Where are PRS rifles headed in optimal caliber? 22x47/22CM?

[Bulldog Firearms]

Seems like the trend has been headed toward smaller calibers lower recoiling calibers.

Has anyone seen much of the 22x47/22CM out at the matches? Heard some folks talking that match speed limits may be coming down from 3100-3200 to something like 3000.

That would eliminate the benefit of those hot rod 22 and to a lesser extent some of the 6mm stuff.

If it isn't, are we going see the most competitive guys using 95 SMK @ 3200ish fps? That's flat shooting, bucks the wind hard and has less recoil than anything comparable in 6mm.

Spoke to someone as well today, maybe not in the know, but indicated that there was also talk of removing hit indicators on steel especially at distance to discourage the use of smaller calibers?

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I have no dog in this fight, but why the need to discourage use of the small fast stuff?

 

[Sig Marine]

I have no dog in this fight, but why the need to discourage use of the small fast stuff?

Depending on the target distance, speed tears up steel targets.

 

[W54/XM-388]

People who setup their "tactical" sport basically like a game are upset when people show up with newer and better tools to play the game a bit better than others. Apparently also they want to make it artificially harder with stupid rules and whining about stuff being too fast or too small etc.

For the money they charge for matches, they can afford to put up some 1/2 inch or greater AR500 plates with hit indicators and those will stand up to just about anything you throw at them.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Depending on the target distance, speed tears up steel targets.

Thats reasonable.

People who setup their "tactical" sport basically like a game are upset when people show up with newer and better tools to play the game a bit better than others. Apparently also they want to make it artificially harder with stupid rules and whining about stuff being too fast or too small etc.

Thats where most of these rules ideas seem to come from, in more sports than just precision rifle.

 

[Gooldylocks]

It would be interesting if it did end up going that direction with the 22s. But what are you looking at for Barrel life? It must be similar to 22-250 AI or 220 Swift levels at that point right? Like 1000 rounds or something absurd?

 

[Sheldon N]

i've heard nothing about lowering speed limits, getting rid of flashers, or any type of rule designed to influence caliber selection. Highly doubt we are headed in that direction.

IMO it's a simple answer. You are trading barrel life and load development stability against recoil and energy on target. There's a baseline sweet spot of having your chosen round hold transonic at around 1200 yards, the farthest typical target distance. Then within that constraint the goal is as little wind drift as possible, accomplished by running heavy for caliber high BC bullets.

The ideal balance IMO sits between 6mm and 6.5mm. You can get less wind drift with a very heavy 22 cal bullet with a high BC, but you reduce the ability to see impacts/misses at distance, and you start venturing into cartriges that are much more susceptible to throat erosion, reduced barrel life, speed changes, and generally more difficulty maintaining a consitent load that can last 1000 or 1500 rounds (4-6 matches). Switching to a 22 cal adds too many difficulties in those areas, or you would have seen it become popular long ago.

 

[buffybuster]

I think the sweet spot might be a 6.25x47mm (0.257") with 130's

 

[Niles Coyote]

A Quartermoor, hmmm. I can already feel the hate growing across Facebook land.

 

[Nortex]

I ran my 22 creed at the lone star armory prs match and battle of the states match. Slowed my 90gr vld load down to 3106fps. It performed just fine but I mainly ran it because my 6mm barrel took longer to show up. It was pretty similar in dope to guys running 110 and 115 in 6mm but less recoil. I mainly use it as a hunting gun but in a pinch it works fine in prs stuff.

 

[lennyo3034]

A Quartermoor, hmmm. I can already feel the hate growing across Facebook land.

That is a great name. Go get that patented now!

 

[XLR308]

Since I haven't actually shot any PRS matches yet I still wouldn't see myself changing from the 6.5 Creedmoor as I am more interested in energy on target and terminal performance.
I have a 243win with a 26" 1-8 twist that is just barely broke in but if I had it to do over again it would be a 6mm Creedmoor.
I prefer to read about the latest and greatest rounds being used since I don't have deep enough pockets to play that game.

 

[Kyle87]

How does a 90vld have the same dope as a 110smk at the same velocity?

