Bergara B-14R Range Report and Assessment

[Discoveror]

... now am even more confused on the right route to go.

"Which way should I go, Alice asked the cat in the tree at the fork in the road?
Where do you want to go, asked the cat?
I don't know, replied Alice!
Then, it doesn't matter which road you take, answered the cat."


How `bout thinking of the choices in $price$ brackets? ... i.e. how crazy ($$$) are you willing to get? ... chasing .1" group improvemens?
At the outset, commit to 'full-cost accounting'' i.e. don't just consider cheap initial acquisition options, devoid of ALL the add-on/modifications costs.

 

[Wysongdog]

"Which way should I go, Alice asked the cat in the tree at the fork in the road?
Where do you want to go, asked the cat?
I don't know, replied Alice!
Then, it doesn't matter which road you take, answered the cat."


How `bout thinking of the choices in $price$ brackets? ... i.e. how crazy ($$$) are you willing to get? ... chasing .1" group improvemens?
At the outset, commit to 'full-cost accounting'' i.e. don't just consider cheap initial acquisition options, devoid of ALL the add-on/modifications costs.

Not chasing the .1" group, would be cool but not necessary for sure. Not going down the vudoo route because I don't shoot enough. I'm going to setup my 100yd rimfire range at the house this year beside my archery range so hopefully I'll have the time to shoot more.

 

[orkan]

First, I couldn't get consistent measurements with calipers when trying to measure the rim face on the bolt.

Grab a 22lr case, dribble some wax around the top of rim, let it harden a little bit, chamber it, eject it carefully... then use a 6mm case and zero out the caliper on case length... then drop the waxed up 22lr into the neck and gently measure.

It's a pain, but in the absence of proper rimfire headspace gauges its possible to get a fairly decent reading like that.

 

[Parkerized]

Forgot to add a feature to protect the extractors... Rev 1.1 is on the printer...
View attachment 7259269

Do you plan on selling these? I'm in for one if you do.

I picked up a B14R (2 actually) in the middle of February after reading
Kisssofdeath's great range reports as well as posts from others with great info. You guys are an incredible info resource. I just wanted to say Thanks.
So far the weak link has been me, the rifle is amazing (except for the trigger).
I just put a Jewell trigger in mine and swapped out a Leupold VariXII for a new Athlon Midas tac 5-25, hopefully, get to test it out at the range tomorrow.

 

[1911Shootist]

Do you plan on selling these? I'm in for one if you do.

I am, just don't have enough points here to post em yet (joined to add to KoD's awesome post on these rifles). I replied to your PM.

 

[Discoveror]

... for the most part the B-14R doesn't like the Sparrow.

suppressors are not neutral ... see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAR4yTYslkk&feature=youtu.be

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Thanks orkan for the tip.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Do you plan on selling these? I'm in for one if you do.

I picked up a B14R (2 actually) in the middle of February after reading
Kisssofdeath's great range reports as well as posts from others with great info. You guys are an incredible info resource. I just wanted to say Thanks.
So far the weak link has been me, the rifle is amazing (except for the trigger).
I just put a Jewell trigger in mine and swapped out a Leupold VariXII for a new Athlon Midas tac 5-25, hopefully, get to test it out at the range tomorrow.

Her is a trigger update.
Got my Bix TacSport PRO back today. I have installed but but not shot it yet. After I got it adjusted, my average of 5 pulls are as shown. The highest pull was 3.4 oz and the lowest was 2.9 oz. No creep from what I can feel. I do prefer the Bix over the Elf. Also included are a couple of shots from a few days back showing the Elftmann. I have the round trigger shoe on because Elftmann forgot to send me the flat trigger shoe.

Elftmann trigger, I must admit, I do like the red on black/gray look. I am tempted to get a red knob to go with the swept back handle I got coming. If I end up getting a RimX, Deuce or Vudoo barreled action this Elftmann will probably go in the B-14R. The Elftmann is right behind the Bix on pull weight at 5-6 oz, the biggest difference is the feel.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Finally got some Wolf Match Target to try. This was the first time shooting with the returned Bix trigger. Not sure what was up with the first two groups, operator error I guess.

 

[1911Shootist]

That was with the Bix, or Elftmann? Returned? Was that Eley Wolf, or the old SK/Lapua made stuff?

 

[68hoyt]

I like Orkan’s suggestions, I have measured the recess in the bolt face and then used plasiguage and also lead fuse wire to measure the gap between the bolt face and breach , the fuse wire was better .

 

[Discoveror]

I like Orkan’s suggestions, I have measured the recess in the bolt face and then used plasiguage and also lead fuse wire to measure the gap between the bolt face and breach , the fuse wire was better .

well ?
what measurements did you get?

 

[Kisssofdeath]

That was with the Bix, or Elftmann? Returned? Was that Eley Wolf, or the old SK/Lapua made stuff?

