When it comes to long-range shooting, hunters, and shooters are always in search of the best performing cartridge that can help them achieve their desired results. Two cartridges that have gained significant attention in the shooting community are the 7mm PRC and the 28 Nosler. Both cartridges have been developed for long-range hunting and shooting and have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we’ll compare the 7mm PRC to the 28 Nosler and help you understand which cartridge is best suited for your specific shooting needs.
Here is the short answer:
The 7mm PRC has slightly less recoil, better energy retention, and can be used in short-action rifles, which makes it a better choice for shooters who want a compact and lightweight rifle. The 28 Nosler has a higher velocity, less drop, less wind drift, and is slightly easier to find.
With the short answer out of the way, we can look more in-depth at each cartridge such as their best uses, their ballistics, and how they compare in-depth.
In-depth Look at the 7mm PRC
The 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) was introduced by Hornady in 2023 and is designed for long-range hunting and shooting. this cartridge is designed to be used in a short action rifle which helps save weight and overall size of the rifle. The cartridge is based on the 300 PRC case, shortened, and necked down to a 7mm bullet.
The 7mm PRC has several advantages over other cartridges in its class. It has a relatively low recoil and muzzle blast, which makes it easy to shoot and more comfortable to use for extended periods. The cartridge also has a flatter trajectory than other cartridges in its class, making it easier to shoot accurately at longer ranges. Additionally, the 7mm PRC has a good selection of factory ammunition and is becoming more widely available in hunting and shooting rifles.
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 28 Nosler
The 28 Nosler was introduced by Nosler in 2015 and is designed for long-range hunting and shooting. This cartridge is based on the .404 Jeffery case but necked down to .284 caliber and has a case capacity of 100 grains of water and can push a 175-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 3,125 fps.
The 28 Nosler since its release has been a popular round for hunting big game animals like moose and elk. However, the 28 Nosler down has the downside of being a heavier recoiling cartridge which can make it intimidating and can take a long time to master. Another issue with this round is that the barrel can burn out fairly quickly making it a not-so-ideal choice for those who shoot a lot.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 28 Nosler with a 155-grain terminal assent bullet:
| Range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 3200 | 3524 |
| 50 | -0.3 | 0.1 | 3114 | 3337 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.5 | 3029 | 3158 |
| 150 | -0.6 | 1 | 2947 | 2988 |
| 200 | -2.3 | 1.8 | 2865 | 2826 |
| 250 | -5 | 2.9 | 2786 | 2671 |
| 300 | -8.8 | 4.3 | 2707 | 2523 |
| 350 | -13.9 | 6 | 2630 | 2381 |
| 400 | -20.1 | 7.9 | 2555 | 2246 |
| 450 | -27.7 | 10.2 | 2481 | 2117 |
| 500 | -36.6 | 12.6 | 2407 | 1994 |
In-depth Comparison
When comparing the 7mm PRC to the 28 Nosler, there are several factors to consider.
When comparing the ballistics of these two rounds ballistics, the 7mm PRC has better long-range performance and can hold its energy better than the 28 Nosler. However, The 7mm PRC has more drop than the 28 Nosler and can not hold its velocity quite as well as the 28 Nosler.
When it comes to cost and availability, the 28 Nosler does beat the 7mm PRC, but not by much. The 7mm PRC has a very fast growing audience and is becoming more and more available. However, the 28 Nosler has been around longer so it does have that advantage. When it comes to cost per round, the 7mm PRC costs less than the 28 Nosler, about 2.85-3 dollars a round for the PRC while it’s 3-5 dollars a round for the Nosler.
Recoil-wise, these cartridges are nearly identical. The 28 Nosler has about 27-foot pounds of recoil compared to the 25-foot pounds of recoil that the 7mm PRC has.
The last thing to consider, and both of these rounds suffer from it, is barrel burnout. Both these rounds only take about 500-700 rounds before the barrels will start to see some wear. This is fine for the hunter who only shoots a dozen times a year, but for a long range shooter, this could be a costly issue.