300 PRC vs. .300 Win. Mag.

As perhaps the most popular .30-caliber magnum of all time, the Win. Mag. is the PRC’s direct competition. But it’s not a 21st-century creation. It wasn’t designed for the high-speed low-drag bullets so popular today, and as I’ve written elsewhere, its chamber design leaves something to be desired. If the Win. Mag. isn’t “intelligently crafted,” Hornady implies, what does that say about its aficionados?

I’ll cut that line of thinking short and get back to the question at hand: if you’re looking for a .30-caliber magnum to chase elk or moose, should you go with the tried-and-true .300 Win. Mag. or the more refined 300 PRC? Keep reading to find out.

The ballistic difference between these two cartridges begins with the case. The .300 Win. Mag. is based on the .338 Winchester Magnum (which was itself derived from the .375 H&H Magnum). The case length is 2.62 inches, which boasts a 94-grain capacity, and the overall length is 3.34 inches.

The 300 PRC case, on the other hand, is based on the 375 Ruger cartridge, which gives it a shorter length (2.58 inches). However, the wider case actually has more capacity (99 grains), and the neck design allows the bullet to be seated farther outside the case, so the overall length is also slightly longer (3.7 inches).

What does all this mean? It means the PRC solves what many considered one of the Win. Mag’s biggest deficiencies: the short neck requires the bullet to be seated too far down in the case (especially with heavy bullets), which cuts down on how much powder could be stuffed in. The PRC, on the other hand, can accommodate heavy-for-caliber, high-BC bullets that buck the wind and maintain velocity better than those used in the .300 Win. Mag.

To compare bullets of similar weights, a 200-grain .300 Win. Mag. leaves the barrel going about 2,800 fps, which delivers 3,500 ft.-lbs. of energy. The 300 PRC, on the other hand, throws a 212-grain bullet a little faster–closer to 2,900 fps–which bumps the muzzle energy near 3,800 ft.-lbs. of force.

It’s easy to see the PRC’s baseline advantages in this apples-to-apples comparison, but most .300 Win. Mag. hunters don’t use those heavier 200-grain pills. Instead, they opt for something like these 180-grain .300 Win. Mag. loads, which use a Nosler Accubond bullet that boasts a respectable 0.507 BC and leaves the muzzle at 3,000 feet-per-second (fps). With a 100-yard zero, it’s only dropped 11 inches at 300 yards, 45 inches at 500 yards, and at that longer distance has drifted 16 inches with a 10 mph crosswind.

That’s a solid stat line, but once again, the PRC has it beat. These 212-grain 300 PRC loads leave the muzzle a little slower than the .300 Win. Mag. at 2,860 fps, but the heavier bullet means they’re carrying an extra 250 ft.-lbs. of energy, which is what hunters should be concerned about. Those 212-grain bullets are designed with a BC of 0.663, which means they drop about two inches less at 500 yards but also move four inches less with that 10 mph crossbreeze.

Most importantly, the PRC has retained 10% more of its original energy than the .300 Win. Mag. at 500 yards. At that distance, the .300 Win. Mag. has retained about 50% of its original 3,597 ft.-lbs. of energy while the PRC has retained 60% of its 3,850 ft.-lbs (over 2,200 ft.-lbs.). That means a better shot at a quick kill with hydrostatic shock, even at those extended ranges. The PRC pushes its advantage even further at ranges beyond 500 yards, but since most hunters never take a shot past that distance, that’s the data we include here.

MeatEater’s Garrett Long, who has extensive experience both hunting and shooting competitively with these cartridges, compared them to different generations of Ford engines.

“A 212-grain .30-caliber bullet coming out of a 300PRC is a totally different animal than a 180 out of a 300 Win. Mag.,” he said. “The way it cuts the air, powder efficiency, and inherent accuracy traits make the 300 PRC similar to the new Ford Powerstroke 6.7 HO, and the 300 Win. Mag similar to the 7.3. It’s reliable, but it’s old, it’s slow, and something is going to crack or seize up if you try to keep up with newer technology.”

Of course, the vast majority of hunters don’t kill animals at 500 yards (or, let’s be honest, shouldn’t). Fans of the .300 Win. Mag. point out that you need to stretch the distance to at least 500 yards to see much measurable ballistic improvement, and even then, a lost animal is more likely due to bad shooting than insufficiently powerful ammunition.

