7 Rem mag or 7 PRC

[RidgeReaper3]

If I was going to shoot Bergers in a 7mm it would 168 VLDs which you could shoot out of any 7mm RM. Based on my research the 180 ELDM is amongst the best of the best killing bullets out there.

I'm a fan of Browning rifles. They have their shortcomings but it would be my runner up to Tikka for a factory rifle.

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Good to know on the 180 ELDMs, I will definitely be giving them a try. Tikka was next on my list. The only reason I have leaned towards the browning is the twist rate and the 26" barrel. Wish browning had the action/aftermarket support that tikka has.

 

[TaperPin]

I like the 7 rem mag so much I couldn’t imagine switching to a cartridge that doesn’t do anything special. Even with a bare bones old school 160 gr Accubond, old school 7 mag shoots quite fine to 600. I reload, but am content with 160s. I think a lot of guys are pulled into the PRC marketing by focusing on ballistic charts. Normal 1:9 twist shoots many 175’s just fine, so the benefit of heavier PRC bullets is marginal.

 

[RidgeReaper3]

The real question is do you want to handload everything or do you want the option to use box ammo in addition to handloading. There are no heavy factory ammo loads for the 7mm RM. If you are handload only, the 2 cartridges are about a wash with speed variations that are generally in the realm of barrel speed differences.

The real question is do you want to handload everything or do you want the option to use box ammo in addition to handloading. There are no heavy factory ammo loads for the 7mm RM. If you are handload only, the 2 cartridges are about a wash with speed variations that are generally in the realm of barrel speed differences.

Jay

With the 1/8 I can shoot all the factory loads offered for the 7 Rm between 162g-175g. For 180s I can shoot HSM trophy gold, choice/Copper creek if desired. Everyone purchasing a 7 prc will be searching for the same 175g factory ammunition, which could easily lead to having to reload the 7 prc regardless if I want to or not. Based off the results I found the 7 prc shooting the Hornady factory 175 eldx loads are right around +/- 2,890 fps. Which is almost identical to the 7 rm federal 168g Berger hybrid factory loads (2870). There are 5 factory loads I know of that have 7 RM just in 175 alone excluding all the 168s. Which I believe the 7 prc has total of six the 175s.

 

[406RoadToad]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the new 7 Backcountry yet.. wonder if that’s a glimpse into its future as a viable cartridge or not.

 

[LightFoot]

I have a 7 PRC and if I had it to do again… I’d get a 7mm Rem 1/8 twist.

Hornady factory ammo sucks for 7PRC.


>>>——JAKE——>

 

[menhaden_man]

Great information, I have really enjoyed the browning rifles. I am leaning towards the 7 RM and reloading. Any recommendations on brass/powders to start with? Have heard good things about the H1000 with 168s but not much on the 180s. Read federal brass is good for the 7 Rms as well.

I was using whatever I could find in 2020 so have gone through a bunch of different loads. H1000, H4831sc, and Retumbo are all good options and temp stable. Funny enough one overlooked one is IMR 4350.

Shot a lot of PPU brass which is pretty solid for the price, but after moving to Peterson I get better consistency. You can grab 2 boxes from Graf’s and shoot/reload/track firings pretty easy. I finally got into annealing - can’t say I notice much in accuracy but pretty confident you’ll get more life.

I had a Retumbo load with 180s pushing over 3,100 fps, but started seeing pressure signs and that brass started splitting around 5-6 firings. Supposedly the Peterson brass can get to 20 firings if you don’t hot rod and anneal.

I have a spreadsheet with maybe 150 loads (3 to 5 shot groups) where I was fiddling around with seating depth, primers, powders, bullets, brass, etc. I can send it on PM if you’d like to check it out. Shit is worse than Kokanee fishing.

All told, I think what the Hornady podcast and others say on here is about right - a good powder and bullet combo should outweigh all the other stuff you can mess with.

 

[menhaden_man]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the new 7 Backcountry yet.. wonder if that’s a glimpse into its future as a viable cartridge or not.

I’ll pass on 12 passes through the reloading die. Wager you’ll find 7 BC parked to other classic ideas like this one in less than 5 years. Sometimes they take a good idea a few steps too far.

Unless they get some handout $$$ from Uncle Sam of course.

 

[Good Stuff]

I purchased the 7PRC and wish I had known about the 7 Backcountry before I did. I like the idea of pushing a .284 bullet 3,000+ FPS out of a 20" barrel.

