So I've had a few range sessions with the Bergara Covid build and I have to say I couldn't be more pleased with the gun as a first precision rifle setup.
Here's the set up so far.
Barbara 6mm Creed HMR Pro.
The ugly as sin corian lookalike stock was painted with Rustoleum after a light sand with 3m pads. Finished with Krylon matte clear coat. Pretty darned durable if done right and you pay attention to prep.
1st range day:
Started with a Athlon Argos BTR off my Ruger RPR .22. First 40 rounds produced average .60” groups with no real effort. .25-.30” when I really settled in and worked it at 100 yards with Hornady match 108Eld and Black 105. Both shot well. The 108Eld slightly edges out the 105BTHP. Getting 2850fps.
Second range day:
Switched to an Arken EP4 4-14 and my average Groups got bigger. It was getting dark and my 50 year old eyes couldnt handle the thin reticle. My 13 year old did ok with it. Still getting easy .75” groups at 100. Velocity up to 2950. Using the 108Eld match.
After this session I made some changes as follows:
Bedded the action and lug to 1/4 inch forward of the lug. Switched to an Athlon Ares BTR Gen2 6-27x50. with APLR5 Reticle. Much better fit for my eyes. Mounted with Vortex Pro rings on an Area 419 rail. Burris level. Rail was bedded to the action with JB Weld. Rings were lapped. I can't say enough about this scope for the money. Provided it holds up it's a keeper. As with guns these days, scopes have come a long way in this price point.
Also Added an Ultradyne Apollo S brake and it's a really soft shooter, recoiling like a .223. Really soft impulse. Not excessively noisy and not much muzzle blast to the shooter.
Still undecided on a bipod between the tried and true Atlas or something like a Warne, so in the meantime I ordered up a UTG Recon 360 since I was curious, and on paper it looked nice and figured I'd throw it on a fun gun later. The UTG bipod which most wouldn't give a second glance turned out to be a tough, well built piece of kit. I may leave it on for the long haul and see how it holds up. it's extremely sturdy, very adjustable, zero wobble, adjusts for cant and pan (which I have mostly locked out) and performs well above its $70 price point. It's mounted with an Area 419 rail section. This bipod surprised the heck out of me. Granted I've yet to put it through it's paces but we'll see. Would be nice it lasts because I'm pushing the budget everywhere in this build. Started as a sub $1000 gun project and I kept doing the ”few hundred more gets me into this”, and ”a few hundred more gets me into that” game. And before you know it you're $1500 over your initial budget.
Rifle weighs in at about 12.5-13 lbs. With all accessories.
3rd range day:
Waited too late to get to the range and shot in low light. Zeroed at 100 with 2 shots. I only put a few groups down and shot .5-.6 without much effort. My son punched a beautiful .25” group to start his evening. Still working on his fundamentals. On 5 shot groups he would print 4 inside 1/3 ” and inevitably pull one randomly and open up to 3/4 or 1”. On the positive side he was able to call each flyer. I think he's going to be a helluva rifleman.
So far based on 3 range sessions with limited time and still feeling the gun out I’d say we got a shooter. I love just about everything about the gun. Great weight. Cheek riser locks tight as a drum. Mag release is easy to access. Aside from the ugly stock that was easily remedied, my only complaint would be the action. The bolt runs smoothly for the most part. But, if you lean hard on it in any direction other than straight forward or straight back it will feel sticky and binding. I have looked it over closely and I really believe it's because the interior of the action including the raceways were Cerakoted along with everything else. I would like to have seen how the bolt ran without the cerakote. I think the B14s might offer a clue. It's a less expensive gun with their standard action and the bolt runs smoother on that gun.
This is a small nitpick and so far I haven't noticed any bind when running the bolt fast while shooting. I'm a jeweler though and I like things slick and precise. I'm sure it will break itself in with use. I may also try and engineer an adjustable butt pad. I'm fine with fixed length of pull but butt height adjustment would be nice.
Next trip ill try some handloads and hopefully the long range will be opened so I can stretch it out a bit. Waiting on neck bushings now.
This gun is proof positive of what's possible with modern manufacturing processes. While the gun isn't cheap by any stretch, I think I would have to drop quite a bit more for diminishing returns and for my purpose I really don't think I need more rifle.
I also think that the B14 HMR would be a bargain version of this gun. That gun with a Athlon Argos Gen2 or Vortex PST or Arken would get you in the game for well under $2grand.
