7 PRC Loads

[SeanMTactical]

Did some more pew pew today with a couple rifles, one being the Bergara HMR 7mm PRC. Here's some more data.

150 ELD-X
67.8gr H1000
3.290" OAL (This is longer than my last test groups with this bullet)
2937 fps (slower but expected with the longer OAL)
15.7 SD
0.60" 3 shot group

Did a series with the 175 ABLR and H1000. Best group was:
67.2gr H1000
3.290" OAL
2901 fps avg
14.2 SD
0.44" 3 shot group.

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

Nice shooting Sean. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I wonder whether that is the right powder for the 7PRC with the 150eldx? It is a fine bullet, I use it in my 280ai with great success on red deer and smaller species, but the 280ai is moving them along at 3,030fps or thereabouts and that isn't “Leaning” on it. I think you have left a fair bit on the plate with that particular projectile.

 

[SeanMTactical]

Nice shooting Sean. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I wonder whether that is the right powder for the 7PRC with the 150eldx? It is a fine bullet, I use it in my 280ai with great success on red deer and smaller species, but the 280ai is moving them along at 3,030fps or thereabouts and that isn't “Leaning” on it. I think you have left a fair bit on the plate with that particular projectile.

Yep, the 150 ELD-x is slower than it could be. I could probably get a load in the 3200s if I play around more. This load is for antelope out to 600 yds off of a standing or kneeling bi/tripod. I have a hunting friend thats got a guided trip coming up in WY and she doesn't reload. This bullet won't grenade at 100 yds as it possibly could if I start pushing it at Mach Chicken. At the same time, it's still cooking 2100 fps at 600 yds. This is about perfect for her antelope hunt and I can still use it for whitetail here in MO if I want. A 175gr ABLR will kill deer too, but that's just overkill for around MO. So, it's a highly accurate, soft shooting, soft on the barrel, inexpensive reload with the right ballistics to shoot flat and kill from point blank to 600 yds on light skinned deer and antelope.

Along these lines, I think we over power a lot of our hunting around North America. Some is clearly justified. If you're shooting somewhere trailing an animal is going to be problematic or potentially result in a lost animal, planting that animal makes sense, but it has creeped into a lot of hunting it isn't warranted. I see it a lot around MO. Lots of white tails shot with Magnum cartridges at 50-200 yds. I could go on, but I'll save that for a different venue.

 

[longrangehunter]

Thought I'd share some load results.
Bergara HMR Carbon 24" barrel with TBAC Ultra 7

175gr ABLR
64.0gr H4831SC
Hornady brass
CCI250
2872 fps, 5.8 SD
0.35" group 3 shots. I shot a sub 1/2 MOA group right after this one with 64.3gr charge and the velocity average was the relatively the same.

168gr ABLR
65.7gr H1000
Hornady Brass
CCI250
2871 fps, 5.1 SD
1.03" group, 3 shots. There's room to play with this load, but this is the accuracy node as I worked up in charge weight.

150gr ELD-X
67.8gr H1000
Hornady Brass
CCI250
2971 fps, 19.1 SD
1.08" group, 4 shots. One I threw I called it before it even hit paper. 0.93" group without the flier. This was the accuracy node and I had a lot of upper end play room to go hotter. This load is really soft and basically 3000 fps. Not sure I want more from it really.

Looks like H4831sc and the 175 LRAB is working well in your gun.

That’s what has worked well for me in my 280AI FMR too but with the 160 BT, Partitions and the AB too but just not as well.