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I surveyed the 200 top-ranked shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) to get a detailed look at the gear they used to reach the top of the leaderboard. This is the most comprehensive, data-driven look at what the very best in the sport are running, straight from the shooters themselves. The goal is simple: cut through marketing hype and see what actually works at the highest level.
This article is going to share all of the info about the calibers the best long-range shooters in the world are using to maximize their impacts down-range.
Best Rifle Caliber
The chart below shows the breakdown of the calibers that the 200 top-ranked shooters in the PRS are using in national-level competitions:
On the chart above, the various colors represent where a shooter landed in terms of season rank in the PRS. For example, black indicates shooters who finished in the top 10, the darkest blue is people who finished 11-25, and the lighter the blue, the further out they finished in overall standings. The chart legend itemizes the ranks each color represents, but basically, the darker the color, the higher the shooter’s overall ranking.
6mm cartridges continue to be the dominant choice among pro shooters, representing 70% of these elite competitors! The 6mm is clearly the standard among top-tier marksmen, although it did drop slightly from the 77% that were running it a year before.
The 25 caliber represented 16% of the top 200 ranked shooters in the PRS, which is up from 10% last year. (More on this below)
Next most popular is the 6.5mm, representing 6%, which is similar to the past few years.
There were also 10 shooters among the top 200 using a 30-caliber, and all of those were competing in the Tactical Division, which is a limited division that requires the use of either 308 Win or 223 Rem. Those shooters still shot well enough to be ranked among the top 200 ranked shooters in the Open Division (crazy impressive!), which is why they are still represented on this chart.
Finally, there were 2 shooters using a 7mm and 2 shooters using a 22 caliber.
The Rise of the 25 Caliber
The real story here might be the rise of the 25 caliber, especially among the shooters at the very top of the leaderboard. The chart below shows trends of what percentage of shooters in the top 25 in the PRS Season Open Division season standings were using each caliber by year.
Among those in the top 25, 40% run a 25 caliber! 52% were using a 6mm, which was still the majority, but the 25 made up a lot of ground in a single year.
The Tradeoffs with Each Caliber
When you see what the pros are running, it is natural to wonder why someone would choose a 6mm, 25 caliber, or 6.5mm over the others. These are not random picks. Each of these bore sizes comes with a distinct mix of advantages and tradeoffs that can tip the scales depending on a shooter’s priorities, style, and the kinds of matches they expect to shoot.
Seeing exactly where your bullet impacts might be the biggest key in this game, at least among those competing at the highest levels. These guys aren’t simply trying to see if they hit the target or not. They want to see exactly where they hit, so if they were 1” or 2” off center, they can correct the next shot to the center of the plate.
Everyone is searching for that “Goldilocks” balance between these 4 competing characteristics:
- Low recoil so you can stay on target and be in a position to see exactly where the bullet hit (as short as 300-400 yards)
- Good ballistics/low wind drift
- Energy downrange for a large bullet signature on impact (as far as 1100 yards)
- Consistency match-to-match and over an entire season (minimal “tuning” or management to stay competitive)
It’s impossible to optimize for all four of those at the same time, so we’re all trying to strike the “right” balance between those competing characteristics, which is very subjective. There is certainly no one-size-fits-all “right” answer, which is why this large sample size of the very best shooters in the world is so interesting!
6mm (0.243″)
The 6mm has been the default choice in PRS for many years for good reasons. With lighter bullets in the 105 to 110-grain class, they offer very light recoil, which makes it easier to spot your impacts and misses. They also tend to have relatively mild muzzle blast, acceptable barrel life (often around 2,000 rounds), and a ton of proven match bullets to choose from with well-established load data. The downside is that they do not carry as much energy downrange as larger calibers, which can make spotting impacts or misses harder on targets 1,000 yards or beyond. In heavy winds, a 6mm bullet will also drift more than a bullet with a higher BC. (Note: High-BC means a bullet is very aerodynamic and able to maintain its velocity further downrange and be less affected by the wind, which is a major advantage in long-range shooting.)
The majority of PRS stages have targets at 300 to 800 yards with short time limits, so the recoil advantage often outweighs the cons of a smaller caliber. That’s why 70% of the top-ranked shooters are using a 6mm. It seems even more common for pro shooters to prefer to run a 6mm in East Coast matches, because winds are typically lower and par times are often only 90 seconds.
