Two of the more powerful and modern long range hunting cartridges are the 7mm PRC and the 27 Nosler. These two rounds are used for the same things like hunting elk, moose, and deer, but they are not often compared. So in this article, we will compare these two cartridges to see which is better and why.
Here is the short answer:
The 27 Nosler has better ballistics and the same amount of recoil. However, the 7mm PRC is more popular and less expensive to shoot.
Now that we have looked at the short answer, we can look closer at each cartridge, their ballistics, and see how they compare in-depth.
In-Depth Look at the 7mm PRC
The 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) was introduced by Hornady in 2023. It is the newest in the PRC lineup, as of 2024, and is designed for long-range shooting and hunting. The cartridge is based on the .375 Ruger case and features a slightly shorter case neck and a sharper shoulder angle for faster powder burn and increased powder capacity.
This is a perfect cartridge for hunting big game like elk and moose. It fires a fairly heavy, 7mm bullet with extreme efficiency and power.
Downsides to the 7mm PRC include that it can be fairly expensive to shoot, and that because it is a newer cartridge, there is some uncertainty that it will remain popular. Additionally, the 7mm PRC is a fairly heavily recoiling cartridge at 25 foot pounds of recoil.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 7mm PRC with a 175-grain Hornady ELD-X bullet:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 2995 | 3585 |
| 50 | -0.2 | 0 | 2925 | 3419 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.4 | 2856 | 3260 |
| 150 | -0.8 | 0.9 | 2788 | 3107 |
| 200 | -2.8 | 1.7 | 2722 | 2961 |
| 250 | -5.9 | 2.8 | 2656 | 2819 |
| 300 | -10.3 | 4 | 2591 | 2683 |
| 350 | -15.9 | 5.5 | 2527 | 2553 |
| 400 | -22.9 | 7.2 | 2464 | 2427 |
| 450 | -31.3 | 9.2 | 2402 | 2306 |
| 500 | -41.2 | 11.5 | 2341 | 2190 |
In-Depth Look at the 27 Nosler
In the lineup of the Nosler cartridges, the 27 Nosler sits in the middle of the road. The 27 Nosler is based on the .404 Jeffrey magnum necked down and slightly lengthened to use a .277 caliber bullet.
Although this cartridge is advertised as being a deer hunting cartridge, it has the energy more suited for hunting elk and moose because of its high energy. At longer ranges, the 27 Nosler has impressive ballistics and can retain its energy very well.
There are a few major downsides to the 27 Nosler including its barrel can burn out fairly quickly at around 1200 rounds, it has a lot of recoil (25 foot-pounds), and it is costly to shoot at around 50-100 dollars a box.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 27 Nosler with a 165-grain Nosler Accubond:
| RANGE (YD) | DROP (IN) | WIND DRIFT (IN) | VELOCITY (FPS) | ENERGY (FT-LB) |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 3158 | 3654 |
| 50 | -0.3 | 0.1 | 3077 | 3469 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.4 | 2998 | 3293 |
| 150 | -0.7 | 0.9 | 2920 | 3124 |
| 200 | -2.3 | 1.7 | 2844 | 2963 |
| 250 | -5.1 | 2.8 | 2769 | 2809 |
| 300 | -9 | 4.2 | 2695 | 2661 |
| 350 | -14.2 | 5.7 | 2623 | 2520 |
| 400 | -20.5 | 7.6 | 2551 | 2385 |
| 450 | -28.2 | 9.7 | 2481 | 2255 |
| 500 | -37.2 | 12 | 2412 | 2131 |
In-Depth Comparison
Ballistically, these two rounds are very similar. However, the 27 Nosler, due to its larger case size, is going to have slightly more energy and velocity as well as less drop and wind drift. While most of the time this would mean the 27 Nosler is better than the 7mm PRC, the difference is only about 40 foot pounds of energy or 5 inches of drop at 500 yards. So it is unlikely to make a difference.
Recoil is again an area where these two rounds are similar in performance. They both have around 25 foot pounds of recoil and 13-14 FPS in recoil velocity.
Cost and availability are the two areas these rounds start to separate. The 7mm PRC is less expensive to shoot and easier to find. The 27 Nosler, however, is extremely expensive to shoot and is rather difficult to find.
The choice between these rounds really comes down to one thing: Cost and availability. And in this regard, the 7mm PRC is the better round, so that means it is the better cartridge.
Conclusion
These two rounds are very similar in performance and shootabilty. However, they differ in their cost to shoot and how easy they are to find. So while you will get the same ballistics, and the same recoil, if you want to ensure you will be able to find ammo, go with the 7mm PRC.