7 PRC vs 7 SAUM vs 280 AI

[WKR]

If you had to pick one for a custom built mountain hunting rifle which would you go with and why?
Factory ammo is not a concern but reloading components might be.

 

[Prairiekid]

I like my Model Seven 7 rsaum. It’s light compact with a 21” barrel it’s still under 40”. But I think it depends on which bullets you want to shoot. If you want to shoot the heavier for caliber projectiles, 7 prc has to be the way to go. For inside 500 yards, 140 TTSX is good for me.

 

[WKR]

I like my Model Seven 7 rsaum. It’s light compact with a 21” barrel it’s still under 40”. But I think it depends on which bullets you want to shoot. If you want to shoot the heavier for caliber projectiles, 7 prc has to be the way to go. For inside 500 yards, 140 TTSX is good for me.

barnes lrx 145’s and 168's

 

[Mag_7s]

I'm a fan of the .284. I would say I have a cult following of the 7RM, however currently building or assembling parts for a 7SAUM. 7SAUM, 280AI are great cartridges that never really took off with the masses. (To be honest i dont really know much about the .280AI) Both have very similar ballistics, with the saum slightly better, if almsot negligible for most. For the hand loader and custom chamber crowd they have proven to be excellent performers. The 7PRC appears to be another great addition to the options of the .284. I look at it as the modern 7RM and for the non hand loader, a fantastic option. When the clicker issue gets figured out, it will be a true winner in my opinion, especially since there will be brass offerings from Peterson and ADG.
I wanted to build a "lighter weight" mountain rifle, but didn't want to sacrifice much performance, ie mid lengh AntiX action and carbon barrel, carbon stock. I decided to go with the SAUM because I like essentially easy cartridges that aren't know to be very temperamental, and have proven themselves on the F-class scene. And if im being honest here, probably its popularity. Its also on the moderate side of recoil, which maybe im a little b!@ch but i just dont enjoy rifles that hit hard and have difficulty observing bullet spalsh. I also have most of the components, bushings and mandrels for .284. I'm not a speed junky and try to choose one that will be moderate on barrels, but still be in the mid 2900s, so I can practice and not be as concerned about burning up a barrel. It's also said to be the big brother of the 6.5x47 Lapua, which is the last rifle I built. I plugged in some anticipated ballistics and it almost matched, which I'm hopeful for as it will make a great trainer.
The drawback of the 7SAUM is brass availability. I would secure enough brass to last the life of the barrel.

 

[SwiftShot]

7 PRC. The reason is easy. It is the chamber. Tolerance are super tight on it.

The reason it is great. 7mm Saum ect have custom chambers for long bullets and barrels with faster twist rate to stabilize them. Well the 7 PRC was designed to give you that in a factory chambering. Which means off the shelf ammo for a custom chamber. They are all really close ballistics wise. The SAUM is supposed to be a shorter actuon but with long bullets like in the PRC it will need to be in a longer chamber as well.

You might be able to pick upba 7 SAUM on the used market pretty cheap as shooters are unloading them.

 

[Dejhavu]

284 is another great option.
280AI and 7 saum basically do the same thing.
7 saum has ADG brass.

I love my 7 saum and shoot Berger 190’s at a 3.090 oal.
Brass life has been excellent and it’s really forgiving to load.

 

[Alex Genereux]

‎The Hunt Backcountry Podcast: MM 154 | 7PRC vs 7SAUM, Spotting Scope Review, Active Insulation Mid-Layers on Apple Podcasts

‎Show The Hunt Backcountry Podcast, Ep MM 154 | 7PRC vs 7SAUM, Spotting Scope Review, Active Insulation Mid-Layers - Nov 14, 2022

podcasts.apple.com

I think one thing you need to decide is what is your actual range you are trying to be effective at. One thing that makes the 7 saum attractive and why I am building one is you can build it on a short action if you want and you can get away with a slightly shorter barrel which both save length and weight. I would say min barrel length for 7 prc is 20” and min for saum would be 18”. I would actually say quality brass right now 7 saum brass is easier to come by vs the 7 prc. You can get on back order list for adg 7 saum brass at unknown munitions shipping in July. You can also back order Peterson brass from unknown as well shipping 3rd quarter. I wanted to be effective to 600-700 yards and the saum is effective much further than that. So I don’t need extra recoil, length in action and barrel which also saves me weight.

