Why are you shooting PRC, AI, creedmoor, or WSM?

[whoami-72]

So, I recently was in the market for a new rifle. It was supposed to be my buy once cry once use it for the next 10 years kind of rifle and I was dead set on going with a 300 WSM. And then it hit me, the ammo costs are significantly higher and options are significantly lower for these newer rounds vs the tried and true and I really wouldn't really be gaining much in my case. I think I read/heard somewhere that .30-06 only accounts for ~3% of rifle sales now.......

So, if you're part of the masses switching to the new flavor of the month of PRS, WSM, AI, creedmore, why? Are you in the boat of better ballistics means everything? Is it because of marketing? If you have switched, do you still practice a lot and just increased ammo budgets? Also, for those that are much older than me. Doesn't it feel like these new cartridges are being adopted and pushed super fast? I think I've been into guns for just under a decade but even I can remember the 6.8 spc coming and going as well as 224 valkery, SAUM's etc.

My personal situation: I jumped on the 6.5 creed train after it was the same price as .308 and wont be jumping on any new calibers until ammo situation chills out. I ended up getting a .30-06 this time around because I already have another. I also felt like it has plenty of power for my hunting distances without stepping up to magnum recoils and costs where as the 6.5 creeds and .308's that I have are questionable for hunting elk depending upon distance and bullet type. In effect, its a great middle ground IMO. Lastly, even though I was dead set on 300 wsm and then 7 prc and then 7 rem mag, etc, etc. I ended up realizing that you can still get a ton of decent .30-06 loads for relatively cheap and keep trying different types until you find one your gun likes. My buddies that have newer PRC's have double the cost per box comparing low end to low end and only have a couple of options. Plus, I can reload mine cheaply. Also, even though there guns are better balistically, they still have to hold over for wind and drop just like I do and if i can afford 2x as much ammo as them then i should be mutch better practiced at judging situations. Granted, some of them are the kind of hunters that shoot one or two boxes a year to sight in and call it good where as I'm buying my rifle for next year right now so I can practice year round. Anyway, my personal rambling over. I'm genuinely curious why people are flocking to the new stuff and adopting it so quickly even though it seems like the gains are real but marginal and the costs are high. Who knows, maybe in 10 years you'll see me here again asking why I didn't switch to the new stuff sooner and complaining about not being able to find ammo lol.

Hopefully this doesn't turn into a giant argument that I regret posting lol.

 

[wind gypsy]

Bleedmoors and 223 = cheap QUALITY ammo. Agree that paying for factory magnum ammo is a waste if not counterproductive for most.

 

[MallardSX2]

I been shooting a 300wsm for over 20 years. I bought it because I wanted a gun that could kill anything I hunted in North America….lol 20 years ago the wsm’s were all the rage.
Should have just bought an 06.

Every single animal I have killed has been under 400 yards with an average shot distance of 100 yards….

 

[ozyclint]

So you're telling me that using a .270 for the last 20 years hasn't been a mistake?

 

[7LRM]

I have been hunt with 7 LRM and pretty happy with it!

 

[Macintosh]

“Until ammo situation chills out”? Is it 2020 again? IMO the ammo situation chilled out 2 years ago. That could change but I havent seen it recently. Buy in bulk when it makes sense.

So, if you're part of the masses switching to the new flavor of the month of PRS, WSM, AI, creedmore, why? Are you in the boat of better ballistics means everything? Is it because of marketing?

Based in the above quote I understood the question that the OP considered the 6.5cm to be expensive to shoot and hard to find.
I think the premise of the question and the cartridges selected are off base. Some of them may be characterized correctly in the original post, but at least one has been the “flavor of the month” for 15 years, and is well established among the most popular rifle cartridges with among the highest ammo selection available anywhere. And excellent prices to boot.