 

[Nortex]

I said it was similar not the same. Inside 800yds there's not much difference.

 

[lte82]

Seems like the trend has been headed toward smaller calibers lower recoiling calibers.

Has anyone seen much of the 22x47/22CM out at the matches? Heard some folks talking that match speed limits may be coming down from 3100-3200 to something like 3000.

That would eliminate the benefit of those hot rod 22 and to a lesser extent some of the 6mm stuff.

If it isn't, are we going see the most competitive guys using 95 SMK @ 3200ish fps? That's flat shooting, bucks the wind hard and has less recoil than anything comparable in 6mm.

Spoke to someone as well today, maybe not in the know, but indicated that there was also talk of removing hit indicators on steel especially at distance to discourage the use of smaller calibers?

Doubtful on all counts. Too many good 6mm bullets that are easy to load for, and there isn't any real advantage from reduced recoil IMO going to a 22 from a 6mm. I also think barrel life is an issue, not so much from a cost standpoint for most folks but a PITA standpoint and the potential of your barrel going south at a big match without warning. Barrel life of a 22 creedmoor shooting 10+ round strings is going to be LOW.

I also highly doubt target hit indicators are going away any time soon. It protects the shooters and helps RO's score properly, especially at the end of the day when their eyes are tired or if a storm rolls in or fog or ... And what are you going to do when the tactical class guys show up to your stage? A 175 smk @ 2650 makes less signature than a 115 dtac @ 3000 at distance, and 77's may not even move the plate. IMO indicators means better scoring all around.

 

[Campguy308]

I'll keep my 6.5. I have decided to not try and chase the newest, latest and greatest to play a game. Barrel life and ease of loading means a lot to me. I can't afford to be replacing barrels all the time, and spending time chasing new loads. Besides, my 6.5 can take whatever game animal I may decide to pursue.

 

[JMGlasgow]

A Quartermoor, hmmm. I can already feel the hate growing across Facebook land.

Wouldn't that pretty much be a 250 Savage? The cases are very similar, and with modern powders and match bullets, that cartridge could perform very well.

 

[B-P-UU]

Anyone spin a spinner with a .22 BR? How many hits did it take?

 

[ThePretzel]

I, personally, am very much a fan of my 6BR. For me it's a good compromise of barrel life, ballistics, and recoil.

Previously I ran a 6.5 Creedmoor and ran it hard. I shot 147 ELD-M's at 2900 fps using RL-16, which meant my wind drift in a 10 mph crosswind at 1000 yards was 1.0 mils and my barrel life was a very surprising 3,000 rounds before I started to really see some significant changes (at least significant enough for me to notice).

I currently run 105 Hybrids at 2925 fps using Varget, and my wind drift at 1000 yards is 1.4 mils. It's a bit worse than the Creedmoor, but I can actually see my misses because the recoil is next to nothing and the load is MUCH less sensitive to changes. I can pick anything from 29-31 grains of Varget depending on my desired velocity (can back it down if need be) and get single digit SD's and group sizes no larger than about .4 MOA for 5 shots. I am also considering trying some 110 SMK's, which would have only 1.2 mils of wind drift at 1000 yards if I ran them at 2850, but I've got a couple thousand hybrids to work with for now.

Either way the barrel life of this 6BR should be no shorter, at worst, than my 6.5 CM was. Even hotrodding the crap out of my 6.5 CM and shooting an only ok BC 6mm bullet, there isn't a huge difference in wind drift (especially if I switch to a high BC 6mm bullet). The biggest difference, for me, is recoil management. My 6.5 CM weighed about 10-11 pounds fully loaded and had more muzzle energy than some factory 30-06 ammo, meaning I didn't see my misses all that often. My 6BR will weigh almost 30 pounds once I get the added weights installed, and it's easy to spot misses even when free recoiling the gun.

PRS has turned into a game of recoil management really, because if you don't correct after your first miss (if you don't get a first round hit) or correct to center plate if you hit the edge you'll drop the points that the top shooters are earning. Ballistics is helpful, but there's not a whole lot of difference between running a hotrodded 6.5 and a high BC 6mm. If you're personally willing to give up some barrel life and shoot 6x47, 6XC, or 6CM at 3000-3100 fps you'll find that the ballistics are near identical (the wind drift from a 110 hybrid at 3000 fps is only 1.1 mils) while still getting a lot less recoil than the 6.5 would have.

