7 FCP Cartridge

7 FCP Cartridge

The 7 FCP was a cartridge designed from the ground up by FclassProducts.com out of Phoenix, Arizona in the fall of 2022, solely for the use of what we believe is the ultimate cartridge for the discipline of F Class competition shooting. We wanted a cartridge that we could achieve an efficient case capacity of that of the 7 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum. The 7 RSAUM has proven to be the most winning cartridge in world f class competitions and many nationals and finale events. The problem with the RSAUM is brass availability. Remington stopped making brass for the RSAUM years and years ago and recently Norma has also stopped producing brass for it. The only option now is ADG. While the ADG brand of brass is good, it is quite expensive and also is only run in short runs and is hardly ever available. The 7 FCP was designed to shoot the 180 grain Berger Hybrid bullet at 2960 FPS out of a 30” barrel without excessive pressure. The 284 Win, and all of its variants can achieve this but it produces extremely high pressures and the brass life and accuracy are greatly diminished.

Join our Facebook Group 7 FCP Development by Accuracy for more load development and information about the 7 FCP Cartridge : FCP Facebook Group

7 FCP Cartridge FAQ

DISCLAIMER: This data is data that has been accumulated from many different rifles, powders, powder lots, primers, cases and bullets. It is of the reloaders discretion to assure that their rifle is in good condition and can withstand the pressures that the 7 FCP was designed for (60,000 PSI+). The action that the barrel is mounted to needs to be of correct headspace and chambered by a competent gunsmith to the correct dimensions and headspace required. All loads shall be worked up from starting from the MINIMUM charge. The barrel needs to be at least 1.200” diameter for the length of the chamber, and no less than .600 at the muzzle. The reloader assumes all risk involved in the reloading of the 7 FCP and this data is to be ONLY a guideline and not to be used as a sole data source for all barrels and rifles. Many barrels made by manufactures can have small groove diameters and or small bore diameters to where the pressure can be severely high and cause bodily injury, you must have your barrel checked by a competent gunsmith to ensure it is safe to shoot. You must use all practical care when reloading, please use this document for rough data and you must apply all of your own prior reloading skills and experience to not have a unsafe load.

What is the parent case?

The parent case of the 7 FCP is a 6.5 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a magnum case that has a head diameter of .532 and has a overall length of 2.020”. It is the same overall length as the 7 RSAUM but with a smaller diameter body, hence without improving it, you will get not get the case capacity of a 7 RSAUM case, and therefore you will not get the velocities that the 7 RSAUM produces either.

What is the case capacity and how does it compare to similar cases?

Here is a rough breakdown of cases commonly used in F class competition shooting:
284 Winchester = 63 grains of water capacity
284 Shehane = 66.5 grains of water capacity
6.5 PRC = 65 grains of water capacity
7-6.5 PRC = 66.5 grains of water capacity
As you can see by the data above, the 6.5 PRC that is necked up to a 7mm does not give you anymore case capacity than that of a 284 Shehane.

What powders work well with the 7 FCP?

Any powders that work well in a 284, a 284 variant or a 7 Rsaum, and/or variant, can work well in the 7 FCP. We have tested many different powders and many show to work excellent.

This is just a short list of what we believe are the core powders that will burn and work efficiently in the 7 FCP. There are plenty of other powders that also can work, yet they may be temperature sensitive and or not burn efficiently in the case.

What primers work well in the 7 FCP?

This is another topic where many options and combinations can work well. Only LARGE RIFLE primers shall be used, either magnum or standard.

There are other primers that may work well in your testing.

What length barrel works well with the 7 FCP?

For F Class competition shooting we recommend a 30”-32” barrel length. For hunting applications, the longer the better up to 28” to achieve the highest velocity possible.

What twist rates do you recommend?

We recommend a 8.5 twist barrel. An 8 twist can work, yet the accuracy nodes may be narrower than the 8.5 twist. 9 twist can also work if you are planning on shooting a 184 grain bullet or less. These twist rates that are recommended are for lead cored bullets. If you are planning on shooting a solid copper bullet, consult the bullet manufacture for their recommended twist rates for their particular bullet.

What is the MAX overall length the cartridge case can be?

The trim to length is 2.020”. Now, after fireforming, depending on the brand and lot of brass you can have brass longer or shorter than this number. We would recommend not having cases shorter than 1.975, and nothing longer than 2.027. The chambers are 2.035” long for the case, and we recommend .010-.015” shorter than the chamber.

What bullets do you recommend?

We recommend the following bullets for F Class competition:
180 Grain Berger 7mm Hybrid
184 Grain Berger 7mm Hybrid
195 Grain Berger 7mm EOL
166 Grain Hornady A Tip 7mm

190 Grain Hornady A Tip 7mm

Where can I get reamers, and all other needed reloading components to get me started?

We sell all needed components at www.fclassproducts.com. We sell chambering reamers for turn and no turn chambers, headspace sizing gauges, Girard case trimmers case holders, non bushing sizing dies, seating dies for an arbor press or for a 7/8-14 threaded press. We are a one stop shop when it comes to the components needed to get your 7 FCP up and running.

What brand of brass do you recommend?

We have tried Peterson and Lapua brass. We find the Lapua brass is a thicker in the shoulder area and does not seem to wrinkle when sizing compared to Peterson. With that said, Peterson works well also, you just need to be careful when sizing to not use too much sizing lube and go to fast where you end up hydro-locking the case in the die and denting the shoulders. If they do get dented, it is not a big deal as they will straighten out in firing of your rifle, as long as they are not too dented.

Is the 7 FCP accurate to use in a competition while fireforming from expanded 6.5 PRC brass up to the 7mm, or should it be fireformed first?

It can be related to the 6BR to a 6 Dasher as far as accuracy while fireforming. Yes, it can be accurate but it may not be as accurate as once it is fireformed. Use a minimum load and you can see it can be accurate while fireforming.

What velocities do you see for accurate loads with the bullets you recommend?

The 180 grain Berger bullet we see accuracy from 2920-2980 FPS for a muzzle velocity.

The 190 Grain Hornady A Tip bullet we see accuracy from 2860-2900 FPS. 

Should I fireform before or after turning?

In a perfect world and what we do here is to have a fireform barrel and a competition barrel. The fireform barrel will be for a no turn chamber and will have a .320” diameter neck. After fireforming we would recommend turning in the necks in the IDOD or the AUTODOD case lathe for best results. We also sell a water cooled fireform machine that can be used.

If I run a turn neck chamber, what thickness of necks do you recommend for the turn neck chamber?

Our turn neck chamber is a .313” diameter. With this we recommend a .012”-.0125” neck wall thickness.
The no turn chamber is a .320” diameter and will yield roughly .005” loaded round clearance on a Lapua neck when expanded from 6.5 PRC Lapua Brass.