Is the 7PRC really promoted as a long range caliber?

[Dooner]

I've been looking at getting a 7mm. The 7PRC sounds interesting in that it usually is chambered in rifles that have an 8 twist, with the idea of shooting longer, high BC bullets, including the newer high BC mono's. What I don't get is that I'm seeing a lot of 7PRC rifles offered in 20,22, and 24 inch barrels. That doesn't make sense to me. If you want a long range rifle, why would you give up muzzle velocity? If you are taking shots within 400yrds, why not just go with a 7-08, 308, or 30-06?

 

[Bfish22]

maybe some don't want longer than a 22" barrel and a 22" 7prc will be effective at much longer ranges than a 22" 308? A 22" 7prc gets you out to 900 yards pretty easily maintaining 1800 fps.

 

[comfisherman]

There is a notion that overbore or moderate range cartridges like the prc some how or another become parity with smaller rounds because of barrel length.

Conceivably given enough barrel a standard 7-08 could hang with my short 7 rum, it's gonna look like a marlin goose gun but its possible. For now I drive the bullet at the velocity wanted at the cost of barrel life and powder consumed. Upside is a very compact rifle with superb ballistics.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

36" full choke?

 

[Reelamin]

I've been looking at getting a 7mm. The 7PRC sounds interesting......... If you are taking shots within 400yrds, why not just go with a 7-08, 308, or 30-06?

Because you can't then sit around and spit out a bunch of internet jargon that takes a paragraph to say. Those don't have enough look at me I'm cool because I have this awesome new thing. When you say any of those century, and multi decades old cartridges in less than five words everyone agrees and don't need 3hrs of BS explanation. Hornady hit one out of the park with the internet, now they can't hit a T-Ball and their still swinging at it.

 

[comfisherman]

eh, I was a kid when everything was a belted cartridge or believed a radius shoulder made powder magic. Weatherbys, stw/sta and the 8mm, heck they were even putting a belt on the 450marlin, lazeroni and the like were playing with geometry similar to what became all the rums and then the saums, rcm, wsm and even the nosler cartridges.

Remember very clearly the old guy who taught me to load buying what at the time were very expensive dies to load belted magnums so they didn't have belt separation. Real or imagined nobody cares about that with the new ones, heck we don't really even address case neck stretch with all the modern geometries. Solved problems to somebody.

Most cartridge allegiance stems from when you bought in, for me it was wsm time. Basically after rum mania and before the saums had a resurgence... college buddy got in a little later is all in on saums. Current hunting buddy is all in on prc... but it was his first modern rifle, heck probably first rifle in 30 years.

Remember very clearly when some gun store clerk came in to proselytize for jesus cartridge 6.5 walk on water. Few years later the religion spread to shot and the world was changed, one slow little shot after the next.

Some will make it others won't, I'd put the over under on the 27 nos, 30 super carry, and maybe the 6.8 western dieing slower than the 30tc but faster than the 300 rcm....

In little over two weeks another batch will make a splash.... the others will be the 22 arc... er 17 Aguila basically still born.

Hornadys got the pr machine figured almost as good as vortex did 15 years ago, some merit, some bull, some glazed eyed sycophants.... but time will tell what was actually good. 20 years from now the question will be "why the 7mm Zim/zero when we have the prc alresdy?".

Maybe folks buy shiny, maybe it's what's on the shelf. Not for me to judge.... well except the Creedmoor shooters...

 

[Buffalobwana]

I have a 20" 6.5 PRC because I don't want to carry a longer gun with a can even though its probably equivalent to a 26" 6.5 man-bun.

 

[blackburbot]

Rule #1 of gun club...you don't question barrel lengths and practicality. It might not seem practical for the way a person hunts but to others it makes perfect sense. Kinda like owning a F350 diesel to get groceries from the store 2 blocks away when you can walk there. There is benefits, both practical and mentally to getting owning more rifles. Have a happy new years

 

[Sneuses]

I've been looking at getting a 7mm. The 7PRC sounds interesting in that it usually is chambered in rifles that have an 8 twist, with the idea of shooting longer, high BC bullets, including the newer high BC mono's. What I don't get is that I'm seeing a lot of 7PRC rifles offered in 20,22, and 24 inch barrels. That doesn't make sense to me. If you want a long range rifle, why would you give up muzzle velocity? If you are taking shots within 400yrds, why not just go with a 7-08, 308, or 30-06?

That question has been asked in another thread and the consensus was the popularity of the can. Me I'm getting one built and the barrel finished is going to be 27.5 inches. I want velocity and the ability to go distance when needed.

 

[X'n Tex'n]

I have a 20" 6.5 PRC because I don't want to carry a longer gun with a can even though its probably equivalent to a 26" 6.5 man-bun.

LMAO

 

[Happyshooter]

I've been looking at getting a 7mm. The 7PRC sounds interesting in that it usually is chambered in rifles that have an 8 twist, with the idea of shooting longer, high BC bullets, including the newer high BC mono's. What I don't get is that I'm seeing a lot of 7PRC rifles offered in 20,22, and 24 inch barrels. That doesn't make sense to me. If you want a long range rifle, why would you give up muzzle velocity? If you are taking shots within 400yrds, why not just go with a 7-08, 308, or 30-06?

I have some customers that are sheep hunters. Some also like using suppressors so both want to try and keep a smaller compact rifle so I've done many 22" barrels for them. From some testing experience it appears that the 6.5PRC and 7PRC seem to lose less velocity per inch of barrel than the 6.5 284 and 7Rem Mag. I first noticed it when I started gettin a bunch of 6.5PRCs from one of my larger customers. I'll have to collect drop data out to 1000 yards for anywhere from 10 to 25 of their custom rifles at a time. Not sure what the reason was for this but it was there.

 

[BrentM]

I'll guess I'll be the first to say that most people can't shoot long range well enough where that extra 100 fps is going to make difference. A 24" barrel vs a 28" is about 100 fps. If you run a can you'll want a shorter barrel. If you pack that thing around a lot, you'll want a shorter barrel. I run cans on all my rifles and 18" plus a 6" can makes it 24. It is much more pleasant to me than when I packed around my 28" barreled rifles. In the end the effective range was only diminished a hundred or so yards and generally further then I should be shooting anyway. Point being the general population of shooters buying a factory rifle and using factory ammo are shooting inside 600, and that is extreme range for many of those. I've helped teach plenty of classes for long range hunters and there is some scary things going on in da woods.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

I have some customers that are sheep hunters. Some also like using suppressors so both want to try and keep a smaller compact rifle so I've done many 22" barrels for them. From some testing experience it appears that the 6.5PRC and 7PRC seem to lose less velocity per inch of barrel than the 6.5 284 and 7Rem Mag. I first noticed it when I started gettin a bunch of 6.5PRCs from one of my larger customers. I'll have to collect drop data out to 1000 yards for anywhere from 10 to 25 of their custom rifles at a time. Not sure what the reason was for this but it was there.

the shorter and fatter the case the more efficient it is with ignition and burn, right?
Longer and slimmer definitely benefit more from longer pipes.
fps/inch definitely varies between the 2

 

[BrentM]

the shorter and fatter the case the more efficient it is with ignition and burn, right?
Longer and slimmer definitely benefit more from longer pipes.
fps/inch definitely varies between the 2

My findings too had 7 6.5-284's and 3 7 mags. The PRC is a better short barrel option, particularly in the 6.5. I can get significantly more fps out of a short barrel prc then a 6.5-284 and I struggle to give them up for the prc. I love and hate this cartridge.