Federal’s 7mm Backcountry

[Joec7651]

The concerns mentioned below are not small concerns. I’ll let others beta test an experimental cartridge with the rifle bolt 3 inches from their face. Keep stuffing 10 lbs of sh@t in a 5 lb bag and the bag will split. Not can, will. I sincerely hope I’m wrong and just being negative. I don’t want to see anyone hurt. The statements below are from the article and are not my words or work.


“Even with the rifles I’ve tested so far I’ve noticed something that supports this concern: increased bolt lift during primary extraction. I put five-shot strings through the rifles while gathering accuracy data, and it wasn’t uncommon for the bolt lift during primary extraction to get heavier after the fourth or fifth shot, sometimes requiring a knock with my hand on the underside of the bolt knob to overcome the resistance.



I know that RCBS is working on reloading dies for the 7 BC, and I’m eager to try them. But from what I’ve heard from RCBS, the dies are having trouble resizing the cases. In order to get them back to their original factory size they need to be run through the die multiple times — more than a dozen cycles, in fact.



According to Federal, the steel alloy cannot be annealed, which means that the cases will probably get brittle after a handful of firings. At that point I’m assuming they’ll exhibit cracked necks or shoulders and need to be pitched. I say, “I assume,” because I haven’t been able to test this myself. This is based on what Federal’s engineers have said.”

 

[IdahoCTD]

No one believes shooting the same volume of a faster burning powder at a higher pressure equals the same barrel life. Higher pressure also means the barrel walls need to be thicker to control it. Titanium has more give and that is why titanium actions cant handle the same pressures of steel actions. More pressure would act much the same as titanium without thicker barrel walls/a larger tenon thread size to help contain it. Why do you think custom actions have larger threads the bigger the case diameter?

 

[JD338]

I'm pretty happy with my 280 AI so although the 7 Backcountry looks interesting, I'm a happy camper. I just got 200 160 gr BTs to shoot. Running them at 3000 fps from a 24" Hart barrel.
Shoots great and drops deer in their tracks.

JD338

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

It (280ai) is probably my favourite cartridge of the many I own...but I have to whisper it so the others don't hear

 

[Wolfshead]

Not interested.
I have what works for me and I don’t have any need for more speed, etc….
Interesting, yes, but in my mind still a lot of unknowns.

 

[TackDriver284]

Not for me, but its a cool thing. I would not buy something that is put on the market without being tested first for any failures down the road. I 'll stick to what I have been using and they work for me. I rather see this new caliber being on the market for a few years before buying into it, in case there are some failures and issues that needs to be ironed out.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

One of Newton's laws of science " For every action there is a reaction". It's not always good or what you want.
Dan.

 

[AFG270]

I'm a no as well. My 280AI pushes a 160 gr AB at 3000 fps, 150 gr ABLR at 3100 and the 140 gr AB at 3200. It more than enough for anything I hunt. And if I need more, I have plenty more I can reach for in the vault.

JD338

I'm good as well with my 24" regular 280 Rem.
2950 fps-160g PT over RL26
3045 fps-150g AB blems over RL26
3100+fps- 140g Hammers over IMR4350
All with excellent accuracy.

 

[clearwater]

Maybe that new cartridge 'brass" will turn my 30-30 into a 30-06! One can dream.

 

[RL338]

Offering dies for reloading these case will have people proof testing their actions. I can hear it , I can get 100fps over factory ammo. I wonder how one would tell over pressure when it’s designed not to show pressure at 80,000psi.

 

[wildman]

If I can't kill it with my 7 mag. it needs to live another day ,some body gonna get hurt running pressures like they're running .

 

[Joec7651]

Also, steel doesn’t work harden like brass. Brass work hardens, steel gets softer and weaker when worked and flexed. Brass is heated to soften it, steel strengthens and hardens when heat treated. A lot of this doesn’t add up. Maybe it’s the alloy used in the case. A lot of people will love it but I’m going to observe for a bit.

That’s also a great point. How do you perceive pressure signs when it works at 80K psi? I can’t see many putting forth the considerable effort to reload it, if it turns out to actually be feasible to do so.

 

[cloverleaf]

Back fire on youtube- One mans opinions - Pro's and cons. Based on this , biggest advantage espoused is the shorter barrel and equivilent velocity to a longer barrel. If you can afford to run a suppressor, I guess there's an up side. Not one I need, but that dont make it bad.

Mr. Von Benedict usually makes sense- honestly havent watched this though....

