Just Announced: Federal’s Game-Changing 7mm Backcountry Rifle Ammunition
By Mike Dickerson
What would you say to an accurate 7mm rifle cartridge that delivers true magnum performance — with non-magnum recoil — out of shorter, suppressor-friendly barrels? Federal Ammunition is betting you’ll say yes to the company’s just-announced 7mm Backcountry ammunition, which Federal calls the “fastest production 7mm rifle cartridge on the planet.”
Three numbers instantly put the 7mm Backcountry’s performance into perspective: The cartridge launches heavy, high-BC 170-grain bullets at 3,000 fps out of a 20-inch barrel, and it’s even faster out of longer barrels. No other factory 7mm cartridge can beat those numbers with same-weight bullets in same-length barrels. The most remarkable thing about the cartridge, which superficially resembles rounds like the 30-06, is that it delivers this performance in non-magnum, standard long actions while generating relatively modest recoil.
This translates into a cartridge that’s tailor-made for hunters who are increasingly moving to shorter-barreled, lighter rifles with suppressors. Until now, doing so meant giving up the velocity and energy initially supplied by their ammo in standard-length barrels. For those who hunt remote or high-elevation areas, the 7mm Backcountry is a game changer.
The secret to the new cartridge’s performance is Federal’s new Peak Alloy case technology, which traces its roots to Federal’s work with the U.S. military. The case is made of a special steel alloy that has nothing in common with the steel cases used in cheap imported ammunition. It’s closer in composition to the alloy used in bank vaults and nuclear reactors, and it’s nickel plated for corrosion resistance. The case can be safely loaded to a maximum chamber pressure of 80,000 pounds per square inch, propelling bullets downrange faster. It does so, says Federal, without causing excessive wear on barrels or components beyond that caused by legacy ammunition.
Nearly a dozen rifle manufacturers have already committed to chambering guns for the new cartridge, including AllTerra, Christensen, Fierce, Geissele, Gunwerks, Horizon, Proof Research, Ruger, Savage, Seekins Precision and Weatherby. More are in the works. MSRPs for 7mm Backcountry loads are comparable to or less than Federal’s MSRPs for some other 7mm cartridges loaded with similar-weight bullets.
The 7mm Backcountry is offered in five loads. Ammo boxes will have two printed lines of basic ballistic information – one for 20-inch barrels, and one for 24-inch barrels. The loads, with factory-stated velocities from 20-inch barrels, include:
- 195-grain Berger Elite Hunter (2,850 fps)
- 175-grain Fusion Tipped (2,975 FPS)
- 170-grain Terminal Ascent (3,000 fps)
- 168-grain Barnes LRX (3,000 fps)
- 155-grain Terminal Ascent (3,150 fps)
Two loads I initially tested were a little faster than advertised out of the 20-inch barrel of a Weatherby 307 Alpine CT rifle. Both loads were superbly accurate, and I used one to make a tricky shot on a big desert mule deer in New Mexico. Look for a more detailed examination of the 7mm Backcountry in a future issue of On Target. For more information, contact Federal Premium; Tel. (800) 831-8100; Web: www.federalpremium.com