The 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) is designed to fire heavy-for-caliber bullets at long range, which means it is a shoulder thumper. However, compared to many other magnum rifle cartridges, the 300 PRC’s recoil is middle of the road. Let’s see just how much recoil the 300 PRC generates.
How Much Recoil Does 300 PRC Have?
The 300 PRC has 36 ft-lbs of recoil energy on average. This figure varies depending on several factors discussed in the next section.
The average shooter typically finds anything over 15 ft-lbs challenging to manage. Most magnum rifle cartridges have 25 ft-lbs of free recoil energy or more (up to 83 ft-lbs for the 50 BMG). A few generate considerably less recoil energy, such as the 240 Weatherby Magnum, which kicks with 12 ft-lbs of force.
Factors That Influence Recoil for 300 PRC
Felt recoil is subjective. It varies from shooter to shooter, making it an unreliable measurement of how much recoil a cartridge generates.
In contrast, free recoil energy is measured empirically, being solely determined by projectile weight, propellant weight, muzzle velocity, and rifle weight. For example, when a 300 PRC cartridge with a charge weight of 75 grains fires a 212 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,860 fps out of an 8 pound rifle, the free recoil energy it produces is about 36 ft-lbs.
How 300 PRC Recoil Compares to Other Calibers
I previously mentioned that the 300 PRC's recoil is considered mild or middle-of-the-road relative to other magnum cartridges. Check out the chart below to see how it compares to other magnum cartridges.
Cartridge Free Recoil Energy
.264 Winchester Magnum - 18 ft-lbs
.257 Weatherby Magnum - 19 ft-lbs
.270 Weatherby Magnum - 23 ft-lbs
6.5-300 Weatherby-Magnum - 25 ft-lbs
7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) - 25 ft-lbs
7mm Weatherby Magnum - 26 ft-lbs
Tap into the details of 300 PRC Recoil: How Much Recoil Energy Does This Rifle Cartridge Have — it’s all here.