The 300 Weatherby Magnum and the 300 PRC are two powerful cartridges that are often used for the same tasks. Because they are used for the same tasks and have similar ballistics, it would only make sense to compare the two to see which one is better and why. 

Here is the short answer: 

At the muzzle, a 300 PRC with a 200-grain bullet has 3800 foot-pounds of energy, while the 300 Weatherby, also with a 200-grain bullet, has 3000 foot-pounds of energy. So if you are hunting big animals (I.E Moose, Bison, or Grizzly bear), you will want the 300 PRC. But if you are hunting animals that are smaller, like deer at long range, elk, or moose at close range, you will want the 300 Weatherby.

Now that we have looked briefly at how the cartridges compare to each other, we can compare the cartridges in-depth, look at each cartridge individually, and see which cartridge is best overall. 

300 Weatherby 

The 300 Weatherby was made in 1944 by Roy Weatherby after he wanted to improve upon the 300 H&H magnum. To do so he widened the case to make it have more powder capacity and gave it his signature double radius shoulder which affected the pressure of the cartridge. 

Currently, the 300 Weatherby is used for hunting elk, moose, bison, caribou, occasionally deer, and it some little use for long-range shooting but not much as there are better cartridges out there. Overall, this a very good performing cartridge for big game and can be used for long-range shooting.

Here is a table of the 300 Weatherby ballistics with a 180-grain bullet:

Range	Energy	Velocity	Drop	Wind drift
0	3831	3103	n/a	n/a
100	3394	2903	0	0.5
200	2995	2719	-2.6	2.3
300	2579	2540	-10	5.4
400	2242	2336	-22	9.8
500	1940	2203	-41	16

As you can see the 300 Weatherby is a fast-moving high energy 30 caliber bullet. However, this comes with a toll, a 9-pound 300 Weatherby magnum has 30 foot-pounds of recoil. Comparatively, a 30-06 (a 30-06 is often considered the biggest caliber most shooters can actually shoot) has only 22 foot-pounds of energy. 

300 PRC

The 300 PRC is a relatively new 30-caliber cartridge that has a lot of energy. To make this cartridge, Hornady took the 375 Ruger compact magnum and necked it down to accept a .308 caliber bullet. Effectively, this cartridge is a 375 Ruger shortened to a standard-length action and necked down to a 30-caliber bullet. 

This caliber is commonly used for elk, moose, bison, grizzly bear, black bear, caribou, and mountain animals like goats and sheep. This is an ideal cartridge for long-range big-game hunting because of its high energy and flat trajectory. Long-range shooting is something that this cartridge excels at because of its good ballistics. 

Here is a chart of the ballistics of the 300 PRC with a 212-grain projectile:

Range	Energy	Velocity (FPS)	Drop	Wind drift
0	3850	2860	n/a	n/a
100	3490	2530	0	0.5
200	3153	2585	-3.2	1.9
300	2849	2454	-11.6	4.4
400	2565	2373	-25.9	9.8
500	2304	2103	-46.4	14.7

Like the 300 Weatherby, the 300 PRC has a lot of energy and a lot of recoil 37 foot-pounds out of a 9 pounds rifle, to be exact. So for most shooters, you can develop a flinch quite fast. This means you will need to get used to the recoil before shooting it professionally or for hunting. 

Which cartridge is better

Now that we have looked closely at each cartridge, we can compare the two to see which one is better and why. 

If you are hunting big animals that weigh upwards of 1000 pounds, you will want the 300 PRC because it has more energy. The extra 400-500 ft pounds of energy will help you anchor any animals you shoot. However, keep in mind that the 300 Weatherby will work for most big game animals, and choosing the 300 PRC over the 300 Weatherby will result in 8 extra ft LBS pounds of recoil.

For shooting at long range, the 300 PRC is technically a better option. The 300 PRC has more energy, less drop, less wind drift, and a better-fitting chamber than the 300 Weatherby so it is more accurate. But the 300 Weatherby is not far behind the 300 PRC, so you have almost the same ballistics for less recoil if you shoot a 300 Weatherby. 

When it comes to versatility, the 300 PRC is more versatile. The 300 PRC has a wider array of bullet weights making it better for a larger spectrum of animals or situations. However, in a lot of situations, it is overkill so you should consider what you are hunting and how far you are hunting it. 

Even though it seems like the 300 PRC is a better cartridge, there is still a downside to it. Even though with the same bullet weights the 300 PRC performs better, for most hunting or shooting situations, it is overkill. Unless you are going after a giant animal such as a bison or grizzly bear, the 300 Weatherby is better because it is less likely to cause meat damage and kicks less. 

Conclusion 

Both cartridges are good and are very versatile, but the 300 PRC is more versatile and has better ballistics. However, if you aren’t hunting anything bigger than elk, you don’t need the extra energy as a 300 Weathebry will kill an elk much farther than most shooters are capable of shooting.