I know the trend is toward a short to mid with this cartridge, BUT, is anyone running a long barrel, "lets start at 26" and go up" What are your results? Load, velocity, accuracy, recoil and anything else you have noticed, "good or bad" compared to other cartridges. Thank you for your input.
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Long barreled 7 prc ?
- Thread starter stazmania
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I've have a 30 inch on.a Stiller action
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
My rifle will be wearing a 26" Bartlein carbon when my LGS gets the time to spin it on.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
If it works with the action a Hawkins M5 inlet will give you AICS mag, hunter flush mag, and even BDL with Wyatt's box options. I think I'm up to three of their bottom metals now, and they've been working great.
Hell's Canyon Armory (HCA) makes carbon barrels up to 30".
I don't have a 7 PRC but I have 26+" barrels on most of my rifles and like them a lot. 28" is most common, one 27", and several 30"s. Next boomer is 36"
Never had a longer barrel cause me any problems at all, but I do enjoy the free velocity that was already paid for in the chamber.Bug Holes has 29" varmint and sporter barrels in stock, plus a 26" carbon fiber Bartlein.
I am sorry if my long barrel made you feel uncomfortable. Just kidding, I'm not really sorry. Again just kidding. Just asking about results using a short fat, not so over bore practical powder charge for bore diameter type cartridge. I can appreciate a short barreled fast handling rifle with a well balanced caliber to powder capacity cartridge. But if you want to shoot a 16 inch 50 bmg have at it and please post video. Just having fun. In my case I am thinking 26" with staball hd, and maybe get some good/easy speed without stressing the brass?
The Ultimate Reloader channel on YouTube built a 22" and a 28" 7 PRC and they provide numbers there if you're interested and seeing comparisons. Hill Country Rifles also tested a 20", 22", and 24" barrels on a YouTube video.
In short there's a 25-40fps gain per inch depending on barrel maker. SAAMI numbers were done with 24" so a 28" barrel should get you and extra 100-150fps give or take over actual numbers with seem to be in the 2900-3000fps in actual rifles comparing boxed ammo and custom loads. Also seems like H1000 and 4831SC are providing best accuracy at this point at the expense of a bit of speed over the box numbers from the testing I've seen on these channels.
In short there's a 25-40fps gain per inch depending on barrel maker. SAAMI numbers were done with 24" so a 28" barrel should get you and extra 100-150fps give or take over actual numbers with seem to be in the 2900-3000fps in actual rifles comparing boxed ammo and custom loads. Also seems like H1000 and 4831SC are providing best accuracy at this point at the expense of a bit of speed over the box numbers from the testing I've seen on these channels.
lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
I have a few short/shortish barreled rifles.
I shoot/hunt suppressed 99% of the time.
I hunt out west.
I honestly see very little benefits to a short (20" or shorter) rifle out west.
When my 20" 6.5SS barrel is shot out, I will rebarrel with a 24" minimum. 26" is probably more in line with my style/locals of hunting. Which is what my other 6.5SS has on it.
For something like a 7PRC/7SAUM/7SS/7RM, I see zero benefit to a 20" out west. Kiss the 3000fps claims of the 7PRC w. 180s goodbye. Although a 180 @ 2750-2800 will still kill an elk quite a ways out there.
I shoot/hunt suppressed 99% of the time.
I hunt out west.
I honestly see very little benefits to a short (20" or shorter) rifle out west.
When my 20" 6.5SS barrel is shot out, I will rebarrel with a 24" minimum. 26" is probably more in line with my style/locals of hunting. Which is what my other 6.5SS has on it.
For something like a 7PRC/7SAUM/7SS/7RM, I see zero benefit to a 20" out west. Kiss the 3000fps claims of the 7PRC w. 180s goodbye. Although a 180 @ 2750-2800 will still kill an elk quite a ways out there.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
That's my thing too. Nothing against people who want/need short barrels for their variety of reasons, but it's not like there are any trees for me to snag a barrel on in West Texas
I could tie a little orange flag on the end of my barrel just in case the square mile of blaze orange isn't a big enough clue to not shoot me...
I am looking forward to what reloaders come up with using some of the slower Vihtavuori powders, Staball HD, magnum, even the non existent retumbo and r33. And with bullet weights from 150 to the 195s, case fill, seating depth and anything else.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
My 7PRC should be completed soon but I'm not expecting anything that my 7WSM isn't already doing. I'm currently shooting 160gr class bullets at 3,000 fps but I've shot 180gr bullets at close to that speed too.
The 7PRC is just more marketing hype IMO but, I'm interested in wringing one out for myself anyway.
I am not trying to turn the 7prc into something it isn't or was not intended to be. I have two 28 noslers and enjoy the for what the are and I could easily load the down to 7 prc performance level. But what fun would that be. With the hornady hype machine, and their ability to back it up with product, driving the industry, it is a much funner ride than the Winchester train that has produced "in my opinion some great cartridges" that end up going obsolete after the initial hype. I intend to enjoy the 7 prc cartridge for what it is, and enjoy the ride.