That said, the 22 caliber cartridges are interesting. I'm looking forwards to seeing more results from people shooting them since the ballistics are similar. I just worry that they'll lose out on potential points because spotters miss seeing shots (it's already hard enough to spot hits with 6br out at 1000+ yards with no flasher).

 

[Hairy Biker]

You can get approx 5000 very accurate rounds with a vanilla 6mm BR before accuracy becomes noticeable with slow descent into hollow groups at the longer ranges.

As a long time 25cal fan I love the thought of a Quartermoor.

 

[lte82]

I, personally, am very much a fan of my 6BR. For me it's a good compromise of barrel life, ballistics, and recoil.

Previously I ran a 6.5 Creedmoor and ran it hard. I shot 147 ELD-M's at 2900 fps using RL-16, which meant my wind drift in a 10 mph crosswind at 1000 yards was 1.0 mils and my barrel life was a very surprising 3,000 rounds before I started to really see some significant changes (at least significant enough for me to notice).

I currently run 105 Hybrids at 2925 fps using Varget, and my wind drift at 1000 yards is 1.4 mils. It's a bit worse than the Creedmoor, but I can actually see my misses because the recoil is next to nothing and the load is MUCH less sensitive to changes. I can pick anything from 29-31 grains of Varget depending on my desired velocity (can back it down if need be) and get single digit SD's and group sizes no larger than about .4 MOA for 5 shots. I am also considering trying some 110 SMK's, which would have only 1.2 mils of wind drift at 1000 yards if I ran them at 2850, but I've got a couple thousand hybrids to work with for now.

Either way the barrel life of this 6BR should be no shorter, at worst, than my 6.5 CM was. Even hotrodding the crap out of my 6.5 CM and shooting an only ok BC 6mm bullet, there isn't a huge difference in wind drift (especially if I switch to a high BC 6mm bullet). The biggest difference, for me, is recoil management. My 6.5 CM weighed about 10-11 pounds fully loaded and had more muzzle energy than some factory 30-06 ammo, meaning I didn't see my misses all that often. My 6BR will weigh almost 30 pounds once I get the added weights installed, and it's easy to spot misses even when free recoiling the gun.

PRS has turned into a game of recoil management really, because if you don't correct after your first miss (if you don't get a first round hit) or correct to center plate if you hit the edge you'll drop the points that the top shooters are earning. Ballistics is helpful, but there's not a whole lot of difference between running a hotrodded 6.5 and a high BC 6mm. If you're personally willing to give up some barrel life and shoot 6x47, 6XC, or 6CM at 3000-3100 fps you'll find that the ballistics are near identical (the wind drift from a 110 hybrid at 3000 fps is only 1.1 mils) while still getting a lot less recoil than the 6.5 would have.

That said, the 22 caliber cartridges are interesting. I'm looking forwards to seeing more results from people shooting them since the ballistics are similar. I just worry that they'll lose out on potential points because spotters miss seeing shots (it's already hard enough to spot hits with 6br out at 1000+ yards with no flasher).

30 lbs? Is that a typo?

 

[Nortex]

Probably not. I know guys mocking on the 30lb range with weight added to their foundation/impact builds. They seem to balance out really well despite the overall weight.

 

[Conrad]

That is a great name. Go get that patented now!

Funny, I thought of the same name the other week as I prepped my brass....great minds.

 

[lte82]

Probably not. I know guys mocking on the 30lb range with weight added to their foundation/impact builds. They seem to balance out really well despite the overall weight.

Wow. I'll bet the thing sits really still once you get it in position.

 

[Basher]

Wow. I'll bet the thing sits really still once you get it in position.

Unless it's an off-hand positional stage, in which case:

 

[lte82]

I, personally, am very much a fan of my 6BR. For me it's a good compromise of barrel life, ballistics, and recoil.

