7mm PRC Ballistics Chart: 12 Factory Loads

7mm PRC ballistics across 12 factory loads run 16.7 to 20.4 inches low at 400 yards from a 200-yard zero, by each maker’s own tables.

Originally published: November 3, 2026

The 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) was introduced by Hornady in 2022 as the middle member of their PRC family, bridging the gap between the 6.5 PRC and the .300 PRC. Built on a non-belted case derived from the .375 Ruger (essentially a necked-down .300 PRC), it was purpose-designed to take full advantage of modern, long, high-ballistic-coefficient 7mm bullets in the 160- to 180-grain range. With a 30-degree shoulder, proper seating depth for heavy projectiles, and a fast 1:8 twist rate, the cartridge delivers the flat trajectory, strong energy retention, and wind resistance that hunters and long-range shooters wanted—without the compromises of older 7mm magnums like the 7mm Remington Magnum.

Its combination of magnum-level performance, relatively manageable recoil, and excellent downrange ballistics has made it especially popular for open-country and mountain hunting of deer, elk, and similar game, as well as long-range precision shooting. Below is a ballistics chart covering 12 current factory loads so you can compare velocity, energy, and trajectory across the most common offerings.

7mm PRC Ballistics Chart: 12 Factory Loads

The following ballistics chart covers 12 current factory loads for the 7mm PRC and serves as a practical starting point for understanding how different factory ammunition performs. It provides a side-by-side comparison of muzzle velocity, energy, and trajectory so you can quickly see how various bullet weights and designs behave under standard conditions. Keep in mind that real-world results will vary with barrel length, atmospheric conditions, and your specific rifle, but these numbers give a solid baseline for evaluating which factory loads best match your intended use.

The way that we were able to put this chart together was by utilizing all manufacturers published data that was red read October 18, 2026, not computed by us. All 12 tables use a 200-yard zero; Federal, Hornady and Nosler show the scope 1.5 inches above the bore, and Berger’s page does not state a sight height. Negative numbers are inches below your line of sight. Federal labels both of its trajectory tables “zeroed at 100 yards,” but its “Long Range” table reads +1.3 to +1.7 inches at 100 and zero at 200, so it is a 200-yard zero, and that is the table used here. Berger’s numbers are printed to two decimals and are shown as published.

How Far Does a 7mm PRC Drop?

From a 200-yard zero, every load in the chart is 5.8 to 7.2 inches low at 300 yards, so at 300 you hold about 6 to 7 inches high and no more. Past that, the drop climbs fast: 16.7 to 20.4 inches at 400 and 33.2 to 40.3 at 500. Remember, a wrong range guess at 450 costs you far more than one at 250.

If you dial instead of holding, convert with the same math our ballistic calculator uses: 1 MOA covers 1.0472 inches at 100 yards and 1 mil covers 3.6 inches. Hornady’s 175-grain ELD-X at 400 yards (17.2 inches) is 4.1 MOA, about 16 clicks on a quarter-MOA turret, or 1.2 mils. At 500 yards (34.2 inches) it is 6.5 MOA or 1.9 mils. The calculator has no 7mm PRC preset, so use Custom entry and type in the velocity and G1 coefficient from your box.

Which Bullet Weight Should You Shoot?

Lighter is not flatter by default. Federal’s 155-grain Terminal Ascent starts fastest at 3,100 fps and drops least at 400 yards, but Hornady’s 180-grain ELD Match, leaving 125 fps slower, is only 0.4 inch behind it at 400 and 0.5 inch behind it at 500. Why? Drop follows how well the bullet holds its speed, and Hornady’s 180 loses only 459 fps by 400 yards against 632 fps for the 155.

The I’m a manufacturers also tell you what they built each one for example. Nosler advertises its 160-grain AccuBond for deer-sized game and its 175-grain AccuBond Long Range for elk and moose-sized game. Hornady says its ELD-X expands across the full range, with the Heat Shield tip driving back into the bullet on impacts past 400 yards. The 180-grain ELD Match is sold in Hornady’s Match line, so it is a target load first (check with the maker before you hunt with any match bullet).

Notice the two 195-grain Berger loads. Berger loads its own 195-grain Elite Hunter at 2,800 fps from a 24-inch barrel; Federal loads the same Berger bullet at 2,760 fps and does not name a barrel. Same bullet, two loaders, 40 fps and 1.5 inches apart at 500 yards.

7mm PRC vs What’s Already in Your Safe

Most people asking about a 7mm PRC already own a magnum or a .30-06 and want to know what the new rifle buys them. To keep the bullet manufacturer, barrel and zero the same, the table below uses one Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X load per cartridge, all from Hornady’s 24-inch test barrel and all on a 200-yard zero.

Figures are Hornady’s published tables, read October 18, 2026. The last column is simple subtraction from the 7mm PRC row. Our .300 Win Mag ballistics chart and .30-06 ballistics chart use a 100-yard zero and other loads, so their drop numbers will not match these.

7mm PRC vs 7mm Rem Mag

In Hornady’s own loads, the 7mm PRC throws a bullet 13 grains heavier, 25 fps faster, and lands 0.7 inch higher at 400 yards with 289 more foot-pounds. If you own a 7mm Rem Mag that shoots, I would not sell it to chase 0.7 inch. If you are buying new and want the heavy 175 to 195-grain bullets, the PRC is the one built around them, and Hornady says a 7mm Rem Mag can simply take a 7mm PRC barrel.

