Is 7mm PRC Best 7mm Ever?
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Hornady 7mm PRC 180 Grain ELD Match Rifle Ammo
While testing some upgraded M700 Remington rifles at FTW Ranch last summer, I simultaneously test drove the pre-release 7mm PRC from Hornady. This just-released (October 26, 2022) cartridge has the potential to become the 7mm Remington Magnum of the 21st century.
In 1962 the 7mm Rem. Mag. landed with a splash big enough to drench every deer/elk cartridge in North America. Compared to the ballistics of the new Rem. Mag., the 264 Win. Mag., 270 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, and 300 H&H Magnum looked all but washed up. Of course, this was an overreaction, but at the time millions were convinced the new 7mm was the do-all-end-all of deer/elk/moose and even bear hunting cartridges. It went on to prove itself as a grand all-round big game cartridge, becoming the most popular, most recognized 7mm magnum around the world.
Hornady 7mm PRC overall length matches that of the 30-06 and 270 Win., so it fits standard length actions.
Since then we’ve met eight or ten other 7mms, but none has knocked the old 7 Rem Mag from its perch. But then none have put it all together quite like Hornady’s new 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge.) As the name suggests, this round is aimed squarely at accurate, long range performance. It’s designed to send long, sleek, high B.C. bullets far, far downrange with minimal wind deflection and maximal accuracy.
To get this Hornady went to its usual bag of tricks:
Specifications
Rim: .532” (Same as 300 RCM)
Head: .532”
Shoulder: 30-degrees
Case length: 2.28”
Neck length: .29”
COAL: 3.34” (Same as 30-06)
Max. Av. Pressure: 65,000 psi
The new, updated Remington M700 standard length action rifles handled the Hornady 7mm PRC 180-gr. loads beautifully, delivering them sub-MOA out to 1,500 yards, then a mile just to say I did it.
More significant are the chamber dimensions, which are tighter than those of most traditional, 20th century hunting cartridges. Essentially, 7mm PRC rifles will be manufactured with “match-grade” chambers. If barrel quality is equally consistent, run-of-the-mill accuracy should exceed that of most rifles chambered for older 7mm cartridges.
This precision does not mean the 7mm PRC is a long range target round only. Assuming that would be as illogical as assuming the 30-06 Springfield, 308 Winchester, and 223 Remington are strictly military cartridges. Regardless what rifle cartridges were initially designed for, they can be perfect for other applications, which suggests the 7mm PRC could be your next do-all big game hunting cartridge.
CHECK OUT RON’S FAVORITE HUNTING GEAR
According to SAAMI specs, instrumental velocity of the 7mm PRC is 2,950 fps when driving a 180-grain bullet. The sample Hornady 180-gr. ELD-Match ammo I shot at FTW was rated 2,975 fps on the box. For perspective, this is 75 fps faster than most 175-gr. factory 7mm Rem. Mag. ammo. The Nosler Reloading Guide 9 lists a 175-gr. 7mm Rem. Mag. load hitting 2,970 fps and a 28 Nosler hitting 3211fps with the same bullet.
The 7mm PRC in center is the same overall length as the 7mm Rem Mag and achieves the same muzzle velocities, but does so in a fatter case with no belt. It slightly exceeds the ballistic performance of the short-action 7mm SAUM on the right.
Clearly Hornady wasn’t trying to break any speed records with the 7 PRC. Instead they seem to be shooting for the ideal balance among MV, tolerable recoil, wind deflection, and precision accuracy. A major part of that depends on rifling twist. While the 7 Rem Mag has been built on everything from 1:8 twist to 1:10, most spin 1:9. That’s fast enough to handle most 175-gr. bullets, but not the longest and certainly not such long numbers as Hornady’s 180-gr. ELD-Match, Nosler’s 185-gr. RDF, or Berger’s 190-gr. LRHTB. The 7 PRC should be built on 1:8 or 1:7.5 twist barrels to stabilize all these. Said barrels will also be throated long enough for seating such bullets above the powder reservoir.
Here’s what a trajectory table looks like for the 180-gr. ELD-Match zeroed for MPBR on a 6-inch target zone.
7mm PRC, 180-gr. ELD-Match Trajectory Chart
And here’s a top load for the 175-gr. Nosler AccuBond Long Range.
7mm Remington Magnum, 175-gr. ABLR Trajectory Chart
And here’s the same 175-gr. ABLR in the 28 Nosler.
28 Nosler, 175-gr. ABLR Trajectory Chart
Clearly the 28 Nosler is the flat trajectory King here, but at the expense of more recoil, more powder, and a fairly large, standard-length action to fit the .534” rim/head circumference. Barrel life will also be lower than the other two. Hornady’s 7mm PRC with its high B.C. 180-gr. bullet wins the wind deflection category. You could beat it by loading that same bullet in the 28 Nosler, but you’re still facing the barrel burn out issue.
Recoil of a 9# Rem. M700 shooting 180-gr. &mm PRC.
As for the 7 Rem Mag vs. the 7 PRC, the trajectory data indicates there is no appreciable difference out to 400 yards and not a heck of a lot more at 500 yards, so most hunters won’t realize a major advantage with the PRC version. However, if you’re hoping to win a target shooting contest at 600 yards, the 3 inches less wind deflection and 4 inches less drop from the PRC give you a leg up. By 1,000 yards the PRC has nearly a 2-foot drop advantage and 14-inch windage advantage. Clear winner.
Hornady 7mm PRC 180 Grain ELD Match Rifle Ammo
Best All Around 7mm for Hunting and Long Range Targets?
My conclusion: if you already own any 7mm magnum for hunting, (7mm WSM, 7mm SAUM, 7mm RM, 7mm LRM, 7mm STW, 7mm Wby. Mag., 7mm RUM, 28 Nosler,) you don’t need a 7 PRC. But if you want to win long range target competitions, the 7 PRC is your best bet. If you don’t own a 7mm of any kind and want one strictly for hunting, you might as well get the PRC version. It’s likely to be as popular in the 21st century as the Rem Mag was in the 20th. and if you can’t draw any tags, you’d got a target rifle to tide you over.