This Wolf ammo is made by Eley in England, not the older ammo made by SK in Germany. That's neither good nor bad, just saying.

The trigger is a Bix'n Andy TacSport PRO Single Stage. Over time it developed a very small about of creep. I sent it back to Bullet Central for inspection. After receiving it back this is the first time I shot with it. I can still detect a very very small amount of creep and it's maybe 10% of the time. Much better than before and I would say most people wouldn't notice it.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Well, today with the B-14R, I shot four 5-shot groups with the Wolf Match Target like shown above that were 5/16", 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8". All groups were shot with the Sparrow, unlike above. Tomorrow I'll take the plunge and invest in a case of that lot number.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Nice! I ordered some sk rifle, LR rifle match, ND lapua centerX hoping to find something that it likes. I have zero match ammo locally. Thats the "Sparrow" you refer to? Supessor?

Until shooting the Wolf my top three ammo types were Center-x, Lapua Pistol King and SK Rifle Match. Great thing about the Wolf is a case only cost $571 shipped. I can only hope the seller still has that lot number.

The suppressor is the Silencerco Sparrow.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Does 22lr match ammo make big changes lot to lot? Are you the only guy on this forum to try it in your rifle or have other B14r owners had success as well? I'd be willing to try some of it too.

I haven't heard anyone else mention Wolf ammo much at all in here. As for changing lot numbers within the same brand and type, yes I believe it can make a difference. I also believe with higher quality ammo you will likely see less difference between lot numbers.

The last 12 5-round groups I've shot with the B-14R, using the Wolf MT has averaged .33". That is consistent enough for me to spend $571 on a case of it and shoot in nothing but the B-14R. That will last me a very very long time shooting it out of one gun.

 

[*rim-star*]

Kissofdeath, excellent post and info, your one of the few that post multiple groups on one target, thats good to see, hats off to you.

 

[nakoa01]

I tested some wolf. It shot ok. Will be testing some more shortly.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Thanks rim-star, for the comment and compliment.

nakoa01, I have shot Wolf before in the B-14R and it also just shot "ok". But, as mentioned above, different lot numbers can make a difference. This Wolf ammo was actually bought to test in the new Sako Quad I have and for the IBI 457 barrel coming. It shot "ok" in the Quad, IBI barrel isn't here yet.

 

[*rim-star*]

Your welcome KOD, I am working with a 457 MTR now and it's good to see how other rifles are really performing rather then see one or two screamer groups. Your Bergara looks to be doing good.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I'm very happy with it. I really can't expect another rifle to shoot better regardless of price.

 

[68hoyt]

well ?
what measurements did you get?

I don’t have a b-14 , I was just explaining how I had checked before on several 22’s to compare , but they were working out to ,,,,,A couple of
Remingtons .045-.0465-.045
Winchester’s (52c) .045-.045
an Anschutz 54 .046
Ruger 77/22 LVT SS barrel , .0465/.047

 

[dtdk]

Yeah i want one more then before after re reading this thread

 

[Discoveror]

I don’t have a b-14 , I was just explaining how I had checked before on several 22’s to compare , but they were working out to ,,,,,A couple of
Remingtons .045-.0465-.045
Winchester’s (52c) .045-.045
an Anschutz 54 .046
Ruger 77/22 LVT SS barrel , .0465/.047

That's what I needed to see; THANKS - so very much.

I'm surprised at those large headspace numbers i.e. greater than, say, .042", ESPECIALLY on the Anschutz 54 !!!

For example, my CZ 455 headspace measures only .036". It shoots even the lowest Eley model (Club) VERY well (if I can hold it absolutely STILL when pulling the trigger, of course). Eley and Aguila case rim thickness seems to be in the .038" (narrow/small) range. Aguila shoots VERY nicely from my CZ 455, too.

I think it was Mike Bush at Vudoo who noted that Eley uses a harder case rim than Lapua; so, Vudoo chambered for Lapua's softer case rims, specifically Lapua Center-X, whose case rims I've measured at even larger (.043") than the .0415 employed by Lapua/SK and Federal/CCI. Note that I've not seen case rims measure up in the .046" range.

 

[68hoyt]

Using the lead wire gives a tight breech to bolt face clearance , the lead compresses and all of the slack is taken out of the bolt , cam area, lugs etc then add to the bolt face recess , this all started because of checking a 22 that closed and opened real hard , it’s tighter than the others after checking

 

[MuricanPatriot]

Another update, I got the TriggerTech trigger in today and I'm not happy with it at all. Things started out really good. Got it installed get the pull weight down to around 6 oz and it felt good. Went to the bench and immediately when chambering a round the hammer would drop. Sometimes the rifle would fire and sometimes not. This followed me until I reached 10-11 oz and then the hammer drop went away. What didn't go away was the inconsistent pull weight and "I don't know if this is trigger related" but I started having a lot of misfires on all ammo brands. The round always fired the second time and frequency was probably 1 out of 15 or so. I did inspect the rim and they were light strikes. Not sure if anyone remembers but I mention how hard the firing pin hit the orange plastic dummy rounds when dry firing. They would shatter with one hit. I noticed when setting up the TT Trigger than the hits were soft on the dummy round. This might explain a lot of the vertical stringing I had. I have already talked to a guy named Ed at TT and will be sending this trigger back. Honestly I didn't pay all this money for a trigger to have inconsistency and only go down to 10-11 oz.