7mm PRC vs .300 Win Mag

The .300 Win Mag starts with 135 more foot-pounds at the muzzle (3,632 against 3,497), and the 7mm PRC passes it by 300 yards (2,620 against 2,587) and keeps the lead out to 500. It also drops 2.7 inches less at 400. Think about it: a smaller bullet arriving with more energy than the big .30. For anybody who shoots past 300 yards, that is the whole argument for the cartridge.

What Zero Should You Use for a 7mm PRC?

Use 200 yards. Every manufacturers published data all use a 200 yard zero, so your rifle will match the chart, and Hornady’s 175-grain load is only 1.4 inches high at 100 and 6.0 inches low at 300. That keeps the bullet within about 6 inches of your crosshair from the muzzle to 300 yards without dialing. Our guide on how to sight in a rifle scope walks through getting there from a 100-yard start.

Unload the rifle and check the chamber before you mount, adjust or bore-sight a scope. Then confirm the zero by shooting at 200.

How Much Does the Wind Move It?

Only Federal provides wind drift on its 7mm PRC pages, and it uses a 10 mph full-value crosswind. At 400 yards Federal’s 175-grain ELD-X drifts 7.2 inches, its 195-grain Berger load 7.3, its 170-grain Terminal Ascent 7.9, its 155-grain Terminal Ascent 8.2 and its 175-grain Fusion Tipped 9.1. At 500 yards the same loads drift 11.5 to 14.8 inches. 

Your Barrel Is Not the Test Barrel

Hornady, Nosler (on its 160-grain page) and Berger all list a 24-inch test barrel. Federal’s product pages give no barrel length, and neither does Nosler’s 175-grain page. If your barrel is shorter than 24 inches, expect a slower bullet than the box says, and a slower bullet means more drop than the chart shows. It’s always best to verify with a chronograph and then use a ballistics calculator for your own custom dope.

I am not going to hand you a fps-per-inch rule, because the makers do not publish one for these loads (our ballistics methodology page explains why we refuse to guess it). Chronograph your rifle, type that number into the calculator, and trust paper at 300 and 400 yards over any box, including this chart. If you are still choosing between a 7mm PRC and something milder for whitetails, my take on the best deer rifle caliber covers that, and our 6.5 PRC ballistics page has the little brother load by load.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a 7mm PRC drop at 300 yards?

From a 200-yard zero, 5.8 to 7.2 inches across the 12 factory loads here, by the makers’ own tables. Hornady’s 175-grain ELD-X is 6.0 inches low. From a 100-yard zero, Federal prints 10.2 inches at 300 for its 175-grain ELD-X, which is a good reason to zero at 200.

Is the 7mm PRC better than the .300 Win Mag?

Past 300 yards, in Hornady’s matched Precision Hunter loads, yes on paper: 2.7 inches less drop and 74 more foot-pounds at 400 yards. Inside 200 yards the .300 Win Mag carries more energy. Either way, check that your local store stocks hunting ammunition for the rifle before you buy it.

What is the 7mm PRC comparable to?

The 7mm Rem Mag is its closest relative. In Hornady’s loads the PRC’s 175-grain bullet lands 0.7 inch higher at 400 yards than the Rem Mag’s 162-grain with 289 more foot-pounds. Hornady itself places the 7mm PRC between its 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC.

What distance should I zero a 7mm PRC?

Two hundred yards for hunting, so your rifle matches every factory table on this page and stays within about 6 to 7 inches out to 300.

Can I rebarrel a 7mm Rem Mag to 7mm PRC?

Hornady says you can swap the barrel on a 7mm Rem Mag or .300 Win Mag to 7mm PRC. Have a gunsmith check your action and magazine before you order the barrel.

My verdict: buy the 175-grain load your rifle groups best, zero it at 200, and shoot it at 400 before you ever hunt at 400, because no chart (this one included) knows your barrel. Come see us at the range, and bring the chronograph.

Sources: Hornady: 7mm PRC 175 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, 7mm PRC 180 gr ELD Match, 7mm PRC 160 gr CX Outfitter, 7mm Rem Mag 162 gr ELD-X, 300 Win Mag 200 gr ELD-X, 6.5 PRC 143 gr ELD-X, 30-06 178 gr ELD-X; Hornady, “7mm PRC”; Federal: Terminal Ascent 155 gr, Terminal Ascent 170 gr, ELD-X 175 gr, Fusion Tipped 175 gr, Berger Elite Hunter 195 gr; Nosler: 160 gr AccuBond, 175 gr AccuBond Long Range; Berger: 175 gr Elite Hunter, 195 gr Elite Hunter.

James "The XDMAN" Nicholas

The XDMAN has a talent for taking complex firearms subject matter and breaking it down into an easy-to-understand format that all experience levels can relate to. James is an 07/02 NFA Firearms Manufacturer, a Professional Gunsmith with over 20 years of experience, and a Firearms Writer, Photographer and Firearms Expert. Connect with him on Instagram, X, and Facebook as @therealxdman.

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