SAAMI approves Hornady's new 7mm PRC cartridge

The firearms industry continues to move the performance envelope forward (or come up with new marketeering ideas, depending who you ask). The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (aka SAAMI), the industry body behind firearms and ammunition safety and standards, has approved the new 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) chambering.

"But wait," you say. "Didn't we just see a 6.5mm PRC cartridge introduced?" It's been four years since that cleared SAAMI in 2018, and the new 7mm cartridge is more than a necked-up version of that round. It's about a quarter-inch longer than the 6.5 cartridge (3.090 to 3.340 inches overall), meaning you'll be restricted to long-action rifles, while the shorter 6.5mm PRC can be stuffed into some short-action rifles. You can see the full cartridge specs for the new 7mm PRC in (copyright-protected) drawings here.

Who'd want this cartridge?

So what's the new cartridge all about? SAAMI specs call for a 180-grain bullet zipping along at 2,950 feet per second from a 24-inch barrel, with maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi. Basically, it's a .284-bore that Hornady designed for longish-for-caliber bullets, using a non-belted case and with theoretically a bit more accuracy and a bit less powder and recoil than the long-established 7mm Remington Magnum.

While no doubt some long-range precision rifle shooters will want to get their mitts on this cartridge for competitive use, it seems its most likely application is extended-range hunting. Television, Netflix and YouTube continue to promote hunting in mountain and prairie environments, where long shots are the norm. With 18.9 inches of drop at 400 yards, the 7mm PRC should be easy to dial in for elk, goat or other game at a distance, with plenty of hitting power behind that long bullet when it gets there.

There's a price to pay, as always. Recoil will obviously depend on rifle weight, and felt recoil will depend on factors such as a muzzle brake, buttpad, and other variables. Still, all things being equal, the 7mm PRC will kick harder than the .30-06, and almost as hard as a .300 Winchester Magnum.

Many hunters won't worry about that, though, at least not while they're standing at the gun counter, as magnum-itis (now precision rifle-itis?) is as strong a disease as always.

However, it may be a bit of a wait until they can actually buy a rifle chambered in 7mm PRC. Custom builders are probably planning such rifles as we speak, but Ruger, Browning, Tikka et. al. have not announced anything yet. Even if they have, it could take many months before we see both the cartridge and the rifles chambered for it available here in Canada, given the ongoing component shortage (which still isn't worked out for some previous exotic chamberings).

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