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In 2021, an advanced long-range shooting competition called Precision Rifle Series (PRS) was launched in the UK. It originated in America, but it is practised in many countries. Other versions of the discipline have taken place for some time.
BASC Council member AL GABRIEL travelled to Wales to learn more about Precision Rifle Series in the UK…
Precision rifle shooting has been growing in popularity in the UK over the last couple of years. I was invited to join a competition in Caerphilly in Wales during the Easter holiday weekend, to learn more about it.
It was my first time in Caerphilly. While I was waiting for dinner at a local restaurant, I bumped into some of the shooters, including an Italian woman who had travelled for the competition. We started talking about rifles and one of the competitors summarised PRS as “the equivalent of Formula One”.
Caerphilly is the only range currently hosting Precision Rifle Series competitions in the UK. All the matches are conducted in accordance with the same rules and regulations that apply to every country.
Competitions take place throughout the year, and scores are tallied up on a league table. My host, Andy Simpson, introduced me to the range officers and briefed me on the format of the competition. It was exciting watching everyone getting ready for the day.
There is something about a dozen rifles going off all at once. The Pro Shoot Range in Caerphilly goes out to around 500 yards, an impressive distance by any standards, and is located on an old colliery, with slag heaps serving as backstops. It took me a while to figure out the layout: in the distance, I could see metal gongs and targets spread out at different ranges. Safety is paramount.
I was quite surprised to see most people using similar calibres. Nearly all were shooting 6mm cartridges, with the odd .223 in the mix. The 6mm rounds have minimal recoil, are flat shooting and cheaper to reload, at least for powder consumption. This explains why .243, which is of course 6mm, although not used in PRS, is so popular for deer stalking. The most popular choices seemed to be 6mm Creedmoor and 6mm Dasher. As I walked around behind the shooters, I could see some of the red-tipped needle-like bullets, which have high ballistic coefficient values, stashed in secure boxes. Precision is everywhere.
It made me wonder if I should pay more attention to my own stalking set-up. The 6.5 Creedmoor round has been gaining popularity among stalkers, and older 6.5mm varieties have been around for some time. I personally feel 6.5 Creedmoor in deer stalking is nothing more than a fad (contentious I’m sure), although I think there is a lot to be said for 6.5mm overall. They seem to cause less meat damage while getting the job done. Ballistically speaking, they score highly as well.
On the range, there were all manner of shooting structures for each match – whisky barrels, gates and tyres included. It had a Wild West feel to it.
The rifles used were not off-the-shelf models. Most had custom barrels and stocks; a significant amount of tuning had gone into them. The optics were specialist long-range scopes with turrets designed for quick adjustments. Such kit would cost £5-10k easily, although you can start with something less expensive. That said, there are PRS competitions restricted to production rifles and ammunition, which should be more accessible for newcomers.
Shooters were divided into squads, and members helped record scores, pick up brass and boost morale. Although it was a competition day, there was a sense of camaraderie among the shooters. How refreshing to see that kind of supportive environment, which adds to the enjoyment.
During the lunchtime break, I had a chat with several of the shooters. It appears that, skillset aside, half the game is the rifle set-up and half is summoning the mental strength required. Currently, there are over 100 regular PRS shooters in the UK, with half of them being at an advanced level. In the US, there are over 6,000 active shooters. Three of the top qualifiers in the UK are funded to compete in Nashville, Tennessee every year.
It was one of the most modern shooting competitions I’d ever seen. As the day progressed, the shooters moved around the range with their digital weather stations, scanning scopes and tablet computers.
Scores are updated online, so even shooters who may not be on the field keep up with every match to see where they lie on the all-important league table. Like most shooting disciplines, PRS seems to be male-dominated, although I was told there are numerous women taking part across the globe and numbers are rising.
I was lucky to be allowed to fire a few shots just to get a feel for the range. I used to compete in Territorial Army rifle competitions and ammo was much cheaper when paid for by the taxpayer!
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that many of the shooters were also deer stalkers. In fact, most seem to have started their rifle career in pest control or deer management. I asked if their advanced shooting skills had given them an edge in deer stalking and most agreed that time spent practising on the range was directly translated into success in the field. This led to a discussion on how few deer stalkers take part in range days. My view is that more shots should be fired at paper targets than at live quarry. Personal skill and rifle set-up should regularly be checked. There is significant room, I think, for people to schedule regular practice.
There’s a great deal to be learned from target shooting and competitions. After all, practice makes perfect.