I bought a 6.5 Creedmoor a bunch of years ago when I started shooting PRS matches. I looked around, saw that 90% of the people I was shooting with used them, looked at my local gun shops and saw that they had twice the selection of ammo of any other caliber short of 223 and maybe 3006, looked online and saw ammo prices were among the cheapest for any cartridge for practice ammo (short of 223 and 9mm) and havent looked back. Last hunting rifle I bought I looked long and hard, and ended up with another 65 Creedmoor simply because it was so inexpensive to shoot for practice, and because it has plenty of juice for the hunting I do, and because its so easy to find both good hunting and practice ammo. I had a 7 mm 08 for a number of years, I found it very difficult to buy ammo for. Even buying online, the selection was a fraction of what it is in 65 Creedmoor, IF it was in stock. I also own a 270, it’s a common cartridge and I don’t generally have a problem buying ammo, but if I want something very specific, neither the 270 or the 7 mm 08 is easy to find for, and you pay for it. I recently bought a flat of match grade 65 Creedmoor ammo for a dollar per round. I don’t know where the OP is shopping, but Creedmoor is certainly not an expensive cartridge today.

3006 and 308 I see plenty of options and they are very popular for hunting, but to me, that’s not a practice cartridge (even a 308 recoils more than I want for practice in moderate to high volume out of a light rifle) and a 3006 especially is overkill for most things I do. My go to hunting rifle is still a 3006, but that’s simply because I’ve had it for a couple decades.

I think ammo selection is regional. I also think its shooters that drive ammo selection, not hunters. Outside of the top 2 or 3 regional must-have’s, pick a cartridge commonly used by higher-volume shooters and you’ll have better selection and better prices.

The prs crowd is on to smaller and better things so I see their preferred options getting more popular—and therefore easier to find and cheaper by virtue of more competition and larger productions—so my next hunting rifle will probably be a 6mm creedmore.

Anyway, I don’t think that’s controversial, but that’s the reason why I have chosen a 65 Creedmoor to do a lot of my shooting, exactly the reasons the OP is complaining about. Again, perhaps those other cartridges fit the question, I just don’t think the 65 Creedmoor belongs in that group.

 

[Luked]

I have a 6.5CM and 2 300 WSM rifles.
I like them both but for me they have different uses.
Im a midwesterner so the the 6.5 is use all season for whitetail. I really dont have a use for the WSM around here. But I got it and it can be the one and done for me. But like you ammo selection is iffy.
I do reload so that helps. But I am also new at that so im not the best at finding a load easily like some here.

The Creed is easy to find ammo for. But my preffered ammo isnt as easy as just going to Wal Mart. I do normally have to go to the gun shop here and they are a tad higher than say BPS etc. But I can also buy online which I do some if needed.

I want a 6.5 PRC. and that will probably end up being my be all gun as I want it supressed.
But also want to get a 6mm Arc for one of my ARs to hunt deer around home here.

Lots of options. Lots of things I want. But thats life

 

[whoami-72]

“Until ammo situation chills out”? Is it 2020 again? IMO the ammo situation chilled out 2 years ago. That could change but I havent seen it recently. Buy in bulk when it makes sense.

Based in the above quote I understood the question that the OP considered the 6.5cm to be expensive to shoot and hard to find.
I think the premise of the question and the cartridges selected are off base. Some of them may be characterized correctly in the original post, but at least one has been the “flavor of the month” for 15 years, and is well established among the most popular rifle cartridges with among the highest ammo selection available anywhere. And excellent prices to boot.

I bought a 6.5 Creedmoor a bunch of years ago when I started shooting PRS matches. I looked around, saw that 90% of the people I was shooting with used them, looked at my local gun shops and saw that they had twice the selection of ammo of any other caliber short of 223 and maybe 3006, looked online and saw ammo prices were among the cheapest for any cartridge for practice ammo (short of 223 and 9mm) and havent looked back. Last hunting rifle I bought I looked long and hard, and ended up with another 65 Creedmoor simply because it was so inexpensive to shoot for practice, and because it has plenty of juice for the hunting I do, and because its so easy to find both good hunting and practice ammo. I had a 7 mm 08 for a number of years, I found it very difficult to buy ammo for. Even buying online, the selection was a fraction of what it is in 65 Creedmoor, IF it was in stock. I also own a 270, it’s a common cartridge and I don’t generally have a problem buying ammo, but if I want something very specific, neither the 270 or the 7 mm 08 is easy to find for, and you pay for it. I recently bought a flat of match grade 65 Creedmoor ammo for a dollar per round. I don’t know where the OP is shopping, but Creedmoor is certainly not an expensive cartridge today.