So today I shot another 450 rounds that consisted of all the SK brands I had plus the Federal and a few others. It's amazing the results you get when using quality match ammo over plinking ammo. Dollar wise I'm talking $7+ a box vs. $2 - $5 a box. I will have photos later on showing the TT Trigger install and today's targets.

hey which Triggertech did you go with? The special or the diamond. I put in a diamond on mine and haven’t had any issues. But the Facebook group I’m part of seems to be having nothing but problems with their triggertech specials.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I had the Diamond.

 

[nakoa01]

I'm very happy with it. I really can't expect another rifle to shoot better regardless of price.

I agree 100% with this statement

 

[Parkerized]

I put a Jewell HVR trigger in mine and had an issue that cocking was smooth but if the bolt was already cocked and you cycled it, it would bind considerably. I backed off the firing pin/spring/gas hood assembly one turn and it seemed to solve the problem, but obviously my firing pin strikes are lighter than they were. Any ideas on what would cause the binding only when cocked?

Ammo that mine has liked so far: Eley force 1250 fps 42gr, Eley practice 100, SK long-range (supposedly the same as center-X) and
Eley CMP/Standard, in that order. As expected when changing rounds it took 15+ rounds to settle in and let the lube season the barrel.. My rifle hates CCI SV "target" and seems to only like the plain blue box SV slightly better.

I shot my second Bergara B14R the other day as well and there didn't seem to be any inconsistencies between it and my first one, so that's good to know.

 

[1911Shootist]

...As expected when changing rounds it took 15+ rounds to settle in and let the lube season the barrel...

Interesting, my testing didn't show that behavior. What were you seeing?

 

[mtnhunter22]

Good review. Thanks for taking the time to be thorough

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Parkerized, who is your source saying SK Long Range is supposedly rebranded Center-X?

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Good review. Thanks for taking the time to be thorough

Thanks!

 

[nakoa01]

Parkerized, who is your source saying SK Long Range is supposedly rebranded Center-X?

Yes I am curious too

 

[nakoa01]

Wish my bergara shot wolf that well. Just got some new center x in. And this thing is on fire

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Wish my bergara shot wolf that well. Just got some new center x in. And this thing is on fire

That's what I like to hear. Shoot whatever it takes to keep it on fire. As for me, with this China Beer Virus, it's hard to say if I can get my lot number or not. I told Ammunition Store to not send a case unless it's the same lot number as requested.

 

[nakoa01]

Yes the virus crushed my side business this year. Unless I want to live at work dont see me getting a case of center x. But my latest lot is fire. With this bergara I have shot a handful of groups at 50yds a couple different times. And I have not miced it but not over 3/8. Gun rivals my Vudoo at 50 with this lot.

 

[nakoa01]

I find it very interesting eitht he bergara. I feel like I know it like the back of my hand. It shoots most everything pretty good and some exceptional. Easy gun to shoot. Super smooth, consistent. I have not played with torgue or anything like that. Just shoot, test ammo, clean every now and then and shoot some more. But I have learned how it responds to different things and how its gonna act to changes. I enjoy doing that with rifles. Mapping them out

 

[nakoa01]

Yes I agree. I have had a lot of SK tifle match that was stellar. A lot of sk std + that was amazing and a lot of center x that was good too. I have a lot of sk std + right now that I cam throw rocks about as accurately .It's a lottery when ordering ammo. I want to try so pistol match and pistol match special.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I recently tested Sk match, sk long range and centerX. In my rifle the sk match shoots the best, half to 0.3 moa at 50y. The other two flavors shoot over moa but no words than 3/4" @ 50y. However this is all lot dependent as everyone knows.

When you refer to SK "match" which match ammo are you talking about?

 

[Kisssofdeath]

SK Rifle Match, red box.

Thanks, that's what I was hoping you would say. Confirms/reinforces my findings too.

 

[Parkerized]

Interesting, my testing didn't show that behavior. What were you seeing?

Groups that started fairly large with a wide spread that narrowed down after 3 or 4 5rnd groups and quickly tightened up there after. Does it with every ammo I shoot. Some tighten up less than others.

Parkerized, who is your source saying SK Long Range is supposedly rebranded Center-X?

