Federal’s all-new 7mm Backcountry cartridge is a high-pressure, high-velocity cartridge that promises remarkable speeds and accuracy from short-barreled rifles.
At times, new rifle calibers appear faster than flowers in springtime. Some have a valid purpose and prove beneficial for hunting and target purposes. Others are weeds that get plucked and die out over time.
During my rifle tenure, I’ve tested numerous calibers, from tried-and-true standbys to racy wildcats to slow-moving straight-wall thumpers. Still, I get excited when a new rifle in a new-for-the-year caliber shows up at my FFL.
Recently, that caliber was Federal’s all-new 7mm Backcountry. The rifle was Horizon’s Wombat. The barrel length was 16.5 inches with the attached 1-11/16-inch brake, bringing the total length to 18 3/16 inches.
Short Barrel
The big story behind Federal’s shiny new caliber is high speed in heavy-for-caliber bullets from short barrels. Short barrels are popular with the hunting crowd for weight reduction and maneuverability. The problem with short-barrel rifles, especially in calibers designed for long-range precision and devastation, is a serious loss in bullet performance.
Suppressors are also on the uptick with the shooting crowd. Suppressors reduce recoil and dull post-shot noise. The problem with suppressors is when a backcountry wanderer threads a six-inch suppressor on a 24 or 26-inch barrel, a semi-long rifle becomes a telephone pole.
If Federal’s branding, 3,000 fps in a 170-grain bullet from a 20-inch barrel, is accurate, the cartridge should serve a purpose. Short-barrel lovers who don’t want to shoot suppressed should get maximum performance in a big-game caliber in a short, light rifle that makes an ideal saddle gun or one any hunter can lash to a backpack and go walkabout.
If a hunter wants to shoot suppressed, they can add a six or 7-inch (or shorter) suppressor to their rifle and still have a rifle that fits in the “standard length” category.
The 7mm Backcountry
I received two boxes of Federal Terminal Ascent 170-Grain 7mm Backcountry before the firearm’s arrival. When I peeked inside, I immediately noticed the blue-nosed Terminal Ascent ballistic tip. I have several rifles that favor these bullets, and I’ve harvested many animals with them over the years.
Pulling a single 7mm/.284 cartridge from its foam home; the appearance reminded me of one of my all-time favorite big-game calibers—the .280 Ackley Improved. After a phone call with Federal, my .280 Ackley Improved suspicion was confirmed.
“The result is a non-magnum-looking cartridge with the same neck length as a 7mm PRC, body taper and shoulder angle as 6.5 Creedmoor, and a cartridge size similar to .30-06 Springfield or .280 Ackley Improved,” said Federal’s Centerfire Rifle Product Line Manager, Eric Miller.
The question remains: How was Federal able to achieve solid ballistics and speeds at or near 3,000 fps with a 170-grain bullet from a rifle with a 20-inch barrel?
It’s called Peak Alloy Case Technology, and according to Federal, the patented, high-strength steel alloy is similar to the steel alloys used in bank safes, race cars, and nuclear reactors. Federal notes that the Peak Alloy Cases are stronger than brass used in conventional cases.
Safety Confirmed
Federal engineers at the Anoka, Minnesota, facility developed testing to confirm safety when loading high-strength steel cases at 80,000 psi.
“The results showed that brass cases loaded at pressures normal for brass cases created similar stress as high-strength steel alloy cases loaded at significantly higher chamber pressures,” continued Abramowski. “Peak Alloy allows Federal to safely increase chamber pressures far beyond the limits of brass case ammunition. Additionally, Peak Alloy cases help increase muzzle velocity without a proportionate increase in felt recoil, which is a bonus.”
Why Another 7mm Hunting Cartridge
I don’t like it when a manufacturer creates a product to create a product. Those products are quickly identified as snake oil and discarded, and the manufacturer can quickly develop a bad reputation.
The 7mm Backcountry wasn’t a fly-by-night Federal decision. The cartridge was two years in the making. During that time, Federal considered current market trends. I agree with one trend Federal uncovered: hunters migrating from traditional long-barrel magnum cartridges to shorter, lighter, more compact rifles. One reason is recoil. Another is totability; backcountry goers want short, light, and powerful. Lastly, as mentioned earlier in the article, more and more hunters are shooting suppressed. Adding a suppressor to a 20-inch barrel keeps the total barrel length, depending on the length of the suppressor, between 24 and 27 inches.
My immediate thoughts are this: Yes, many 7mm hunting cartridges are on the market. However, if the caliber’s safety checks out and it does what Federal says it can do, it will raise some eyebrows.
Federal is offering the 7mm Backcountry in Terminal Ascent bullet grain-weight options of 155 and 170, a 168-grain Barnes LRX, Fusion Tipped 175 grain, and Berger Elite Hunter 195 grain to give hunters options.
Federal 7mm Backcountry Speed Testing
It’s obvious, Federal wanted to create a fast 7mm cartridge. My first mission was to get the gun on the bench, set up a pair of different chronographs, and go to work.
Remember, the total barrel length for my Horizon bolt-action was 18 3/16 inches with the brake. My first three-shot average using Garmin’s Xero C1 Pro Chronograph was 2,876 feet per second. No, not 3,000 feet per second.
