Federal 7mm Backcountry: A New Standard In Ammo Performance

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Federal’s 7mm Backcountry shoots high-BC bullets faster than all competitors, including the big magnums. And it does so out of a case about the size of a .30-06. Even more impressively, the Backcountry is as fast in 20-inch barrels as most magnums are in 24- to 26-inch barrels.

This new cartridge could be the most significant evolution in cartridge technology since smokeless powder was developed. By finding a way to safely increase internal pressure by 25 percent or more, Federal’s engineers enabled their new 7mm Backcountry to generate unprecedented velocity.

Also key to the 7mm Backcountry’s unparalleled performance is the fact it’s optimized for use with modern high-BC bullets. It’s got fast rifling (1:8) so it shoots heavy-for-caliber bullets ranging from 155 grains up to Berger’s 195-grain Extreme Outer Limits projectile.

I’ve been shooting and hunting with the 7mm Backcountry for more than a year now, and all of my (many) reservations have melted away. This, dear reader, is news worth knowing.

Why the 7mm Backcountry is different

For a decade or more the U.S. military has been experimenting with new high-pressure cartridge designs. By employing a steel case head paired with a case body of this or that material (polymer, brass, etc.), various ammo designers have been able to create certain cartridges that function at very high pressures. Federal took this technology, made it better, and introduced it to the hunting market in the form of the 7mm Backcountry.

How high is “very high” pressure? In this case, it’s an eyebrow-raising 80,000 psi. For perspective, traditional hot-rod cartridges such as the .257 Weatherby and the .28 Nosler top out at 65,000 psi. More than that and even the best quality brass cases don’t hold up.

Federal took the steel case concept and evolved it, using a high-grade steel named Peak Alloy. It’s a super-strength material used in nuclear reactors, safes and so forth. And rather than going with a multiple-piece case (which would add weak points and inconsistencies) like other companies, Federal opted for a one-piece case.

The result? A super-metal case that safely contains 80,000 psi and a compact 7mm Backcountry cartridge that shoots bullets in the 170-grain class at 3,000 fps out of 20-inch barrels. That’s stunning performance. And yes, it’s compatible with and safe in all modern bolt-action rifles.

Size and Specs

In size and shape, the 7mm Backcountry is much like the .280 Ackley Improved, but with a 30-degree shoulder angle rather than the Ackley’s 40-degree shoulder. The case head diameter is derived from the .30-06, and is 0.472 inch. Overall case length is 2.417, and overall max cartridge length is 3.340. Yep, it’s a standard-length cartridge that fits into standard-length actions with standard-diameter bolt faces.

Internal pressure is 80,000 psi, as mentioned. That’s 15,000 to 30,000 higher than other popular high-power hunting cartridges.

Rifling twist rate is 1:8, enabling the 7mm Backcountry to stabilize ultra-sleek modern super-bullets such as Berger’s 195-grain EOL.

It’s worth noting that the Peak Alloy steel used in creating 7mm Backcountry cases is much superior to the cheap pot-metal steel cases often seen in surplus military ammo. The surface of each cartridge case is finished with a non-glare satin nickel plating, which prevents corrosion.

Ballistic Performance

Federal launched five different factory loads featuring projectiles ranging from 155 grains to 195 grains. Velocity ranges from 3,300 fps with the lighter bullets in 24-inch barrels down to 2,850 fps with the heaviest bullets. Here’s something impressive: The 7mm Backcountry shoots 195-grain bullets as fast or faster than 7mm Rem. Mag. loads shoot 175-grain bullets.

Students of ballistics may have already noted that in 24-inch barrels the 7mm Backcountry is faster than the 7mm Rem. Mag., 7mm PRC, and .28 Nosler with equal-weight bullets.

That’s extraordinary, since the .28 Nosler in particular is a fire-breathing dragon of a cartridge. Impressive as the .28 Nosler is, it’s always been plagued with excessively short barrel life and a temperamental nature. It’s finicky about accuracy and kicks like the proverbial mule.

The 7mm Backcountry, on the other hand, has already proven to have impressive barrel life. Because it burns relatively little powder, it kicks mildly—my 12-year-old daughter Sophie shot a whopper of an Alaskan black bear with an ultra-light titanium rifle chambered in 7mm Backcountry last spring and wasn’t at all fazed by the recoil.

