One of America’s most popular affordable hunting rifles is now chambered for the new hard-hitting, flat-shooting 7mm PRC.
Any excuse to go hunting is a good excuse, in my book, so I jumped at a recent opportunity to harvest a management axis buck with MTR Outfitters near my home in Texas. Axis deer are excellent table fare, and I wanted another one in the freezer. I also wanted to test the 7mm PRC, the latest modern cartridge design from the ever-inventive minds at Hornady, in one of America’s most popular affordable hunting rifles, the Ruger American rifle. The Ruger American has been around for a while, but it is newly chambered for the 7mm PRC.
Tried And True
Things didn’t look too promising, at first. A small band of axis deer had already busted me once and scattered when I tried to sneak into position near a stock pond bordered by a patch of woods that the axis liked to hang out in. I settled in behind a screen of brush and waited, figuring the axis would eventually return. They did, and I promptly shot a nice, fat 200-pound management buck at 80 yards using Hornady’s Precision Hunter 175-gr. ELD-X 7mm PRC load.
That wasn’t exactly a test of the long-range capabilities of the cartridge or rifle, but it was a good test of the round’s terminal effects. They were, in a word, impressive. At the shot, the buck leaped into the air, ran 15 yards, and keeled over. I’ve seldom had a complete pass-through with an ELD-X bullet in less-potent chamberings, but I did this time. That’s not surprising when you consider the momentum of a 175-grain, high-sectional density bullet traveling nearly 3,000 feet per second.
About the 7mm PRC
The 7mm PRC made quite a splash when it was introduced in 2022, with some calling it the “modern magnum” of 7mm cartridges. That’s because it embodies the same modern cartridge design principles used in rounds like the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and 300 PRC. In some ways, it outshines all of these and delivers more efficient performance than the venerable 7mm Rem. Mag. It does so from a standard-length action without using a belted case and without beating you to death with recoil.
Based on a shortened 375 Ruger parent case, the 7mm PRC uses long, heavy caliber bullets in rifles with fast rates of twist (most often 1:8). As a result, it shoots flat, bucks the wind, retains velocity downrange and is inherently accurate. Using the 175-gr. ELD-X bullet, the round stays supersonic past 1,800 yards, and energy doesn’t drop below 1,000 foot-pounds until nearly 1,200 yards. It wouldn’t be the best first choice for the whitetail woods, although it would certainly get the job done. What it is, is a great choice for Western hunters pursuing mule deer and elk in wide open spaces. It is also very much at home on African plains game.
Go Wild With Ammo Options
As of this writing, Hornady offers three loads in 7mm PRC: the 160-gr. CX Outfitter load, the 175-gr. ELD-X load and the 180-gr. ELD Match load. Federal is also loading for 7mm PRC with a 155-gr. Terminal Ascent load and a 175-gr. ELD-X load. In the Weatherby Select Plus ammo line, there are two new 7mm PRC loads using the 150-gr. Swift Scirocco and 177-gr. Hammer Custom bullets. Remington also loads the cartridge with a 175-gr. Speer Impact bullet.
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Ruger American Goes Wild
The version of the rifle sent to me for testing, the Ruger American Go Wild rifle, is an attractive gun offered at an attractive price. The rifle has an MSRP of just $789.00, and that buys you a rifle with features that surpass many guns in this price category. For starters, the synthetic stock wears a Go Wild Camo I-M Brush finish and has a soft rubber recoil pad that does a good job of mitigating recoil. The stock has clean, classic lines with a touch of modern ergonomic styling. The forend has molded-in contours for the fingers and stippling in the right places to enhance grip in wet conditions.
An evenly applied burnt bronze Cerakote finish protects the barrel and stock and nicely complements the camo pattern of the stock. Aesthetically, the rifle conveys the appearance of much more expensive guns.
Optimized for 7mm PRC
Ruger got it right in chambering the American Go Wild rifle for 7mm PRC.
The rifle has a cold hammer-forged, 24-inch barrel, which is an optimal length for the 7mm PRC cartridge. The barrel has five-groove, right-hand rifling with a 1:8 rate of twist to better stabilize the relatively heavy 7mm PRC bullets. Ruger threaded the muzzle (5/8×24), and equipped it with an effective radial muzzle brake. Notably, this barrel did not, in testing, accumulate copper build-up very quickly. The barrel length and rate of twist vary by chambering.
