7mm PRC

[J.Baker]

Here we go… Hornady trying to reinvent the wheel again. Point of this cartridge is to chuck a 180gr pill at “close” to 3000fps. So they once again look to UP the cartridge pressure (something reloaders have been doing for decades because we know 65K PSI is safe & where they SHOULD be!) Well, they hit 2950fps. But that’s OK. In this new world we live in.. 50fps doesn’t matter, right? Or does that only count with Creedmoor? LOL! Problem is, people have been loading 180gr near 3000fps in the 7mm Mag for a long time. Or just pick it up in the 7mm RUM, or 7mm Weatherby mag, or.., wait a sec.. I know there was another one.. oh yeah! The 28 Nosler! And didn’t the 28 Nosler have the SAME claim to fame? A 180gr bullet at 3000fps+? Anyway

There is nothing new under the sun. Boy oh boy, the show Hornady is going to put on. There was nothing special about the 6.5PRC… nothing special about the 300PRC (I’d still rather have a 300 Win Mag, and I’m not alone.) This will be the same. Nothing special. But enjoy the dog & pony show Hornady will put on.

Pretty much sums up my opinion of most every new cartridge that's been introduced in the last 15-20 years. At least the short-action cartridges that mimic the performance of older long-action cartridges offer the benefit of burning less powder making them cheaper to reload (very important in this day and age of never ending component supply shortages). Even then, you're typically only talking 10-15 rounds more per pound of powder so the savings is quite minimal.

These ammo companies have pretty much adopted the mainstream media's marketing philosophy in that they'll take the most trivial and insignificant development, spend millions to promote the living hell out of it for a year to convince everyone it's HUGE news to build consumer interest, then it just fades away into oblivion apart from a few diehard fanboys who chugged the cool aid.

What most don't realize is that the gun makers are just as involved in this scheme. When you have multiple generations of gun owners/hunters who have spent the last 10-50 years buying guns and have everything they need for what they do, how do you entice them to buy new guns? Simple - you team up with ammo makers to develop new cartridges, market them as being far superior to the older cartridges, thus making those older generations feel compelled to go out and buy a new gun because heaven forbid they might be missing out on 50-100 fps with their "old, antiquated" cartridge their present rifle is chambered for.

[Dave Hoback]

15-20 years.. that is about a perfect timeline of the “fan-boy” culture starting in firearms. The 90’s into early 00’s saw the pinnacle of advancements in firearms tech. Bullet design, scope mounting hardware, etc. But for these last bunch of years, there are no more secrets.

Not the only thing like this. Think about this, for those who are in your 40’s & older. Remember the cloths we wore or the movies we watched in the 80’s? Would you wear those cloths, the styles or even compare those movies to those made in the 90’s? Same thing earlier on as well. 60’s-70’s, 70’s-80’s… all the way to the late 90’s. Then most things stopped. Why is it I can wear the SAME style of cloths NOW, that I wore 2000? Or the early 2000’s movies still seem relatively modern? Automobiles? Relatively the same technology used 15+ years ago! Even cell phones. Look how quickly, over about a decade they evolved into the “Smart Phone”! Yet, for about the last 10 years, Smart Phones have remained relatively unchanged. Bigger screens, better cameras I guess.. but that’s it. You see where I’m going here? There is nothing new! 2nd law of Thermodynamics people. We are in the state of entropy. Scripture predicts all this almost verbatim, btw.

[want2ride]

well, i really like my 28 nosler over my brother's 7mm STW. It just seems more consistent.
I also like the 7x57 more than the 7mm-08's i have had.
I like the 6.5 creedmoor over the .260.

I think it is popular to be a contrarian. I generally pick a cartridge based on it's merits. I gravitate towards short action rifles, because my 3 300 WSM's, 6.5 PRC, 3 6.5 creemoors, have all been more accurate than any of the four 7mm Rem Mags, the one .270, 280ai, or three 300 Win Mags i have had. The 28 nosler and 7x57 are the two long actions that i have owned that are significantly better than MOA shooters. I like to have newer cartridges, but i also have a modern 7x57 and a modern 8x57. I don't get too caught up in bashing cartridges. I also have 300 7mm WSM brass, and have not built a gun to match yet. I will probably go that route before i go with a 7mm prc... but i still like to look.