Why?
The rifle’s barrel length isn’t 20 inches, and getting 2,876 fps from a less-than-19-inch barrel is solid. During FPS testing, the Kestral measured wind was between 1.6 and 3.0 miles per hour. The outside temperature was below freezing (31 degrees Fahrenheit), and the elevation was 4,129 feet above sea level.
Switching from the Garmin to Caldwell’s Ballistic Precision Chronograph, my next three-shot group produced an average speed of 2,881 feet per second. Aside from the speed, another thing that struck me positively was the tight variances the round produced during speed testing. Feet-per-second ratings increase as a barrel heats up. There was only a six-feet-per-second variance between my first cold bore shot and the third shot using the Garmin.
Federal 7mm Backcountry Recoil & Accuracy
Something else Federal wanted out of this non-magnum cartridge was reduced shooter recoil—mission, somewhat accomplished. No, the caliber didn’t drive my shoulder backward and push my cheek up and off the rifle’s comb. However, it wasn’t as gentle as my .280 Ackley Improved or 7mm PRC. Could this be more of the fault of the rifle’s build than the cartridge? Possibly. However, I have no other rifles chambered in the cartridge to compare apples to apples.
With that noted, recoil wasn’t as abusive as that of a lightweight bolt-action chambered in the popular .300 Win. Mag or .300 PRC. It was simply more than I expected.
I topped Horizon’s bolt-action with Leupold’s VX-6HD 3-18×44. There wasn’t time to send the CDS Dial in so Leupold could craft a custom elevation turret, so I went old school, tested and tinkered, and created a dope card.
After a bore-sight session, two shots were required to dial the Leupold-topped Horizon chambered in 7mm Backcountry at 100 yards. After a five-minute barrel-cooling period, I shot three consecutive rounds off a bench from 100 yards. All three rounds touched, proving this is a 1/2-inch MOA gun.
Prone
Attaching a front-mounted bipod to the rifle’s lower Picatinny rail, I went prone and sent a round at a 300-yard steel plate. I made no elevation turret dial. I settled my crosshairs at the top of the orange plate and squeezed the trigger. An immediate clang hit my ears.
Inspection of the bullet’s placement on the steel gong, intel on the back of Federal’s box, and a little tinkering with a ballistic app helped me adjust my elevation dial. After the adjustment, I again got prone and quickly cycled a three-shot group in a Kestral measured 12 and some change miles per hour crosswind. The outside temperature was 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and the elevation was 4,129 feet above sea level. The group was a sub-2.5-inch group, which was satisfactory considering the wind conditions.
I did a head-to-head comparison bullet drop at 500 yards, shooting the 18-3/16-inch barrel Horizon Wombat and 168-grain Federal Berger Hybrid Hunter from my.280 Ackley Improved with a 24-inch barrel. Bullet drop at 500 yards with the 7mm Backcountry was 54.3 inches. The bullet drop with the Berger Hybrid Hunter chambered in .280 Ackley Improved was 50.2 inches. That’s a drop difference of 4.1 inches between comparable calibers and bullet grain weights. The difference: One barrel measured a tick over 18 inches long, and one measured 24 inches long—just food for thought.
Over two days, I shot 48 Federal Premium Terminal Ascent 170-Grain 7mm Backcountry rounds. I rang steel to 800 yards and shot the Horizon bolt-action Wombat off a shooting bench, prone with a bi-pod from BOG’s DeathGrip Sherpa, and, for grins, off-hand. I experienced no mechanical issues. Bolt lock-up remained tight. And, because the rifle’s thick barrel has an almost uncanny ability to cool quickly, shooting was, at times, rapid.
Regardless of the range, the caliber proved accurate unless shooter error came into play.
READ MORE HERE: Field Tested: Federal’s New Game-Changing 7mm Backcountry Cartridge
Federal 7mm Backcountry Final Thoughts
Will I run out and buy a rifle in Federal’s all-new caliber? I’m not sure yet. I’m a deep thinker. Though I do like the purpose of the caliber, and it proved fast and accurate, I need some more time behind the stock to ensure the caliber’s high speeds don’t create rifle wear-and-tear problems. I don’t think that will be the case, but still, I need more time behind the stock.
Also, I want to shoot the rifle suppressed, which I wasn’t able to accomplish during initial testing. I’m a backcountry public land hunter. Ninety percent of the time, my rifle is riding in the scabbard attached to my saddle. I don’t want a suppressor attached to my barrel in the scabbard, and I don’t like the idea of toting one in my backpack or saddle panyard and then having to screw it on. Still, if I end up with this caliber in my gun safe, it will serve many purposes, and I want to check speed, recoil, and accuracy with a suppressor attached.
I do believe the rifle will gain an immediate following. The following may be cult-like, like many calibers. Ammunition will be expensive. If Federal is the only manufacturer of the caliber, which is likely, ammo will be hard to come by. These are things to consider.
Generally, though, I was impressed. Federal is a forward-thinking company, and I do feel there is a place in the 7mm arsenal for an all-new Backcountry cartridge.
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