Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7mm PRC = 280 +P?

I only have 60 rounds fired and still tweaking the scope. Have not reloaded for it yet so I am hoping I can tighten up the group even a little. This is with Hornady factory 175 ELD X

26" Bartlein 1-8 twist, 700 action, McMillan stock. 5 shots just over .5 moa

I'm not going to try to suggest that the 7 PRC is an earth-shuddering new concept, it's simply a slight improvement over other 7mms that have been around for decades. I really think it represents the best of the 7mm RM and the 300 WM. What's not to like about slippery 175 gr high BC bullets at 2,800 FPS. Certainly overkill for most of my hunting but I like it just the same.

Personally, I like Bart and Brux tubes, a lot. Looks like your rifle will give up the accuracy you want with handloading for it.

I did have long conversation with my LGS buddy, yesterday, while buying the rifle about Hornady 7PRC ammo and the erratic, maybe more like, inconsistent velocities, shooters everywhere are experiencing.

He had talked to his Hornady Rep about the speed issue. The rep didn’t say or admit that different powders were being used on different lot#’s. He only said that if a powders being used had already been tested to meet Horn’s velocity spec for the chambering. So, it wouldn’t be a factor. Hmm 🤔

My guy made the suggestion that Hornady should look at changing their published speed numbers on the boxes, because very few shooters, even those running 24” and 26” barrels were hitting +3k let alone 3k. The rep didn’t have anything definitive to say about Horn changing the velocity of their 7PRC ammo.

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Absolutely, right. It’s just the initial ‘hype’ about the 7PRC, aside from long skinny bullets, and shorter, better designed cases, was velocity numbers.

Guys, like myself, throwing bullets that are -200 ft per second slower than published speeds, does indicate some engineers were a smidge overzealous in what the box 175gr Eld-X will actually do.

I’ve said a few times, right now I’m getting 2767 fps. That’s an average from 26 different boxes and 2 lot number.

Hell, at first I was hitting speeds in the high 2500 to mid 2600. I only started to creep up in velocity as the barrel on my Seekins Element became more seasoned.

2767 fps with a 175gr Eld-x will make things die. So, maybe the speeding ticket point is moot.

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My first 2 boxes averaged 2897 fos but that's with a 26" barrel. My ballistic app is giving me 2950 according to drops.

Will have to chronograph again but I don't want to waste ammo with the Magnetospeed. My buddy has a labradar and that's what I used to get initial numbers

I saw a wall full of new Remington 700 CDL, BDL, SPS. If they had a new one with the 1-8 7 Rem Mag I would’ve had to have it. Just to see what a stock rifle would do compared to the new PRC. Just for grins of course, I’d never wanna be caught in daylight, in public handling a Remington

I disagree with this guy. I'll always go for a but more twist than run the ragged edge. Conditions like Temps change and I hunt at different altitudes. More twist usually means more BC as well. The best group I've ever shot was with a 150 grain .308 in a 10 twist 300 wsm. Some would argue that 10 twist is too fast for 150s at 3400 fps but my accuracy didn't suffer at all.

If I was a bench rest guy shooting known and somewhat consistent variables with a heavy bench gun I might slow the twist to closer to the edge but in a hinting rifle always give me a bit of extra twist. I think an 8.7 twist 7mm is enough for 180s but for 195s I'd prefer 1:8.

I also don't agree that just because the 28 nosler is bigger its better. I've had at least 3 28s and while one of them has shot some very good groups it doesn't do so consistently and after about 30 rounds of RL 33 I have to clean the carbon out or things get funky. The 7 prc I have has been easy to load for and consistent. Seems to have pretty wide nodes for the light fluted element barrel. I've only tried h4831sc and h1000 so far but quickly found 1/2 moa nodes for both.

And,I also think that with thin skinned high bc long range type bullets 2800-3000fps is a good place to be speed wise. It gets me to 1000 yards with enough velocity to still expand on bc's of .7 or so and still they perform OK at moderate ranges. Over the last dozen or so years I've gotten rid of at least 4 300 ultramags in favor of 300 wsm's. I prefer lighter rifles without brakes for most hunting and found that a 215 hybrid at 2800 mv killed very well and shot very consistently for me.

Plus it's been hard to find retumbo or even h1000 and my wsms do great with some faster powders. I've always thought the 7 wsm was the sweet spot for me performance wise and the 7 prc duplicates that while getting the bullet out of the case a bit but still leaving plenty of mag box on all long actions. In 7 wsm's I always wanted a bit more mag box except on 8400 short mag actions which give you about 3.0" which is the minimum I want on that round.

Using that guy's logic a 7 rum is better than a 28 nosler which isn't true because at least the 28 can fit a mag box. I was all in on the 28 for a few years but never got a lighter weight one to shoot consistently well. Plus I'm getting older and in a light weight gun a 7 prc is enough recoil.

Bb

My gunsmith agreed that for 195's an 8 twist would be best. I am glad I went with 8.

That’s actually funny, being caught in daylight.

Most of my Remington’s are just their action I prostituted for a build.

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Only 2 Remington's left myself. A 722 in 300 Savage and a Gentry Mountain Rifle in 7x57 on a 700 action.

That 722 is cool as heck though. I could hunt one of those.

Which McM stock are you using?

You have the least convincing record on buying a new 7 PRC

Game Scout

I've handloaded 100+ 7 PRC's for testing & hunting. Hunted with a 22" custom last spring, but didn't get a shot at an Idaho bear.

With 71.1 Staball HD the 175 gr ELD-X averaged 2899 fps with an SD of 8. I was impressed. That's a max load according to Hodgdon and I had no trouble with it last June.

The rifle has been dependable and accurate. I've long used the 7mm Rem Mag, and see the 7 PRC as a bit of an improvement.

Regards, Guy

What barrel mfg did you use on your build. Steel or CF?

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That's a load I'd be trying if I had one. SB HD seems to be very available and those are great numbers on a 22" barrel.

Bartlein 5R 1:8 twist stainless

Good story, Burleyboy. And, some fine shooting way out there!

Cool. 👍🏼

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