I compared several reloading manuals and some articles referencing various barrel length 28 Nosler rifles that the authors tested. Itās uncanny how similar the results of a generic 20ā 28 Nosler are to the advertised 7 BC performance.
Federal does it again š
- Thread starter wvfarrier
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Can you link those articles?
Nosler factory rifles come with 24ā bblās and I assume the velocity data for their ammo is with a 24ā test bbl. They show a 175 Accubond at 3125 fps at the muzzle, which I believe with a 24ā-26ā bbl, I suspect the slow burning powder needs at least that length to push that velocity with a lower pressure than 7BC. You may be right that at 20ā 28 Nosler will only give up 125-175fps vs a 24ā, I think it might be more than that with factory ammo but I could be wrong.
Nosler factory rifles come with 24ā bblās and I assume the velocity data for their ammo is with a 24ā test bbl. They show a 175 Accubond at 3125 fps at the muzzle, which I believe with a 24ā-26ā bbl, I suspect the slow burning powder needs at least that length to push that velocity with a lower pressure than 7BC. You may be right that at 20ā 28 Nosler will only give up 125-175fps vs a 24ā, I think it might be more than that with factory ammo but I could be wrong.
I just googled it. A 26ā 175 gr 28 Nos runs about 3150 or do at the
c the reloading table. Looks like around 25fps drop/inch shorter when comparing 24ā to 26ā. Means about 3K at 20ā w/175gr. If the 7BC actually is as fast as they say, about the same result. Now consider the howler monkey shrieks about muzzle blast, noise, recoil, and short barrel life from a 20ā 28 Nosler, and ask yourself how the same bullet at the same velocity will be any different from the 7BC? Hell, if the 7BC is actually faster, all those complaints will be even worse.
Donāt care about barrel life.
Iād buy a few boxes of factory ammo to test, figure out what it likes and buy about 300 rounds of that. For hunting it would last me 20 years.
Whether 7BC or 28 Nosler I wouldnāt shoot either in any volume, and wouldnāt bother reloading for either of them. I have more and more limited free time between work and family obligations. Plus if I charge myself labor at my rate of pay as a RR engineer I canāt really āaffordā to take a trip off to reload, and when I do have free time these days frankly I just donāt want to make it a priority if I can buy decent factory ammo and go shoot.
Iād buy a few boxes of factory ammo to test, figure out what it likes and buy about 300 rounds of that. For hunting it would last me 20 years.
Whether 7BC or 28 Nosler I wouldnāt shoot either in any volume, and wouldnāt bother reloading for either of them. I have more and more limited free time between work and family obligations. Plus if I charge myself labor at my rate of pay as a RR engineer I canāt really āaffordā to take a trip off to reload, and when I do have free time these days frankly I just donāt want to make it a priority if I can buy decent factory ammo and go shoot.
I am definitely in the minority here. I will be watching this development closely. I bought a 7 PRC last year specifically for a muley hunt and was crazy impressed with it's performance. I took a large buck at 654 yards and it never moved a step. The only thing I didn't like about my setup was 22" of barrel as I prefer much shorter. I run my 6.5 CMs in 16.5".
7mm Backcountry in 16.5" of barrel is faster than my 22" 7 PRC with the same grain weight (175's). Admittedly, I was also very interested in the .277 Fury, which never really panned out. The problem with the Fury is you could not run it in standard actions. Peak Alloy seems to solve that issue.
I don't plan on going out west again until 26' so I've got some time to watch this play out. But I will stick my neck out and say this: Most seem to think this thing is DOA. I believe it is a changing of the guard. Maybe this particular Peak Alloy cartridge won't make it, but this technology overall is something that I think is going to push this industry in a new direction. Who doesn't want increased speeds in shorter barrels? This is honestly the type of ammo development I have been waiting for.
7mm Backcountry in 16.5" of barrel is faster than my 22" 7 PRC with the same grain weight (175's). Admittedly, I was also very interested in the .277 Fury, which never really panned out. The problem with the Fury is you could not run it in standard actions. Peak Alloy seems to solve that issue.
I don't plan on going out west again until 26' so I've got some time to watch this play out. But I will stick my neck out and say this: Most seem to think this thing is DOA. I believe it is a changing of the guard. Maybe this particular Peak Alloy cartridge won't make it, but this technology overall is something that I think is going to push this industry in a new direction. Who doesn't want increased speeds in shorter barrels? This is honestly the type of ammo development I have been waiting for.
I think 7 BC is going to fill a specific niche. People who want 7 PRC 24" barrel speed out of a 20 inch barrel and shorter action. Possibly a lighter rifle.
