7mm PRC

I thought about building a 7PRC thinking it would it would be a bit of a step up vs my 280AIs but based on what I've been seeing posted as to various loads, my 280AI is running equal / higher velocities with less powder. I'm sure I'll get flamed but simply stating what I'm seeing based on my load data.

Hunt-wyo said:

I'm still trying to figure out why we want to push a partition at a million fps ...

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Or at all. Years ago, I ran the 175's in. 284 mags and 250's in a 338 WM. Had too many instances of them leaving pencil holes through game; even on larger game like bull elk.

I've heard of better luck with NP expansion in the lighter for caliber bullets, but I switched over to cup and core and bonded bullets and haven't looked back.

Decided to build a 7 PRC with no preconceived expectations. Just wanted to try something new. Runs Hornady factory 175 ELDX at 2885 and 180 ELDM at 2830 from 22 inch barrel. Both consistent at half MOA. Ran the 175's out to 1000 on steel and again consistent. Worked with H1000 and 180 ELDM's and best load at 2850 fps with ES of 9 and 4 SD. Chronographed several times. Took a decent 6 by Wyoming bull several weeks ago with the 175 ELDX factory load at 319 yards. One shot, trotted downhill about 20 yards and dead. Just my experience thus far.

KsKevin said:

I thought about building a 7PRC thinking it would it would be a bit of a step up vs my 280AIs but based on what I've been seeing posted as to various loads, my 280AI is running equal / higher velocities with less powder. I'm sure I'll get flamed but simply stating what I'm seeing based on my load data.

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Your 280ai is running much higher pressure at "equal / higher velocities". The laws of physics are still in effect. Not hating the 280ai, I have one and it's a great cartridge but it isn't magic and it isn't going to hang with the PRC especially when pushing heavies.

I'm interested in the PRC and it is the cartridge I would build off of if I didn't already have a 7mm cartridge. As it is I have a 7WSM that I built custom 14 years ago as a long range hunter. 26" 1;9" barrel. I have something like 600 virgin pieces of Winchester brass. I get 2960 from 175gr bullets with 65gr RL26. Pretty tame load too. 3060 from 168 LRX and top end where pressure is 3115 at 67gr of RL26 with the LRX.

The tough part is barrel twist and bullets. I have been disappointed with the ELDXs. They come apart too easy. Great on smaller bones animals like deer and antelope; blow big holes in them a DRT. But I had to put two in a cow elk this year. First bullet hit a rib behind the shoulder and blew a two inch hole on the entrance. I could not discern any penetration or an exit. The liver was shredded but nothing immediately fatal. I really think all copper monos are the way to shoot heavy magnums on big bones animals. But the twist rate. I think I'm going to have to rebarrel to a 1:8 or 1:8.5". The 168 LRX seem stable at 100yds but I haven't been able to shoot it at 600 yet. I'm at 6000 + ft ASL and hunt higher than that. I might be able to get away with a 9 twist. I do have a Carbon Six 8.5" blank sitting in the corner to use if the monos don't stabilize. I also bought two boxes of 175 ABLRs for over $100 a piece. They seem to want to group so far and as a bonded bullet I hope they can stay together through a shoulder bone much less a rib. But you hear bad things about them every once in a while too. I will try them but not overly confident in them yet. I think the safe bet is a 1:8" shooting copper monos and a guy just has to swear off traditional cup and core bullets with great BC and weight.

All that to say: a guy should put more thought into bullets and barrel twists than cartridge.

With those calibers you listed, you can't buy a generic rifle at your local store, a couple of types of premium ammo, and have a MOA gun that shoots high BC bullets.

The PRC style line has greatly reduced the barrier of entry for those looking to extend their range. I get that the other calibers "could" but they didn't.

I have the majority of the 7mm cartridges discussed in this thread. For the most part, I just wanted a 7mm magnum with a twist rate capable of stabilizing 175+ grain bullets.

Some rifles chambered in a 7mm Rem Mag, 280 AI, 7mm Weatherby Mag, etc. will stabilize heavier bullets, but most won't.

That is my interest in the 7 PRC - seems with heavy bullets, it should be a close peer to a .30 magnum in performance.

Tommy T said:

I'm loading 175 Berger's in a 20" Bartlein and I have them load to the max load and getting only 2821 FPS out of it with a 24" benchmark barrel I'm getting 2965FPS loaded to max VV N560 powder

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My son's getting 2,950- 2,955 FPS with, a 24" Proof bbl. ( Braked ) and group's in the .4's with,. FACTORY, 175 ELD-X's !
20 inch Barrels on, a 7 PRC = Yikes !
aka,.. LOTS of, Velocity,.. "Left on, the Table"

I'll give hornady credit for a good market strategy. Since they aren't gun makers they don't have to consider how gun sales will affect their cartridge development or compete with cartridges they invented 10, 30, or 60 years ago. They are free to innovate and optimize on ammo and component sales alone which isn't true for remwinrugerbrown. Because of this strategy on making performance affordable and available, i would argue they have brought more people into the sport since the 6.5cm than any of the others.

Some calibers lose about 40-50 fps per inch of barrel length, so that's about right. I'm using a 25" barrel just to be different.

I'll be 100% real with you here. I have a 7 PRC and have now loaded for 2 7mm rem mags. The difference is the SAAMI specs. If you just go off SAAMI specs you can tell that Hornady made the 7 PRC to make money off of the non reloader who wanted to shoot heavy for caliber bullets in manufactured ammunition. This was done on purpose because hornady makes all of their money off of manufactured ammo. The SAAMI spec and twist rate on factory rifles for the 7 PRC allows heavy for caliber bullets to be seated out further in the case and get more velocity out of manufactured ammo. All they did was make a chamber spec that reloader would want and applied that for manufactured ammo.

I'm not getting anymore velocity than I can from the 7 Rem mags.

cast10k said:

Your 280ai is running much higher pressure at "equal / higher velocities". The laws of physics are still in effect. Not hating the 280ai, I have one and it's a great cartridge but it isn't magic and it isn't going to hang with the PRC especially when pushing heavies.

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I doubt any of us have true pressure instrumentation but I will say I have 7 reloads on Nosler brass with zero loose primer pockets and without any of the traditional signs of pressure (ejector marks / swipes, primer cratering, heavy bolt lift). I've ladder tested up to pressure signs and back off to accuracy node below that. Two different rifles…one with 24" Bartlein 8.7twst one with 24" Proof 8twst.

Maybe I just haven't seen load data for the 7PRC that is really utilizing the full capability of the cartridge but most everything I've seen is similar to my 280ai loads (I hit pressure signs around 3050 with 168vlds but settled on accuracy node of 2960, 180vld hit pressure at 2980fps but accuracy node is 2842).

All I'm getting at is I thought the 'promise' of the 7PRC was 180s at 3000fps but not seeing many land there and most of what I'm seeing is more similar to 280ai performance vs taking a step up.

Phil Rizzo said:

Mr Selby deserves and garners respect.

(But the man hates anything modern and efficient.)

And I follow his videos, for the most part.

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THAT'S just crazy. I know him personally. He talks from VAST experience.

I don't know him personally, but I'm basing my statement off the content of his YouTube videos I've watched.