| 1100 | 1718 | -8.3 | 1965 | 2.1 |
| 1200 | 1630 | -9.5 | 1769 | 2.3 |
| 1300 | 1544 | -10.9 | 1587 | 2.6 |
| 1400 | 1460 | -12.3 | 1419 | 2.9 |
| 1500 | 1378 | -13.9 | 1265 | 3.2 |
| 1600 | 1299 | -15.5 | 1124 | 3.5 |
| 1700 | 1223 | -17.4 | 996 | 3.9 |
| 1800 | 1151 | -19.4 | 882 | 4.3 |
| 1900 | 1096 | -21.5 | 799 | 4.7 |
| 2000 | 1063 | -23.9 | 753 | 5.1 |
| 2100 | 1038 | -26.5 | 717 | 5.5 |
| 2200 | 1016 | -29.2 | 687 | 5.9 |
| 2300 | 995 | -32.1 | 660 | 6.3 |
| 2400 | 976 | -35.2 | 634 | 6.7 |
| 2500 | 958 | -38.5 | 611 | 7.1 |
| 2600 | 941 | -41.9 | 589 | 7.5 |
| 2700 | 924 | -45.5 | 569 | 7.9 |
| 2800 | 908 | -49.3 | 549 | 8.3 |
Muzzle velocity 2837 fps is estimated at 36 in from the 26 in factory figure of 2657 fps at about 18 fps per inch. Expect your own barrel to read a little differently. Velocity is color coded green supersonic, yellow transonic, red subsonic; treat transonic and subsonic rows as approximate.
Trajectory
FAQ
What barrel length and twist should I run?
A long 30 to 36 inch barrel and a 1:9 twist. The length delivers the velocity this overbore case is built for, and the twist stabilizes the heavy 300-grain match bullet the .338 Norma was specifically designed to seat and shoot.
How does it compare to the .338 Lapua Magnum?
The .338 Norma fits nearly the same performance into a shorter, more efficient case that works in a standard-length magnum action. The .338 Lapua has the larger case, a longer track record, and broader factory ammunition and rifle availability. The Norma is the more elegant design; the Lapua is the more available cartridge.
Why was it designed?
To seat the heavy 300-grain .338 match bullet without intruding on powder space, and to fit a standard-length action, both of which the longer .338 Lapua case does less gracefully. Efficiency and packaging were the goals.
What is the .338 Norma Magnum good for?
Extreme-long-range precision and belt-fed military use, where heavy high-BC .338 bullets and a-mile-plus reach are the point. Like the Lapua, it is far more cartridge, recoil, and cost than ordinary hunting requires.