According to quickload, a 115 dtac @ 2800 fps actually has less peak recoil with a 6x47 than a 6br because it does it with quite a bit less pressure. I would think barrel life would almost be a wash at that speed. 15% more powder but 15% less pressure. You could also have both loads in your ballistic calculator and just use a zero offset for one of them. Run a low pressure load for positional inside 500, and full pressure load for prone or longer range if you want to.

 

[Nortex]

Unless it's an off-hand positional stage, in which case:

View attachment 6938208

I've only ever seen true off hand in 2 prs matches. So it's not something I would worry about.

 

[lte82]

Dude, this shit is already hard enough without those complications! LOL! imo this is where switch barrels come in. 24" fat 6br/ Dasher/ BRA barrel with a muzzle brake for barricade matches and a 26" suppressed Palma contour 6 Creed for field matches.

See I think switch barrels are the devil. I can barely keep up with one caliber and brass that are in different stages of prep with different number of firings, let alone two calibers with two sets of brass and load data plus potential for major differences in zeroes between barrels. I'd rather bump the charge down 3-5 gr and only have to add a couple of tenths to my 100 yd zero.

 

[Basher]

I've only ever seen true off hand in 2 prs matches. So it's not something I would worry about.

I've only ever shot at the club level, but plenty of folks at those matches shoot PRS. From what I hear, that train of thought is what sinks you from the top ten down to middle of the pack. Expect the unexpected! Let a match director hear you say that, and the next match they plan will have a ton of unsupported shooting!

 

[Sheldon N]

Run a low pressure load for positional inside 500, and full pressure load for prone or longer range if you want to.

Have you tried this or seen anyone else use this strategy? I'm sure I would screw it up somehow by grabbing the wrong ballistics profile or loading the wrong ammo for a stage. Still an interesting idea.

 

[samb300]

Have you tried this or seen anyone else use this strategy? I'm sure I would screw it up somehow by grabbing the wrong ballistics profile or loading the wrong ammo for a stage. Still an interesting idea.

Me and my buddy both shoot AI's with the quick barrel change system. Whenever we get our ass kicked by offhand stages (our local club matches love the stand-kneel-unsupported prone stage), we joke about bringing a 16" Proof barrel in 6BR and spinning it on just for those stages. Not that we'd ever really do it, but our local matches are laid back enough where it'd be pretty fun to try!

 

[lte82]

Have you tried this or seen anyone else use this strategy? I'm sure I would screw it up somehow by grabbing the wrong ballistics profile or loading the wrong ammo for a stage. Still an interesting idea.

Not for PRS, but we do it all the time in high power. Light loads for 200/300, then full power at 600. I actually just threw together some reduced load rounds (34.3 RL16 / 115 dtacs at 2760) and POI was within .1 mil of my 3015 fps load (38.6 RL16) at 100 yards. Grouped .5x moa, and the mirage is thick and it's tough to get a solid point of aim. Recoil reduction is significant, more than I expected actually. Also the bolt lift is lighter which is a plus for barricades. Do I need less recoil, no not really, but if it saves me a little time with follow up shots and helps with spotting shots, might as well right?

 

[BurnOut]

I think the sweet spot might be a 6.25x47mm (0.257") with 130's

The problem with .257 projectiles is the same as with .277 projectiles... nothing inherently wrong with the caliber, but slippery bullets are damned difficult to find.

 

[steve123]

I'm finding out that 223AI with 88ELDM/.545BC at 2850 fps isn't too bad in the wind to 775Y. It's basically like a 123 grainer 6.5 at the same speed in the wind but without the recoil of it. 28" 7 twist. 24.5gr Varget. That's with a 2.525 OACL.

Only .1 mil more correction needed than my 6x47L with hybrids going 3172 fps, at that distance in a 5mph, coming from 3.

18 lb rifle without brake and recoil is impressively slight.

I just got it rethroated to take a 2.6 something OACL so I'll do a ladder test next week. It'll be interesting to see where the nodes end up.

Just playing on steel out in the FS I'll be shooting this more often, so saving the barrels on the other rifles.

 

[steve123]

Those Blackjack 131's with .67BC will hopefully solve the 1/4 bore problem.

Reports are few though.

