7mm PRC vs. 300 Win Mag: Which Dominates the Distances?

The 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge and 300 Winchester Magnum are solid options for long-distance hunting and target shooting.

But which is the better choice?

In this 7mm PRC vs. 300 Win Mag comparison, we’ll decide which is the better long-distance cartridge based on the facts of real-world performance.

Differences Between 7mm PRC and 300 Win Mag

While these cartridges were designed for the same purpose, they do approach it differently. We’ll begin by comparing the technical specifications for each cartridge, and then move on to how those differences affect performance in ordinary situations.

Cartridge Specs

These long-distance cartridges are extremely similar in size, so much so that only a barrel change is required to switch between them using the same rifle. This is because the base diameters (0.532”) and overall lengths (3.34”) are the same, and the maximum pressures are similar (65,000 psi for 7mm PRC; 64,000 psi for 300 Win Mag).

The greatest difference between the two rounds are their projectiles, which have different diameters. The 7mm PRC bullet has a diameter of 0.284”; the 300 Win Mag, 0.308” (same as 30-06 Springfield and .308 Winchester). This equates to different neck diameters (0.2846” for 7mm PRC; 0.339” for 300 Win Mag).

These two rounds’ cases also differ in length. The 7mm PRC has a case length of 2.28”. The case for the 300 Win Mag is 2.494” – hence its higher capacity (93.8 grains H₂O, as opposed to 73 grains H₂O for 7mm PRC).

Let’s see how these design differences affect the performance of each cartridge, starting with the amount of recoil each one produces.

Recoil: 7mm PRC vs. 300 Win Mag

A cartridge’s recoil is important because it plays a vital role not just in the shooter’s comfort, but in their accuracy as well. A heavy-recoil round is more likely to make the shooter flinch, reducing their accuracy.

Many things affect felt recoil, including a muzzle brake, and the effects vary from shooter to shooter, making it unreliable on which to base a solid conclusion.

However, free recoil energy is quantifiable because it is determined by rifle weight, bullet weight, weight of the propellant charge, and muzzle velocity—all measurable variables, not dependent on what the shooter feels.

The 7mm PRC typically has 28.5 ft-lbs of recoil energy when fired from an 8.5 lb rifle.

The 300 Win Mag typically has 37.2 ft-lbs of free recoil energy when fired from an 8.5 lb rifle.

The 7mm PRC has about 16% less recoil energy than the 300 Win Mag, making it the winner of this section.

Trajectory

Trajectory quantifies a projectile’s flight path to its target, measured in inches of drop. Due to gravity, it is always an arch. The flatter the arch, the better for the shooter because they may make fewer adjustments to remain accurate as the distance increases to the target. Bullet design and velocity determine trajectory.

When zeroed in at 200 yards, a Hornady Outfitter 160 grain CX 7mm PRC bullet will only drop -35.6” at 500 yards; -247.5” at 1,000 yards.

When zeroed in at 200 yards, the Hornady Superformance 165 grain CX 300 Win Mag bullet will only drop -32.87” at 500 yards; -256.9” at 1,000 yards.

For close range (within 500 yards), the 300 Win Mag has a flatter trajectory – but the 7mm PRC has a flatter trajectory at longer distances.

Since we’re comparing these cartridges on long-range capabilities, the 7mm PRC narrowly wins this section.

Accuracy: 300 Win Mag vs. 7mm PRC

A round's accuracy depends on the shooter, bullet design, rifle, barrel length, twist rate, recoil, and trajectory. Since we’re comparing the general characteristics of each cartridge, we will make all things as equal as possible and only compare the cartridges’ recoil and trajectory.

Within 500 yards, we might not notice that much difference in accuracy (except among recoil-sensitive shooters). However, as the distance to the target increases, the 7mm PRC will be more accurate for most shooters because it has less recoil and a flatter trajectory.

The 7mm PRC wins this section.

Ballistic Coefficient

The ballistic coefficient (BC) of a given bullet measures how well it resists wind drift. In other words, it’s a numeric representation of how aerodynamic a projectile is. A high BC is preferred, as that indicates the bullet will slice through the air more efficiently.

Generally, a sleeker, heavier bullet will have a higher BC than a stubbier, lighter bullet.

.300 Winchester Magnum bullets typically have a BC between 0.450 and 0.500, but some bullets, like the Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond Long Range, have a BC of 0.640.

7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge bullets typically have a BC between 0.575 and 0.689.

After winning this section, the 7mm PRC is starting to run away with things.

Barrel Life

The barrel life is simply how many rounds it can accurately fire before the barrel is worn out, becomes inconsistent, and needs replacing. The average hunter rarely fires enough rounds for barrel life to be considered. Competition shooters should factor this into the equation, as replacing a barrel more often drastically increases the overall cost of shooting competitively.