Back to ballistics. Numbers don’t lie. Shoot a heavy-for-caliber, high-BC bullet faster than any other 7mm cartridge on the market, and you’ve got the best ballistics of any 7mm cartridge.

It bucks the wind better, hits harder and shoots flatter than any other 7mm cartridge in mass production.

Other Advantages

There are several other significant advantages to the 7mm Backcountry when compared to the 7mm magnum-level cartridges it outperforms.

Because the 7mm Backcountry has a standard (.30-06) diameter case, most rifle magazines hold four or five rounds rather than just three.

Handloading the 7mm Backcountry

One of the first questions I asked Federal engineers was, “Can you reload Peak Alloy steel cases?”

The answer is yes. However, it’s a bit different than working with brass cases. Federal has techniques and load data on its website. How many times can one reload a Peak Alloy steel case? Last I heard, Federal testers had reloaded cases three times without any issues. Only further testing will tell just how much life a single case has.

Because it’s so efficient in short barrels, the 7mm Backcountry shoots as fast in 20-inch barrels as most 7mm magnums do in 24- to 26-inch barrels, making it particularly good for use with a suppressor.

For those wondering how you get high pressure (resulting in high velocity) with less gunpowder, it’s all in the propellant burn-rate recipe.

The Unknowns

When technology this innovative comes along, it takes a while to fully understand all the implications. What don’t we know about the 7mm Backcountry cartridge?

One characteristic I’m curious to observe over time is the cartridge’s accuracy potential. Will the significant increase in chamber pressure have an effect on accuracy? I can tell you this: The Proof Research test rifle I’ve been using is a reliable sub-MOA rifle. Even being scandalously light, it’s easy to shoot well. Factory 7mm Backcountry ammo loaded with 170-grain Terminal Ascent bullets (the only load I’ve got my hands on) groups at or slightly under an inch at 100 yards.

Real-World Performance

My personal favorite bullet that Federal is offering in the 7mm Backcountry cartridge is the 170-grain Terminal Ascent. It’s spec’d to exit the muzzle of 24-inch barrels at 3,150 fps. My Proof Research Glacier Ti test rifle has a 20-inch barrel, and spits the 170s out at 3,020 fps. That’s faster than Federal’s 7mm PRC load with the same bullet in a 24-inch barrel.

I had the opportunity to take a trophy aoudad ram in Texas last February. From 286 yards the Proof Glacier Ti put the 170-grain Terminal Ascent bullet on the X, driving it through the quartering-to ram’s shoulder. It mushroomed perfectly, penetrated about 30 inches deep, and devastated the vitals. Recovered weight was 157.6 grains, which is a whopping 90 percent.

A few months later my daughter Sophie (age 12) took a very good Alaskan black bear from about 250 yards, driving the bullet squarely through its vitals and dropping it in its tracks. As far as we know it was the first bear ever taken with the 7mm Backcountry cartridge.

Availability and Price

By the time you read this, 7mm Backcountry ammunition should be on store shelves. According to Federal’s literature, the plan is to offer ammo for about the same price as 7mm PRC ammunition loaded with the same type bullets.

At the time of this writing at least eleven different manufacturers are already spun up and producing rifles chambered in 7mm Backcountry. These include Christensen Arms, Gunwerks, Seekins Precision, Fierce Arms, AllTerra Arms, Savage Arms, Weatherby, Geissele Automatics, Proof Research, Horizon Firearms and Pure Precision. No doubt others will follow in short order.

What the Future Holds

Here’s a cool possibility: Can Federal’s new Peak Alloy case technology be applied to existing cartridges? For example, could a .308 Win. cartridge made with a Peak Alloy case be loaded to produce .300 Win. Mag. velocities?

The answer is yes. However, there are some potential ramifications. What if such a load was fired in an M1A or other less-strong semiautomatic rifle? So, at this point I’m not sure whether Federal will actually apply the Peak Alloy technology to existing cartridges, or will develop a line of new cartridges optimized for it.

What’s the Takeaway?

Federal’s Peak Alloy isn’t a small refinement of existing cartridge technology. It’s a new process with far-reaching potential – high-BC bullets fired at unprecedented speeds from a modestly-sized cartridge case in shorter-than-average barrels. You could say the 7mm Backcountry cartridge achieves the Holy Grail of ballistic performance.

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