 

[Sheldon N]

Also the bolt lift is lighter which is a plus for barricades. Do I need less recoil, no not really, but if it saves me a little time with follow up shots and helps with spotting shots, might as well right?

Yeah, for sure. I like tuning a load for light bolt lift too, everything runs so smoothly.

 

[ThePretzel]

30 lbs? Is that a typo?

Nope, it's actually going to be about 30 pounds. It's currently somewhere around 25-26 pounds but I'm adding weights in the the holes at the bottom of the XLR buttstock specifically to move the balance point where I want it. Right now it balances about 4-5 inches in front of the magwell (probably because it's a 28" barrel), but I'm trying to move the balance point to be just barely in front of the magwell to make it sit just a hair better.

As you guessed, it really sits steady when you have a bag on it. I like to use the Tactical Udder bag and when the rifle sets down on that it doesn't move unless you're the one moving it. Shooting free recoil style with my rifle and a bag like that makes otherwise tricky positional stages feel easy.

Unless it's an off-hand positional stage, in which case:

Just need to eat your wheaties and do some regular curls with the gun to get used to it. I've shot a couple matches that had an off hand stage, but the ones I shot allowed you to use bags for support so long as they never touched the ground. This meant that you could rest the rifle on your pack or a fat bag for kneeling and sitting by adjusting your position so that the bag or pack was resting on your legs/feet. You could also stuff a fat bag under your left elbow when standing, which makes holding the heavy gun more manageable. Otherwise just shoot fast and hope for the best!

According to quickload, a 115 dtac @ 2800 fps actually has less peak recoil with a 6x47 than a 6br because it does it with quite a bit less pressure. I would think barrel life would almost be a wash at that speed. 15% more powder but 15% less pressure. You could also have both loads in your ballistic calculator and just use a zero offset for one of them. Run a low pressure load for positional inside 500, and full pressure load for prone or longer range if you want to.

I suppose that's true, and you could probably get similar or better barrel lives and recoils from a down loaded 6x47 (or other comparable cartridge). The specific reason I decided to go with 6BR over something like that is because I wanted something with a lot of load data to use as a guide and something with a known barrel life. I haven't seen anyone shoot a 6x47 at BR speeds for its entire barrel life to know how long it would last, but I know people running BR's with Varget seem to consistently be getting 3,000-4,000 rounds out of them. It's unfortunately an important consideration when shooting in college.

 

[BangBangBlatBlat]

Bottom line is guys are buying points. Everything is trending towards building Benchrest guns and resting them on a bag, or using attachments, and barely touching the trigger to get hits.

Lightest recoil in heavy guns is the name of the game. But .22 might be in dimishing returns.

 

[Basher]

Bottom line is guys are buying points. Everything is trending towards building Benchrest guns and resting them on a bag, or using attachments, and barely touching the trigger to get hits.

Lightest recoil in heavy guns is the name of the game. But .22 might be in dimishing returns.

Which is really sad, actually. I'm not interested in IPSC and numerous other handgun sports because it costs $5K into a custom build with the lightest possible loads to meet a certain power factor in order to even be remotely competitive. That's stupid. Seeing precision rifle move in a similar direction is frustrating. I'm already not interested in shooting BR because it's an eauipment game that costs a fortune. Precision rifles in general are pricey enough, and now the sport is turning into a game where you have to sink thousands into tripods, bags, and other equipment. I want to see it focus on the shooters actual ability to shoot, not their ability to buy the latest, most expensive doo-dads to game things. But maybe I'm in the minority there...

 

[b6graham]

Which is really sad, actually. I'm not interested in IPSC and numerous other handgun sports because it costs $5K into a custom build with the lightest possible loads to meet a certain power factor in order to even be remotely competitive. That's stupid. Seeing precision rifle move in a similar direction is frustrating. I'm already not interested in shooting BR because it's an eauipment game that costs a fortune. Precision rifles in general are pricey enough, and now the sport is turning into a game where you have to sink thousands into tripods, bags, and other equipment. I want to see it focus on the shooters actual ability to shoot, not their ability to buy the latest, most expensive doo-dads to game things. But maybe I'm in the minority there...

