Recoil for lightweight rifles (300 PRC or 7 PRC)

lancetkenyon said:
Suppressors help somewhat, more than a bare muzzle, but not much compared to a good brake.

For hunting where 1 or 2 shots will be taken, not a problem for someone who has shot a bit. But don't go and lay down on a prairie dog town and start picking off dirt rats.
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I get that. Honestly a day of shooting 100-200rds of 308 will push you around a bit, it's not that it hurts so much as it just wears on me. He just told me he didn't wanna touch this 300wby, mind boggling to me it hasn't been shot in years. Thought he would love this idea since his 7mm mag got stolen years go. Anyhow I'm committed at this point, i already have Hawkins long range hybrid rings for a 700 and that elevation stock. Also have a stash of 100rds of 225gr ELD M match from hornady. So guess I'm going to do 300prc.
Shane Lindsey said:
Still breaking in the barrel. Have used some factory 212 ELDXs. Shoot very well, but ES is atrocious. With 13 rounds down the barrel it was 2844 FPS, ES 91 FPS, but all one hole 🤔 . I am not sensitive to recoil, but I do think it wears you out after a bit. It's a hunting gun, so not many will go in one outing, just too much on me.

Have experimented with the 196 Hammers as well. Haven't shot any 215s yet, as I don't want to waste them until the barrel settles down.

Recoil is enough, that I cannot stay on target enough to watch impacts (only shot it at 100 yards, so who knows, but I doubt it).
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That was a 24" barrel? I'm debating 22 vs 24" I had intended to go 22" for more maneuverability with the can, but i don't feel my 24" 7 Sherman Short is too unwieldy even with a KGM R30 on the end.

Trying to source a cheap remington or have contemplated going Bergara permier since the Hawkins rings will fit them
 
This is 24".

My 22" did 2725 FPS with 225 ELDMs and 2725 with 215s and 2700 with the 245, all factory loads. Love that the PRCs have good factory ammo. Works great when I wanna be lazy.

Only shot a 4 port SRS on that and it was very easy WRT recoil, but barrel was a truck axle.
 
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5RWill said:
Long story short we have a 300wby 700 from the custom shop in a McMillan Mountain stock that has been collecting dust for years. It was a rifle that my Dad bought after someone stole his beloved 7mm mag back when rear window gun racks were a thing. He has never really liked it and I'm going to bring it up to modern standards. I'm a little torn between staying 30 cal with 300 prc and just redoing it in 7prc to basically give him his 7mm mag back.

I haven't really shot a lightweight 300 anything other than our weatherby, it's not terrible with the ported brake. However i whole heartedly plan to run things suppressed. I have 100rds of 225gr Match in 300 PRC already. I'm just curious if say a 10lb 300prc suppressed is going to be miserable to shoot? The rifle will be light, I picked up a elevation pull off for a 700 LA, will do a proof sendero at 22", hawkins hybrid rings, Mac bros m5, and am planning on a Z5i+ 3.5-18x50. So unsuppressed we're looking at like 8lbs or so from what I'm calculating.
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Some thoughts (Not suggestions).

- There would be many interested in that 300 bee as is.
Sell it and get exactly what you want?

- The 7 prc is more manageable than a 300. Your father might be happier with it 10 years from now.

- If your father doesn't need the standard Long range capability of the PRC, surprise him and make him a 7 mag like he used to have.

Whatever you choose I'm sure he'll appreciate it!
 
jseandsje said:
Some thoughts (Not suggestions).

- There would be many interested in that 300 bee as is.
Sell it and get exactly what you want?

- The 7 prc is more manageable than a 300. Your father might be happier with it 10 years from now.

- If your father doesn't need the standard Long range capability of the PRC, surprise him and make him a 7 mag like he used to have.