3006 and 308 I see plenty of options and they are very popular for hunting, but to me, that’s not a practice cartridge (even a 308 recoils more than I want for practice in moderate to high volume out of a light rifle) and a 3006 especially is overkill for most things I do. My go to hunting rifle is still a 3006, but that’s simply because I’ve had it for a couple decades.

I think ammo selection is regional. I also think its shooters that drive ammo selection, not hunters. Outside of the top 2 or 3 regional must-have’s, pick a cartridge commonly used by higher-volume shooters and you’ll have better selection and better prices.

The prs crowd is on to smaller and better things so I see their preferred options getting more popular—and therefore easier to find and cheaper by virtue of more competition and larger productions—so my next hunting rifle will probably be a 6mm creedmore.

Anyway, I don’t think that’s controversial, but that’s the reason why I have chosen a 65 Creedmoor to do a lot of my shooting, exactly the reasons the OP is complaining about. Again, perhaps those other cartridges fit the question, I just don’t think the 65 Creedmoor belongs in that group.

By ammo chills out. I was meaning that the new caliber is similar in cost and availablity to its older counter part. In that example, 6.5 creedmore was the new one and .308 was the old one.

Makes sense if you're picking up the new thing if you have a purpose for it.

 

[whoami-72]

I have a 6.5CM and 2 300 WSM rifles.
I like them both but for me they have different uses.
Im a midwesterner so the the 6.5 is use all season for whitetail. I really dont have a use for the WSM around here. But I got it and it can be the one and done for me. But like you ammo selection is iffy.
I do reload so that helps. But I am also new at that so im not the best at finding a load easily like some here.

The Creed is easy to find ammo for. But my preffered ammo isnt as easy as just going to Wal Mart. I do normally have to go to the gun shop here and they are a tad higher than say BPS etc. But I can also buy online which I do some if needed.

I want a 6.5 PRC. and that will probably end up being my be all gun as I want it supressed.
But also want to get a 6mm Arc for one of my ARs to hunt deer around home here.

Lots of options. Lots of things I want. But thats life

Would you say you'd shoot more 6.5 creed due to ammo costs vs the wsm or PRC or ARC or is ammo cost a non issue?

 

[whoami-72]

I been shooting a 300wsm for over 20 years. I bought it because I wanted a gun that could kill anything I hunted in North America….lol 20 years ago the wsm’s were all the rage.
Should have just bought an 06.

Every single animal I have killed has been under 400 yards with an average shot distance of 100 yards….

Interesting, I thought the WSM's were an up and commer not an older (20 years old thing). For reference, I had never heard of them until Remi Warren said it was his ultimate round.

 

[Grundy53]

Interesting, I thought the WSM's were an up and commer not an older (20 years old thing). For reference, I had never heard of them until Remi Warren said it was his ultimate round.

They have been around a long time. In fact a couple of the WSMs are all but dead.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[HandgunHTR]

I wouldn't say that AI cartridges are "flavor of the month". I have been shooting them for almost 30 years now and the guy that got me into them has been shooting them for 50+.

The reason that I started shooting them, and still do are:
1) slightly increased performance over their standard counterparts
2) as has been determined, sharper shoulder angles help decrease throat erosion.
3) reduced case growth resulting in less trimming of cartridge cases
4) I like handloading and experimenting, and wildcats provide good platforms for that

 

[HandgunHTR]

Interesting, I thought the WSM's were an up and commer not an older (20 years old thing). For reference, I had never heard of them until Remi Warren said it was his ultimate round.

The 300WSM was introduced in 2001.

 

[Luked]

Would you say you'd shoot more 6.5 creed due to ammo costs vs the wsm or PRC or ARC or is ammo cost a non issue?

For me if I was only buying factory rounds 6.5CM 100%.
I havent seen any 300 WSM in the stores anywhere.
And 6mm Arc is a bit better but still not to 6.5CM standards as far as ammo avalibility.