 

[menhaden_man]

I purchased the 7PRC and wish I had known about the 7 Backcountry before I did. I like the idea of pushing a .284 bullet 3,000+ FPS out of a 20" barrel.

Makes a guy wonder what 80,000 psi would do for barrel life!

 

[WeiserBucks]

If you're going to build a custom rifle and handload, 7 RM works great with 180’s I've been using that combo for years.

 

[scott_co]

Around 2020, I was looking for a rifle as an option from a 300 WM Weatherby Vanguard. I liked the 300 WM, but wanted to try a 7 RM.

A few guys on this site recommended RBros Rifles, and it is one of the best shooting rifles that I have ever purchased. I bought a 7 RM with a Manners MCS-EH1 carbon stock, Jewell trigger, and Proof Research Sendero 26" carbon wrapped barrel (1:8 twist). I get very good velocity with the 26" barrel. Plus, it seems to like bullets from 150 Scirocco's to 180 Berger VLD's.

I purchased before the 7 PRC or & Backcountry were out, and I still don't see a difference worth making a change.

 

[.30WCF]

I kind of skimmed through. I have a PRC, it’s a sweet round with options for the hand loader and great factory offerings. I shot a bull this year at 360yds with the Federal offering of the ELD-X. Dropped in his tracks.

If you buy a 1:8 for the RM you’d have to spec how it’s reamed for the free bore or else you’re just reducing case capacity.

The RM already seats its heavier range bullets deeper into the case because the free bore in a SAAMI chamber won’t let you seat the longer bullets further out of the case. So, if you want a 1:8 to maximize BC capability, and shoot heavy handloads, but you do it without a custom chamber, you just have to shove a extra long bullet way into a case and use less powder, and lose all the benefits.

If you want a RM, get a 1:8 with a custom chamber to get the advantage of the high BC bullets in a RM, but the long free bore may or may not hate factory ammo since it will have excessive “jump” with standard weight/length bullets. The PRC is made for long bullets, and there is no short/light bullet option in factory, so, it should shoot factory and handloads reasonably well.

There are 5-6 factory loads for the PRC now. Between Hornady’s shenanigans and the 7BC, I wonder how the PRC will be in 5years. It may be strong since it did take off well, but it’s still young enough to let a few blows to the knees take it out. I had a Marlin 336 in Hornady .308MX I was lucky to get sold, and a Ruger Alaskan .480 Ruger that somehow I sold for retail. Two of Hornady’s attractive inventions that they just discontinued one day. And they didn’t just discontinue the ammo. They quit components. No brass. No bullets. No reloading without heavy modifications to other components. So, I’m watching for signs to bail on the PRC.

I love my PRC. I shoot factory, and handload. As long as I can get brass, and factory, I’m keeping it.

1 Go PRC for factory with advantage.
2 Go RM factory 1:10 for proven track record.
3 Go custom twist, custom chamber, custom ammo in a RM if you want an equivalent to a factory PRC.

With modern rangefinders and calculators, it doesn’t matter. If you’re dialing or using mil dots or MOAR, who cares. Shoot an ‘06 with 180s. If you have to touch the turrets, does it matter if you dial 5 MOA or 6.5 MOA? Sure, the faster, higher BC might compensate for some small errors, but only small errors. I dialed 4.5 MOA to shoot my elk this year. If I had been shooting an ‘06, I’d have dialed 5.5 or whatever that came to. Literally zero lost time or effort for hunting. For ELR, there may be a real value.


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[ElkBro]

I kind of skimmed through. I have a PRC, it’s a sweet round with options for the hand loader and great factory offerings. I shot a bull this year at 360yds with the Federal offering of the ELD-X. Dropped in his tracks.

If you buy a 1:8 for the RM you’d have to spec how it’s reamed for the free bore or else you’re just reducing case capacity.

The RM already seats its heavier range bullets deeper into the case because the free bore in a SAAMI chamber won’t let you seat the longer bullets further out of the case. So, if you want a 1:8 to maximize BC capability, and shoot heavy handloads, but you do it without a custom chamber, you just have to shove a extra long bullet way into a case and use less powder, an lose all the benefits.

If you want a RM get a 1:8 with a custom chamber to get the advantage of the high BC bullets in a RM, but the long free bore may or may not hate factory ammo since it will have excessive “jump” at that point with standard weight/length bullets. The PRC is made for long bullets, and there is no short/light bullet option in factory, so, it should shoot factory and handloads reasonably well.