 

[handwerk]

I'm a big fan of the 280 AI.

 

[MuleyFever]

I cant help you, I just got all 3. I am probably sticking with the PRC because I dont want to reload if I dont have to. I have not had the opportunity to test it yet though. If you have no issue reloading, the SAUM is a great option to have built on a long action and throated for heavy bullets. The PRC is the obvious choice for someone that wants a factory ammo option.

WIth the bullets you mentioned I would go with the 280ai or the SAUM.

 

[Griffin99]

Personally I would go with the 280 ai. I am a big fan of the 7 prc and plan to build one for my self. But when you say mountain rifle I picture a gun that is around 6.5 pounds finished max. And the 7prc would definitely not be fun recoil wise in a gun that light. That’s why I say the 280 ai, it’s gonna recoil less

 

[doc holiday13]

I was almost a SAUM guy but I'm going PRC. I like that the PRC give you some breathing room on pressures and less to worry about with COAL and seating depth. I'd rather have more freebore than less.

 

[WKR]

I should have prefaced this by saying I already have a 280 ai and a 7 rem mag both browning x bolts. As you can see I'm very partial to 7mm's

I was leaning toward a 7 saum because I dont have a short action and I eventually want to go suppressed but then they had to come out with the 7 prc and muddy the waters.

I dont know if a 7 prc has that much of an advantage over a 7 rem mag for a hand loader

 

[WKR]

I cant help you, I just got all 3. I am probably sticking with the PRC because I dont want to reload if I dont have to. I have not had the opportunity to test it yet though. If you have no issue reloading, the SAUM is a great option to have built on a long action and throated for heavy bullets. The PRC is the obvious choice for someone that wants a factory ammo option.

WIth the bullets you mentioned I would go with the 280ai or the SAUM.

How much of a weight penalty would it be getting it built on a LA instead of a SA?

 

[N2TRKYS]

I love my Remington Model Seven SS 7 SAUM with a 22” factory barrel. It shoots 160 grain Accubonds 2950 fps.

If I didn’t have anything, I would probably get the 7 PRC and shoot 180 class bullets.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[MuleyFever]

How much of a weight penalty would it be getting it built on a LA instead of a SA?

Not sure, my SAUM and PRC are Tikkas.

WIth those bullet choices I would think you could put the SAUM on a short action. I would go LA if you wanted to shoot the 170s or heavier.

 

[Mag_7s]

How much of a weight penalty would it be getting it built on a LA instead of a SA?

Are you planning on building from an action you already have or buying a new one?

 

[N2TRKYS]

I should have prefaced this by saying I already have a 280 ai and a 7 rem mag both browning x bolts. As you can see I'm very partial to 7mm's

I was leaning toward a 7 saum because I dont have a short action and I eventually want to go suppressed but then they had to come out with the 7 prc and muddy the waters.

I dont know if a 7 prc has that much of an advantage over a 7 rem mag for a hand loader

If I already had those cartridges, I would seriously look at a 7-08. I know I really like mine.

 

[WKR]

Are you planning on building from an action you already have or buying a new one?

Buying a new one

 

[Mag_7s]

Buying a new one

My suggestion would be a medium length if going with a 7SAUM. You will likely be okay in the SA if only shooting the mid weights, but better served with the mid length action if going into the 175+. Action manufacturers typically list their weights for comparison.

 

[N2TRKYS]

My 7-08 is a Remington Model Seven SS with a factory 20” barrel. It’ll shoot 140 grain Accubonds 2850 fps and 120 grain NBTs 3000 fps. I killed my first mule deer buck with it this season and hope to shoot my next elk with it. I shot my first, and only, elk with my 7 SAUM with 160 grain Partitions.