For hunters and long-range shooters, choosing the right cartridge can make all the difference in the world. Two popular cartridges in the 7mm category are the 7mm PRC and the 7mm WSM. While both offer excellent performance, there are some key differences between the two. In this article, we will take a closer look at the 7mm PRC and the 7mm WSM to help you make an informed decision on which one is right for you.
Here is the short answer:
The 7mm PRC has a slight advantage when it comes to long-range shooting. It offers higher muzzle velocity, flatter trajectory, and more energy at long distances. However, the 7mm WSM is more widely available and can be used in a wider variety of rifles.
Now that we have looked at the short answer, we can look in depth at the best uses of each cartridge, their ballistics, and how they compare.
In-Depth Look at the 7mm PRC
The 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) is a brand-new cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2023. It is based on the 300 PRC, necked down to accept a 7mm bullet, and shortened slightly. The cartridge has a relatively short overall length of 2.280 inches, allowing it to fit in short-action rifles which saves weight and overall length of the rifle.
The 7mm PRC is made to be used for big game hunting where a lightweight rifle is paramount. This round has ballistics better than that of the more popular and older 7mm Rem Mag, while still having less recoil and in a rifle that weighs less.
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 7mm WSM
The 7mm WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) was introduced in 2001 by Winchester. It is another cartridge in Winchester’s short magnum line up and is based on a shortened version of the 300 WSM case, necked down to accept a 7mm bullet. The cartridge has a short overall length of 2.1 inches, which allows it to fit in short-action rifles.
The 7mm WSM is a cartridge that is ideal for hunting big game at medium range. The 7mm WSM has been used to take game as big as moose to game as small as pronghorn. The downside to the 7mm WSM is that it does not have good energy retention at long range like many other cartridges in its class.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 7mm WSM with a 150-grain jacketed soft point bullet:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 3100 | 3200 |
| 50 | -0.3 | 0.2 | 2963 | 2925 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.8 | 2831 | 2669 |
| 150 | -0.8 | 1.8 | 2703 | 2433 |
| 200 | -2.9 | 3.3 | 2578 | 2213 |
| 250 | -6.2 | 5.3 | 2457 | 2010 |
| 300 | -10.9 | 7.7 | 2338 | 1821 |
| 350 | -17.3 | 10.8 | 2224 | 1647 |
| 400 | -25.5 | 14.5 | 2112 | 1486 |
| 450 | -35.5 | 18.8 | 2003 | 1337 |
| 500 | -47.6 | 23.7 | 1898 | 1199 |
In-Depth Comparison
Ballistically, the 7mm PRC outperforms the 7mm WSM. It has more energy, more velocity, less drop, and less wind drift. This means it is better for hunting and long range shooting. The ballistic superiority of the 7mm PRC is due to its higher BC bullets which helps greatly with energy retention.
When it comes to cost, the 7mm WSM costs about 20-30 cents more per round than the 7mm PRC. However, the 7mm PRC does face barrel burnout faster than the 7mm WSM by roughly 3-500 fewer rounds, this is not an issue for the hunter who shoots 20 shots a year but for a long range shooter than this could be costly.
As far as availability goes, both these rounds are fairly equal. The 7mm WSM has been around longer, but the 7mm PRC is a round that is very quickly gaining in popularity among hunters and target shooters.
The last big thing to consider is recoil. The recoil difference between these two rounds is not very large, 3-5 foot-pounds. The 7mm WSm has about 22 foot pounds of recoil and the 7mm PRC has 25-27 foot pounds of recoil so both these rounds are no slouch for recoil and are better for experienced shooters and would be harder to handle for smaller framed shooters.
Overall, the 7mm PRC is the better cartridge. While the 7mm PRC does have more recoil and would be more prone to barrel burnout, the 7mm PRC has better ballistics, costs less to shoot per round, and is growing at a fast rate than the 7mm WSM which outweighs the downsides of this round.