The long-held maxim that competitive long-range precision rifle shooting demands meticulously handloaded ammunition to reach the pinnacle of the sport is evolving. According to an in-depth report by precisionrifleblog.com, several top-ranked competitors in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) are now achieving elite performance, even past 1,000 yards, using factory or custom-loaded ammunition. This pivotal shift confirms that unparalleled consistency is attainable without personal handloading.
Among the featured custom ammunition providers, Clay's Cartridge Company supplies four shooters within the top 50 PRS rankings, including #4 Clay Blackketter, #27 Dave Preston, #39 Jimmy Moore, and #48 Tate Streater. Owned by Blackketter, a 2019 PRS Season Champion, perennial top-5 finisher, and recent 2025 Koenig-Ruger Precision Rifle Competition winner, the company’s offerings are proven. Shooters reported using 6mm BR, 6mm Dasher, and 25x47 Lapua cartridges, with an average 10-shot standard deviation (SD) of 4.0 fps. Five-shot group sizes averaged 0.3 MOA, with reports ranging from 0.1 MOA to 0.4 MOA. Clay’s offers standard PRS cartridge loads and custom load development, including rifle-specific tuning.
Phalanx Arms also supports four shooters within the top 200, notably #19 Matt Caruso, currently ranked 4th in the 2025 season. Owned by pro shooter Mike Burdis, Phalanx Arms’ offerings deliver. Competitors reported using 6mm Dasher, 6mm BRA, 6mm GT, and 7mm SAW with exceptional SDs ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 fps, and 5-shot group sizes between 0.3 and 0.4 MOA.
Trace Ammunition accounts for two top 200 shooters, including #40 Justin Domaguin. Owned by Ammar Bazzaz, a Professional PRS shooter currently tied for 1st in the 2025 Gas Gun Division, Trace provides specialized loadings. A 6mm Dasher bolt-action shooter reported a 10-shot SD of 4 fps and 0.3 MOA 5-shot groups. Critically, Chris Garcia, the top shooter in the 2024 Gas Gun Division and ranked 128th Open Division, utilized Trace 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition in his gas gun. Despite the inherent challenges of semi-automatic platforms, Garcia reported an SD of 7 fps and 0.5 MOA groups—performance deemed extremely good for a gas gun. Trace also offers reloading services for customer-supplied brass and full custom load development.
Finally, Eagle Eye Ammunition supports two shooters in this elite group: #92 Garrett Preece and the highly respected Morgun King. Despite a 2024 ranking of #192 due to not competing in the season finale, King boasts prior season ranks of 3rd (2023), 4th (2022), and 2nd (2021), confirming his status as a world-class rifleman. Both Preece and King rely on Eagle Eye's 6.5 Creedmoor loads, often featuring the Berger 156 EOL or Berger 153.5 LRHT bullets.
The data compiled by precisionrifleblog.com underscores a pivotal evolution in competitive long-range shooting, demonstrating that single-digit SDs and sub-half-MOA accuracy are consistently produced by dedicated custom ammunition manufacturers, providing a viable path to elite performance beyond the reloading bench.
