I have been comparing the same gun as you are. It is for hunting elk sized game in the western usa in steep mountain terrain with high winds | |
| I have limited my bullet size to 7mm for elk size game at long ranges out to 700 yards |
In addition to all your good points, Here are my thoughts | |
7mm prc va 28nosler vs 7mm rem mag | |
g7 hornady ballistic at 10mph using eldx bullets | |
7mm prc uses 175gr | |
7mm rem mag and 28 nosler use 162gr eldx | |
when considering wind drift I think of the 24 inch kill zone on a elk-Cliff Gray professional guide says he misreads mountain wind 30% of the time after over 1000 hunts | |
wind drift (10mph 90degrees) .28 nosler vs 7mm prc out to 800yards is nearly identical(.2 in) (using 24 inch barrel) | |
elevation is 4in higher with 28nosler compared to 7mm prc and 9 inches higher at 800yards | |
| elevation is not as important to me because I plan on using a rangefinder as well as get a $100 ballistic turret cap with yardage on it |
300 prc is extremely difficult to find since 5 years since they came out so 7mm prc will likely be just as hard | |
| 6.5prc and 300 prc caught on because hornady is an ammo manufacturer so the gun makers won't blacklist a round because it is made by a different gun maker |
| 7mm prc is just the updated 7mm rem mag everything slightly good and worse but fits the modern western long range big game hunter better. |
| 7mm prc is the edge of manageable recoil for most shooters |
| but hunting doesn't shoot a lot |
| but many rifles come with muzzle breaks/threaded muzzles |
| but many people are moving to the shorter rifle 20 in and supressed, and want to have a 7mm round for hunting elk-7mm prc enables the shorter barrels for 7mm rounds |
| 28 nosler will shoot out average 800 rounds, 7mm prc 1200 rounds, 7mm rem mag 2000 rounds |
28nosler is still around but less interesting and losing popularity | |
| quality 28 nosler hunting ammo is available now during a very difficult time to get ammo |
7mm prc is likely to be a widespread common round-like when the 7mm rem mag gained factory public appeal | |
| Also if widely available from manufacturers will likely lower the 280 ackly,6.8western, gunwerks 7, 28 nosler |
| -pretty much take away market share from 7mm chamberings with little effect on 7mm rem mag |
depending on the amount of shooting you do the barrel life could last a lifetime on any of these rifles- If 7mm prc rifles and ammo are available in 5 years I would go in that direction | |
| personally I will shoot cheap ammo through 308 rifle if I want practice |
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I eliminated tikka ultralight even though very lightweight because it did not have lots of other features that the begura and savage do | |
| no ceracoat-80x better lasting barrels with ceracoat,has stainless barrel but no outside rust resistance |
| no threaded muzzle, plain color, great action, only 1 lb under the bergara, lower build quality than bergara overall, price is still ok at $980 |
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I eliminated the CVA cascade while it has many of the specialty premium gun features it has overall lower build quality in every way | |
| it only $650 is understandable that build quality is lower |
| liked the ceracoated everything, decent action, only a good trigger, threaded barrel, adjustable stock length, more vetical pistol grip for the prone type shooting |
| it just cant compete with the bergara in overall build quality |
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browning x-bolt has most everything I want(like savage), but just got lucky with the low priced savage-my budget is 1100 all-in | |
| browning x bolt is about $1300, the savage is usually $1500 |
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I eliminated bergara hmr because its too heavy at over 9lbs | |
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Kimber 84m ultralight had a giatn advantage of weight, but the trigger, many features, and slightly less accuracy pushed me away. Also the chambering don’t exist in the under $1100 price range | |
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Ruger did not have the desired chamberings. But they will have the 7mm prc go wild in the future, Big chains have told in about 1 year, small mom an pops say 4-6montsh to see the first ones | |
| Ruger has lower quality in lots of ways compared to the higher price point rifles, but on Backfire.tv it shows how much better it shoots than most other rifles |
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Weatherby vanguard did not have the desired chamberings | |
| they do have the 7mm rem mag, but none of their lots of models are in stock |
| If in sotck anywhere I would give it serious consdieration, although many of difffernt Weatherby vanguard models do not come in 7mm rem mag |
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I overall chose 28 nosler. If I did not find that excellent deal I would be choosing between bergara and CVA. My comparisons below can likely be used with the 7mm rem mag as well | |
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Bergara (28 nosler) | Savage (28nosler) |
Bergara B-14 Wilderness Ridge Woodland 26in | Savage 110 Ultralight w/ PROOF barrel |
$1,010 | .$1103 |
1/9.0 | 1/8.44 |
ceracoated barrel | stainless steel and carbon fiber barrel |
ceracoated action | blued melonite color action |
omnio 2oz bergara muzzle break ccercaoted | threaded |
7.9 lbs | 6.0 lbs |
very good stiff stock(reports on carbon fiber core) | plastic stock-not a great quality stock (comments how free floated heavily can still touch) |
no cheek riser adjustment, no stock length adjustment | excellent custom stock length adjsutment, excellent custom cheek riser adjustment |
very good trigger adjustable to 2.8lbs | excellent trigger accutrigger(blade with 1.5lb) |
700 Remington action | savage action |
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Weight Discussion | |
| almost 2 lbs lighter for hunting- personally I view 2 lbs as a very exceptional and important advantage |
| Even adding a 4.5 muzzle device is still only adds under 4 oz(.25lbs) |
Barrell Material Discussion | |
| inside of the barrel is stainless steel is an advantage |
| custom proof barrel is clearly higher quality |
| savage action is only blued which is a disadvantage over the ceracoated bergara |
| ceracoat is important to me so I can drag my rifle though snow/rain/ SE alaska saltwater boat hunt(will still put on the best best CLP coating tested by Project farm) |
Muzzle break disscussion | |
| omni can cause dirt splashs when hunting, while apollo max up facing ports pushesthe barrel enddown, and it has no bottom ports to kick dust |
| (50% apollo max muzzle break is $160 at 4.5oz or bergara omni is $50) |
| the light rifle under 8 lbs can be problematic with 28 nosler kick but omni break reduces that by 30%, apollo max by 50% |
| watching videos about muzzle breaks is where the results are posted, also note that the 30 cal size is used for the 7mm size as it is only 2% difference in recoil |
| some hunters don’t like muzzle breaks because they are loud and without one you don’t need earplugs and no issue with dirt flying to get off target |
| free recoil energy ft lbs is ...23 7mm rem, 25 7mm prc, 28 for .28nosler |
| ex) A 30% muzzle device for 28nosler is 19.6ft lbs, its does kick a bit faster so the felt impulse can be slightly higher(note: a 2 ft lbs difference is unnoticable by most shooters) |