Federal Ammunition has recently launched a ground-breaking long-action hunting cartridge focused on 7mm/.284 heavy-for-caliber bullets, raising the bar for what a non-magnum, centerfire rifle hunting load can achieve. Three numbers quickly back the innovation behind it: 20, 170 and 3,000.

The all-new, Federal-designed 7mm Backcountry cartridge is boosted by the new, patented Peak Alloy case technology, which provides magnum performance in a standard bolt face rifle. Through 20-inch barrels, with 170-grain bullets, it can achieve 3,000 feet-per-second.

THE FASTEST OUT THERE

Traditional ammunition typically uses brass cases with muzzle-velocity data advertised on the box that is generated using an industry-standard 24-inch factory test barrel. And although Federal still spotlights 7mm Backcountry’s astounding speed for a 24-inch barrel on the front of every box, they also detail the velocity data from 20-inch barrels on the back.

Peak Alloy case technology is the cornerstone of the new cartridge. The patented, high-strength steel alloy is stronger than brass used in conventional cases.

This allows it to safely handle higher chamber pressures, boosting velocities to magnum levels through a shorter barrel while maintaining comparable, if not reduced, perceived recoil. Because powder charge weights are kept in the realm of standard calibers, the jump in recoil when stepping up to magnum cartridges is avoided. While steel cases are not a new thing, Peak Alloy steel cases feature durable nickel plating that protects against corrosion and rust, and provides next-level protection from the elements. 

Federal increased their manufacturing capacity to launch the new cartridge. They added a new cell for case manufacturing, and they’re using standard loaders that have been completely retooled with dies specifically for 7mm Backcountry. Before anyone begs for the answer to reloading questions… the answer is yes, the 7mm Backcountry is reloadable. Federal has been working with RCBS/Hodgdon and St. Mark’s. Data and powders will be available soon after initial product launch of the factory loaded ammunition.

SHORT BARRELS AND SUPPRESSORS

Hunters are moving away from magnum cartridges in long barrels and gravitating towards short, light, compact rifles with suppressors. That move makes sense. Shorter-barreled firearms make everything easier when traveling with UTVs or other vehicles, hiking in a thick forest setting, maneuvering in hunting blinds, you name it.

However, shooters lose velocity when barrels are shortened, so there is a trade-off. Innovation was needed to deliver the advantages of hunting with shorter barrels while maintaining high velocities for flatter-shooting trajectory and projectile energy. The extreme speed of the 7mm Backcountry allows for extended max point blank ranges, while enabling the hunter to shoot a shorter barrel rifle to take advantage of a suppressor.

They want a rifle with a shorter barrel to make it more manageable while on the hunt, but they also want to achieve that benchmark speed goal of 3,000 feet-per-second for flat-shooting performance.

Suppressors are quickly gaining popularity within the hunting market for reasons that don’t require explanation. We now hunt in modern times, so cans are everywhere, and rightfully so, however, cartridges and rifles haven’t kept pace with this trend. Installing an 8-inch suppressor on a 24-inch barrel results in an awkward and impractical platform.

To counter this, many shooters are selecting rifles chambered in cartridges like 7mm PRC with 20-inch barrels to make room for their suppressor. But, in the process, they lose some of the magnum velocities, energy, and trajectories their cartridge supplied initially.

Federal also followed the modern 7mm projectile trend for its new high-tech hunting cartridge. There is a plethora of 7mm hunting cartridges in the current market, which begs the question of whether we actually need another one. We believe that due to the performance increase on tap, the answer is a definite maybe. 

This is because of the So, Choosing a 7mm bore diameter made sense,  due mainly to the excellent ballistic performance of bullets with high ballistic coefficients and heavy weights already existing in .284-caliber.  In that diameter, 7mm PRC is the king… well, was the king.


Due to its safe higher chamber pressures, a 7mm Backcountry 170-grain Terminal Ascent shot through a 24-inch barrel gives you a muzzle velocity of around 3,150 fps, whereas a 7mm PRC with the same bullet generates about 2,950 fps. Through a 20-inch barrel, 7mm Backcountry shoots approximately 3,000 fps while the 7mm PRC is only 2,850 fps, plus the smaller case diameter gives you an extra round in the magazine. 

HEAVY BULLETS, HIGH BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT

Federal launched its new cartridge with some of the industry’s best all-range and long-range projectiles to fully exploit the velocity, energy, range, and trajectory advantages of 7mm Backcountry. These flat-shooting, 170-plus-grain class, heavy-for-caliber bullets offer the optimal balance between sleekness and energy, touting high ballistic coefficients.