Whatever you choose I'm sure he'll appreciate it!
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Agrre on selling the 300 Bee as is. With respect to 7 PRC vs 7 Rem Mag, with the same twist barrel the only difference is belted case versus not belted. I have always been a huge fan and user of the 7 Rem Mag. I got my first one 56 years ago in a LH 700 BDL when I was 14, and have owned a great many since then. Despite that, the beltless cases are a superior design and there is great brass available for them. My 7 RUM is actually too much of a good thing but if I was building another 7, it would definitely be beltless and the PRC would be a strong contender.
 
Dean2 said:
Agrre on selling the 300 Bee as is. With respect to 7 PRC vs 7 Rem Mag, with the same twist barrel the only difference is belted case versus not belted. I have always been a huge fan and user of the 7 Rem Mag. I got my first one 56 years ago in a LH 700 BDL when I was 14, and have owned a great many since then. Despite that, the beltless cases are a superior design and there is great brass available for them. My 7 RUM is actually too much of a good thing but if I was building another 7, it would definitely be beltless and the PRC would be a strong contender.
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They'll all get the job done, the PRC more so at longer ranges, comparing standard forms.
Only offered the 7 mag as a nostalgia suggestion for his father.
My old bones can't match the capability of the PRC
 
jseandsje said:
Some thoughts (Not suggestions).

- There would be many interested in that 300 bee as is.
Sell it and get exactly what you want?

- The 7 prc is more manageable than a 300. Your father might be happier with it 10 years from now.

- If your father doesn't need the standard Long range capability of the PRC, surprise him and make him a 7 mag like he used to have.

Whatever you choose I'm sure he'll appreciate it!
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Oh he wouldn't dare sell anything lol. He's a pack rat. I'm pretty much already committed with the elevation stock. I already have a rifle that's putting out 7 prc performance with the 7 sherman short. So while I would love to surprise him with a 7 PRC to replace his lost rifle or take the place of the 300wby he begrudgingly wont use.. I had him a 6.5 SAUM built for him by Mark Gordon of SAC for his 60th birthday, and he adores the gun. He primarily uses it. He just doesn't really like the weight for slipping through the woods or if he wants to move around. I think it's an excellent weight at 10.5lbs with can and bipod but that's just heavy to him. He dislikes change and spending money typically, which is fine, just hate to see a gun basically be neglected. I've pretty much spent most of my adult life trying to retrofit our rifles to be useable for distance or just be brought up to modern standards.

Came to an agreement with him since i ordered hawkins Long range hybrids for a R700 LA i can't return. We'll work up a load for the 300wby and just put a new scope and rings on it to actually extend it distance wise.

As for the stock i picked up, I'm about to commit to a 300prc build for myself. Mac bros evo II, Hawkins hybrids, mac bros DBM, and a proof sendero at 22". Should come out at about 10lbs once i add an arca rail or bipod plus my KGM R30. Hard decision for me will be glass. I am eyeing the Z5i+ but am not a SFP guy. That was more for when this gun was going to be tailored towards the old man where i need thick stadia for his aging eyes.

Sorry to waste everyone's time, thank you for those who chimed in about their experiences with heavy 30s.
 
5RWill said:
Oh he wouldn't dare sell anything lol. He's a pack rat. I'm pretty much already committed with the elevation stock. I already have a rifle that's putting out 7 prc performance with the 7 sherman short. So while I would love to surprise him with a 7 PRC to replace his lost rifle or take the place of the 300wby he begrudgingly wont use.. I had him a 6.5 SAUM built for him by Mark Gordon of SAC for his 60th birthday, and he adores the gun. He primarily uses it. He just doesn't really like the weight for slipping through the woods or if he wants to move around. I think it's an excellent weight at 10.5lbs with can and bipod but that's just heavy to him. He dislikes change and spending money typically, which is fine, just hate to see a gun basically be neglected. I've pretty much spent most of my adult life trying to retrofit our rifles to be useable for distance or just be brought up to modern standards.

Came to an agreement with him since i ordered hawkins Long range hybrids for a R700 LA i can't return. We'll work up a load for the 300wby and just put a new scope and rings on it to actually extend it distance wise.

