300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor: Which is Better for Hunting and Target Shooting?

We’re comparing and contrasting the 300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor: two rifle cartridges designed for long-distance shooting. Let’s decide once and for all which cartridge you should take to the range and the field!

300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor

Since the 6.5 Creedmoor and 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge are designed for similar purposes, we can expect them to be alike, albeit with subtle tweaks that can make all the difference...

Let’s begin with the cartridges’ specifications, and then compare the cartridges’ performance including recoil, trajectory, ballistic coefficient (BC), stopping power, and several others.

Cartridge Specs

You’ll have no problem identifying these two cartridges side by side, as the 300 PRC is almost 1 in longer than the 6.5 Creedmoor (300 PRC, 3.7 in; 6.5 Creedmoor, 2.825 in). The 300 PRC has a case length of 2.58 in; the 6.5 Creedmoor, only 1.92 in.

The 300 PRC's base diameter is longer: 0.532 in, as opposed to 0.470 in for 6.5 Creedmoor. The 300 PRC’s large case has a higher capacity (77 grains H₂O, as opposed to 52.5 grains H₂O for 6.5 Creedmoor).

The bullets the two rounds fire also differ in diameter. The 300 PRC seats the American favorite 0.308 caliber bullet, whereas the 6.5 Creedmoor seats a 0.264 caliber bullet. The 300 PRC has a higher maximum pressure than the 6.5 Creedmoor (65,000 psi and 62,000 psi, respectively).

Let’s see how these specifications affect the cartridges’ performance.

Recoil: 300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor

The less recoil you experience, the more accurate you can shoot. Less is always better when it comes to recoil (unless you’re a macho man who has to prove to the world just how tough you are by using a heavy recoil cartridge).

Shoulder wear is a real problem when shooting long matches or just out on the range for an extended time. The less your rifle thumps your shoulder, the less you will jerk the trigger (i.e. “recoil anticipation"), making you more accurate.

Felt recoil is a subjective term that varies from shooter to shooter, so it’s unreliable to base a decision on. Free recoil energy, on the other hand, can be measured empirically based on the projectile weight, propellant weight, muzzle velocity, and gun weight.

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 free recoil energy of the 6.5 Creedmoor is about 18.5 ft-lbs when firing a 143 grain bullet from an 8 pound rifle.

Because the 6.5 Creedmoor fires lighter projectiles at similar velocities, it has less recoil than the 300 PRC and wins this section.

Trajectory

Trajectory quantifies a bullet’s flight path as it travels downrange, measured in inches of bullet drop. It resembles an arch, as gravity begins pulling on the bullet when it leaves the barrel.

A flatter trajectory is generally preferred for firing across longer distances, as it requires the shooter to make fewer adjustments to remain accurate at various distances.

Keep in mind that a cartridge's trajectory varies from load to load. For example, a 212 grain ELD-X 300 PRC bullet will drop -38.3 in at 500 yards when sighted in at 200 yards. A 190 grain CX bullet will drop -36.0 in at 500 yards when sighted in at 200 yards.

A 143 grain ELD-X 6.5 Creedmoor bullet will drop -44.4 in at 500 yards when sighted in at 200 yards. A 95 grain V-MAX bullet will only drop -34.8 in at 500 yards when zeroed at 200 yards.

The 300 PRC will typically exhibit a flatter trajectory, except in some extreme situations. It wins this section.

Accuracy: 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 300 PRC

Determining a cartridge's accuracy depends on several variables, such as the shooter, rifle and ammo combination, shooting conditions, recoil, and trajectory.

We’ll only consider each cartridge's recoil and trajectory to ensure the comparison is as equal as possible.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has less recoil; therefore, recoil-sensitive shooters will often consider the 6.5 Creedmoor more accurate.

However, experienced shooters who are less affected by recoil will claim that the 300 PRC's flatter trajectory makes it more accurate, especially at farther distances.

This section is a tie because each cartridge can be highly accurate (MOA “Minute Of Angle,” meaning your firearm shoots one-inch groups or better at 100 yards) in the hands of an experienced shooter.

Ballistic Coefficient

Ballistic coefficient (BC) measures how well a bullet resists wind drift and cuts through the air. Put another way, it’s a numeric representation of a projectile's aerodynamics. A high BC is preferred because the bullet will slice the wind more efficiently.

Ballistic coefficient also varies based on bullet design and other factors beyond this article's intended purpose. Generally, a heavier, sleeker bullet will have a higher BC, as it takes more force to disrupt the flight of a heavier projectile than a lighter, stubbier one.

The 300 PRC was explicitly designed to fire heavier bullets far downrange. Two of the primary factory loads for the 300 PRC are the 212 grain ELD-X and the 225 grain ELD Match, which have G1 BCs of 0.663 and 0.777, respectively.

The 6.5 Creedmoor 140 grain ELD Match bullet has a 0.646 G1 BC, and the 147 grain ELD Match bullet has a BC of 0.697 G1 BC.

While the 6.5 Creedmoor has tremendously high BC bullets, the 300 PRC wins this section primarily because it fires heavier bullets.

Barrel Life

Long-range precision shooters demand the pinnacles of accuracy and consistency from their rifles. These marksmen track barrel life meticulously. On the other hand, hunters rarely fire enough rounds through their rifles to worry too much about the lifespan of their barrels.

The most significant factor affecting barrel life is the propellant charge of the fired ammo. A more powerful propellant charge typically shortens the barrel life of the rifle.

Hornady kept this in mind while developing the 300 PRC, as they didn’t want the cartridge to burn through barrels quickly. The current consensus in the long-distance shooting community is around 2,000 rounds for the 300 PRC barrel life expectancy. The 6.5 Creedmoor's barrel life ranges from 2,500 to 3,000 rounds.