In a pinch if I wanted I could go to Wal Mart to get decent 6.5CM ammo.
Sure isnt the case for the WSM or 6mm Arc

 

[Ahlongslide]

Like HandgunHTR said. I prefer AI on the older designed cartridges because the shoulder angle slows throat erosion, but I also reload so it doesn’t really increase ammo cost for me.

 

[whoami-72]

I wouldn't say that AI cartridges are "flavor of the month". I have been shooting them for almost 30 years now and the guy that got me into them has been shooting them for 50+.

The reason that I started shooting them, and still do are:
1) slightly increased performance over their standard counterparts
2) as has been determined, sharper shoulder angles help decrease throat erosion.
3) reduced case growth resulting in less trimming of cartridge cases
4) I like handloading and experimenting, and wildcats provide good platforms for that

Interesting, I've only heard about the 280 AI starting this year because of Backfires YouTube channel.

Do you think they're becoming more mainstream recently or pretty much always going to be more wildcat style.

 

[MallardSX2]

I thought I was hot shit as an 18-year-old hunting with one of these. No telling how much damage that gun has done to my hearing. lol

Just a super accurate, flat shooting, low recoil, and relatively light weight rifle.

 

[The Guide]

Interesting, I thought the WSM's were an up and commer not an older (20 years old thing). For reference, I had never heard of them until Remi Warren said it was his ultimate round.

The 300WSM was born in 2001 followed by the 270WSM and 7mm WSM in 2002 and the 325 WSM in 2005. The 6.5 Creedmoor was introduced in 2007 while the 6mm Creedmoor version wasn't SAAMI approved until 2017 even though I has been wildcatted and used since right after the 6.5 Creedmoor was released. Not sure what AI cartridges you are referring to but the 280AI was standardized by Nosler in 2008 when it started selling loaded ammo and brass for it and chambering their own rifles in that cartridge. The PRC family is newer but the 6.5 PRC was released in 2018 followed by the 300 PRC in 2019 and the new kid on the block, the 7mm PRC in 2022.

Ammo cost for these cartridges are pretty equal when buying the same quality of ammo. This may not be seen at your local gun shop as there are huge variables in localized retail pricing but overall for the same brand and style, prices are very similar for 30-06 to 300 PRC ammo (Midway USA price on 30-06 Hornady Precision Hunter 178 ELDX @ $50.99 and 300 PRC Precision Hunter 212 ELDX @ $55.29) while both the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 6.5 PRC can be had for $45 and $50, respectively.

As for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Winchester being "questionable" for elk, I'd suggest you rethink your statement. Using all metrics both of those cartridges have more than enough killing qualities for shots on elk to 400 yards with all but the lowest performance hunting ammunition. My nephew killed his first elk at 275 yards this weekend with a 6.5CM and the high shoulder shot dropped it in its tracks. The 308 has killed elk with ease for over 70 years.

Jay

 

[HandgunHTR]

Interesting, I've only heard about the 280 AI starting this year because of Backfires YouTube channel.

Do you think they're becoming more mainstream recently or pretty much always going to be more wildcat style.

What we are currently seeing is that people are taking AI cartridges, making even more adjustments to them and coming out with their own versions. The 7SAW and the Sheman line of cartridges are good examples of this. Additionally, the sharper shoulder angles and less body taper characteristics of the AI cartridges are being incorporated in even the newly developed cartridges, so I would say that things that work to increase efficiency are finally becoming mainstream within an industry that is notoriously slow to adopt new things.

 

[Ringbill27]

Back in summer of 2019, I picked up a Tikka in 30-06. This was a rifle intended for elk hunting and they had the rifle I wanted in 30-06 and 300wsm. I wanted the WSM because it was different. But ultimately I went to the 30-06. The gun shop i got it from at the time had 3 offers of ammo for the WSM at twice the cost and 20 or so for the 30-06. Covid hit 6 months the later and I’m not sure if I’ve actually seen 300wsm in stock anywhere in person since. I’m very happy with the choice I made.

Recently the amount of load offerings on the shelf is what has drove my cartridge choices.

The PRCs are great I understand that, but my local shop only have the precision hunter on the shelf. The 7PRC may have a box or two of the match. With this being the case I can’t justify getting one.