Smooth-Cycling Action
The action of this Ruger American Go Wild rifle merits special mention, as I found bolt cycling to be considerably improved compared to the first-production Ruger American rifles I tested. The action uses a one-piece, full-diameter, three-lug bolt with a standard plunger ejector and extractor. The bolt handle has a 70-degree throw, which translates into a lot of room for mounting scopes. The action uses dual cocking cams, which can sometimes take a bit of force to operate, but the level of resistance on the initial bolt lift with the test gun was certainly acceptable. I found I could easily cycle the bolt with the rifle-shouldered.
The barreled action mates to the stock via a patented integral Power Bedding block system that solidly secures the receiver and free-floats the barrel. Atop the action of the Go Wild rifle, Ruger has thoughtfully installed a Picatinny rail that makes mounting scopes a breeze with the proper rings. A visible cocking indicator protrudes from the rear bolt shroud, confirming at a glance that the rifle is in a ready-to-fire state. At the top rear of the action, you will find a two-position, tang-mounted safety. It engages and disengages with authority and an audible click. When in the engaged position, it does not lock the bolt down.
User-Adjustable Trigger
There’s another safety feature in the Savage-like trigger, which has a blade that must be fully depressed before the rifle can fire. All Ruger American rifles use Ruger’s Marksman adjustable trigger, with a pull weight that is adjustable with a range of 3-5 pounds. Unlike triggers on some economy-priced rifles, I found the Ruger’s trigger to be pretty decent.
It broke crisply at an average pull weight of 4 pounds. That’s a bit heavier than I prefer for a hunting rifle, but the trigger broke so cleanly that I decided to leave it at that setting for testing. As you will see, it did not impede the rifle from turning in tight groups at the range.
Detachable Magazine
The first Ruger American rifles I tested came with flush-fitting rotary magazines. That’s not the case with American Go Wild rifle chambered for 7mm PRC.
Our test rifle came equipped with a detachable, single-stack polymer magazine that protrudes a bit from the bottom of the stock. The magazine feeds rounds directly in line with the bore, and it functioned flawlessly for me at the range and in the field. The magazine is inserted easily into the stock, and dropped freely into the hand when the magazine release lever is pressed. Capacity is three rounds in the 7mm PRC chambering.
Range Results
Ruger American rifles have earned a reputation for being quite accurate out of the box. I used to own a Ruger American Go Wild rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor that consistently shot tiny groups at the range. It lived happily in my gun safe until my son kept hinting that it would make a fine birthday present.
For testing the new rifle, I mounted a Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15 x 42 scope on the gun to see if it could match the accuracy of my old one. I only had one load to test – Hornady’s Precision Hunter 175-gr. ELD-X round. I had high expectations, given this load’s .310 sectional density and .689 G1 ballistic coefficient.
I was not disappointed. Measured velocity was just a few fps shy of the round’s advertised 3,000 fps muzzle velocity, and accuracy was stellar for a hunting load. The rifle produced average groups measuring 0.67 inches and a half-inch best group.
Final Thoughts On the Ruger American Go Wild Rifle
Functionally, the Ruger American Go Wild rifle delivered a drama-free performance. It fed, fired, and ejected cartridges with zero issues. If you’re looking for an attractive, reliable, accurate, and affordable rifle chambered in 7mm PRC, the Ruger is worth serious consideration. This version of the rifle costs a little less than $200 above the price of the standard Ruger American. If you can shell out a few extra bucks, the Go Wild version gives you a lot more for your money than many comparably priced rifles.
Specifications: Ruger American Go Wild Rifle 7mm PRC
Action: Push-feed bolt action
Magazine: Single-stack detachable
Capacity: 3+1
Barrel: 24 in.
Finish: Burnt Bronze Cerakote
Rate of twist: 1:8 RH
Stock: Synthetic Go Wild Camo
Trigger: Marksman adjustable
Weight: 7.1 lb.
Length: 44 in.
MSRP: $789
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