Ballistic Magazine April-May 2023 Issue: The Power of 7!

Are you feeling lucky? Number seven has a lucky vibe. Smarter folks than me have studied the phenomenon that “7” is the world’s favorite number—Duck Duck Go it if you don’t believe me. Why the hell is that? Well, it ain’t because seven ate nine. Mathematician and writer Alex Boros conducted an online “what’s your favorite number” poll with 44,000 respondents, and yup, numero seven took top honors by a long shot. Ballistic Magazine April-May 2023 is going all in on the power of 7!

Ballistic Magazine April-May 2023: Lucky as a 7!

Digging deeper, Boros concluded that lucky seven is a rebel of sorts because, “Seven is the only number among those we can count on our hands (one to 10) that cannot be divided or multiplied within the group…One, two, three, four and five can each be doubled to reach two, four, six, eight and 10. Nine is divisible by three. Seven, then, is the only number between two and 10 that is neither a multiple nor a factor of the others. In this way, ‘lucky number seven’ stands alone—it’s unique, a loner, the outsider. And humans interpret this arithmetical property in cultural ways.”

Hornady 7mm PRC—Greatest and Luckiest Cartridge Of All-Time?

Well, if one seven is lucky and preferred, how about triple sevens? Besides casino slots “777” jackpots, the number 777 plays significant roles in both religious and political contexts (again, Duck Duck Go it).

So, where’s this going? Ah, my lucky seven, as in the Winchester Model 70 chambered in 7mm Rem. Mag. that was gifted to me by my parents upon graduating from college. According to Pops, “You can use this rifle to take every big-game animal on the continent, as long as your aim is true and your projectile is right for the task. And it’s as fast and as flat-shooting as they come!”

Pops was no ballistician, but he sure was right about that Model 70. I don’t want to jinx myself, but that rifle never failed me once on a big game hunt over the last 32 years. That said, I’m guilty of failing the rifle a time or two.

Hornady’s Newest 7mm Masterpiecde

Enter a new favorite 7mm. Hornady’s 7mm PRC is today’s absolute leader of the pack when it comes to pulling double duty for hunting and long-range target shooting. Our team’s first shooting experience with the new cartridge was at our 2022 editorial Rendezvous event where we smashed 1,000-yard targets using Mossberg’s new Patriot LR Tactical. Our “Ballistic Precision” guru Sean Utley then took to the western big-game fields to be the first to topple five game animals with a 7mm PRC-chambered Falkor beast. Check out his full report starting on page 26.

The new Hornady 7mm PRC pushes the performance envelope.

Let’s roll another seven into the mix with Hornady’s cover partner—S&W’s new M&P pistol in 5.7x28mm. In recent years, the 5.7 has gained a lot of traction, and with this new 22+1 capacity beast, all we need now is for ammo companies to step up to meet demand.

As luck would have it, there’s a ton more content in the pages ahead (27 stories to be exact!) including AO Rendezvous and SHOT Show 2023 new guns and gear coverage along with a mess of companion digital goods at ballisticmag.com and skillsetmag.com. So, grab yourself a six-pack plus one (you’ll need it, especially when you get to the Skillset section). The Skillset section is headlined by American Sheriff Mark Lamb. You won’t want to miss that story plus features like “Insider Info,” “5 Skillsets To Master,” “World’s Whackiest Taxidermy” and much more. —Nino Bosaz