Thread: 300 PRC thoughts for a new guy

Kind of new to the hunting scene, but have been shooting on and off for a good while. I want to buy a rifle (can afford only one at this point) that will serve me well for target shooting and deer hunting (tops ideally). Have been considering a 300 PRC which would be great long distance cartridge at the range, but I don’t know how it would be as a hunting round. Is it too much for deer that are, say, at 100m? Will it be too powerful to open up in the deer and just go right through and only wound? Advice and suggestions welcomed heartily.

Kinda new to the hunting scene?.... Maybe you should double check your reasoning for selecting a top end magnum round.... ?

As a hunting round, it will be the same as a 300 Win Mag (which has killed millions of deer big and small, at short range and at long range). Exactly which 30cal magnum it is that sends the 180+ grain bullet in the deer's direction at mach 3 is immaterial. And whilst you can't make a deer too dead, you can certainly destroy more meat than strictly necessary in the process.

I have heard of 215gr Bergers and zipping through hinds shot behind the shoulder - but only because that particular bullet does need to hit something quite solid to start off the expansion reliably. You aren't going to have that kind of problem with something like the ELD-X (which will basically start to expand if it so much as clips a blade of grass).

Would 300prc be a suitable pick for a first hunting rifle? It's a big cartridge. And hunting rifles tend to be on the lighter side. Light rifles chambered in big cartridges become a handful to shoot. Rifles that are a handful to shoot need a fair bit of practice to master. But paradoxically, the ammo being so expensive and the rifle wanting to kick the shit out of you every time you look at it makes the idea of lots of practice highly unappealing. This leads to a lot of people who buy magnums as first rifles into developing flinches, not putting the time in to develop their skills to manage the recoil, and as a result screwing up shots when it counts. Unless you have the first-hand knowledge of why you wouldn't fall into that trap, I would consider buying something like a 7mm08 or a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Buy something with cheap and plentiful ammo, shoot it lots to learn the rifle and ballistics, and be happy.

Hard to look past the .223 with a fast twist barrel.

A big, fast bullet won't kill deer any better than a small, fast one if it doesn't hit!

a 308 has plenty of ammo choices and is more than capable on the tops or in bush. Go for something you can actually get ammo for at decent prices.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

a 308 has plenty of ammo choices and is more than capable on the tops or in bush. Go for something you can actually get ammo for at decent prices.

What he said

Another one for the .308.
Proven performance. Plenty of ammo and components. Easy to load for, no special powders needed. Get the long range flashy stuff later if you find you need it. With the number of new wonder cartridges that have appeared over the last decade or so many will dissappear in the future but the .308 will still be here.
Regards Grandpamac.

+1 for the 308.

I would be looking to buying a calibre that is "old school", "run of the mill". A 300PRC may be an excellent calibre, but its gonna hurt your body until you know how to shoot, and its gonna hurt your pocket cos it costs a bloody fortune to buy PRC ammo. And then you probably wont be able to buy it from many places, if it is available.

A 308, 30-06, 270, 7-08, 25-06, 243 etc etc certainly dont feature as much in all the glossy advertising any more, but they sure as hell will shoot every bit as good, for a lot less hassle. Buy a 7-08 or a 308 and learn to hunt, and shoot, and then shoot it some more until you're confident enough to take ethical shots consistently out to about 350 metres. Then spend time on the range to learn how to extend your shooting ability on targets.

As a good mate of mine use to say - "the only bullet/rifle combination you need is the one where the bullet and the target connect" And the 300PRC will cost you heaps to get that. There are so many other quality options available that wont cost you an arm and a leg.

Start off with something that has plenty of ammo available. Upgrade to a magnum round later.
30-06, 270, 308, 7-08, 243. Unless you desperately want a PRC then ignore all the advice and buy one.

And suppress what ever you get to give you the best chance of shooting well.

I work at the local deerstalkers range and anyone that asks what rifle they should buy gets exactly the same answer. a 308 tikka t3x with a leupold scope on it fitted and purchased off someone you trust. and its just the right answer. cheap to run in 308, not too much recoil, covers all bases in NZ, huge range of handloading options. and generally when fitted buy a trustworthy person its very reliable. As far as the scope once again just reliable, vx3 in the 4 to 12 power range will cover all bases really, vx5 if you can afford it and just get out shooting. i say the fact that you have to ask means you don't have the experience figure it out. and you'll always have that basic gun you can fall back on.

and as back up to that i shoot a tikka t3x in 308 (suppressed) with a vx5 3 to 15. and so does a mate, both shoot an inch all day long with factory loads and handloads.

and i learnt target shooting out to 1000yds with a 308 and a fixed 12 power scope so you dont need any more magnification.

308 will knock over a red at 600 yards if you know what you are up to. A lot cheaper to shoot too

7mm-08 tikka t3

3006 or 308 would be far better choices for all round hunting rifle in 30cal