A few weeks ago Rich Emmons of the Precision Rifle Series posted some data about what the top 50 competitors brought with them to the most recent series finale match. It was a really good set of data, so I asked Rich if I could analyze the data and try to see if I could find trends and also try to present it visually. This is one of my favorite forums, so I wanted to share some of the highlights of what I found here. I thought you guys might find it as interesting as I did.

First, if you're like me ... you might not be real sure what the PRS is. Let me try to give you the elevator speech about it so you'll better understand what the charts below are based on.

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The Precision Rifle Series (PRS) is a championship style point series race based on the best precision rifle matches nationwide. Scores are tracked throughout the year to rank shooters from across the country. Most matches are based on practical, tactical, or sniper competition formats with targets up to 1200 yards out. PRS matches are recognized as the major league of rifle matches, offering the most challenging and competitive events with each match drawing shooters from all over the nation.

At the end of each season, there is a PRS Finale match where the best of the best compete head to head. Shooters ranked in the top 50 nationwide are invited to a match at the K&M Precision Rifle Training Facility in Florida for one last bang. The info below is based on the equipment those pros brought with them to the 2013 finale. This is a great set of data, because 50 shooters is a significant sample size and this particular group are also considered experts among experts.


Calibers & Cartridges: What The Pro's Use

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Although the perennial favorite 260 Remington remained the most popular choice, many of the top competitors seem to be choosing 6mm bullets fired out of cartridges like the 6XC, 243 Win, and even a few like the 6�47 Lapua or the 6mm Creedmoor that are necked down versions of more modern cartridge designs. In fact, there were almost as many people choosing 6mm as 6.5mm cartridges. However, it turns out those using 6mm bullets finished 13 places higher on the leader board on average than those using 6.5mm bullets.

These are the highlights of what I found related to calibers and cartridges and what I thought most people would want to see ... but if you're interested in seeing more info related to this view the full post at: http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/09/07/rifle-cartridges-what-the-pros-use/