Local GS and a friend who weighed, measured rim thickness and chronographed both with no dog in a fight. They both could be wrong but the test results from my friend say not.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Hmm, I have never shot the SK Long Range. May not hurt to get a few boxes to try I guess.

 

[orkan]

What's a cleaning regimen for a 22lr bolt gun? I've put 700 rounds through mine and haven't cleaned yet. I have scoped the barrel and no major fouling has occurred.

I have a Remington 40X with roughly 45,000 rounds since it's been cleaned. Still shoots in the .2's and .3's or better at 50yds every time I take it out.

 

[1911Shootist]

How tight are folks running their bolt shroud/firing pin spring? I didn't check mine before disassembling and can't tell if it was full tight or one turn back from fully tight...

 

[300ATT]

FWIW, not to interrupt the flow but i thought I would chime in with a range report:

A friend purchased a B-14R w/ a 20 MOA rail and Midas Tac on top and we took it to the range on Saturday to set it up and test various types of match ammo. What I have to say is that it exceeded my expectations.

After the first sighter shot the next four rounds of SK+ when into a little ragged hole about 1/4" or less. The gun shot SK+, Sk flat nose, Eley CMP, Center-X, Eley Edge and Ten-x about the same 1/4" at 50yards.

At 100 yards the SK+ shot about 1.25" as did the SK flatnose, center-x, tenext and edge shot between 5/8" and 1". We trued the dope and we were able to make consistent hits on 2" steel swingers at 184 yards with the SK+

Initially we had a few jams with the follower hanging up in the magazine and one light primer strike but after about 30 rounds those issues seemed to go away and we had no other feeding or reliability issues. Bolt was smooth and it fed flawlessly through about 400 rounds.

I am impressed with the B-14R performance considering its price point.

All groups were 5-shots groups of ammo at 50 and 100 yards - YMMV

 

[1911Shootist]

What's a cleaning regimen for a 22lr bolt gun? I've put 700 rounds through mine and haven't cleaned yet. I have scoped the barrel and no major fouling has occurred.

My regimen (or lack of): Run a patch through until they come out clean. If it takes too many patches, I waited too long.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I am impressed with the B-14R performance considering its price point.

That one sentence says so much in both directions. The good, yes compared to other rifles on the market it does outperform its price point. The bad, in a lot of people's minds, it will never be as good as the semi custom rifles because it "doesn't" cost enough.

Point is, there's a lot of nice rifles on the market and you don't have to spend $2500 to have one. I'm not bashing expensive rifles, I have one myself and would like to have another by the end of the year ... if it wasn't for this damn china beer virus.

 

[300ATT]

@Kissofdeath is right. Precision shooting is a mental game. You have to "know" that your rifle system (gun, ammo, optics) "just works" so that you can then spend your time improving the real weak link of the system (the shooter). I am all about shooters spending what ever it takes to gain that confidence in their equipment but we all spend too much ...

Case in point: I have a shooting acquaintance that had this "gourmet" 30lb custom 1,000 yard benchrest rifle built for him by MileHigh in some hotrod 6.5mm caliber. It had a 2 oz jewel trigger and a non tapered 30+" barrel. Out of the box this gun was shooting 5-shot groups in the .2's and .3's at 200 yards. I suggested that he was ready to go and compete as the rifle was a sub 1/4 MOA gun and at 1,000 yards it's more about reading the wind. He declined and burned out the barrel trying to "get it right".

The hardest about buying precision is knowing when to stop so you can just go out and shoot!

 

[littlepod]

That one sentence says so much in both directions. The good, yes compared to other rifles on the market it does outperform its price point. The bad, in a lot of people's minds, it will never be as good as the semi custom rifles because it "doesn't" cost enough.

Point is, there's a lot of nice rifles on the market and you don't have to spend $2500 to have one. I'm not bashing expensive rifles, I have one myself and would like to have another by the end of the year ... if it wasn't for this damn china beer virus.

Watching your posts and a few others it looks like there are some B14R gems. I wasn't sure what kind of barrel lottery I would have as your posts had it at a so-so out of the box rifle shooting about 1/2" at 50 yards. The trigger issues, and a lot of people with firing pins that broke, etc. But if you get one that shoots 3/8" with the right ammo, and no other weird quirks, and a trigger that works you're really looking at $900 + $200 for a trigger. $1100 for that full setup is pretty nice... or even if it was just $700 for the BA, that still puts it $1000 less than the Vudoo.

I haven't shot my Vudoo yet, but I have to say, being able to dry fire it is super nice. I know people can use snap caps, but when you're practicing drills at home across different barricades, you want to do 10-12 shots in 90-120s and snap caps loading them up in the magazine, hoping all 10 will feed correctly is a pain, then going and finding your snap caps after they eject is also a pain. Does the B14R have a captured firing pin and safe to dry fire?