The 300 Win Mag's barrel life is 1,000 to 1,200 rounds, depending on the ammo you’re firing and barrel quality.

Depending on the ammo and barrel quality, the 7mm PRC’s barrel life is 1,200 to 1,600 rounds.

The 7PRC wins another section.

Stopping Power: 7mm PRC and 300 Win Mag

“Stopping power” is a fickle term, the meaning of which varies from shooter to shooter. Some shooters use it to refer to how much energy the projectile transfers to the target; others mean how big of a hole the bullet makes upon entry (and exit); others mean how deep the bullet penetrates the animal.

All of these are certainly important to stopping power, although I typically consider it a combination of the three. However, shot placement outweighs all of them. A poor shot to the foot with a round that has lots of stopping power is less lethal than a good shot to the vitals with a round with less.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, both cartridges offer hunters plenty of stopping power for most North American big game animals.

The 300 Win Mag typically has more muzzle energy than comparable 7mm PRC rounds, but the 7mm PRC's higher BC bullets allow it to conserve more energy downrange, translating into more kinetic energy being transferred to the target.

This section is a tie. The 7mm PRC retains more energy at greater distances, but the 300 Win Mag has more stopping power at close range without sacrificing too much as the distances increase.

Hunting

Both cartridges are excellent for hunting bear, moose, mule deer, and elk.

I wouldn’t recommend either for whitetail deer hunting, as magnum cartridges like these are a bit overkill and ruin lots of meat, even with proper shot placement. Yes, I know guys who go deer hunting with a 300 Win Mag every year, flashing their man card everywhere they go. However, it’s simply too much cartridge unless you take long-distance shots.

This section is a tie as both are poor choices for medium-sized game animals and capable of taking most big game animals while long-range hunting.

Overall Cost & Availability

While neither of these cartridges is cheap, the 300 Win Mag has the advantage because it’s more established.

Bolt-action rifle prices will be very similar; however, ammo cost significantly differs. For example, Federal Terminal Ascent 200 grain 300 Win Mag ammo costs about $3 per round, whereas Federal Terminal Ascent 170 grain 7mm PRC costs about $3.50 per round.

Some 7mm PRC Hunting ammo can be found for around $2.70 per round, but that’s about as inexpensive as you’ll see. But cheap 300 Win Mag ammo can be found for $1.15 per round (prices are at the time of writing and will likely change).

The 300 Winchester Magnum wins this section because it’s more established and less expensive to fire.

Reloading

Handloading and reloading are good ways to save money instead of buying factory ammo (or spend more if you take it seriously!). They’re also the perfect way to control the quality of ammo you feed your rifle compared to factory loads.

There is a ton of reloading information, equipment, and supplies for the 300WM since it has existed for over half a century.

The same can’t be said for the much newer 7mm PRC, but as it’s becoming more popular, the information, equipment, and supplies continue to grow.

Both cartridges are reloadable, but the 300 Win Mag currently holds a slight edge.

Ballistics Charts

The team at Ammo.com has gathered ballistics tables for each cartridge so you can quickly compare them.

7mm PRC Ballistics Chart

Check out our 7mm PRC ballistics charts for a deeper look.

300 Win Mag Ballistics Chart

Check out our 300 Winchester Magnum ballistics charts for a deeper look.

7mm PRC Brief History

The 7mm PRC cartridge was released in 2022 to fill the gap between the 300 PRC and 6.5 PRC. It’s ideal for long-distance hunting with a long-action hunting rifle.

While Hornady primarily designed it as a hunting cartridge, it’s already making waves in the shooting competition scene, much like the 6.5 Creedmoor.

All signs are pointing up for this new rifle cartridge as it gets into more hunters' hands, but only time will tell if it can take out the 300 Win Mag.

300 Win Mag Brief History

The 300 Win Mag was released in 1963 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. It wasn’t an immediate success, but it’s continuously gained popularity over the decades thanks to its high muzzle velocity, flat trajectory, and stopping power.

It’s capable of taking down nearly all North American big game and was used by the U.S. Army as a sniper rifle cartridge in the new millennium.

The 300 Winchester Magnum isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Parting Shots

Now that you’ve finished reading the 7mm PRC vs. 300 Win Mag comparison, you’ll know that the 7mm PRC won five sections, two were tied, and the 300 Win Mag won two sections.

This does not suggest that the 300 Winchester Magnum is trash and should be discarded immediately. It does, however, mean that Hornady did an excellent job designing the 7mm PRC to outperform older cartridges.