maybe im wrong...but PRS isnt the only type of match out there

 

[BangBangBlatBlat]

Which is really sad, actually. I'm not interested in IPSC and numerous other handgun sports because it costs $5K into a custom build with the lightest possible loads to meet a certain power factor in order to even be remotely competitive. That's stupid. Seeing precision rifle move in a similar direction is frustrating. I'm already not interested in shooting BR because it's an eauipment game that costs a fortune. Precision rifles in general are pricey enough, and now the sport is turning into a game where you have to sink thousands into tripods, bags, and other equipment. I want to see it focus on the shooters actual ability to shoot, not their ability to buy the latest, most expensive doo-dads to game things. But maybe I'm in the minority there...

It's not hard to buy your way to be competitive. Lighter triggers make it a lot easier to shoot well because there's less overall shooter interaction.

An MPA Chassis, Benchrest trigger, and Gamechanger bag covers 90% of the gear.

Going to a 4 ounce trigger means that I can realistically shoot 1 MOA on any kind of obstacle I can fit a Gamechanger bag on with no rear support.

 

[Gooldylocks]

Which is really sad, actually. I'm not interested in IPSC and numerous other handgun sports because it costs $5K into a custom build with the lightest possible loads to meet a certain power factor in order to even be remotely competitive. That's stupid. Seeing precision rifle move in a similar direction is frustrating. I'm already not interested in shooting BR because it's an eauipment game that costs a fortune. Precision rifles in general are pricey enough, and now the sport is turning into a game where you have to sink thousands into tripods, bags, and other equipment. I want to see it focus on the shooters actual ability to shoot, not their ability to buy the latest, most expensive doo-dads to game things. But maybe I'm in the minority there...

I agree that it is a bummer how expensive precision rifle is, but a fair bit of that is unavoidable with the rifles, glass, and reloading equipment. The accessories and stuff I completely agree with though.

You aren't quite on the money here with IPSC/USPSA however, and I encourage you to check it out.

• First off, there are divisions for different types of guns, so if you show up with your Glock 17 or CZ P09 you don't get stomped by full custom limited and open guns.
• Secondly, no one is shooting light loads in competition (with the exception of Single stack shooters maybe, compared to factory 45). The limited shooters down load their 40 ammo a little bit, but 172 power factor is still rather warm for a 40. That is a 180gr bullet at 955 fps (FYI, a factory 180 load might be 1000fps, normal 180gr Remington UMC and the like is about 985). A lot of factory 9mm ammo doesn't even make 125 power factor, which is the bare minimum. In Open division for instance, I am shooting 115s at ~1500fps. That is on par or just above most factory 357 Sig loadings, which is no slouch ballistically.
• You don't need a custom gun to play in any of the divisions except for open. Limited division (the one for fancy 40 cal race guns with irons as opposed to dots) was won with a Glock 35 last year, and very well could be again this year based on how Shane has been shooting this season.
• Your "remotely competitive" statement is a gross overstatement as well. Once upon a time, an IPSC World Shoot was won with factory ammo and a box stock Glock 17 that the user had never touched before, because he didn't realize his main gun (G34) wasn't legal for international competition. I personally have won several matches with factory ammunition, and one of the greatest shooters of ever used to (maybe still does? unclear on that) only shoot factory ammo for big matches to eliminate the possibility of there being issues with it. Can you say, "Thank you, Camdex?" haha

I really encourage you to check out USPSA. It is a great time, and really does have a place for everybody to play.

 

[b6graham]

there's also a PRODUCTION division just like in USPSA and SSP in IDPA

 

[Gooldylocks]

there's also a PRODUCTION division just like in USPSA and SSP in IDPA

I wonder, and this would probably be super unpopular, if there would be interest in having production division not have all the fancy stuff? Just rifle, glass, bipod, a single rear bag maybe? Maybe give people the option to have one gamechanger up to so-and-so in size, and that be it.

 

[lte82]

Precision rifles in general are pricey enough, and now the sport is turning into a game where you have to sink thousands into tripods, bags, and other equipment.

