Opinions will of course vary.
: The standard .338 Mag is a 300 yard big game ctg. I feel no one has any buisiness shooting our large game, bears, moose or elk beyond that range. Too many things can go wrong - wind is only one of them.
: The .338 Lapua uses much more expensive ammo which is unabtainable most anywhere - while .338 WM is stocked in every sporting good store I know of - at least in this country.
: The .338 WM does well with good quality bullets, while the extra velocity of the .338 Lapua pretty much demands premium bullets, which cost considerably more.
: While I hate all rounds that have redundant belts, I'd not even consider a .338 Lapua if someone gave it to me. I'd rebarrel it into something useable.
: There are those who think in terms of huge cases & higher velocity meaning that with them, they can obtain longer range killing power - most of those people lack the expertise to shoot big game at 200 yards, let alone any further out - hense the magnum, ultra magnum & short magnum craze. Not all of them lack the expertise, just most all. Many of those do most of their shooting, as Phil Spangenberger once said, on the typewriter.(keyboard nowadays)
: I have oberserved a large number of guys showing up at the range with the newest craze in ultra speed magnums. Most cannot keep 5 consecutive shots on a 100 yard target at 100 meters range, but hit it a few times, they declare the rifle sighted in and now think they can shoot moose or elk at 700 yards - that's what some advertizement said so it must be true.
: If we were restricted to a .308 or .30/06 (as many of them as you wanted & with free ammo, of course) we and the game would be better off. Both are 300 yard moose and elk ctgs.
: I'll climb down from the podium now. If you are offended by this, it struck home as it was meant to. If not, well, then perhaps you are one of the few who have the requisite skill & could actually use what little 'extra' actual killing power the .338 Lapua has over the .338 Winchester Magnum. You don't make it better by driving it faster, you only make it a bit flatter shooting, something that is as redundant as the .338 Magnum's and ost other's belts.