Federal Introduces the 7mm Backcountry Cartridge: First Look

"In developing 7mm Backcountry, Federal’s team of engineers set out to design a cartridge that answers a market need that seemed unsolvable—magnum velocity out of shorter barrels without increasing recoil. They did, but in the process they produced true innovation, creating a new way to make rifle ammunition faster, flatter shooting and more powerful." -Federal Premium

Suppressor Craze Acknowledged

Federal has observed market trends shifting towards shorter-length barrels with suppressor use and has engineered a new cartridge that achieves magnum performance in a non-magnum round. The ballistic advantages that can be seen are shorter, lighter-weight rifles that achieve high velocities without substantial recoil increase and due to the dimensions of the case, you can still fit an extra round in the magazine of most platforms. But how did they accomplish this?

Peak Alloy Case Design

The secret lies within their Patented Peak Alloy case technology that uses a proprietary steel alloy that incorporates other unique elements. This permitted Federal to safely increase pressure limits far beyond the thresholds of brass and in the process, leave nothing on the metaphoric "table" with regards to velocity and energy from untapped reservoirs and case columns.

Initial Bullet Offerings and Industry Buy-In

Of course, no cartridge design is independently superior than the projectiles produced from their chain reactions. Federal recognized this and, living up to its name of Federal Premium, will offer initial loadings with their own Terminal Ascent and Fusion line of bullets, as well as Barnes LRX and Berger Elite Hunter. They also were able to engage numerous gun companies during the development of this cartridge and will have a nice complement of manufacturers that will eventually chamber for it. To find out more, visit federalpremium.com.

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