You really don't. The last local match I shot (and won) was with a 18 lb rifle and a gamechanger. Same setup got me top 10 at the last PRS match I went to. I've shot *maybe* 12-14 matches total, and the one piece of gear that has helped me the most was a decent set of binos for watching conditions. Outside of that, a good rifle and bag is all I need.

 

[b6graham]

@Gooldylocks @lte82 has it right. most of the time all you need is a bipod, rear bag, gamechanger/other front bag. and bino/mono/spotter/LRF.

do you limit production to 1 front and 1 rear bag total? or just 1 bag per stage but you can carry 5 bags if you want?

from my experiences lte82 is right on with matches and necessary gear
tripod yeah maybe but probably not
multiple front bags, maybe but not necessary
pump pillow, gets in my way but maybe useful

 

[Patty]

Its been an interesting road, i started shooting PRS a year ago, and in that year ive owned barrels in 6.5, 6x47 and 6BR. I am still shooting the 6BR and plan to stay here for a while.
Ive enjoyed seeing how the jabs guys make at eachothers caliber choice have changed along the way. When i started the 6.5 creedmoor was way up there in popularity and the comments were always along the lines of "oh you need all that speed to hit targets eh?" and now that i am shooting 6BR its more like "oh you need that little recoil to hit targets eh?"

The point is, there are trade offs and advantages to every caliber. There are so many choices because every application is different. PRS is an application and i see no need for a caliber that i can shoot supersonic at a mile because ill never do that in PRS, so why build that? My 6BR shoots fine out to the 1200 yards that ive shot it and i dont need anything more. Meanwhile inside of that, it kicks ass. It is an ultra accurate round, the bullets go where i put them which allows me to focus on the real part of the sport, and that is myself as a shooter.

In the years to come i expect to see a LOT more of these "slow" low recoiling calibers making their way to the top. We don't play tennis with baseball bats for a reason.

 

[Bulldog Firearms]

Being a USPSA shooter myself, gear doesn't play that much of a role in it. Most important thing, is a pistol that runs no matter what. A good shooter should be able to take a stock G17 and shoot GM classifiers in any division with it. A few things help, trigger job etc, but way too many people think you can buy skill in these games. If you could buy skill then you would see some crazy stuff out there from guys who could dump half a mil into a setup that basically shot itself for bragging rights with their buddies. People dump 100k plus into trucks to looks cool that never see a dirt road, they wouldn't hesitate to do that if it made them win.

The good guys can show up with a wood stock model 70, birkenstocks and very basic stuff and kick everyones butt except the very best.

Hell a G24 or G35 beat everyone last year in limited nationals. I would bet he had less than 1500 in that gun, mags, and holster.

Tripods can help especially if that match allows you to use them as a rear support on barricade stages but generally you can just borrow someones if you don't have one yourself. People are pretty nice at these things and generally will share their gear, all you need to do is ask.

 

[Basher]

Excellent points all around. I stand corrected on numerous items!

@b6graham you're correct. I'm still learning what exists out there aside from PRS/NRL, but I'm still firmly in the club category for now. It'll be awhile before I'm good enough to justify the expenses involved with shooting a multi-day regional or national level match!

@Gooldylocks thanks for the info! Apparently there's a lot more out there for me to look into. I suppose only the Open stuff came to mind because that's what you usually see advertised in photos, etc. One shooting hobby at a time though, this one's expensive enough! I promise I'll look into it more, however. I'm certain I would enjoy shooting pistol competitions more often overall, given that they're easier to access/closer to home, and less expensove overall.

As for production class, I'm already invested into rifles that don't fit those guidelines, so that's out. I've been in and out of precision stuff enough over the years that I had a good idea of what I wanted, so I just went right for it. I'll have to pearn to run with the "big boys" from the get go, but that's not all bad. They're supposedly the ones who know all the tricks and tips, no? Who better to learn from then?

 

[RickyRodney]

If they really want to steer the sport away from being benchrest. They need to make speed rules, and make the matches physical, make competitors run or ruck like mammoth. Make your “tactical,” rifle have to operate in a tactical environment. Plus this would discourage all the equipment for points stuff since it means nothing if your HR is 180 after a 100 yard timed run and your blowing huge labored breaths.