All of that is true, but even at closer distances, accuracy matters–and the PRC is more likely to deliver in that category. The 300 PRC’s chamber was designed using the latest ballistic advancements, one of which was to minimize the distance between the free bore (the portion of the barrel between the chamber and the rifling) and the bullet. Sometimes called “throat slop,” this distance is 0.007” for the .300 Win. Mag. but only 0.0008” for the PRC. Cutting that distance helps ensure the bullet enters the rifling straight on each shot, which is why the PRC has a much better reputation for accuracy at any distance.

The ballistic difference between these options is smaller than PRC bros would have you believe, but it’s enough to give the newer cartridge the clear edge.

Gun writers love to nerd out about minute ballistic differences, but the average hunter cares just as much about shootability. A hot new cartridge won’t do you much good if you can’t afford it or it leaves you with a bruised shoulder.

In the latter category, the .300 Win. Mag. has the PRC beat. The Win. Mag.’s elder statesman status means that you can find it at every sporting goods store in the country, and it’ll only cost you between $30 and $60 for a box of hunting ammo. Midway USA offers 91 Win. Mag. options, the cheapest of which hover around $1.70 per round. For their part, Sig Sauer’s offerings range from $25 per box for basic hunting rounds to $75 per box for their Platinum Hunter series.

The PRC is far more common now than even just a few years ago, and there’s a good chance your local sporting goods store carries a few options. But you won’t find nearly as large a selection either in person or online, and what is available starts at the high end of the ammo spectrum. Midway only offers 13 options, the cheapest of which is $2.76 per round.

I wouldn’t characterize the PRC as prohibitively expensive–you can get a box for about $60. But for most folks, it’ll be tough to afford much range ammo without reloading.

On the recoil front, these two cartridges are more evenly matched. I’d describe both as “stout.” Hitting with about 25 ft.-lbs. of recoil energy, the .300 Win. Mag. delivers about as much recoil as most hunters would prefer to shoot. The objective data that exists on the PRC indicates that the newer cartridge delivers just a little bit more. This makes sense. The PRC is firing a heavier bullet about the same speed, which means, all else being equal, it’s going to hit with more force.

My experience with both cartridges bears this out. Shooting them side by side in similar guns, the PRC seems to kick more. It’s not much, but it’s noticeable. A muzzle brake is a great idea for either cartridge, especially in a lightweight hunting rifle. Even better, a suppressor with a brake on the end of it.

For those new to Caliber Battles, “versatility” refers to the range of animals a cartridge can hunt as well as its other potential applications. On paper, the PRC has an edge in this category as well.

Handloaders can load the Win. Mag. with bullets ranging from 110 grains to 220 grains, but the vast majority of factory options fall in the 168- to 180-grain range. The PRC also has lighter 165-grain options, but it really shines in the heavy-for-caliber categories. You’ll find more options in Hornady’s original 212 grains, but other companies load bullets as heavy as 245 grains.

Practically speaking, this means the PRC can compete with the Win. Mag. on smaller, deer-sized animals but also offer heavier bullets for especially large or dangerous game. And whatever weight you choose, the PRC will probably be loaded with higher-BC bullets and be more accurate at long distances, to boot.

Speaking of long-distance, the PRC was originally designed for competitive shooters, so it shines in that application as well. While the Win. Mag. has also been used in this category (not to mention as a sniper round for the U.S. military), the PRC’s superior ballistics make it a more common choice for PRS and other styles of competition.

I can feel the .300 Win. Mag. fans getting heated, but before you head down to the comments, let me say this: in the field, you’re unlikely to notice much difference at all between the .300 Win. Mag. and the 300 PRC. Unless you’re shooting at critters from extremely long ranges (like, beyond 800 yards), the PRC’s advantages probably aren’t great enough to be a hunt’s deciding factor.

I say “probably” because the PRC’s advantages are real. It hits harder, shoots flatter, and is more accurate. That might make the difference on a 400-yard shot…but it probably won’t. More likely, you didn’t judge the distance correctly or the wind shifted or the animal spooked. These two magnums are both capable of taking anything North America has to offer, and in the case of the Win. Mag., it has a six-decade track record to prove it.

But the numbers don’t lie, and the PRC won two out of the three categories. For that reason, unless you’re really pinching pennies, I think the PRC is a better choice.