At a national-level match last weekend, I spoke with one of the most experienced pro shooters in the game. He is literally one of the guys with the most lifetime PRS points, and here is what he told me:
“Cal, I’ve tried the 25 calibers and 6.5s, but I just can’t see the bullet as well with those. I went back to my 6mm this year, and I started seeing every bullet again.”
So the 6mm is not a tired or “old school” choice. It remains the gold standard and the choice of most pro shooters.
25 caliber (0.257″)
The 25 caliber is the new disruptor. Thanks to bullet manufacturers like Berger and Hornady introducing high BC match bullets in the 131 to 135 grain range, these cartridges deliver ballistics on par with many 6.5mm loads, but with noticeably less recoil. You often get less wind drift than many 6mm setups and a little more energy on target, while still being able to stay on target through recoil and watch your impacts in real time. The tradeoffs include a touch more recoil than a 6mm, slightly more muzzle blast, and sometimes shorter barrel life compared to a slower 6mm (e.g., 6mm BR, 6mm Dasher). For many, the ballistic payoff is worth it, especially in windy parts of the country.
For context, here are the bullet diameters and common match bullet weights that are used for each caliber:
The 25 caliber is between the 6mm and 6.5mm but slightly closer to the 6.5mm in terms of bullet diameter and weight. The 25 cal is almost exactly 2 parts 6.5mm and 1 part 6mm.
6.5mm (0.264″)
The 6.5mm is still a great performer, and it is often the right choice for shooters who value maximum downrange energy. The heavier 140 to 156 grain bullets carry velocity extremely well and buck the wind better than lighter options. That said, the extra recoil requires the shooter to be meticulous in their fundamentals in order to stay on target and see their hit, especially inside of 450 yards. That can make it tough to make corrections in a match setting. In the hands of a disciplined shooter with solid fundamentals, a 6.5mm can (and does) win matches, but the data shows fewer of the very top PRS shooters choose them in recent years because the recoil penalty is real when the clock is running.
If you’re interested in learning more about this balance of different calibers and want direct insight from two-time PRS Champ Austin Orgain, check out this interview.
Up Next
The very next article will expand on the specific cartridges these guys are using within each caliber. Is the 6 Dasher still the dominant cartridge? Have a bunch of guys jumped on the 25 Creedmoor after Hornady started making ammo for it? What 25-caliber is most popular among the guys at the very top? I’ll answer all of those questions and more, so stay tuned!
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With all the new calibers like the Dasher is anyone using older ones like a 243 or 270?
Thanks! I’d appreciate any support I can get.
There aren’t any pro-level shooters in the PRS using older cartridges like the 243 or 270 – although I’m sure there were some shooters somewhere who used those in a PRS match. It doesn’t mean you can’t hit long range targets with them, but you just probably can’t be competitive with them at a national level.
I’ll give a full breakdown in the next article about what specific cartridges these guys are running, but virtually all of them were designed in the past 20 to 30 years. My first rifle ever was chambered in 270, so I have a lot of love for those older cartridges. But, we’ve learned a lot about cartridge design over the past 50 years. There are a few modern cartridge design attributes common to virtually every cartridge created in the past 20 years:
I’d also say the 270 and 243 were wildly popular because of how “flat-shooting” they are. That was a huge benefit in that era before accurate rangefinders. But, if you have a good rangefinder then range uncertainty practically vanishes – meaning your priorities in cartridge selection can shift a little. It might surprise you to hear that 80% of these 200 top-ranked shooters in the PRS are running muzzle velocities between 2608 and 2870 fps. The trend these days is towards slower muzzle velocities, because lower MV is typically more consistent shot-to-shot and results in less recoil. But, we use really heavy-for-caliber bullets that have extremely high BCs. That means we have to run very fast twist rates in barrels (typically 1:7 to 1:8) in order to stabilize those heavy bullets. Those are much faster twist rates than the SAMMI specs for the good ole’ 270 or 243. Now you could get a custom barrel chambered in 243 that had a faster twist rate, but my guess is you’d be better served by chambering it in a 6mm Dasher or 6mm Creedmoor, depending on your priorities. I’d say there isn’t anything a 243 could do that one of those couldn’t do at least as well, if not better.
Now I’m not saying you have to use one of the new cartridges to hit stuff at long range. You can absolutely do it with a 270 or 243. You just might be handicapping yourself some, which is why none of these top competitors are running those cartridges.
