30 NOSLER OR 300 PRC

[Tidus56]

My 30 Nosler chambered with AW reamer for 215s. Stock was purchased here, bedded by Mark Pharr, Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles in Round Rock, TX. Mark cut the LoP to 13 inches. Barrel is a 26 inch 10T Bartlein CF, finished at the muzzle with a FatB 3/4x24. Bolt was opened, bushed and Sako extractor installed by Pete Pieper, Precision Barrel Work in Hempstead, TX.

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What kind of fps are you getting with the chamber setup properly?

 

[bamban]

With N570 and 215 closing in at 3100

 

[Mike D Texas]

This would be an easy choice for me. I would choose 30 Nosler over PRC all day. I suppose if you only planned to shoot a factory rifle and factory ammo then the PRac makes more sense; but why the heck would you want to be boring like that?

I would have a reamer built to seat the 30 Nosler to proper dimensions instead of limiting it to 3.340". You are leaving performance of a great cartridge on the table by leaving it at SAAMI length.

 

[sierracharlie338]

This would be an easy choice for me. I would choose 30 Nosler over PRC all day. I suppose if you only planned to shoot a factory rifle and factory ammo then the PRac makes more sense; but why the heck would you want to be boring like that?

I would have a reamer built to seat the 30 Nosler to proper dimensions instead of limiting it to 3.340". You are leaving performance of a great cartridge on the table by leaving it at SAAMI length.

I didn't do that and went with a SAAMI reamer. I'm running my last few tests this week to see if I will be able to get the numbers I want. If not it's going back to Alamo to get recut with a custom reamer.

 

[WildRose]

Where did you come up with that? I got to see it to Believe it.

Straight out of the book.

https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/300-winchester-mag-190gr-cx.pdf

https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/300-prc-190gr-cx.pdf

I've been trying to convince myself that it would be worth it for the minimal gain but my WM's have just been too good to me so far.

If I were starting out tomorrow though with a 30 cal magnum I'm pretty sure I'd go with the PRC as it's the round of the future where the WM is just going to slowly slip off to obscurity over time being reduced to an orphan/niche shooter's round.

 

[WildRose]

Sorry man. But 3 grains case capacity isn't going to get you 150-200 fps in a 94 grain case.

It isn't just capacity that determines velocity. The short fat cartridges just seem to get a little extra push out of even the same amount of powder vs our old belted magnums.

 

[WildRose]

My 30 Nosler chambered with AW reamer for 215s. Stock was purchased here, bedded by Mark Pharr, Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles in Round Rock, TX. Mark cut the LoP to 13 inches. Barrel is a 26 inch 10T Bartlein CF, finished at the muzzle with a FatB 3/4x24. Bolt was opened, bushed and Sako extractor installed by Pete Pieper, Precision Barrel Work in Hempstead, TX.

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Beautiful piece of wood there.

 

[WildRose]

This would be an easy choice for me. I would choose 30 Nosler over PRC all day. I suppose if you only planned to shoot a factory rifle and factory ammo then the PRac makes more sense; but why the heck would you want to be boring like that?

I would have a reamer built to seat the 30 Nosler to proper dimensions instead of limiting it to 3.340". You are leaving performance of a great cartridge on the table by leaving it at SAAMI length.

? You're not limited to factory ammo with either.

Personally I don't see just a whole lot of difference between the two with the main difference being case diameter. The PRC doesn't need the feed rails opened up to accommodate the Rum diameter case.

The biggest difference to me is the likelihood the PRC is just going to be the case of the future and thus always easier to find brass for.

 

[Mike D Texas]

 

[WildRose]

Spomer is not the best source to use.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Spomer is not the best source to use.

Are you saying his info is wrong? Didn't he say he pulled the info from factory ammo specs?

 

[belldar]

Straight out of the book.

https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/300-winchester-mag-190gr-cx.pdf

https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/300-prc-190gr-cx.pdf

I've been trying to convince myself that it would be worth it for the minimal gain but my WM's have just been too good to me so far.

If I were starting out tomorrow though with a 30 cal magnum I'm pretty sure I'd go with the PRC as it's the round of the future where the WM is just going to slowly slip off to obscurity over time being reduced to an orphan/niche shooter's round.

You need to research Some real world data. looking at that Hornady load data tells you very little if anything about what a cartridge is actually capable of. Just look at the actual charge weights associated with each powder. Most books are very conservative in their numbers, especially for older cartridges like the 300WM. In my experience and from what all I have read the 300 PRC can get close to the 300 WM but no where near 150-200 FPS faster. Is it a good round? Yes. Is it better than the 300 WM? No. It may have some things going for it (seating depth, no Belt, possible a bit more efficient(?)) but the 300 WM can Be more potent in a similar platform.
On the 300 WM fading into the Sunset, there is no way in H-E double hockey stickers that will ever happen! There are hundreds if not a thousand plus times as many 300 WM out there over the 300 PRC. An FYI, I grew up with a 300 WM. I built two 300 PRCs as it was my dream cartridge design I always imagined right between a 300 WSM and a 300 RUM. They where decent but finicky with loads and didn't exceed my expectations. One went down the road and the other was turned into a 300 WM and I could not be happier with going back to my 300 WM. A properly set up 300 win mag can not be over-shadowed by the PRC. I don't mean to come off as a Richard.

 

[bamban]

Beautiful piece of wood there.

Thank you.

 

[bamban]

You need to research Some real world data. looking at that Hornady load data tells you very little if anything about what a cartridge is actually capable of. Just look at the actual charge weights associated with each powder. Most books are very conservative in their numbers, especially for older cartridges like the 300WM. In my experience and from what all I have read the 300 PRC can get close to the 300 WM but no where near 150-200 FPS faster. Is it a good round? Yes. Is it better than the 300 WM? No. It may have some things going for it (seating depth, no Belt, possible a bit more efficient(?)) but the 300 WM can Be more potent in a similar platform.
On the 300 WM fading into the Sunset, there is no way in H-E double hockey stickers that will ever happen! There are hundreds if not a thousand plus times as many 300 WM out there over the 300 PRC. An FYI, I grew up with a 300 WM. I built two 300 PRCs as it was my dream cartridge design I always imagined right between a 300 WSM and a 300 RUM. They where decent but finicky with loads and didn't exceed my expectations. One went down the road and the other was turned into a 300 WM and I could not be happier with going back to my 300 WM. A properly set up 300 win mag can not be over-shadowed by the PRC. I don't mean to come off as a Richard.

I agree. My next build is another 300WM, Defiance, Bartlein CF, McM Game Warden, A191 reamer, as I have enough FGGM 190 to burn up a barrel.

Here is the current one. Action trued by Mike Bryant, I chambered it with a SAAMI, and as much as I hate doing furniture work, I bedded it. A good friend, Mike B, painted the barrel.