Thread: 300WSM or 7PRC??

Hey Legends
Looking at investing in a magnum calibre. Tossing up between (but not limited to) a 300WSM or a 7PRC. Kinda leaning towards the 7PRC as it has good ballistics but i also like the stopping power of the 300WSM. Have heard good things about both but wanting to pick your brains as to the pros and cons. I reload so also interested to hear your results
Cheers


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Either will do the job, some like the lightest shortest rifle possible and others don’t need an ultralight.

Buy the make and model that makes you happy every-time you pick it up.

I've got a 300WSM and I have to admit, eventhough I hate shooting heavy calibres, I enjoy the WSM.

If it comes down to ballistics, the 7mm will be the winner hands down. The big ol 30 cal does bring a lot of energy, but the 7mm will beat it everyday in the wind.

I have both 300wsm tikka lite flutter barrel and an tikka with a Bartlein. I struggle to decide which one to take hunting. The 300wsm will have longer barrel life and from my experience has been less an headache to reload for. They both shoot consistently sub half moa all the way to 1000y. 300wsm 8.7 MRAD up and 7prc 8.0MRAD up at 1000y, shoot a bit flatter. The 7prc recoil lot less than the 300wsm but is 1kg heavier so not fair comparison.
On game I don’t think you will see much difference in terminal performance, all the animal I shot died really fast.

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Either will do the job, some like the lightest shortest rifle possible and others don’t need an ultralight.

Buy the make and model that makes you happy every-time you pick it up.

Cheers mate. The make i want does a 7PRC but not a WSM so I’ll probably go for that


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Originally Posted by tibo

I have both 300wsm tikka lite flutter barrel and an tikka with a Bartlein. I struggle to decide which one to take hunting. The 300wsm will have longer barrel life and from my experience has been less an headache to reload for. They both shoot consistently sub half moa all the way to 1000y. 300wsm 8.7 MRAD up and 7prc 8.0MRAD up at 1000y, shoot a bit flatter. The 7prc recoil lot less than the 300wsm but is 1kg heavier so not fair comparison.
On game I don’t think you will see much difference in terminal performance, all the animal I shot died really fast.

Cheers mate thats awesome advice! Are the struggles you’ve had loading the 7PRC in terms of consistent grouping?


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What's your current experience with long range? Asking this question and the one about the Z8 suggests its limited (not a insult).

What are you currently shooting?

Is it limiting you?

If so how?

Investing in a magnum isn't going to make.you a better shooter (it may infact make you worse) and its not usually the rifle that limits the ability to kill within any sane ranges. So what do you hope to achieve. That money would be better spend going to sparrowhawk etc and getting professional training.

Originally Posted by Jaco Goosen

I've got a 300WSM and I have to admit, eventhough I hate shooting heavy calibres, I enjoy the WSM.

If it comes down to ballistics, the 7mm will be the winner hands down. The big ol 30 cal does bring a lot of energy, but the 7mm will beat it everyday in the wind.

Thanks for the advice mate!


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Originally Posted by Stocky

What's your current experience with long range? Asking this question and the one about the Z8 suggests its limited (not a insult).

What are you currently shooting? If it limiting you? If so how? A magnum isn't going to make.you a better shooter (it may infact make you worse) and its not usually the rifle that limits the ability to kill within any sane ranges.

No offence taken. I had a good range setup up north where i’m from which we went to once a month for the last 5 years or so. Unfortunately i’m living in the SI now so don’t have access to that range but going to start setting one up fairly shortly. Shot 100’s of rounds at 500 with good results and some at longer distances where the conditions allowed, so certainly not a pro but also not green either
Got a 270 with a night force that easily shoots long range at targets but its a safe queen and bit heavy and precious to be practical. Also have a 30-06 with a leica thats capable of 600 but not a whole lot more in terms of dial range and energy.
From the drop chart info i found online i doubted the swaro would be sufficient but from the great advice of guys on here it seems that either calibre would go out to around 800m with that scope just fine so my mind is now at ease
Cheers


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Originally Posted by Up The Tahrs 93

Cheers mate thats awesome advice! Are the struggles you’ve had loading the 7PRC in terms of consistent grouping?


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No it group amazing. It has just been harder to find a load that group great and stay consistent. Two mates reload for others professionally and same findings across 5 different rifles. We since have found a combination of components / load that has been producing good results in most rifles both in terms of grouping and velocities. The 300wsm has been the less picky of any calibres I have reloaded for to get to shoot great.

Originally Posted by tibo

No it group amazing. It has just been harder to find a load that group great and stay consistent. Two mates reload for others professionally and same findings across 5 different rifles. We since have found a combination of components / load that has been producing good results in most rifles both in terms of grouping and velocities. The 300wsm has been the less picky of any calibres I have reloaded for to get to shoot great.

Okay thats really good to know. I will be doing load dev and have access to a bunch of different powders so hopefully i can find a happy median if i do go with the PRC which is kinda the way im leaning.
Yeah i have heard that about the WSM too but in regard to box ammo, it seems to do pretty well with a few different flavours. Every WSM we’ve sold loves the 200gr precision hunter with a 1:10 twist, 22” barrel and suppressor, its pretty much a sure thing


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6.5 prc.147eldm@3000 fps has over taken 178 eldx @3000 fps in hitting power at 800.less powder,kick.more accurate.accuracy is the main thing you should be thinking about if your slinging bullets at game at those ranges.

Originally Posted by Up The Tahrs 93

No offence taken. I had a good range setup up north where i’m from which we went to once a month for the last 5 years or so. Unfortunately i’m living in the SI now so don’t have access to that range but going to start setting one up fairly shortly. Shot 100’s of rounds at 500 with good results and some at longer distances where the conditions allowed, so certainly not a pro but also not green either
Got a 270 with a night force that easily shoots long range at targets but its a safe queen and bit heavy and precious to be practical. Also have a 30-06 with a leica thats capable of 600 but not a whole lot more in terms of dial range and energy.
From the drop chart info i found online i doubted the swaro would be sufficient but from the great advice of guys on here it seems that either calibre would go out to around 800m with that scope just fine so my mind is now at ease
Cheers


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My opinion not that you asked is that a magnum just means you cant reduce the weight as much. If your talking about wanting to shoot long then lightweight is the enemy. I also moved from North to south 12 years ago. Ive gone down in calibre as light rifles in high recoiling rifles are hard to shoot well especially in the field not many great shooting positions in the alpine.

Also energy is a crap metric I would ignore it completely. All that matters is that the bullet has sufficient impact velocity to expand the chosen (higher for monos and lower for fragmenting bullets) satisfactorily and that it hits critical organs.

If I was swayed to own a magnum again. A 147 eld match at 2900fps from a 6.5prc is still going plenty fast to expand at 800m (900yards). Anything larger seems pretty redundant to me. A 6.5 creedmoor starting the same bullet at 2650 only loses roughly 130m but in a much easier to shoot package.

But I have never felt i needed anything beyond even 5-600m and most of those times I still had the opportunity to get closer.

A 300wsm will at best add roughly 100m terminal effective range on your 30-06 but the chances you can use it are very low. Going from 500 to 800 is significantly harder than 0-500m