Stay tuned for the next post! It will dive way deeper into those topics, but I just wanted to do my best to try to answer your question.
Thanks,
Cal
I still say everyone is under rating the 6.8 Western.
That might be true, Larry. I’ll be honest. I’m not very familiar with the 6.8 Western. My first thought would be that there probably isn’t as good of bullet selection in 6.8mm as there is in 6mm and 6.5mm … and is starting to be in 25 cal. Historically, there have just been some great, high-BC, match-grade bullets to choose from in 6mm and 6.5mm, which is a big part of why those calibers have been so successful. For example, in 6.5mm you have the Berger 153.5 gr Long Range Hybrid target bullet with a G7 BC of 0.356. I saw that Berger released a 6.8mm bullet this year that weighs 150 gr, but it’s G7 BC is 0.297. So you’d have to accept a 17% BC penalty to go up to a 6.8mm over what you could get in a 6.5mm.
I mentioned this in another comment, but my 1st rifle ever was chambered in 270 Win. That was the only rifle I owned for around 15 years, and I have a lot of love for the 0.277″/6.8mm diameter bores. So I’m excited to see some great new bullets coming out for it, but I don’t know if you’ll see many of these guys migrating up to that.
I do appreciate you sharing your thoughts! Honestly, I didn’t know Berger had released that new 270-caliber bullet until I was briefly searching to see what bullets were available for the 6.8 Western. It does look like a great hunting cartridge!
Thanks,
Cal
Thank you for all that you do for PRS. I am currently running 6.5 CM and considering another cartridge, would you recommend 6 dasher or 25 cal. I would primarily like to try something with low recoil as I am missing valuable data for follow-up shots when I miss.
Hey, Ivan. Thanks for the kind words. I’m working on the next article, which will give the full cartridge breakdown. So, you might wait and read through that before you decide. But, you asked a direct question, so I’ll give you my opinion: I’d go with a 6 Dasher. It’s what I have been competing with for a couple of years, although I do have a 25×47 barrel on the way to try out. I’ve burned out several Dasher barrels, and just chambered 2 more. I’m not saying that I’ve tested them side-by-side and the 6 Dasher is superior to any 25 cal, but I can say that the 6 Dasher isn’t going to hold you back and I’d bet you’d be extremely pleased with it. If you’re looking for low recoil and the ability to see shots – the 6 Dasher is arguably the best cartridge out there.
One of the stats I’ll share in the next article is that on the latest survey, 46% of the 200 top-ranked shooters in the PRS were using a 6 Dasher. That is the most dominant any one cartridge has ever been! Since the inception of the PRS there have been lots of guys trying different cartridges, so its kind of nuts to see almost half of the pros using one cartridge.
And the 6 Dasher is truly the “easy button” for reloading. I’ve literally never done any load development on my Dasher. I loaded up a relatively mild load to break in my first barrel. I thought I’d get it to 150 rounds, and then do load development. But, by the time I got there I was getting SD’s in the 3-5 fps range over 10 shot strings, and my 5-shot groups averaged 0.3 MOA. If I was going to do load development, I’m not sure what more I’d be looking for! 😉 I’ve now been shot that same exact load out of multiple barrels, and it keeps producing the same thing. I’ve literally never tried another powder charge or seating depth. That’s how easy it is to load for. Its a very special cartridge in that respect. (Here is where I keep all my load data, if you’re interested in what I’m running for any cartridge.)
Hope that helps you out! Stay tuned for the next article, too. I bet you find it interesting, even if you still order a Dasher.
Thanks,
Cal
Hi Cal. Thanx for all you do. My question might have been asked and answerd but i missed it. With all the new rifle’s , is there a calibre that has a bullet that beats them all in the wind?
Hey, Cobus. That’s a good question, and I’d say, “It Depends.” Are you saying what caliber beats them all in terms of wind drift out of any small arms caliber? Or what caliber that these guys are using to compete? Even then, then there are nuances. But I hate it when someone just says, “It Depends” and leaves it at that. So I’ll try to explain all of the different ways that I thought you could be asking.
Out of all small arms calibers, what has a bullet that beats all the others in the wind?
