Looking at building a 7mm SWC. Just curious if anyone here is shooting one.
Also interested maybe building in the 7-6.5 PRC.
Thanks
My friends at Ultimate Reloader and Cortina both love them but I haven’t built one yet.
@backfire I know you like to have at least minimum 2000 ft./s impact speed
The 7mm SWC - less recoil than a 280 Aky imp.
& out of a 20” barrel. using 162 gr ELD-X “should” get about 2730 FPS = 620 yards to 1,800 FPS.
Looks like a nice balanced elk cartridge.
What barrel length would that be? Most of the load data for a swc that I’ve seen is assuming a 28” precision rifle barrel.
This is what I came across using Google Ai
Because a 162-grain bullet moving at 1,800 fps inherently carries 1,165 ft-lbs of energy, the distance to your minimum impact velocity remains the absolute limiting factor for all options. Recoil numbers below are calculated based on an identical 8.5 lb rifle system (fully scoped and loaded) to isolate how case volume and powder burn affect your shoulder.
Comprehensive Ballistics & Recoil Comparison Table (20" Barrel)
| Cartridge | Est. Muzzle Velocity | Distance to 1,800 fps | Energy @ 1,800 fps | Approx. Powder Charge | Free Recoil Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-6.5 PRC | 2,830 fps | 855 Yards | 1,165 ft-lbs | ~64 gr | 19.1 ft-lbs |
| 280 Ackley Improved | 2,780 fps | 800 Yards | 1,165 ft-lbs | ~58 gr | 17.4 ft-lbs |
| 280 Remington | 2,730 fps | 750 Yards | 1,165 ft-lbs | ~56 gr | 16.6 ft-lbs |
| 7mm SAW | 2,700 fps | 720 Yards | 1,165 ft-lbs | ~43 gr | 13.9 ft-lbs |
| 7 SWC (Sherman) | 2,670 fps | 690 Yards | 1,165 ft-lbs | ~38 gr | 12.8 ft-lbs |
The Recoil-to-Performance Breakdown
- The Magnum Tax (7-6.5 PRC): Pushing for those extra 55 yards of capability over the 280 AI costs you a disproportionate amount of powder. The huge gas volume exiting a short 20-inch barrel results in 19.1 ft-lbs of recoil, putting it right on the edge of what most shooters find comfortable without a muzzle brake or heavy suppressor.
- The Balanced Long Actions (280 AI & 280 Rem): The 280 Ackley Improved offers a highly efficient velocity-to-recoil ratio among the long-action options. It yields 17.4 ft-lbs of recoil, which is very manageable and gives you a true 800-yard terminal envelope even out of a short barrel.
- The Short-Action Efficiency Masters (7mm SAW & 7 SWC): This is where you see the massive impact of powder volume on recoil. By dropping down to the 7mm SAW or 7 SWC, you only lose 80–110 yards of maximum effective range compared to the 280 AI, but your recoil drops significantly by 20% to 26%. At roughly 13–14 ft-lbs of free recoil, these options allow you to easily spot your own bullet impacts through the scope.
I have a 7 saw 26” barrel. Using Berger 168s I’m getting 2743. And the hornady 162s, I’m getting 2961. I really like the cartridge. I’m running it on a short action which is annoying bc it limits the coal though. I’m thinking about building a 22” on a tikka action to get that extra length.
Thanks for the numbers. Yeah I love Tikka actions. That would be a great build.
Discussion about 7SAW today
