7mm Backcountry Reloading dies and data is now available.

[UnckleBob]

It’s a bold move in today’s business world to intentionally have a lost leader. Board of directors demanding shareholder value have little tolerance for such things.

If they have already done the bulk of the R&D for other projects, that R&D is a sunk cost and irrelevant to the cost of developing the 7BC.

The "cost" of developing the 7BC would only include any new R&D + costs to set up production.

BTW - I would not be shocked if this contract paid for much of the R&D cost for developing the peak alloy case.

https://www.guns.com/news/2021/06/22/federal-ammunition-scores-dotc-contract#:~:text=Minnesota%2Dbased%20Federal%20Ammunition%20announced,through%20advanced%20research%20and%20development.&text=%22This%20is%20a%20tremendous%20honor,survivability%20with%20advanced%20ammunition%20capabilities.%22

Per AI

Federal Ammunition developed the Peak Alloy™ case over a six-year research and development timeline, beginning in response to a U.S. military solicitation for higher-performance ammunition. Here's a breakdown of the development process:


Development Timeline & Process


• Initiation: The project began when the U.S. military sought ammunition capable of handling higher chamber pressures than traditional brass could safely support.


• Material Testing: Federal engineers tested numerous materials under extreme pressure conditions. Their goal was to find a casing material that could:


• Withstand 80,000 psi chamber pressures (compared to the SAAMI brass limit of 65,000 psi).


• Be manufactured efficiently.


• Remain reloadable under controlled conditions.


• Breakthrough: After extensive testing, Federal settled on a proprietary high-strength steel alloy—similar to materials used in bank safes, race cars, and nuclear reactors. This alloy became the foundation for the Peak Alloy case.


• Design Finalization: The engineers developed a one-piece case configuration that could be reliably produced and safely loaded to high pressures. The casing was also nickel-plated to resist corrosion and differentiate it from legacy steel cases.


• Engineering Lead: Brad Abramowski, Federal’s Centerfire Rifle Ammunition Engineer, played a key role in the development. He confirmed that Peak Alloy cases could safely achieve 3,000 fps velocities with 170-grain bullets from 20-inch barrels, thanks to the increased pressure tolerance.


• Launch: The technology debuted with the 7mm Backcountry cartridge in early 2025, marking a major leap in performance and casing innovation 1.

 

[wind gypsy]

I thought the idea was the same velocity as a 7 mag with lower recoil because of less powder. Looking at the load data for at least 175 gr bullets, max velocity is with powder charges in the low 60 gr, which is also what max 7 mag charges are. The BC does get a little extra velocity with 4” less barrel, but recoil is not less, at least not with any of the recoil calculators or formulas.

A quick look at Hodgdon 175 gr 7 RM data shows the fastest 7rm velocities are roughly 100 fps slower (when corrected for 4” longer barrel) and powder charges are in low 70s..

 

[z987k]

Somewhere else (I cannot remember), I saw speculation that reloaders would form 7BC brass from one of the various '06 based cases and shoot low pressure rounds when they don't need the extra fps.

Logically, a 7BC with a brass case should use similar load data and perform much like a 280AI in a barrel of the same length.

I now forsee a 18" CF 7BC barrel going on one of my Origin actions.

Btw- I find it interesting that RCBS was not first to market with reloading dies after all.

If you look at what an 8 twist 280ai is capable of(delivering a moderate to heavy 7mm projectile at velocities that projectile still works at, at distances people actually hunt), in any legal barrel length, there's remarkably few people that need a 7BC.

 

[swavescatter]

If you look at what an 8 twist 280ai is capable of, in any legal barrel length, there's remarkably few people that need a 7BC.

You could argue that few people need more than a 223...

 

[TaperPin]

A quick look at Hodgdon 175 gr 7 RM data shows the fastest 7rm velocities are roughly 100 fps slower (when corrected for 4” longer barrel) and powder charges are in low 70s..

It is a little faster even with the short barrel, no doubt about that, so it is better in short barrels, but a BC in a 20” barrel right next to a 7 mag and normal 24” barrel seems like it would require a sensitive shoulder to tell a difference. Hopefully I don’t sound like a hater, to the contrary, every short barrel guy with a can should have 7 mag performance sitting under the Christmas tree with a big bow and note from Santa.

 

[UnckleBob]

If you look at what an 8 twist 280ai is capable of(delivering a moderate to heavy 7mm projectile at velocities that projectile still works at, at distances people actually hunt), in any legal barrel length, there's remarkably few people that need a 7BC.

I have a 22' 8 twist 280AI and think it is more powerful than I will ever need. But if I could have it's performance in a 16 or 18 in barrel, I would prefer it.

As luck would have it, I listened to a Big Game Podcast episode while driving around today. The entire episode was an interview with a guy a Seekins talking about their rifles, the 277 Fury and the 7BC
- they changed their actions because high pressure rounds are the future.
- he hinted that a 6.5 BC is in Federal's plans.
- the military is driving performance changes in ammo

 

[wyosam]

If you look at what an 8 twist 280ai is capable of(delivering a moderate to heavy 7mm projectile at velocities that projectile still works at, at distances people actually hunt), in any legal barrel length, there's remarkably few people that need a 7BC.

Had a 22” 280ai- was absolutely fantastic! But especially once I moved to AK and no longer had easy access to long range shooting, the math just didn’t support it anymore. My “long range” rifle is now a 20” 7-08ai. If it wasn’t diamond fluted, it would probably be 16” and still do everything I need it to.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sundodger]

If they have already done the bulk of the R&D for other projects, that R&D is a sunk cost and irrelevant to the cost of developing the 7BC.

The "cost" of developing the 7BC would only include any new R&D + costs to set up production.

