300 win mag vs 300prc vs 30 nosler vs 300 RUM

I've said this before, but I think a .30-06 AI with a Hammer Hunter at extra high velocity would be a killer in .30 cal. mtmuley
When I had my .30-06 re-chambered to .30 Gibbs it gave me over 2950 fps with 180 grain Partitions which put a similar number of bull elk in my freezer as your .300 RUM has.
 
I’ve got experience with all of them. They’re really not that different in ballistic performance. Honestly I’d get whichever you can get with a 1-8” twist, so you can shoot whatever bullet your heart desires. So this probably means the 300 PRC for factory rifles.

If you want the best performance from factory loads then 300 PRC.

If you want the most factory load options then 300 Win Mag. Also very handy when you fly somewhere and TSA steals your ammo, so you can find ammo to buy to salvage your hunt.

300 RUM is great but difficult to load with long heavy projectiles and keep them at magazine length. Very few factory ammo options.

30 Nosler is probably the best case design, but case design doesn’t really matter that much with a hunting rifle (vs a competition rifle, for example). This would be my personal pick, but I exclusively handload. Also very few factory ammo options. A 30 Nosler and 300 PRC are damn near the same thing, just that the SAAMI spec twist rate for the 300 PRC is 1-8” and the 30 Nosler is 1-10” (although some manufacturers do make factory rifles in 1-8”). If Nosler would have made the 30 Nosler with a 1-8” twist then the 300 PRC would have never been created.

So I’m going with 300 PRC. Good factory load options and unlimited options for handloading.
Great info 👆.

If you are willing to have some freebore added then I would go with the Nosler to shoot either Berger 215 or 230's. The difference between the 300wm and prc for handloaders is basically nothing and since you already have everything for it that would be the way to go imo. Also, there is a chance you might have to have some reamer work done in the prc in regards to the clicker issue reloaders run into after a few firings on a case.

I've shot 300wm for many years and I was thinking of going up to a 300nmi but I'm starting to lean more towards the 30 Nosler with a custom throat instead.

With all that being said, there is a reason the 300wm is still going strong despite all these new shiny cartridges showing up.....it just gets things done!
 
I am making the assumption that you are interested in shooting long range based on the calibers you mentioned. You are already looking at Fierce... if you want a magnum or ultra magnum caliber look at 7mm PRC. I believe Fierce is the only one building them right now. If I was in the market for what your looking at, hands down, I would pick the 7mm PRC in a heartbeat. Look at the ballistics compared to the 300 PRC and it will outperform on BC, wind drift and down range energy grain for grain. Call up Fierce and check on Snipers Hide.

However, if you want ammo availability and affordability and are not interested in super long range... the win mag would be hard to beat.
 
Type that title in the search bar on You Tube and you can fill the rest of the day.

35 years ago when I bought my rifle it was .300 WinMag. I think for today it might be .30 Nosler. Reason being custom rifles with fast twist barrels for heavy bullets. Ron Spomer talks about comparing the PRC and the WinMag and I think it's a good comparison.

But a quick search for either on Ammoseek tells me all I need to know about factory ammo availability.
 
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With fast twist barrels and companies like Hammer Bullets making unbelievable bullets the "older" rounds are being resurrected. Like others have mentioned go try and find newer or latest and greatest rounds or components. You can find the gun but good luck on finding something to shoot through it. I just went through this on my latest rifle purchase. Was considering one of the PRC's but couldn't find brass and what I could find in loaded ammo was $$. 28 Nosler was just stupid in price for brass. I had everything thing for a 7mm Rem Mag so that is what I went with and the barrel is a 1-8 twist so longer high BC bullets will stabilize.
 
I am making the assumption that you are interested in shooting long range based on the calibers you mentioned. You are already looking at Fierce... if you want a magnum or ultra magnum caliber look at 7mm PRC. I believe Fierce is the only one building them right now. If I was in the market for what your looking at, hands down, I would pick the 7mm PRC in a heartbeat. Look at the ballistics compared to the 300 PRC and it will outperform on BC, wind drift and down range energy grain for grain. Call up Fierce and check on Snipers Hide.