The 6.5 Creedmoor edges out the 300 PRC and wins this section, but either cartridge will allow you to send thousands of rounds downrange before requiring you to replace the barrel.

Stopping Power: 300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor

Once again, we come to a fickle, difficult-to-define term, as stopping power means different things to various shooters. We could argue til we’re blue in the face about the exact definition. For the sake of time, let’s agree that penetration depth, size of the hole created (aka, wound column diameter), and kinetic energy transfer are the primary factors of stopping power.

To further complicate the issue, shot placement is more critical than stopping power. A poor shot (say to the foot) from a cartridge with more stopping power can be less lethal than a good shot (to the vitals) from a cartridge with less stopping power.

Considering this, the 300 PRC will have more stopping power than the 6.5 Creedmoor. It fires larger diameter projectiles, maintains more energy downrange, and is designed to transfer the energy to the target upon impact.

However, that doesn’t mean the 6.5 Creedmoor lacks punch. As we will soon discover, it still has plenty of stopping power for most hunting applications.

The 300 PRC wins this section.

Hunting

Both cartridges are solid choices for big game hunting, but each one shines when hunting specific species.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is better for wild hogs or mule deer hunting, as it will damage less meat on medium to large game animals.

The 300 PRC is better for larger animals, such as elk, moose, and bear, especially at farther distances (500+ yards).

However, there is another factor we should consider: ammo cost and availability. Without diving too deep (we will do that in the next section), the 300 PRC has a handful of hunting ammo options, but it’s more expensive than the more abundant 6.5 Creedmoor hunting ammo.

This section is a tie. It ultimately depends on your target species and budget.

Cost & Availability

The 6.5 Creedmoor has been around longer and continues to grow in popularity, so more manufacturers produce high-quality ammo at reasonable prices. Giving us, the shooters, more ammo options.

The 300 PRC is still relatively new, so fewer ammunition makers are producing it. This means its prices are higher, and options are more limited.

“Plinking ammo” (if you can call shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor plinking) costs less than $1 per round, but higher-end hunting and match-grade factory ammo costs $2-$3 per round (at the time of writing).

300 PRC ammo costs $2.75 (Norma Bondstrike 180 grain polymer tip) or more per round. Federal Premium 215 grain Terminal Ascent costs about $5 per round, but Gunwerks Long Range Hunting 215 grain Berger Hybrid costs nearly $10 per round!

In the long run, the 6.5 Creedmoor is more abundant and less costly than the 300 PRC (at least as far as factory-loaded ammunition is concerned).

Reloading

Handloading is the best way to craft the perfect ammo for your rifle and potentially save money. The initial cost of buying reloading equipment and supplies is often enough to keep most shooters at bay, but reloading is the only way to go for the serious shooter.

Both cartridges are reloadable, with loads of supplies and loading data available, so this section is a tie.

Ballistics Charts

The team at Ammo.com has gathered the ballistic charts of each cartridge for you to compare quickly.

300 PRC Ballistics Table

Deep dive into 300 PRC ballistics.

6.5 Creedmoor Ballistics Table

Deep dive into 6.5 Creedmoor ballistics.

300 PRC Brief History

The Hornady 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) was specifically designed for long-range precision shooting. Hornady developed the cartridge to fire long, aerodynamic, and high BC .30 caliber bullets, which is everything long-range shooters want but haven’t heard about yet.

Hornady rolled out their new cartridge at the 2019 SHOT Show and received SAAMI approval in August 2018.

Although the 300 PRC cartridge is still somewhat obscure, it is becoming more popular in the long-range competition circuit and garnering some attention from USSOCOM.

6.5 Creedmoor Brief History

Hornady unveiled the 6.5 Creedmoor at the 2007 SHOT Show. Hornady didn’t have high hopes for this new cartridge and had no idea that the Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor was about to take the long-range shooting scene by storm.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is loaded with various bullet weights, typically separated into two categories: the lightweight category, which ranges from 127 to 135 grain, and the heavyweight category, which is loaded with 140 to 147 grain bullets.

The rim of the 6.5 Creedmoor is identical to the 308 Winchester's, which means that a barrel change is all that is needed to convert a hunting rifle chambered from one to the other.

The 6.5 Creedmoor remains a fan favorite for long-distance target shooting competitions and is gaining popularity among big game hunters. I don’t see this cartridge going away anytime soon.

Parting Shots

You’ve finished reading the 300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor comparison, and it’s time to tally the results!

The 300 PRC won three sections (trajectory, ballistic coefficient, and stopping power). Three sections were a tie (reloading, hunting, and accuracy). The 6.5 Creedmoor won three sections (recoil, cost/availability, and barrel life).

It’s ultimately up to you and which factors you consider most important. Both cartridges are excellent choices in their own right, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy either one you choose.

Don’t forget to stock up on all your ammo needs at Ammo.com!

Frequently Asked Questions

The team at Ammo.com has gathered and answered some of the most commonly asked questions regarding 300 PRC vs. 6.5 Creedmoor.

What are the ballistic advantages of 300 PRC over 6.5 Creedmoor for long-distance shooting?

The ballistic advantages of the 300 PRC over the 6.5 Creedmoor for long-distance shooting are a flatter trajectory and higher BC bullets.

What are the differences in barrel life between 300 PRC and 6.5 Creedmoor?

The difference in barrel life between the 300 PRC and 6.5 Creedmoor is about 1,000 rounds. The 300 PRC has a barrel life expectancy of 2,000 rounds, and the 6.5 Creedmoor is about 3,000 rounds.

Is 300 PRC Too Much for Deer?

The 300 PRC is not too much for deer, but will damage more meat than a .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield.