“Speed” and “accuracy” are the two buzzwords that have kept hunters reinvesting in equipment since the black powder days of two centuries ago — probably longer than that if one considers that a smoke pole shoots faster than a bow.

Speed is velocity and the hunting world is full of folks who worship at the altar of velocity. It’s been that way forever. Think back to guys like P.O. Ackley and Roy Weatherby. Standard velocities weren’t enough for their customers and both of these industry pioneers built empires within Gundom, based solely on wringing more feet per second from a given caliber than anyone else around.

With that in mind, the relatively new Precision Rifle Cartridge rounds seem to be on their way to matching the unprecedented dominance of the 6.5mm Creedmoor over the past few years.

Computerization has allowed faster and more precise cartridge development than anything known before. And, because of the nature of such high-tech design and manufacture, it is easier for companies to crank out high-performance rigs, ammo and components than ever before. It's a perfect storm.

Even the names of these cartridges will energize and decoy buyers to the counter — at least those who covet speed and accuracy. We’re talking long-range shooting here, or at least the illusion of it.

Frankly, neither the 6.5mm PRC nor the .30 PRC offer anything particularly new in the bigger sense. The 6.5 mm PRC basically duplicates the performance of the .264 Winchester Magnum and the .300 PRC is more or less the performance twin of a .300 Weatherby Magnum, but without a belt.

The point is that manufacturers will be hyping the two new rounds and that means opportunity because they create the hunger, which the retailer then sates. Nice when things work out that way.

And as the cartridges are hyped, gunmakers will deliver a wide variety of rifles to shoot them. It's a chicken and egg situation in which everyone wins.

From a sales perspective, the real beauty is that it makes no sense to put full-race cartridges in clunky old rifles — or merely to re-barrel an old rifle. Hence, think about pushing chassis rigs chambered for the latest performance cartridges.

And no chassis rifle would be complete without all kinds of hang-ons and accessories. Listen to the cash register ringing: scope, mounts, sling, magazines, ammo — you name it.

Trends in big game hunting generally are fewer and slower than in other segments of the shooting sports like 3-Gun events and the like. But there are definite trends, and chassis rifles are among them within the hunting world. To understand this phenomenon on the hunting front, consider the previous evolution, which began with AR-type rifles.

Termed “Modern Sporting Rifles,” the MSRs were tasked in the woods, mountains and fields as hunting rifles. Yes, they can work, but for many hunters they are not quite what the doctor ordered, so to speak. Reasons range from the fact that they can be a bit noisy when chambering rounds to relatively limited choices in ammo.

Enter the bolt-action chassis rifle, which incorporates all of the modular niceties of the AR, as well as the benefits of the classic bolt-action rifle. It’s literally the best of both worlds. And most of these chassis rifles have “the look” that seems to trigger sales in the current marketplace.

The chassis concept has been around for quite a number of years, actually. HS Precision pioneered the built-in aluminum bedding block in their synthetic stocks years ago. Others have followed and now other makers are taking that concept a bit further and still offering a rather typical “hunting” rifle profile. That design was featured in some new models at the recent Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades Show.

Meanwhile, full-on chassis bolt-action rifles are proliferating all over Gundom. As the current trend toward long-range shooting continues, expect the demand for these kinds of rigs to increase.

The nice part about long-range mania is that it assumes the use (and sales) of all kinds of things to help the shooter/hunter realize maximum accuracy.

These include all of the usual types of accuracy-enhancing things like custom triggers and adjustable stocks, as well as other items ranging from wind meters to specialized reloading dies. Yes, to squeeze the last drop of accuracy out of a specific rifle, it usually is necessary to handload especially for it. Think dies, powder, primers, brass, flash hole uniforming tools, case trimmers, sizing lube, etc., etc.

Frankly, the market continues to find new ways to excite shooters and hunters about the latest, greatest guns and gizmos. Change truly is the only constant in an industry that continues to have a growing and expanding base. Yes, there are new shooters and hunters joining the culture all the time.

To realize many of the potential profits, it is necessary to recognize trends before they peak. Right now in Gundom, that means focusing on velocity, accuracy and modularity.

And that is on top of all of the more traditional things that continue to interest shooters and hunters who may not be on the cutting edge. Looks like it could be a great year.