The 30 Nosler vs. 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) debate often springs up among long-distance shooting and hunting enthusiasts. This only makes sense, as the magnum cartridges are frequently touted as two of the best to have been developed in recent decades.
Is either of these rounds better than the other? Let’s compare their real-world performance to see if one genuinely is!
What’s the Difference Between 30 Nosler and 300 PRC?
While these two cartridges are both designed for long-distance shooting, they also have some significant differences from one another. Let’s begin by examining differences in their physical specifications, followed by their recoil, trajectory, ballistic coefficient, and several other key aspects.
Cartridge Specifications
Despite sharing the same application and 0.308” diameter bullet, the 30 Nosler and 300 PRC differ in several key aspects.
The 30 Nosler is based on the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, while the 300 PRC is based on the 375 Ruger. The 30 Nosler has a neck diameter of 0.344”, while the 300 PRC’s neck is narrower by 0.003”. The 30 Nosler’s base diameter is 0.550”, and the 300 PRC is again narrower, this time by 0.018”.
Despite having narrower dimensions (or, more accurately, because of its narrower dimensions), the 300 PRC has the longer case: 2.580”, as opposed to 2.556”.
Thanks to its long projectile, the 300 PRC dwarfs the 30 Nosler in overall length: 3.700”, which is over 1/3” longer than the 3.340” 30 Nosler.
The 30 Nosler’s case capacity is 89.8 grains H2O, significantly higher than the 300 PRC’s 77 grains. Even so, the cartridges share the same 65,000 psi maximum pressure.
Let’s examine how these specs affect actual performance, beginning with how much recoil each cartridge typically has.
Recoil
It’s the first thing any cowboy wants to know about an unfamiliar shootin’ iron: how hard does she kick, hoss?
Less recoil is always preferable. It enhances comfort and minimizes the degree to which “muzzle flip” jerks your crosshairs off target.
Rather than base our comparison on felt recoil, which is subjective and therefore incomparable by nature, we base it on free recoil energy. That’s an objective measurement whereby recoil is determined by four factors: projectile weight, propellant weight, muzzle velocity, and firearm weight.
The recoil energy of the 300 PRC is about 36 ft-lbs (212 grain bullet, 2,860 fps muzzle velocity, 8-pound rifle). The 30 Nosler has about 31.58 ft-lbs recoil energy (205 grain bullet, 3,009 fps muzzle velocity, 8-pound rifle).
By that measure, the 30 Nosler has slightly less recoil and wins this section.
Trajectory
A bullet’s trajectory is its path after exiting the muzzle. We measure trajectory in terms of bullet rise and drop, as it resembles an arch.A flat trajectory is preferable for firing across longer distances, as it allows the shooter to make fewer compensations for gravity and wind drift.
The following scenarios are generalizations. A cartridge’s trajectory varies from load to load, so you might have a different experience if you were to fire these rounds at the range.
A 300 PRC 212 grain ELD-X bullet drops -38.3” at 500 yards when sighted in at 200 yards. A 190 grain CX bullet drops -36.0” at 500 yards when zeroed at the same range.
A 30 Nosler 210 grain AccuBond bullet drops -34.6” at 500 yards when sighted in at 200 yards. A 180 grain AccuBond bullet drops -32.5” at 500 yards when zeroed at the same range.
The 30 Nosler’s flatter trajectory wins this section.
Accuracy: 300 PRC vs. 30 Nosler
The 30 Nosler and 300 PRC are extremely accurate cartridges. Match grade loads offer sub-MOA (minute of angle, where 1 MOA = 1" at 100 yards) accuracy.
It’s crucial to understand that accuracy is more a function of the shooter and shooting platform than it is of the cartridge. The ammo and rifle pairing, environmental conditions, trajectory, recoil, and shooter’s skills all play key roles in determining how much accuracy a cartridge can exhibit.
Bearing all of that in mind, it’s still fair to declare the 30 Nosler the more accurate round. Its flatter trajectory does simplify long-distance shooting, and its (slightly) gentler recoil further facilitates fast, accurate fire.
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