The 308 Winchester has proven itself at the range and field, but the 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) threatens its long-standing dominance. In this 300 PRC vs. 308 Win article, you’ll learn which option is better for your shooting preferences.
We’ll discuss the differences in recoil, trajectory, Ballistic Coefficient (BC), cost, and several other factors regarding how each cartridge performs on paper and in the real world.
Difference Between 300 PRC and 308 Winchester
Although these cartridges fire the same diameter bullet, they perform quite differently from one another. A cursory examination of their physical dimensions will help explain how.
Cartridge Specs
The 300 PRC’s parent case is the .375 Ruger, while the .308 Win is the .300 Savage. Both cartridges fire a bullet with a diameter of 0.308” and have a similar neck diameter (0.3410” for the 300 PRC; 0.3433” for the 308 Win).
The 300 PRC larger size becomes apparent when you observe its base diameter: 0.532”, as opposed to the 308 Winchester at 0.4709”. The 300 PRC’s case length is 2.58”, dwarfing the 2.015” long 308 Win case. The 300 PRC cartridge is nearly 1” longer than the 308 Winchester (3.7” 300 PRC; 2.8” 308 Win).
Its larger case grants the 300 PRC a higher case capacity: 77 grains H2O, as opposed to 56 grains H2O for 308 Winchester. The 300 PRC’s maximum pressure is 65,000 psi – 3,000 psi higher than the 308 Winchester’s 62,000 psi max pressure.
Let’s see how the cartridges’ different specs impact their performance relative to one another.
Recoil: 300 PRC vs. 308
I always compare recoil because it’s one of the first questions a shooter asks. We all want to know how much it kicks.
The less recoil you feel, the more accurate you can shoot. Less is always better (unless you’re a macho man who has to prove how tough you are to the world). Felt recoil is subjective. It varies shooter to shooter. That’s why we base our comparison on free recoil energy, an objective measure of recoil determined by four factors: projectile weight, propellant weight, muzzle velocity, and firearm weight.
The recoil energy of the 308 Winchester is about 17.5 ft-lbs of energy (when firing a 180 grain bullet at 2,610 fps from an 8 pound rifle). The recoil energy of the 300 PRC is about 36 ft-lbs (when firing a 212 grain bullet at 2,860 fps from an 8 pound rifle).
The 308 Winchester jumps out to an early lead because it has less than half the recoil of the 300 PRC.
Trajectory
A bullet’s trajectory is the path it takes upon exiting the muzzle. We measure trajectory in terms of bullet drop and rise, as it resembles an arch, as gravity begins pulling on the bullet when it leaves the barrel.
A flat trajectory is preferred for firing across longer distances, as it requires the shooter to make fewer adjustments to remain accurate.
A cartridge’s trajectory varies from load to load, so the following scenarios are generalizations.
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 sighted in at the same distance.
A 308 Winchester 150 grain FMJ bullet drops -47.2” at 500 yards when sighted in at 200 yards. A 180 grain Trophy Bonded Tip drops -51.1” at 500 yards when sighted in at the same distance.
The 300 PRC has a flatter trajectory than the 308 Win. It wins this section and ties things up.
Accuracy: 308 Win vs. 300 PRC
The 308 Win and 300 PRC are incredibly accurate cartridges. Match grade loads with Sierra MatchKing, Hornady ELD-X, and Berger VLD Target bullets will give you sub-MOA (minute of angle, where 1 MOA = 1" at 100 yards) accuracy.
It’s crucial to remember that accuracy is more often a function of the shooting platform and the shooter than it is of the cartridge. The ammo and rifle pairing, environmental conditions, trajectory, recoil, and shooter all play vital roles in determining how much accuracy a cartridge can exhibit.
For the sake of argument, we’ll only consider the cartridges’ trajectories and recoil. That makes this section a tie, as the 300 Winchester has less recoil, but the 300 PRC has a flatter trajectory.
Recoil-sensitive shooters should choose the 308 Win. Shooters looking to get maximum distance (and who have little concern for recoil) should choose the 300 PRC.
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