[Dave Hoback]

You’re missing the point. We aren’t “bashing” the caliber. We are bashing how manufacturers are controlling what people think with advertising. Of course you like your 6.5 Creedmoor over your 260. I’m willing to bet your 260 is slower twist than your CM, and short throat. I’m willing to bet you’re also comparing stock ammunition. Maybe I’m wrong, but most people are doing just that.

My point is, it’s that manufacturers are finally doing what custom builders & reloaders have been doing for a long time. It’s not the new “flavor of the week” cartridge doing anything special. None are. The 300 Win Mag has many years now of actual, proven combat experience. With effective, long range kills. So Hornady coming along claiming their 300PRC is better, is just plain laughable.

I like Short Action calibers as well, as I like 10rd AICS mags. But how short do people want them to be?? I can load my 260’s out to 2.950” with the Accurate Mags & proper throat. Old news. Been done. And Hornady didn’t come up with any of it. That’s just my take on it.

[Whynot]

Hornady is the king of hype..... Doesn't mean it isn't a fine cartridge.... but nothing new. Didn't look at the specs but people have been shooting the wildcat 7/300 PRC for a bit. Lots of other choices that do the same thing but if people keep buying up the new greatest-- then companies will keep offering more.

Most of the people I have personally seen loving the 300 PRC over their 300 WM have been comparing new custom/ semi-custom rigs to their old light contour 300 WM hunting barrel. And then acting like it is the cartridge design that is making the difference.

We really are maxed out until some new technology comes along.... or you start running 75,000-80,000 psi like the new sig round. Bullets are about as long as they can get and still stabilize (without a twist rate so fast that it rips them apart) . SO until something changes that makes a real leap forward you can count on more marketing to separate people from their money.

[efm77]

I understand both sides. But it's just marketing at the end of the day. Is a lot of it redundancy? Sure it is. But if they don't keep coming up with "new" things to sell, they likely won't stay in business long. I for one, don't want to see any of them go out of business. You can get a barrel made in 300 win mag with a tighter chamber, longer throat, and faster twist, put it in a magnum length action, or single load it, and not have any disadvantage over the 300 PRC. The PRC does all that without going the custom route. I'm not bashing, nor defending it, but just my observations. I do think the 300 PRC made more sense than the 6.5 "need more", just for the simple fact that they utilized a longer action in order to be able to seat the long bullets out further without crowding the powder space. The creedmoor, however, I've never understood that argument. "We shortened the case slightly so that the bullet could be seated further out, without eating up powder space." Well, yeah that still lets it fit in a short action, but you just killed your advantage by shortening the case. You might be seating the bullet out further, but you still reduced your powder capacity by shortening the case. If you want to gain capacity, seat the bullet out further without shortening the case. The same can be said for the 6.8 Western.

[deadduck357]

Dam I'm all deflated now after reading the replies. I like classic cartridges but I'm also interested in new developments. I've been a big fan of the 25-06 for years and have a couple, also have a 30-06 and some 308s but I prefer the flatter and lighter shooting quarter-bore. Wasn't really impressed by the 6.5 Creed but when the 6mm Creed came out I compared its ballistics to the 25-06 and realized they were very close so I thought I'd give one a try and boy am I happy I did, now I have two 6mm Creeds. (I also have a 243win. but it's a lightweight hunting rifle with lightweight bbl.) So I like some classics but also something new.

I didn't have anything with substantial knockdown power that was fast and flat till last year. Personally I'm impressed by flat and fast cartridges but not extreme barrel burners so I debated between the 6.5-284, 6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western and 7 SAUM. Really wanted the SAUM but availability was nil so sadly it got ruled out first. In the end I just picked the 6.5 PRC because there was just a bit more support for it from rifle mfrs, ammo, and components.

But lately I've been desiring a heavy hitter. The 280AI, 7mm RM, and 7mm STW were top choices. The STW has the speed but all reports are its bbl life is short. Now that this 7mm PRC has been unveiled I'm intrigued. Seems like it could be a player but appears like I asked the wrong crowd. Maybe if I already had a AI, RM, or STW I'd feel the same... but I don't.