I'll do another final review once I stretch it's legs and see if this accuracy hold at distance.
Here's the set up so far.
Barbara 6mm Creed HMR Pro.
The ugly as sin corian lookalike stock was painted with Rustoleum after a light sand with 3m pads. Finished with Krylon matte clear coat. Pretty darned durable if done right and you pay attention to prep.
1st range day:
Started with a Athlon Argos BTR off my Ruger RPR .22. First 40 rounds produced average .60” groups with no real effort. .25-.30” when I really settled in and worked it at 100 yards with Hornady match 108Eld and Black 105. Both shot well. The 108Eld slightly edges out the 105BTHP. Getting 2850fps.
Second range day:
Switched to an Arken EP4 4-14 and my average Groups got bigger. It was getting dark and my 50 year old eyes couldnt handle the thin reticle. My 13 year old did ok with it. Still getting easy .75” groups at 100. Velocity up to 2950. Using the 108Eld match.
After this session I made some changes as follows:
Bedded the action and lug to 1/4 inch forward of the lug. Switched to an Athlon Ares BTR Gen2 6-27x50. with APLR5 Reticle. Much better fit for my eyes. Mounted with Vortex Pro rings on an Area 419 rail. Burris level. Rail was bedded to the action with JB Weld. Rings were lapped. I can't say enough about this scope for the money. Provided it holds up it's a keeper. As with guns these days, scopes have come a long way in this price point.
Also Added an Ultradyne Apollo S brake and it's a really soft shooter, recoiling like a .223. Really soft impulse. Not excessively noisy and not much muzzle blast to the shooter.
Still undecided on a bipod between the tried and true Atlas or something like a Warne, so in the meantime I ordered up a UTG Recon 360 since I was curious, and on paper it looked nice and figured I'd throw it on a fun gun later. The UTG bipod which most wouldn't give a second glance turned out to be a tough, well built piece of kit. I may leave it on for the long haul and see how it holds up. it's extremely sturdy, very adjustable, zero wobble, adjusts for cant and pan (which I have mostly locked out) and performs well above its $70 price point. It's mounted with an Area 419 rail section. This bipod surprised the heck out of me. Granted I've yet to put it through it's paces but we'll see. Would be nice it lasts because I'm pushing the budget everywhere in this build. Started as a sub $1000 gun project and I kept doing the ”few hundred more gets me into this”, and ”a few hundred more gets me into that” game. And before you know it you're $1500 over your initial budget.
Rifle weighs in at about 12.5-13 lbs. With all accessories.
3rd range day:
Waited too late to get to the range and shot in low light. Zeroed at 100 with 2 shots. I only put a few groups down and shot .5-.6 without much effort. My son punched a beautiful .25” group to start his evening. Still working on his fundamentals. On 5 shot groups he would print 4 inside 1/3 ” and inevitably pull one randomly and open up to 3/4 or 1”. On the positive side he was able to call each flyer. I think he's going to be a helluva rifleman.
So far based on 3 range sessions with limited time and still feeling the gun out I’d say we got a shooter. I love just about everything about the gun. Great weight. Cheek riser locks tight as a drum. Mag release is easy to access. Aside from the ugly stock that was easily remedied, my only complaint would be the action. The bolt runs smoothly for the most part. But, if you lean hard on it in any direction other than straight forward or straight back it will feel sticky and binding. I have looked it over closely and I really believe it's because the interior of the action including the raceways were Cerakoted along with everything else. I would like to have seen how the bolt ran without the cerakote. I think the B14s might offer a clue. It's a less expensive gun with their standard action and the bolt runs smoother on that gun.
This is a small nitpick and so far I haven't noticed any bind when running the bolt fast while shooting. I'm a jeweler though and I like things slick and precise. I'm sure it will break itself in with use. I may also try and engineer an adjustable butt pad. I'm fine with fixed length of pull but butt height adjustment would be nice.
Next trip ill try some handloads and hopefully the long range will be opened so I can stretch it out a bit. Waiting on neck bushings now.
This gun is proof positive of what's possible with modern manufacturing processes. While the gun isn't cheap by any stretch, I think I would have to drop quite a bit more for diminishing returns and for my purpose I really don't think I need more rifle.
I also think that the B14 HMR would be a bargain version of this gun. That gun with a Athlon Argos Gen2 or Vortex PST or Arken would get you in the game for well under $2grand.
I'll do another final review once I stretch it's legs and see if this accuracy hold at distance.
