7PCR vs 284shehane or other 7mm

ceard said:

Sorry for the late reply to you all I've had a really busy couple days at work. However, to answer some questions.
I will mostly be using it for paper/steel out to 800, occasionally 1800.
I have other rifles I hunt with however if I use the rifle for hunting the current longest shot, I could make is around 430 yards at any of the properties I have access to. Any further than that and it would be a pipe dream of going out west or to Texas
For the max COAL my buddy has an older Tikka 695 (not 595) and the id of the mag box is 3.5 so as long as I don't want to load .016 over the 7prc COAL I would be ok and if I was, I would be fine with single feeding.
I really appreciate all the replies and suggestions.
However, from the many replies it seems the 7PRC, 7SAUM, 7PRCW seem to be my best options, I am quite interested in the 7PRCW, does anyone have some good information about it I really didn't see much online past a few youtube vids.

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I'm not familiar with the prcw, 1800 won't be bad with a 7 prc. Your coal is longer than smai so unless you're going to throat it out your mag will be fine as well. In my wife's we run 180 eldms in Peterson brass at just shy of 3k. My 7 max(saum improved) I ran a 190 atip at 2945 and shot to 2100. Before that we shot a 12 inch group at 1710 with a 180 beger. The prc will be fine. A number of guys ran the 7 prc at the nightforce elr match this last year. 180 eldm, 180 Berger 190 Berger at or around 2900 will be fine to 1800. My elevation is 1800 ft and 50 percent humidity. We ran factory Hornady to 1275 and it fell off bad. That lot was only 2825 fps with a 24 inch barrel. 175 begers handloaded at 3030 were on a string to that distance. Hope this helps feel free to pm me if I can off offer any more.

FEENIX said:

This depends on the bullet you plan to use, such as the 195 Bergers. You will need a cartridge with powder capacity to propel them at velocities to take advantage of the bullet attributes.

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What velocities are those? I have shot a few thousand rounds with 195 and 190 bergers. They basically are identical. Same charge and seating die settings. I think the 190s may be more consistent at all velocities I have experience with. I have 22"-30" barrels and have only loaded and shot them from the 7 Sherman short case. So I have found anywhere from 2615 FPS-2850 FPS shoots well. My favorite match was running 190s at 2615. ROs commented it looked like a laser and yeah you could just watch it fly but laser? This was a Hunter style field match. It hammered for sure. So why is faster better? The only reason I can think of is 195 terminal performance on game. Having enough velocity for the bullet to do damage internally. I harvested an elk at 500 yards and 2760 FPS dissolved the heart. He took a knee on the spot. It just seems that faster would always equal better numbers on a chart but in the field is it necessarily better? I'm not sure it is for competition. For hunting yeah I agree TOF is something to consider the more distant from the target.

PNWdude67 said:

What velocities are those? I have shot a few thousand rounds with 195 and 190 bergers. They basically are identical. Same charge and seating die settings. I think the 190s may be more consistent at all velocities I have experience with. I have 22"-30" barrels and have only loaded and shot them from the 7 Sherman short case. So I have found anywhere from 2615 FPS-2850 FPS shoots well. My favorite match was running 190s at 2615. ROs commented it looked like a laser and yeah you could just watch it fly but laser? This was a Hunter style field match. It hammered for sure. So why is faster better? The only reason I can think of is 195 terminal performance on game. Having enough velocity for the bullet to do damage internally. I harvested an elk at 500 yards and 2760 FPS dissolved the heart. He took a knee on the spot. It just seems that faster would always equal better numbers on a chart but in the field is it necessarily better? I'm not sure it is for competition. For hunting yeah I agree TOF is something to consider the more distant from the target.

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Then you should know what I am talking about, esp. when comparing velocities generated with 7SS powder capacity to that of 7MM RUM/AM, etc.

ceard said:

I am quite interested in the 7PRCW, does anyone have some good information about it I really didn't see much online past a few youtube vids.

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The 7/6.5PRC has about a grain more water capacity than the 284Shehane. Necking up Lapua or ADG brass is the only way to get there right now. ADG is making some straight 7/6.5PRC brass that you don't have to neck up for Alex Wheeler. A multitude of powders work well. The most commonly used are N555, H4350, RL16, RL23 and H4831SC. The velocity wheelhouse is 2840fps to a little over 3k. Most settle in the 2900-2960 range with a 180/184gr Berger.

Here is a load development pic that Alex Wheeler shared from my teammate Tim Vaughts work up.

I'll second this.

I bought a 7STW for fun almost a decade ago and it has become my hands down favorite cartridge that I own. Incredibly accurate and plenty of power, yet it doesn't beat me up with the recoil