It is basically an improved version of .30/8MM RM or .300 Jarrett, except with sharper shoulder angle.
30 Nosler vs 300WM vs 300PRC
- Thread starter RebelGuard
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djacobs629
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I haven't played around with them……….yet
Danehunter
Well-Known Member
Hornady and the US Army co-developed the 300 PRC. The Army then ordered $1.5 million of Barrett MRADs chambered in 300 PRC. It is "beltless" and therefore measures its headspace from the shoulder and not a belt (like the 300 Win mag.) which can vary in thickness. Plus the 300 PRC has a longer neck to accommodate the longer heavy-for-caliber bullets without any possibly dangerous powder compression.
I'd choose the 300 PRC for those reasons - even though I used to shoot 300 Win mag, in both target and hunting rifles.
I'd choose the 300 PRC for those reasons - even though I used to shoot 300 Win mag, in both target and hunting rifles.
greenejc
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of 30 caliber magnums out there, but you might consider availability of brass, ammunition and ease of reloading, along with the amount of data available, and barrel life with the loads/cartridge when you decide. You might also consider when and what is 'good enough'. I find as I get older that I don't need the fastest cartridge. I get about 3050fps from a Sierra or Speer 180 grain, and the same from the Nosler BT in a 300 win mag with a 24" barrel, and 3100 fps from a 26" barreled Rem 700. I got about that from the Hornaday 178 grain Amax, too. Since that lets me shoot flat enough for shots to 1,000 yards, I'm pretty happy with the Winchester Magnum. Also, I have several manuals for recipes with the 300 win mag which make it quite versatile. If I were going to give you a recommendation, it would be the 300 Win Mag. The 300 Win Mag ammunition is also ubiquitous. You can get it anywhere, which means when brass is unavailable, you can get factory loads, shoot them and have brass. But I don't shoot the 300's as much as I did, because I hunt most of my big game with a 35 Whelen, which is also supersonic to 1100 yards, and accurate to that distance, also. It hits harder, with a 250 grain bullet which launches from a 26" barrel at 2750+ from the 26" 700, and 2680fps from the 24" one. I get over 4,000 ftlbs from it with this load, and well over 3700 ftlbs from the 225 grain Sierra Gameking with either rifle. Since I generally hunt in Colorado, at 7,000 feet or higher, both projectiles stay supersonic past 1,000 yards, and have a trajectory about the same as a 30-06 with a 180 grain hunting bullet, which makes it easy to calculate hold-over, since I cut my teeth on the -06 lo these many years ago. Velocity with the 225 grain .358 bullet exceeds 2730 fps in the 24" and 2800 fps in the 26" rifle. 5 shot groups are less than 0.8" at 100 yards. You might like a Whelen with some of the powders listed in the Speer manual.
greenejc
Well-Known Member
Go with the 300 win mag and 180 to 200 grain Speer and Sierra bullets. They'll do the job and then some, with lower recoil than the newer magnums, and the components (particularly brass) are more readily available. A source for once-fired brass for 300 Win Mag is Diamond K brass at https://www.diamondkbrass.com. I've bought 30-06 and 9mm brass from them and some other types of brass.
Danehunter
Well-Known Member
"greenejc", the 300 PRC will have nearly the same recoil as the 300 Win mag. For the reasons I posted above the 300 PRC would be a better choice, especially for 200 grain bullets.
Eric B.
Eric B.
If he throats the 300wm for the heavier bullets, theyre virtually identical ballistically and with off the shelf ammo / brass for the WM being more readily available, the 300wm is the winner here.
Danehunter
Well-Known Member
Tell it to the Army.
AggieHunter
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I hope this doesn't sound snobby but I don't know you care so much about the velocity of the bullet at discharge when it is so much more important to have shot placement and energy/velocity at impact. What is the velocity of each of the 3 rounds at 500, 700 or 1000 yards that you will be shooting? I am told that the 300 PRC is a lot easier to find premade bullets than the other calibers.
Lol, tell em What? That if they throated their 300wm Mk13's for heavier bullets and added "PRC" to the end of it that it magically gave them 300 Norma Mag performance and that theres no need to waste the money on the new 300NM ASR's?
And I don't recall ammo availability or components being an issue to be concerned about when I was in but maybe your military experience is different…
Negative. 300 PRC loaded ammo and brass is darn near unobtainium, whereas 300wm ammo is stocked like 308 virtually everywhere.
My buddy got a 300PRC and couldn't shoot his rifle for like 3 months due to the fact he couldn't find brass or loaded ammo. For it. Ended up buying it for someone on a forum because ether stores are empty of both.
That being said, if he had a 300wm that was throated for the heavier bullets he's have been off an running immediately and with virtually the same ballistics as the PRC.
FWIW I don't have anything against the PRC. It's a great caliber and if the shelves were stocked with it the way it is with 300wm, I'd say go PRC, but theyre not and with a throated WM, the ballistic differences don't justify the hassle. Imo
thanks. for a hot 30 i am contemplating a 30 xc. know anything about it? i have a pierce 10x ti action
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Here at our local shop, through this past year you couldn't find any 300wm loaded ammo or brass (bought up as soon as it showed up), but 300 Prc came in periodically. I have owned two 300WM and sold them both. Now I have a 30 Sherman. Was wanting a 300 PRC but couldn't get a reamer. I can shoot 212 eldx factory 300 PRC ammo at 3030 feet per second and the fire formed brass reloaded with n570 and 250 ATips shoot at 2900. Those fly so good WAY out there. I'm sure if I loaded 210-230 in the Sherman it could push them significantly over 3000 fps.