I am happy with my 7 PRC and would not need a 7 BC. Just as those people who have a 7 RM need not get a 7 PRC unless you are just wanting the heavy for caliber bullets for some reason. Again, a number of elk have been taken with 7 RM.
Will 7 BC suffer the fate of the 6.8 Western? Who knows?
I am happy with my 7 PRC and would not need a 7 BC. Just as those people who have a 7 RM need not get a 7 PRC unless you are just wanting the heavy for caliber bullets for some reason. Again, a number of elk have been taken with 7 RM.
Will 7 BC suffer the fate of the 6.8 Western? Who knows?
6.8 Western suffers simply because most LR guys don't trust Winchester for precision ammo and the support for firearms out of the gate was low.
There is already more manufacturers with 7BC guns than there are with 6.8W.
I have seen on guns dot com the 6.8 W is available from Winchester, Browning, and Christensen Arms. And that is it. So, essentially, you can buy factory but, for whatever reason, there was not a lot of interest in it. And I think you are right. Some of that is lack of confidence in Winchester ammo.
As opposed to new cartridges from Hornady and Federal, which are generally good performers. Even if the 7 PRC is slower than anticipated, it is still performing will with BC that it has.
I am far from an expert, just my observations as a fly on the wall.
That's was awful. Those guys simply regurgitating what you can read on the internet. And then half of their complaints about the cartridge are not even true. This 7 BC thing may turn out to be a bust, in which I'll keeping running PRC, but there is a lot of unwarranted bias out there.
Back Country Bro! "Us Western Hunters, we pack out 26 miles on mules to camp, then hike another 15 miles to spike camp!"
Yeah, then why don't you hike another 300 yards closer to that Elk and not need that gay ass cartridge.
Yeah, then why don't you hike another 300 yards closer to that Elk and not need that gay ass cartridge.
Last I heard that is primarily due to Hornady being unable to obtain the RL-26 they used in the original loads so they had to go to a back up powder which was significantly slower.
Federalās 7PRC factory ammo still shoots at the marketed velocity. They must have a bigger stash of RL26
Or N570. Although, I doubt they're burning anything that slow in that short of a barrel.
They posted a video of them reloading it but I don't think they mentioned what powder was used.
Again, I am not an expert.
I know some of the people getting lower speeds on 7 PRC are shooting out of 20 inch barrels when the round was originally conceived for a 24 inch barrel.
And Federal was gaining in the market because their 7 PRC was closer to the 3000 fps. I think they should have stuck with that. 7 BC may not do enough for everyone.
Like the guys in the video are saying, it might appeal to a few hunters who do not reload. But the accuracy is the problem. Not just that, time of flight.
That's why, even if I substitute 2850 for MV for 7 PRC, it still works for me because the accuracy is good and I am not going to shoot an elk or any game animal at 1000 yards. In fact, probably not going past 400 yards. And where I usually hunt, you are lucky to see 50 yards through the trees.
Edited to erase the evidence of my mistake.
I know some of the people getting lower speeds on 7 PRC are shooting out of 20 inch barrels when the round was originally conceived for a 24 inch barrel.
And Federal was gaining in the market because their 7 PRC was closer to the 3000 fps. I think they should have stuck with that. 7 BC may not do enough for everyone.
Like the guys in the video are saying, it might appeal to a few hunters who do not reload. But the accuracy is the problem. Not just that, time of flight.
That's why, even if I substitute 2850 for MV for 7 PRC, it still works for me because the accuracy is good and I am not going to shoot an elk or any game animal at 1000 yards. In fact, probably not going past 400 yards. And where I usually hunt, you are lucky to see 50 yards through the trees.
Edited to erase the evidence of my mistake.
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Um I think you have your calculator set to G1, Iām coming up with 900 yards for 1800 fps, 1500 yards for transonic and a 1.37 TOF to 1000 yards with the .347 G7 of the 175gr ELD-X at 2860 fps.
I was using the 7 BC specs that I pulled off the interwebs for 170 gr 7 BC.
I know for my 7 PRC spec, G7 is .347
Yeah, my Heeler was looking at me funny when I said WTF out loud after reading Ronws post. Oh well, hockey is on soon.
You are right, I did goof up putting .329 in the G1 when I meant to select G7. It really was a clerical error on my part. I was doing a couple of other things at the same time.
I still think a lot of guys could probably stick 7 RM and be just fine.
@gopherslayer Sorry I woke the dog up.
Edited to add: somehow, this did not post yesterday when I wrote it.
This is just not my week.
@Ronws that didnāt wake her up. Sheās always on alert even when sleeping (sleeps with her eyes open sometimes) and feeds off of her surroundings. When I hear a car door out front and say WTF she tears off to the door growling and bristled up like sheās going to rip someone apart.