BTW - I would not be shocked if this contract paid for much of the R&D cost for developing the peak alloy case.

https://www.guns.com/news/2021/06/22/federal-ammunition-scores-dotc-contract#:~:text=Minnesota%2Dbased%20Federal%20Ammunition%20announced,through%20advanced%20research%20and%20development.&text=%22This%20is%20a%20tremendous%20honor,survivability%20with%20advanced%20ammunition%20capabilities.%22

Per AI

Federal Ammunition developed the Peak Alloy™ case over a six-year research and development timeline, beginning in response to a U.S. military solicitation for higher-performance ammunition. Here's a breakdown of the development process:


Development Timeline & Process


• Initiation: The project began when the U.S. military sought ammunition capable of handling higher chamber pressures than traditional brass could safely support.


• Material Testing: Federal engineers tested numerous materials under extreme pressure conditions. Their goal was to find a casing material that could:


• Withstand 80,000 psi chamber pressures (compared to the SAAMI brass limit of 65,000 psi).


• Be manufactured efficiently.


• Remain reloadable under controlled conditions.


• Breakthrough: After extensive testing, Federal settled on a proprietary high-strength steel alloy—similar to materials used in bank safes, race cars, and nuclear reactors. This alloy became the foundation for the Peak Alloy case.


• Design Finalization: The engineers developed a one-piece case configuration that could be reliably produced and safely loaded to high pressures. The casing was also nickel-plated to resist corrosion and differentiate it from legacy steel cases.


• Engineering Lead: Brad Abramowski, Federal’s Centerfire Rifle Ammunition Engineer, played a key role in the development. He confirmed that Peak Alloy cases could safely achieve 3,000 fps velocities with 170-grain bullets from 20-inch barrels, thanks to the increased pressure tolerance.


• Launch: The technology debuted with the 7mm Backcountry cartridge in early 2025, marking a major leap in performance and casing innovation 1.

Still a bold move to claim they are going to intentionally lose money on a business adventure (7mm BC).

I am sticking with Halon's razor on this, which is also probably Occam's razor.

 

[UnckleBob]

Still a bold move to claim they are going to intentionally lose money on a business adventure (7mm BC).

I am sticking with Halon's razor on this, which is also probably Occam's razor.

I don't think they are trying to lose money. What I really meant was that they were beta testing the technology, their sales approach, and market placement with the long action 7mm. Let's say the 7 BC totally replaced the 7RM and PRC. In terms of sales of potential volume, I think that the 7 mm magnum market is a fraction of the market for short action cartridges

In terms of sales, I think they will try to make their big money with potential replacements for the 223, 6/6.5 CM, 308, and 243.

 

[Bugger]

Yeah, I enjoy resizing brass so much that I wanna’ run all my pieces several times to get lube “appropriately distributed”….

Another gimmicky flash in the pan. Pass the Creedmoor/ x47 Lapua cases and hold the fluff.

“Special note: steel cases require substantial effort to full length resize. Be sure you’re using ample, high performance case lubricant like our Lee Resizing Lubricant. When sizing, once the effort becomes extreme, remove the case and redistribute the lubricant, re-insert the case and size to completion.”

I’m curious to see what “substantial and extreme effort” looks like. Sounds like a lot of stuck cases from not enough lube and dented shoulders from excess lube.

 

[Sundodger]

I don't think they are trying to lose money. What I really meant was that they were beta testing the technology, their sales approach, and market placement with the long action 7mm. Let's say the 7 BC totally replaced the 7RM and PRC. In terms of sales of potential volume, I think that the 7 mm magnum market is a fraction of the market for short action cartridges

In terms of sales, I think they will try to make their big money with potential replacements for the 223, 6/6.5 CM, 308, and 243.

That’s a great way to poison the well on these steel high pressure cases for any other future versions they want to sell to us.

You and I might both be right, using the 7mmBC as beta test, where they don’t give it what it needs to succeed, so that it has a high chance of failure, then being surprised when it fails and the consumers don’t want a 6.5 version is probably more incompetence than malevolent.

Let me be clear, i am not a hater on this. I am rooting for these new high pressure cartridges. I really hope they make it, in this iteration or the next.

 

[UnckleBob]

That’s a great way to poison the well on these steel high pressure cases for any other future versions they want to sell to us.

You and I might both be right, using the 7mmBC as beta test, where they don’t give it what it needs to succeed, so that it has a high chance of failure, then being surprised when it fails and the consumers don’t want a 6.5 version is probably more incompetence than malevolent.

Let me be clear, i am not a hater on this. I am rooting for these new high pressure cartridges. I really hope they make it, in this iteration or the next.

I think they planned to give it what it needed (RCBS Dies for 1), but knew that something that innovative would necessarily be a work in progress.

For people who don't reloading, it seems like good rifles (I have heard Savage has had issues) shoot very accurately and I haven't heard any griping about recoil (I suspect nearly 100% are being shot suppressed).

For people who are reloading because they want "to reload," the reloading issue will certainly be an issue until people figure out a good, consistent way to reload accurate ammo.

For people who don't reload or only reload to get good ammo, I think they are probably where they need to be.

- I reload, but haven't bothered to try reloading my 6.8 W yet because the factory ammo has been very good (to my surprise). My gun absolutely loves the 165g ABLR load. Why spend the time and money reloading it?
- I don't think many of their buyers are going to shoot thousands of rounds every year. They will probably buy ammo just like they currently buy 30-06' or 7RM ammo.

PS - I am typing this from my hospital bed after surgery this morning. If I have more grammar and spelling errors than normal, I can blame it on the pain meds. I'll be fine. It is just annoying waiting to get discharged tomorrow morning.