In general, I’d bet the .416 caliber might have the bullets with the lowest possible drag (i.e., highest BC), so they’d likely be the ones that would beat everything else in the wind. That’s why guys use those calibers for Extreme Long-Range competitions. Lots of people think a 50 BMG would win in the wind, but they don’t. That’s why almost none of the guys who podium at an ELR competition were shooting a 50 BMG. For example, for the Cutting Edge 416 cal 550 gr Lazer bullet the Applied Ballistics team measured an average G7 BC of 0.531. But, the recoil of those big bore calibers is massive. I used to compete in ELR with a .375 caliber, and you have to get used to the recoil. It’s very different than these PRS rifles. However, in ELR you are typically engaging a target that is a mile or more away, so you have time to recover from recoil and get back on target to watch your impact because the time of flight is so long.
Do any of the top shooters use a .375 or .416 or other magnum to compete in PRS?
Nobody uses a .375 or .416 to compete in the PRS, because it is a very different game where 95% of the targets at a match are between 350 and 900 yards. I analyzed the 2024 Impact/Foundation match target distances not long ago, and 59 of 180 total shots were at targets under 550 yards. That match is very representative of most PRS matches. I’m going to say even the best pros with good fundamentals wouldn’t be able to stay on target or recover from the recoil of a big bore like a 0.375 or 0.416 when shooting from an improvised position in time to see any of those bullet impacts. It would probably be tough to see anything inside of 700 yards with those size calibers, which means you wouldn’t see where your bullet hit on 76% of the targets at that particular PRS match.
Not long ago, pro shooter Francis Colon actually competed in a 1-day PRS club match with a 300 Norma Mag … which is ridiculous. I was shocked to hear he’d done that. But, it was part of his training. He was practicing with a really heavy-recoiling rifle so that when he switched back to the 6.5mm he competes with his fundamentals would be better and it would feel like no recoil in comparison to the 300 Norma. Francis actually won the match! You can learn more about that in Miles to Matches Podcast Episode 148: 300 Norma in a PRS Match?
Okay, what caliber has the lowest wind drift out of the ones these pros are using in the PRS?
With only exceedingly rare exceptions, pro shooters really only use 6mm, 25 cal, 6.5mm, and occasionally a 7mm. There are some guys using a 30 caliber, but those are all 308 Win and they’re only using that because they are competing in the “Tactical Division” which limits cartridge selection to either 223 or 308. There is sometimes 1 out of 200 using a 22 caliber in the open division, but it is very rare. So of those 4 calibers, the largest will almost always be the one with the highest BC bullets to choose from … which is the 7mm. There was one shooter among this group of pros that was using a Berger 7mm 180 gr Hybrid bullet, which Applied Ballistics measured to have a G7 BC of 0.345. That looked to be the highest BC of any 7mm a pro shooter used to compete in the Open Division in a PRS Pro Series match. There is another bullet Berger makes that is a 7mm 190 gr LRHT bullet that AB measured a G7 BC of 0.394, and Hornady makes a 190 gr A-Tip that AB measured to have a G7 BC of 0.417! But there was 1 of these pro shooters who said they use either of those 190 gr bullets to compete. When it comes to wind deflection, the initial muzzle velocity plays into it as well as BC … so that bullet might have a higher BC but you can’t push it fast enough with the non-magnum cartridges these guys are using to get the full benefit from the BC. But, if we’re just talking caliber, the 7mm has the highest BC bullet options of the 4 main calibers guys use to compete in the Open Division.
What was the highest BC bullet used by these pro shooters to compete?
2 of these pros were using the Hornady 6.5mm 153 gr A-Tip, which the Applied Ballistics team measured to have a G7 BC of 0.359. 4 of these pros were using a Berger 6.5mm 153.5 gr LRHT bullet, which Applied Ballistics has measured to have a G7 BC of 0.346. I believe those two bullets were the highest BCs of any of the bullets that this group of pro shooters reported using on my “What The Pros Use” survey. I’d suspect if we ran the ballistics on the velocity, BC, and bullet weight of all of the combinations used … those 2 might result in the lowest wind drift out to 1100 yards, which is about the furthest distance you’ll see at PRS Pro Series matches.
So if you’re looking to optimize for “cheating the wind” in PRS competitions, I’d say that the Hornady 6.5mm 153 gr A-Tip or the Berger 6.5mm 153.5 gr LRHT bullet would be the way to go.
Probably way more than you wanted to know, but I felt like if I only said one part of that answer or another it might be misleading for someone reading these comments later. So I hope that is helpful!
Thanks,
Cal