Why is 20” ok for 7 PRC but not 7 Rem mag?

[Ernie]

Chat forums tell me 20"-22" 7mm PRC is a great choice!! Same forums trash a 20" 7 Rem Mag.

So, can someone explain why a 20" 7mm PRC is perfectly acceptable, but same length in a 7 Rem mag would be downright foolishness?

Stop listening to information that is not based on the facts, regardless of the sources.
I run barrels from 14-18 inches most of the time, in about every chambering one could imagine.
I have been doing this since the 80's.
I have heard all of the nonsense.
If you want to chop a barrel for whatever reason-do it.

 

[Quintus]

Turns out twist rate and chamber specs matter. It's ok though all the 7prc deniers are more than welcome to re-chamber and/or re-barrel to a faster 1:8 twist rate with a shorter barrel so they can have …wait for it…7prc performance in their good ol' 7 rem mag… or just chop your barrel and go hunting. On second thought…just go hunting.

I don't think it's 7PRC 'deniers' but rather 'whyers'? The point I think is, if I already have 7mag brass, or can source 4 decent brands today with a click of the mouse, what is the big advantage of the PRC that I can't find brass for (let alone good brass) for a re-barrel I can choose my twist with?

I listened to the GW podcast and they kind of lost me right away with the comment that anyone in their right mind is wishing they had a shorter barrel while out hunting the brush. Those are the kind of statements that slowly sink into folks and they don't realize it. Then a couple days later talking to their shooting buddies or typing on a forum they state with certainty that you're out of you mind if you're carrying a rifle with longer than a 22" barrel. The same goes for statements about belted cases, temp stable powder, whatever. There are alot of folks that carry long barreled rifles that don't notice or care. When you boil it down, shooting mechanics, bullet choice, and honest load development from a serviceable platform is 95% of the killing equation. The case, within reason really doesn't matter. 7WSM, 7RM, 7PRC, 7SAUM, 7STW, and so on will achieve the same results with like bullets, and like barrel lengths to within a couple hundred yards of each other. Shoot what you want, it will work, honest.

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

Stop listening to information that is not based on the facts, regardless of the sources.
I run barrels from 14-18 inches most of the time, in about every chambering one could imagine.
I have been doing this since the 80's.
I have heard all of the nonsense.
If you want to chop a barrel for whatever reason-do it.

exactly.. one cant simply bring facts and actual hands on data to the table without the coolaid crowd coming in full force

 

[coop2564]

Chat forums tell me 20"-22" 7mm PRC is a great choice!! Same forums trash a 20" 7 Rem Mag.

Once an idea is established in the halls of the chat forums, it might as well have been brought down from the mountain on a stone tablet.

Is it bc the 7mag barrel length debate is well established in chat as gospel, but any new chambering is open to interpretation to justify our own selection bias? (Aka, I "need" a 20" 7mag, so this shiny new thing will work perfectly!)

20 years ago a .308 would have been considered a marginal choice for Elk, now the 6.5 CM is a perfect 600 yard Elk gun. I argue that good marketing persuaded chat forum users to establish this "fact". After all, nobody was running around yelling that the 260 Rem was the perfect 600 yard Elk rifle. (Everyone knows 260 Rem > 6.5 CM … )

So, can someone explain why a 20" 7mm PRC is perfectly acceptable, but same length in a 7 Rem mag would be downright foolishness?

Answer.

 

[Lou270]

The 7prc is no better or worse than 7rm for short barrels or suppressor use. If have a 7mag and want to run a suppressor the only reason to go 7prc is the faster twist from factory.

Lou

 

[buzby]

I think it is partially due to bullet design, and partly to equipment.

Back "in the day" a lot of the 7mag guys wanted speed. That was the appeal of that cartridge. "Flat shooting," is a common way people describe 7mag.

With range finders and turret scopes, flat shooting isn't as important.

The current trend is heavy for caliber bullets for long range shooting. People are willing to push a larger round a little slower, for better down range performance. There are better performing bullets now, than when the 7mag was designed. Better BCs, better expansion at lower speeds.

 

[Jauberger]

Chat forums tell me 20"-22" 7mm PRC is a great choice!! Same forums trash a 20" 7 Rem Mag.

Once an idea is established in the halls of the chat forums, it might as well have been brought down from the mountain on a stone tablet.

Is it bc the 7mag barrel length debate is well established in chat as gospel, but any new chambering is open to interpretation to justify our own selection bias? (Aka, I "need" a 20" 7mag, so this shiny new thing will work perfectly!)

20 years ago a .308 would have been considered a marginal choice for Elk, now the 6.5 CM is a perfect 600 yard Elk gun. I argue that good marketing persuaded chat forum users to establish this "fact". After all, nobody was running around yelling that the 260 Rem was the perfect 600 yard Elk rifle. (Everyone knows 260 Rem > 6.5 CM … )

So, can someone explain why a 20" 7mm PRC is perfectly acceptable, but same length in a 7 Rem mag would be downright foolishness?

less than 26" on a mag ur dumb, silencer on a mag ur dumb, point of a mag is more powder for more velocity neither u want with a silencer

 

[AGGRO]

So Jimmy lives next door?

kinda as the crow flies.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Stop listening to information that is not based on the facts, regardless of the sources.
I run barrels from 14-18 inches most of the time, in about every chambering one could imagine.
I have been doing this since the 80's.
I have heard all of the nonsense.
If you want to chop a barrel for whatever reason-do it.

In a 20" barrel vs say a 26", is there any reason to use faster burn rate powder to maintain top velocity?
I have zero experience with shorter tubes, but handling would be more convenient. And weight,whip reduced

 

[bultinkle]

I'm still waiting to see the 21" 308 that can shoot 215s at 2850 like I was told when I had my 300prc cut short

 

[Ernie]

In a 20" barrel vs say a 26", is there any reason to use faster burn rate powder to maintain top velocity?
I have zero experience with shorter tubes, but handling would be more convenient. And weight,whip reduced

I pretty much use the same powders with 14-18 inch barrels that guys running 24-26 inch barrels use

 

[RockyMtnMT]

My thought process on shorter barrels is you don't loose as much with lighter bullets as you do with heavier bullets. The heavy for cal bullets will excel with longer barrels and slower powder to take advantage of the longer barrels. Then there is magic powders like rl26 that seem to find a way to burn when on paper it shouldn't.

 

[slikmrc]

7mm PRC uses less powder @ higher max pressure to duplicate or surpass the 7 RM looking at load data. My thinking is even with the super premium brass the 7 RM will still need to run more powder at higher pressure to stay with 7 PRC. Time will tell if this is doable, will be interesting to see how the PRC performs.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

7mm PRC uses less powder @ higher max pressure to duplicate or surpass the 7 RM looking at load data. My thinking is even with the super premium brass the 7 RM will still need to run more powder at higher pressure to stay with 7 PRC. Time will tell if this is doable, will be interesting to see how the PRC performs.

Sounds like the PRC is going to do what the Sherman SS and Max have been doing..?