Precision Rifle Series

The Precision Rifle Series (PRS) is a long range and precision rifle based shooting sport derived from practical shooting. The series have a championship style where competitors collect points from thirty matches spread across nearly twenty states, and thereby are ranked across the nation.[1] Top ranked competitors get to compete in the last match of the season which is the "Precision Rifle Finale". The number of active competitors has increased from 164 in 2012 to over 15,000 by 2020.[2]

Precision Rifle Series
AbbreviationPRS
MottoTo promote and grow the sport of competitive precision rifle shooting in a safe, fair, and practical manner for shooters of all skill levels and ages.
TypeShooting sport organization
HeadquartersUnited States
Owner
Shannon Kay
SubsidiariesPRS Australia, France, Norway, Spain, US
Websiteprecisionrifleseries.com

The competition seeks to find a balance between speed and precision, and targets can both have known (KD) and unknown distances (UKD). Shooting distances can vary from between 10 and 1,200 meters/ yards,[3] and thus the competitor needs to have good knowledge of their firearms ballistics. The primary focus is on long range shooting, and a competition usually consists of several courses of fire. Each course usually has a set maximum time (par time), and the shooter is awarded points according to how many targets they manage to hit during that time. Targets presented are usually relatively small and made of steel. In the PRS-series for instance, usually between 0.3-0.9 MIL (3-9 cm at 100 m, approximately 1-3 MOA).[3]

Rifles

Long range sniper-style rifle matches at various ranges from unconventional shooting positions became popular in the 1990s. PRS rules established in 2012 stipulated rifles used by competing shooters must fire bullets with a diameter not greater than 0.308 inches (7.82 mm) at muzzle velocities not greater than 3,200 feet (980 m) per second. These limits are intended to prolong the life of the steel targets used in matches. There are six competitive categories for rifles firing such bullets.[2]

Most competitors use variable-magnification telescopic sights. Cartridges firing 6mm or 6.5mm (.24 to .26 caliber) bullets are popular because low recoil often enables shooters to observe whether they have hit or missed a target to assess whether another shot is required before moving on to the next target.[2] Many competitors also use shooting bags to create a stable platform to rest their rifles.

Divisions

Bolt action rifles - Divisions, Categories and Classifications rifles:[4]

The PRS has three bolt gun divisions and one gas gun division. All shooters must declare the division in which they will be competing when they register for the PRS. Shooters are permitted to shoot in multiple divisions in the same season. They however, must register for all divisions in which they choose to compete. It is imperative for shooters to ensure they are registered in the correct division for all matches if they plan on competing in multiple divisions. It is the shooter’s responsibility to ensure they are scored in the correct division. Failure to do so will result in a Match DQ.

  • Open Division
    • Bolt action rifles in the Open Division do not exceed a caliber of .30 or a velocity of 3,200 fps.
  • Tactical Division
    • Bolt action tactical rifles in the Tactical Division are restricted to .308 winchester and 5.56 Nato/.223 Remington Calibers. The 5.56 Nato/.223 Remington are will not exceed 3,000 fps and the 308 Winchester will not exceed 2,800 fps. No modified or wildcat rounds are permitted to compete in the Bolt Action Tactical Rifles Division.
  • Production Division
    • Bolt action production rifles in the Production Division shall not exceed $2,500 as listed on the company's website and the optic shall not exceed $2,000 as listed on the company's website.
    • For the purpose of the Production Division, a rifle is defined as a publicly available rifle per the original manufacturer's configuration of a complete firearm which will be composed of at least the following: stock with bottom metal or chassis, a complete action, a barrel and a trigger mechanism.
  • Gas Gun Division
    • Gas gun division rifles may consist of a large or small frame semi-auto rifle without restrictions. Gas guns are limited to .30 caliber or 3,200 fps.

All competitors shoot the same course of fire regardless of their registered division. Competitors are given a 1% variance on speed for environmental factors and equipment discrepancies

Shooter categories
  • Military and law enforcement
    • Any shooter who is a full time active duty service member or full time LEO is eligible to shoot in the Mil/LE class in addition to their PRS division. Full and/or part time National Guard or Reserve competitive shooting teams that are sanctioned by their respective military branches qualify to compete under the MIL/LE PRS category.
  • Ladies
    • All female shooters are eligible to shoot in the ladies category in addition to their PRS Division.
  • Seniors
    • Anyone over the age of 55 is eligible to shoot in the seniors category in addition to their PRS Division.
  • Junior
    • Anyone 18 years old or younger at the start of the season is eligible to shoot in the juniors category in addition to their PRS Division.
  • International
    • Any international shooter (not a resident of the US) that chooses to compete in the US/CA PRS PRO Series. Not to be confused with the International Series, a shooter may participate in both.

Classifications

In order for shooters to be able to compete with their peers, PRS Series competitors are divided into classifications based upon their skill level and performance. The reason for the classification system is to have the ability to rank competitors and allow shooters to have true peer-to-peer recognition. This allows for goal setting and realistic achievement of attainable goals within the sport.

The classification system is a yearly performance-based system in which shooters are classed for the current season based on their year prior season series score (not including their finale score). At the end of each season, shooters classes will be recalculated according to the classification bracket percentages based on their end of season pre-finale series score. The shooter will retain this classification for the entire next season and compete within this classification at the Pro Series Finale (if qualified).

PRS competitors can achieve a classification of either Pro, Semi-pro, Marksman, or Amateur. Each class consists of a percentage of the total number of affiliated shooters, based on the end of season standings not including the finale. Pro shooters, for example, will be classified as the top 20% of competitors according to the standings after the last Pro Series match of the season. Competitors within the top 55 -79.9% of shooters, based on these standings will be classified as Semi-pro and so on.

PRO Series classification bracket percentages
ClassificationPercentages
ProfessionalTop 20%
Semi-professionalNext 25%
MarksmanNext 25%
AmateurRemaining competitors (approx. 30%)

Affiliations

PRS today has affiliate clubs in eight countries:

Seasons
2019 champions
NameDivision
Clay BlackketterOpen
Coldyn CloudOpen Junior
Regina MilkovichOpen Lady
Ben GossettMil/LEO
Brian AllenOpen Senior
Charles RobertsTactical
Doug KoenigRuger

See also

References
  1. Zant, Cal (2013-09-07). "What Is The Precision Rifle Series?". Precision Rifle Blog.
  2. Wood, Keith (2018). "Precision Rifle Series". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association. 166 (3): 56–58.
  3. Precision Rifle Series - FAQ Archived 2015-03-28 at Archive.today
  4. 2020 PRS Rulebook
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