Hornady recently announced the newest cartridge in its Precision Rifle Cartridge series of long-range shooting superstars — the 7mm PRC. Directly on the heels of Hornady’s announcement, Savage Arms revealed its own plans to expand several of its most popular rifle models to include hunt-ready options chambered in Hornady’s newest long-action cartridge.
“We’re thrilled to get these 7mm PRC additions into the hands of Savage fans and shooters everywhere,” said Beth Shimanski, director of marketing at Savage Arms, in a release. “With Savage’s heritage for proven accuracy, these rifles are designed for top performance and match grade accuracy, putting challenging shots and the biggest game in your reach.”
Savage will have several of its factory hunting rifles chambered in 7mm PRC available by the end of the year, including the bolt-action 110 Ultralite, 110 High Country, and 110 Apex Hunter XP, as well as the straight-pull Impulse Big Game and Impulse Mountain Hunter rifles.
Savage’s 7mm PRC rifles all feature barrels with a 1:8” twist rate, ideal for stabilizing long, heavy-for-caliber, high BC bullets. Savage claims their models can pitch 180-grain bullets from a 24-inch barrel at a pretty impressive 3,000 fps.
Shooters can also do a barrel swap on any existing long-action rifle with a .540-inch bolt face, like the 7mm Rem Mag or .300 Win Mag, to accommodate the new cartridge.
Why Make the Switch?
Shooting long, high BC .284 caliber projectiles, the cutting-edge 7mm PRC slides perfectly into the gap between 6mm PRC and .300 PRC.
With a slightly shorter case length but the same overall length as the 7mm Rem Mag, the PRC has plenty of headroom for taller, sleeker, more aerodynamic bullets. The design makes the cartridge compatible with the absolute best-performing long-range bullets in production without having to modify your magazine.
The 7mm PRC performs best out of fast-twisting barrels. One turn every eight inches stabilizes the longer, heavier bullets to cut through practically any atmospheric condition. With just over 17 inches of drop at 400 yards, these cartridges leave plenty of wiggle room when shooting unknown distances. Plus, the 7mm bullets will still be packing plenty of power for dropping muleys, elk, sheep, and moose well beyond that range.
Yes, this is a magnum cartridge. However, as far as magnums go, the recoil on this one is surprisingly manageable. It is relatively comparable to the 7mm Rem Mag and definitely milder than the .300 Win Mag.
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What Hornady Has to Offer
Hornady is currently offering the 7mm PRC in three different factory loads.
Target shooters will appreciate Hornady’s Match load, featuring 180-grain ELD-M bullets with a freakishly high BC of .796 (G1). The ELD-M projectile is currently one of the flattest-shooting bullets on the face of the planet.
Hornady also offers its Outfitter line with 160-grain CX expanding copper-alloy bullets for big-game hunters and their Precision Hunter loads. Topped with 175-grain ELD-X, Precision Hunter features a heat shield tip that resists the high temperature generated by the cartridge’s blistering speeds.
Hornady also loads its 7mm PRC cartridges with temperature-stable, magnum-speed propellants for consistent velocity and longer barrel life.
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7mm PRC Specs
Bullet Diameter: 7mm (.284 inches)Parent Case: .300 PRCCase Length: 2.280 inchesCase Head: 0.532 inchesShoulder Angle: 30 degreesMuzzle Velocity: 2,900 to 3,000 fpsSAAMI Max Pressure: 65,000 psi
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Savage Rifles Available in 7mm PRC:
- 110 Ultralite: $1,649
- 110 Ultralite HD: $1,649
- 110 Ultralite Camo: $1,699
- 110 High Country: $1,239
- 110 Timberline LH: $1,239
- Impulse Big Game: $1,449
- Impulse Mountain Hunter: $2,437
- 110 Apex Hunter XP: $736
- 110 Apex Storm XP: $819
- 110 Apex Hunter XP LH: $709
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