Gun Digest
 

Gun Review: Gunwerks RevX Long-Range Rifle

Gunwerks’ RevX in 7mm Rem. Mag. proves that it’s fully capable of delivering 1,000-yard performance out of the box.

One thousand yards out of the box. That’s the Gunwerks promise, which has intrigued me for years but has until now gone untested, at least by me. Given all the variables in bullet loads, triggers and barrel construction, to name just a few factors that greatly alter the long-range equation, I’ve always been skeptical of yardage or accuracy claims from manufacturers. Can any rifle maker honestly live up to that hype — not in a hyper-controlled range environment, but in real-world hunting scenarios?

To put the Gunwerks claim to the test, I took its newest rifle, the RevX in 7mm Rem. Mag., on a three-day backcountry excursion in the rugged wilderness of Idaho in search of spring black bear. The country is unforgivingly steep, with rock faces and slopes that replicate sheep and goat terrain. It’s in this type of country the long-range rifle becomes absolutely essential — a bear spotted across a canyon might be 700 or 800 yards and a makeable shot with the right setup, but in order to close the distance to 300 yards with a standard rifle, a hunter would have to hike down and back up the other side, which could take hours.

What makes the Gunwerks platform so extraordinary is that the company has literally built an entire package to eliminate as many variables as possible and give the shooter the best odds at conquering their go-long dreams. The RevX shipped to me with a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x scope already installed and sighted in, paired with a custom G7 turret that matches yardage with a G7 BR-2 rangefinder, also included.

The folks at Gunwerks had already test fired the gun with custom loads they’d developed for the 7mm, which featured a 168-grain Berger VLD (Very Low Drag, BTHP) projectile. The VLD is an accomplished long-range bullet, with scores of fans in the long-range hunting community to testify to its greatness. As the name implies, it shoots flat and retains impressive velocities out to extended range. According to Gunwerks, the VLD they’ve loaded leaves the muzzle at 3,010 fps and has about 220 inches of drop at 1,000 yards.

After sending the rifle my way, Gunwerks’ marketing director, Landon Michaels, assured me the rifle was grouping reasonably well. Looking for hard data to verify his claim, I headed out to the range, hung targets and set up my Caldwell BR Pivot shooting bench at 100 yards for accuracy testing. I’d forgotten my Lead Sled, so I was relegated to using a pair of sandbags and a hoodie to brace the buttstock.

The TriggerTech trigger, the first thing I noticed, is an absolute dream, with an incredibly clean, crisp break that’s right around 2 pounds. The fiberglass stock, which features a flat forend for optimal setup on bags or in the prone position off a backpack, is as well weighted as any I’ve shot.

I squeezed off three rounds, rested and then repeated two more times to collect data from three different three-shot groups. As I shot, the groups just kept tightening up.

The first group came in at .6 inch and the second at .5 inch. As I settled into my comfort zone with the rifle, I fired the last three shots. That was the group that made me a believer — three shots in one tiny little hole, .301 inch on the digital caliper. Without question one of the best groups I’ve ever shot through any rifle.

Next, I wanted to test the range-and-shoot capabilities of the G7 BR-2 rangefinder, which Gunwerks has conveniently matched with yardage markers on the G7 custom turret out to 1,000 yards. The other great feature on the G7 is that it’ll give you MOA windage estimates at whatever distance you’re ranging, with 5 mph increments that you can select from. I set up a steel target and, with only a backpack for a rest, ranged the target at 617 yards; I then set up in the prone position from a distant hillside.

Dialing my G7 turret to 620 yards, I held just below center of target and squeezed off a round. Concussion, followed by the unmistakable wallop of bullet hitting steel. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t an ear-to-ear grin plastered across my face, the kind you’d get that first time you mash the pedal and feel the raw horsepower of a performance engine. This long-range game is addictive to say the least.

Built for Distance
The anatomy of a high-performance long-range rifle is actually pretty simple to figure out, though never easy to deliver on. It starts with a quality barrel and trigger and ends with a precisely crafted and properly bedded stock, not to mention an impressive piece of glass.

At the heart of the Gunwerks RevX is a standard sporter contour Shilen barrel (with other contour options available), among the finest in the industry. The rifle features aluminum bedding blocks and a fiberglass, lightweight stock that is perfect for the all-day carry of places like Idaho’s wilderness. The hand-painted stock features a front-mounted Picatinny rail for bipods and a sling swivel point. The rifle comes with a slender yet sturdy Gunwerks sling, rubberized and textured on one side, which attaches at either side of the buttstock via push button sling swivel mounts.

As I said earlier, the rifle balances beautifully, making prone or freehand shots incredibly stable. The TriggerTech trigger is, as stated, remarkable, and the Nightforce NSX offers tremendous magnification and clarity, something that’s absolutely essential when shooting at 1,000 yards and dealing with thermals, sun glare and varying light conditions. You don’t have to go with the Nightforce scope, however, and Gunwerks will zero whichever scope you prefer, but I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with Nightforce’s performance and build quality.

The one-piece bolt and handle function smoothly and are aesthetically appealing, while a two-position safety rests perfectly at the rear of the action, allowing you to right thumb it without changing your grip position. Speaking of grip, the vertical contour of the stock is the equivalent of a shooter’s La-Z-Boy, helping you to keep a stable yet comfortable grip for optimal trigger press.

Parting Shots
Although I personally didn’t have any black bear success in Idaho — tough bears to come by in even tougher country — I came away absolutely enamored with Gunwerks and its rifle builds. Looking for some action at the end of the hunt, my friend David worked the spotter’s role for me, ranging a large white rock at 850 yards with the G7 rangefinder. A quick turn of the turret and one shot, direct hit. An absolute shooting aficionado and lifelong skeptic, even David was impressed.

“So where can I get one of these rifles?” he asked, grinning.

The RevX is a dealer exclusive rifle, offered through Cabela’s, Scheels and EuroOptic.com, and as such represents a lower price point rifle than the company has previously produced. While the rifle I shot was chambered in 7mm Rem. Mag., the RevX is also available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win. Mag. and .300 Rem. Ultra Mag. It’s not exactly cheap, starting at $4,000 (without scope), but it is much cheaper than other Gunwerks models, which start at roughly $10,000. And worth every penny, I might add.

If I was going to get into the long-range hunting world and didn’t have endless hours to tinker with loads and gear, the RevX would be my go-to option. It is quite simply one of the most impressive rifles I’ve ever shot, and that includes many custom-type builds. Phenomenal accuracy, top-of-the-line trigger and barrel, and the genius of a completely configured system — all of this forces me to give it an A+. For open country that demands long shots, there’s no other way I’d rather go. Let the revolution begin!

Specifications:

Gunwerks RevX Rifle
Type: Bolt-Action
Caliber: 7mm Rem. Mag.
Action: RevX GRB, Wyatt Length
Bolt: One-piece bolt & handle, field strippable
Stock: Natural hold, vertical grip; aluminum bedding blocks; ultra-lightweight fiberglass
Barrel: Shilen hand-lapped, match-grade
Scope: Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x, custom G7 turret
Rangefinder: G7 BR-2
Trigger: Trigger Tech
Case: Custom cut hard case
Manufacturer: Gunwerks; dealer exclusive at Cabelas, Scheels & EuroOptic.com

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the June 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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