However, if you want ammo availability and affordability and are not interested in super long range... the win mag would be hard to beat.
That's not a real comparison. Why would anyone shoot the same grains between a 7mm and 30cal? The differences between a 6.5 shooting a 156, 7mm with 180's, and 30 with 215's isn't huge but I'll take more mass all things equal.
 
The only one I wouldn't consider is the RUM. Just too overbore for my tastes.

300wm - Most factory ammo available. Negative is the belt and possibly having to body size with a specialized die. More than enough juice IMO.
300PRC - Nice factory design for long slick bullets, not crazy overbore. Only real negative for a handloader is a factory chamber might end up with clicker issues
300 N - Just a little more juice than i want in a hunting rifle. SAAMI freebore is a little short for the heavy bullets.
The big. 30's are all overbore. mtmuley
 
That's not a real comparison. Why would anyone shoot the same grains between a 7mm and 30cal? The differences between a 6.5 shooting a 156, 7mm with 180's, and 30 with 215's isn't huge but I'll take more mass all things equal.

Further you shoot the more challenging reading wind becomes. The more you can minimize wind drift, the more accurate you can be. Downrange energy at 1000 yards doesn’t matter if you can’t accurately call the wind. Or maybe it matters if you make a crummy shot that you shouldn’t be taking.

I’m not a long range guy… my buddy who is into it way deeper than I is selling his 300 PRC for a 7mm PRC.

If your really looking at long range I suggest researching at Snipers Hide because they geek out on stuff many on this forum don’t care too much about.

But here is a little objective info:


It’s worth a look at the 7mm PRC if it’s for long range.

In the end though people kill large game every year with smaller calibers than mentioned because of good shooting and decent bullets… that’s my jam… I am not into the long range game… it just doesn’t interest me.
 
Further you shoot the more challenging reading wind becomes. The more you can minimize wind drift, the more accurate you can be. Downrange energy at 1000 yards doesn’t matter if you can’t accurately call the wind. Or maybe it matters if you make a crummy shot that you shouldn’t be taking.

I’m not a long range guy… my buddy who is into it way deeper than I is selling his 300 PRC for a 7mm PRC.

If your really looking at long range I suggest researching at Snipers Hide because they geek out on stuff many on this forum don’t care too much about.

But here is a little objective info:


It’s worth a look at the 7mm PRC if it’s for long range.

In the end though people kill large game every year with smaller calibers than mentioned because of good shooting and decent bullets… that’s my jam… I am not into the long range game… it just doesn’t interest
No offense but those numbers in the articles are worthless for a comparison. Maybe if you just shoot factory ammo they might mean something but for the handloader, not much.

Run these numbers through a ballistic calculator….

156 Berger at 3067
180 Berger at 3030
215 Berger at 3100

I know the 7mm prc is the new shiny thing but realize a properly throated 7mm rem or the 7lrm are both as/more capable on just pure ballistics. I won’t even get into the 28 Nosler.

You have to be careful with articles that pick bullets and velocities to make a cartridge look better compared to the others. The same articles were written when the 6.5 and 300prcs came out. It’s called marketing.
 
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....a line that reminds me of gun writers.

"I used to think I was an artist...come to find out I'm a beer salesman" -- James McMurtry
 
Ok, all four of these big 30s are loaded with 180 gr. Nosler Partitions. Four Cow elk broadside at 300 yards. Each elk is hit just behind the shoulder by one of the big 30s. What does or doesn’t happen ??
 
Ok, all four of these big 30s are loaded with 180 gr. Nosler Partitions. Four Cow elk broadside at 300 yards. Each elk is hit just behind the shoulder by one of the big 30s. What does or doesn’t happen ??
They will all be dead but some more dead than the others.

The question I have is why would you shoot 180’s in a 30? That’s just crazy talk. 😉
 
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