As for the stock i picked up, I'm about to commit to a 300prc build for myself. Mac bros evo II, Hawkins hybrids, mac bros DBM, and a proof sendero at 22". Should come out at about 10lbs once i add an arca rail or bipod plus my KGM R30. Hard decision for me will be glass. I am eyeing the Z5i+ but am not a SFP guy. That was more for when this gun was going to be tailored towards the old man where i need thick stadia for his aging eyes.

Sorry to waste everyone's time, thank you for those who chimed in about their experiences with heavy 30s.
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No wasted time here.

Love it to see a son care for his father in this way. 😍
 
I can't help with can usage, my only experience with them is in New Zealand where it is mandatory in certain areas and none of the cartridges I used with them are obnoxious without them.
As to recoil, I run all of my large magnum cases without brakes, RUM, Rigby, Jeffrey and Nitro Express. The only brakes I run are for prone comp ELR with Rigby and CheyTac based cartridges to stop muzzle jump mostly, as repositioning the rifle in the rest is bothersome and time consuming.
I don't find 30 cal magnums of any size to be bothersome, but, as we know, recoil is accumulative, so anything that helps reduce is not a bad thing.

Cheers.
 
Indeed, Newton's Third Law of Motion is often misconstrued when it comes to firearms. Hollywood does not understand science and seems to greatly multiply the "opposite" factor in action scenes.

Anyway, many others, far more knowledgable than I regarding this subject, have written articles how the third law effects recoil. A Google search will list many worthy articles to read.
 
I have a 300PRC and a 7PRC identical builds.

The Twins.jpeg


I shoot both with a TBAC Ultra 7. The 300PRC with 200gr CEB Lazers or 215gr Bergers. The 7PRC with 175gr Bergers or 160gr Barnes LRXs. BAT Vampire actions, Carbon 6 22" barrels, Manners PH stocks, Hawkins bottom metal. They are light, right in the range you are talking. Both are very shootable, however if I wanted to bang a bunch of steel I would definitely prefer the 7PRC. Hunting? Both are fine, but I can never recall ever feeling any recoil regardless of what I am using when pulling the trigger on an animal so both would be perfectly fine. Reality is other than maybe Polar Bear or Brown Bear the 7PRC will work great for anything in North America so why not use a lower recoiling rifle. I am currently run the 300PRC version with a 25-06AI barrel, swapping in the 300PRC if the need/desire arises.
 
I also tend to believe one must acclimate to recoil. In other words, once you have shot literally many tens of thousands of rounds, felt recoil moves to the subconscious part of the the mind. Doesn't mean my shoulder doesn't get sore at the end of a "high power" rifle session. But I am no longer consciously aware of recoil in the moment. I follow through and allow the sights/scope to reacquire the target.

I'm not saying shoot hundreds of 7PRC...far too expensive and blows out the barrel in short order. But shooting thousands of 556 or 300BO supersonic handloads is do'able.

My 7PRC is on a BAT Vesper action, 20" Bartlein carbon wrapped barrel in a MDT HNT26 folding carbon chassis. Never weighed it, but it is light. Still have not settled on the can I prefer.
 
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I've watched too many dads give up on lightweight magnums because their kids built a "cool" rifle that beat them up. Don't be that kid. Let your dad shoot both if you can. Find a friend with a suppressed .300 PRC in a 10 lb rifle and a suppressed 7 PRC in a similar weight. I've done that side-by-side. The difference is real.
 
Dinosaur hunter said:
I shoot a 10lb 300 prc with a tbac ultra7. With 180 gn projectiles it is like shooting a 243 in felt recoil to me. 22" barrel at about 3150fps. Very pleasant to shoot all day
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I shoot nearly the exact same thing, just a pound lighter and I have the TBAC Magnus can that is a huge 9". I'm sure the big can helps, but the recoil is more of a dull "push" than a snappy pop to the shoulder.
That being said, I'm looking to build a 7PRC, so I can still shoot 180 pills, but have a much higher BC.
I doubt you'll go wrong either way.
 

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