CL

 

[Joec7651]

Here’s the other side of the argument, especially addressing security issues with the CSG acquisition.

 

[flyingagg]

Here’s the other side of the argument, especially addressing security issues with the CSG acquisition.

I asked the foreign owned question in another discussion. That worries me

 

[Joec7651]

Ok, all this trying to be fair to a new product is physically making me nauseous.

Don’t tell me that Federal doesn’t have a seat at the SAAMI table, and couldn’t get a cartridge approved BEFORE it drops if it were possible. I call BS and SAAMI has too.

They know it’s not reloadable they are just behind marketing smoke and mirrors to sell ammo. I call BS.

Remington patented steel cases in 1973 and with all their power couldn’t get it to be cost effective. But federal reinvented steel now?! I call BS.

Seekins is redesigning their action because of safety reasons to support it, but Savage is dropping them today at KyGunCo for $558. I call BS! That action isn’t designed to handle 80K psi. I call double BS!

Savage Arms 110 Timberline 7mm Backcountry 20ʺ 4rd - Green LH | KYGUNCO

KYGUNCO is your one-stop online shop with the lowest prices for firearms, ammunition, accessories, parts, and outdoor essentials. We ship fast and easy around the country from our home locations in Kentucky, and are always ready to help.

www.kygunco.com

The 7mm BrokeBack Country (BBC) is going to be Uncle Eddies rifle that is fired 3 times a year. The rifle he takes on his long range hunting trip ONCE. I don’t really call BS here because it actually a portion of the hunting public.

The rifle your 19 year old newborn competition shooter touts as the best long range tech ever developed on Campfire. I actually laugh at that one.

It’s not going to break into the precision custom rifle market because it’s a one shot and done case (again not reloadable). Also if you think a 264 WM is a barrel burner, you ain’t seen nothing yet. BS

A production rifle firing one and done ammo.. Federal knows all this, and are using the public as the test bed. It’s simply a race to get it shipped. Again BS.

You can get the same velocities with ADG brass if you’re willing to drop $5-$6 per shot on one and done cases. I call BS.

You can all have at me now, so have at it. I’m ready…………I think.

 

[clearwater]

So what ever happened to Lazzeroni Rifles with CNC cases?

168 grain 7mm at 3400 fps

 

[Joec7651]

So what ever happened to Lazzeroni Rifles with CNC cases?

168 grain 7mm at 3400 fps

Lazzeroni still builds their rifles and brass I think. I may be wrong there. It’s a specialty boutique builder. They have carved out their own niche and build the rifle around the cartridge for the most part. Beefing actions where needed. I think the Seekins rifles will really be a work of art. But they are designing the action for the cartridge. Not stuffing it in a 110 designed to handle 65K. Doesn’t BAT actions proof at twice SAAMI max?

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Also, steel doesn’t work harden like brass. Brass work hardens, steel gets softer and weaker when worked and flexed. Brass is heated to soften it, steel strengthens and hardens when heat treated. A lot of this doesn’t add up. Maybe it’s the alloy used in the case. A lot of people will love it but I’m going to observe for a bit.

That’s also a great point. How do you perceive pressure signs when it works at 80K psi? I can’t see many putting forth the considerable effort to reload it, if it turns out to actually be feasible to do so.

Steel does work harden, the more you bend it the harder and more brittle it will become. Both brass and steel can anneal with heat depending on how you do it. Steel traditionally will only harden significantly from being heated if quenched immediately afterward. If steel cools very slowly after being heated it will anneal. Carbon steels cooled at room temperature will usually normalize, not quite annealed softness, but not very hard. Some stainless steels will air quench though, meaning they will actually harden at room temperature if they reach the proper temperature first. How this particular cartridge case alloy behaves though would be impossible to say without knowing the composition.

 

[Joec7651]

Iron and steel alloys definitely are an endeavor in chemistry and physical science. I used to pour camshafts and crankshafts in a foundry. We would mix and melt the alloys to 1530 degrees Celsius and deslag it. Pour it into the molds at 1430 Celsius. Then heat treat them at somewhere over 900 Celsius for 49 minutes. At that point they would go into hydraulic pressed dies to be air quenched and cool. Then if they passed to machining.

The chemistry of the alloys are very sensitive. If it’s off in the slightest they were scrapped. You could also tell the chemistry was off by tapping them with a small brass hammer. The sound was distinctly different if it was out of spec.