“Our goal was to take the new case technology and design the ultimate, high-tech hunting cartridge that could handle loadings at a higher pressure,” said Eric Miller, Federal’s Centerfire Rifle Product Line Manager. “We also wanted it to operate in non-magnum, standard long actions to keep room for round capacity. The result is a non-magnum-looking cartridge with the same neck length as 7mm PRC, body taper and shoulder angle as 6.5 Creedmoor, and a cartridge size similar to 30-06 Springfield or 280 Ackley Improved. Yet it accepts heavy bullets with a long ogive.” 

Federal Ammunition will offer this new cartridge in its internally designed Terminal Ascent 155- and 170-grain bullet options. The company touts this Federal Premium product line as the best-performing hunting projectiles it has ever built. Its bonded construction penetrates deep on close targets, while the patented Slipstream polymer tip initiates expansion at extreme long range.

The 155-grain load is the fastest 7mm on the market with 3,150 fps out of a 20-inch barrel, while the 170-grain achieves 3,000 fps out of 20-inch barrels. The 155-grain bullet has a G1 BC of .586, and the 170-grain is .645.”

Next is Federal’s Barnes LRX 168-grain load. This offering is specifically for those looking for an all-copper option. Armed with a high ballistic coefficient, polymer tip, and unique nose cavity, the all-copper Barnes LRX takes down tough game at both close range and extended distances. Barnes is a well-known, well-established brand that needs little explanation. This 168-grain bullet achieves 3,000 fps from a 20-inch barrel and has a G1 BC of .513.

The Federal-engineered Fusion Tipped 175-grain option will be popular among hunters looking for reliable, accurate ammunition at a specific price point. Fusion Tipped was just released last year, yet was born from its extremely popular Fusion soft-point cousin. Fusion’s molecular bonding paired with a streamlined polymer tip gives Fusion Tipped 7mm Backcountry the ability to go the distance and deliver a devastating blow to big game. This 175-grain bullet achieves 2,975 fps from a 20-inch barrel and has a G1 BC of .575.

Finally, Federal will also load its new 7mm Backcountry cartridge with Berger Elite Hunter 195-grain bullets. These bullets have an incredible ballistic coefficient, the highest on the market among hunting bullets.

This new cartridge to be able to accept the longest, heaviest bullets the current marketplace has to offer. The Berger Elite Hunter’s thin jacket produces extreme shock and a massive wound cavity on impact. This 195-grain bullet achieves 2,850 fps out of a 20-inch barrel and has a G1 BC of .755.

The chamber is designed specifically to accommodate bigger projectiles. The freebore is positioned for optimal performance from the Terminal Ascent bullets, but still allows for effective loading of the larger projectiles like the 195-grain Berger Elite Hunter.

In developing 7mm Backcountry, Federal’s team of engineers set out to design a cartridge that answered a market need that seemed unsolvable; magnum velocity out of shorter barrels without a proportionate increase in felt recoil.

It would appear that they achieved this goal and produced true innovation in the process, creating a new way to make rifle ammunition faster, flatter-shooting and more powerful. While others have run into issues with barrel wear running at high pressures, (cough, SIG) initial testing shows that the 7mm Backcountry causes comparable barrel wear to common cartridges currently on the market.

We’ll see how this plays out as shooters put high round counts downrange in coming months, but we expect barrel wear to be in the same realm as the PRC family. 

Federal’s 7mm Backcountry is an entirely new high-performance, all-range cartridge that allows shooters to safely run considerably higher pressures than before. Federal engaged with many major gun companies while developing the 7mm Backcountry, realizing that a 7mm-optimized cartridge is where the market is headed

Those manufacturers are working on dozens of rifle models chambered for the new cartridge, and the following gun companies will have rifles available in 7mm Backcountry; Christensen Arms, Gunwerks, Seekins Precision, Fierce Arms, AllTerra Arms, Savage Arms, Weatherby, Geissele Automatics, Proof Research, Horizon Firearms, and Pure Precision.

In a market awash with new new cartridge launches, it’s easy to be cynical about yet another 7mm. Yet the Backcountry does offer something unique in terms of its case geometry and material. We expect this one to gain traction, especially once load data becomes available and people start stuffing different bullets in the case – the prospect of a 110gr V-Max at 4000fps is both hilarious and possible at these kind of pressures, quite apart from the optimized-for-heavies philosophy.

We’re very interested in where this might lead when the case technology is applied to more vanilla cartridges, such as 308 and 5.56. 

Learn more at: www.federalpremium.com.

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