There are 5-6 factory loads for the PRC now. Between Hornady’s shenanigans and the 7BC, I wonder how the PRC will be in 5years. It may be strong since it did take off well, but it’s still young enough to let a few blows to the knees take it out. I had a Marlin 336 in Hornady .308MX I was lucky to get sold, and a Ruger Alaskan .480 Ruger that somehow I sold for retail. Two of Hornady’s attractive inventions that they just discontinued one day. And they didn’t just discontinue the ammo. They quit components. No brass. No bullets. No reloading without heavy modifications to other components. So, I’m watching for signs to bail on the PRC.

I love my PRC. I shoot factory, and handload. As long as I can get brass, and factory, I’m keeping it.

1 Go PRC for factory with advantage.
2 Go RM factory 1:10 for proven track record.
3 Go custom twist, custom chamber, custom ammo in a RM if you want an equivalent to a factory PRC.

With modern rangefinders and calculators, it doesn’t matter. If you’re dialing or using mil dots or MOAR, who cares. Shoot an ‘06 with 180s. If you have to touch the turrets, does it matter if you dial 5 MOA or 6.6 MOA? Sure, the faster, higher BC might compensate for some small errors, but only small errors. I dialed 4.5 MOA to shoot my elk this year. If I had been shooting an ‘06, I’d have dialed 5.5 or whatever that came to. Literally zero lost time or effort for hunting. For ELR, there may be a real value.


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I’m a big fan of the 7PRC, and since most manufacturers offer it, I’m hoping it’ll stick around for a while. But I wish Federal could keep up with the demand. The only stuff I can find around here is Hornady, and it's not moving off the shelves.

After watching all those YouTube influencers talk about the 7BC, I’m still not convinced it’ll be a hit.

 

[LightFoot]

I’ll pass on 12 passes through the reloading die. Wager you’ll find 7 BC parked to other classic ideas like this one in less than 5 years. Sometimes they take a good idea a few steps too far.

Unless they get some handout $$$ from Uncle Sam of course.


View attachment 821804

More like the Remington EtronX.


>>>——JAKE——>

 

[.30WCF]

I’m a big fan of the 7PRC, and since most manufacturers offer it, I’m hoping it’ll stick around for a while. But I wish Federal could keep up with the demand. The only stuff I can find around here is Hornady, and it's not moving off the shelves.

After watching all those YouTube influencers talk about the 7BC, I’m still not convinced it’ll be a hit.

I mean the BC is the first ever of a new thing, kind of. There has been steel cases for a good minute now, but Federal is trying to make a frowned upon thing cool.

If it works long term it could be catastrophic for the 7PRC, just because the PRC is a Hornady cartridge, and Hornady does what Hornady does. Throw enough chit at the wall, and some of it will stick. Had they been open about the powder supply, it would be more palatable.
The only thing that’s a plus for the BC is the short barrel. And I’d still say that most middle/low America isn’t using suppressors yet. Lots of folks do, but not most. So, most don’t need an 18” barrel. It is an interesting race. I invested in the PRC, and hope it survives.

Sounds like I’m booing on the PRC, but I want it to stay. It’s cool and does cool stuff. I like the PRC. I don’t like Hornady. I wish the BC came out in a .30 or 6.5


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[menhaden_man]

More like the Remington EtronX.


>>>——JAKE——>

I’d forgotten about that gem

 

[ElkBro]

I mean the BC is the first ever of a new thing, kind of. There has been steel cases for a good minute now, but Federal is trying to make a frowned upon thing cool.

If it works long term it could be catastrophic for the 7PRC, just because the PRC is a Hornady cartridge, and Hornady does what Hornady does. Throw enough chit at the wall, and some of it will stick. Had they been open about the powder supply, it would be more palatable.
The only thing that’s a plus for the BC is the short barrel. And I’d still say that most middle/low America isn’t using suppressors yet. Lots of folks do, but not most. So, most don’t need an 18” barrel. It is an interesting race. I invested in the PRC, and hope it survives.

Sounds like I’m booing on the PRC, but I want it to stay. It’s cool and does cool stuff. I like the PRC. I don’t like Hornady. I wish the BC came out in a .30 or 6.5


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I don't think you're booing the PRC at all. I too am invested in 7PRC, which makes me bias towards it. But all of your points are valid, especially about Hornady. They really missed an opportunity to come clean early on and chose not too. Shame.