Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Savage Arms teamed up with Proof Research to utilize a high-performance carbon fiber-wrapped barrel on its 110 UltraLite series rifles. Ounces make pounds when hunting the mountains, and the UltraLite 7mm PRC lightens that load while packing a punch with the new Hornady cartridge.
The 7mm PRC is the latest of the nine calibers in the Savage Arms 110 UltraLite line. The new Hornady cartridge utilizes high ballistic coefficient “heavy for caliber” bullets. These projectiles matched with speeds approaching 3000 fps result in less wind drift and greater downrange performance.
Table of contents
The UltraLite 7mm PRC takes advantage of the lightweight design and high-performance round resulting in a fantastic rifle for hunting the mountains or plains.
As a result of all the weight-saving design features the Savage Arms UltraLite 7mm PRC weighs in at 6 lbs. 4oz. with the EGW scope base installed. However, the carbon fiber barrel isn’t the only weight savings on the UltraLite rifles.
The factory blue-printed 110 action was put through a serious weight reduction program.
Very deep fluting of the bolt and machining of the stainless steel action on several surfaces reduces weight and maintains balance on the rifle. A matte black melonite finish on the receiver protects it from the elements and eliminates glare.
The 22-inch, 1 in 8 twist Proof Research barrel is stainless steel wrapped with carbon fiber to add rigidity, increasing accuracy. The muzzle is threaded 5/8 x 24 to support the installation of a suppressor or a muzzle brake. I’ve owned several Proof Research carbon fiber barrels over the years and in addition to cutting weight, they have all been very accurate.
Ultralite Scope
I needed a scope base to get the rifle up and running for testing so I contacted the folks at EGW Guns (EGW). I’ve been using EGW parts for decades and they have always provided top-tier parts and service. The 20 MOA scope base I received fit perfectly and came with screws and the proper driver making installation a snap.
Wanting to keep the rifle fairly light but also ensure I had enough scope for the cartridge I mounted my Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18x scope atop the I 7mm PRC. The Mark 5 is a proven performer for me, I’ve harvested game in Africa and shot long-range precision matches with it.
Surprisingly, even with the 34mm main body tube and 44mm objective, the Mark 5 HD is lighter than several of my similar magnification scopes. All that light-gathering openness inside just doesn’t weigh that much I guess.
Trigger
Since the trigger is the interface between the shooter and shooting the critical shot; a great rifle needs a great trigger. Consequently, the UltraLite 7mm PRC came with a Savage AccuTrigger. The AccuTrigger is user-adjustable between 1.5 and 4 lbs. Though, the test rifle needed no adjustments since its trigger broke at 1 lb. 10 oz. on my trigger gauge, it was awesome.
On the range, it wasn’t a matter of worrying about pulling the rifle off target due to the trigger weight. It was more an exercise in placing the finger on the trigger, then ensuring the rifle was exactly where you wanted it before you applied pressure, and always getting a clean breaking shot.
Easy To Customize
Everyone knows the importance of stock fit on shotguns since the shooter’s eye acts as the rear sight. But with rifles, for decades shooters have just adapted to ensure they could see through the scope. Savage’s AccuFit stock allows the shooter to customize the length of pull and the comb height resulting in a natural, repeatable head position.
Another advantage of the AccuFit stock is that it achieves that perfect fit with little to no additional weight added to the stock. The AccuFit kit is a complete package with four additional comb heights and three stock spacers. Savage thought of everything and even includes the screws needed for the additional stock spacers.
High Performance
Hornady’s 7mm PRC is both a high-performance hunting and match cartridge. The 7mm PRC isn’t just a necked-up 6.5 PRC or a necked-down 300 PRC; the case was designed specifically for the 7mm projectile. The non-belted case headspaces off the shoulder increasing accuracy and the neck is designed to hold the heavy high BC bullets without taking up valuable powder space.
Though they aren’t head-to-head competitors, since it’s well known let’s compare the drop and drift of the venerable 30-06 to the 7mm PRC. We’ll bring the 30-06 up to the modern age and compare the Hornady 178 ELD-X bullet rather than older lower BC options.
At a distance of 400 yards, the comparable 30-06 has 28 inches of drop and 10.3 inches of wind drift for a 10 mph crosswind. For the same conditions, the 7mm PRC drops 22.1 inches and only drifts 7.2 inches, 30% less wind drift. In higher winds or at longer distances the efficiencies add up.
Many cartridges perform even better in the wind but it’s all about balance and compromise. The 7mm PRC does a great job without getting too extreme on recoil and bullet weight.
Ultralite 7mm PRC SPECS
Action- Stainless Steel 110 Long Action
Action Finish- Matte Black Melonite
Caliber- 7mm PRC (8 other cartridges available)
Barrel- 22 inch Proof Research Carbon Fiber/ threaded muzzle
Barrel Twist- 1 in 8
Magazine- Detachable Box
Capacity- 2+1
Length- 42 ¾ inches
Weight- 6 ¼ lbs. (with scope base)
Trigger- 1 lb 10 oz AccuTrigger
Stock- Grey Polymer Savage AccuFit
MSRP- $1709
Performance
Range time with the UltraLite 7mm PRC was both fun and challenging. It functioned flawlessly and the sub-2 pound trigger was an absolute joy to shoot. Very light rifles are always a bit tougher to get to sit on the target when you are trying to shoot groups.
Heavier guns just sit in the bags and don’t want to move, lightweight rifles tend to float around more making it harder to demonstrate their true accuracy potential. I shot the UltraLite 7mm PRC off of both a bipod and from shooting bags to see what the combo was capable of.
Sub-moa was the order of the day, 100-yard groups were all 1 inch and less so I quickly jumped out to 300 yards. Even at 300 yards the UltraLite 7mm PRC kept hammering out groups under 3 inches.
The recoil of the lightweight 7mm PRC wasn’t even notable in the first few groups. Getting deep into the second box of ammunition I was starting to notice. It was still shooting so well I didn’t want to stop.
Ultralite Accuracy
The best group of the day at 300 yards was just over an inch with the Hornady 180-grain ELD-M (Match), which I shot early in the session. The more likely hunting ammunition; the expanding Precision Hunter 175 grain ELD-X’s delivered several groups in the 1.5 – 2.5 inch range like those above.
Extrapolating this out to longer distances means the rifle should be capable of sub-6-inch groups at 600 yards, much better than needed for most hunting distances and scenarios.
After having great results shooting groups at 100 and 300 yards I decided to do a quick bit of speed work. I fired the 2.45” group on the right firing as quickly as I could load, cycle the bolt, and let the center dot of the reticle settle back in the square. A sub-moa rapid-fire group at 300 yards from a lightweight hunting rifle is fantastic.
Final Thoughts On the Ultralite 7mm PRC
The 110 UltraLite is a great rifle and pairing that with the 7mm PRC makes it an even better choice for hunting the mountains where weight matters. However, when a gun shoots this well and a cartridge fights the wind like the 7mm PRC why limit it to just the mountains?
The test rifle performed fantastically with the proven Savage 110 action, Proof barrel, Hornady ammunition, and Leupold scope; delivering accuracy usually reserved for much heavier rifles. The UltraLite 7mm PRC may retail at $1700, but the street price is between $1389 – $1489.
Since a Proof Research carbon fiber barrel retails for over $900 alone; this makes the rifle a real bargain compared to other lightweight mountain rifles. For more information on the Savage Arms 110 UltraLite 7mm PRC visit their website by clicking Here.
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