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Bergara B-14R Range Report and Assessment
- Thread starter Kisssofdeath
- Start date
I went from C to A class in USPSA Carry Optics in 18 months in good measure because of the significant amount of dry fire that I do.
Contrary to popular opinion, dry firing is hardly about pulling the trigger and mostly about everything else that you need to do with a firearm.
Yep. Every dry fire session I do 20 clicks support side. Doing so, I have been able to get shots off faster in some positions support side that would take a lot of contorting to shoot from strong side.
It can also be a mind game trick to screw with other guys in my squad. I'll shoot from support side and I'll hear someone say, "Hey, I never thought about shooting it like that." Then they get up and it takes them longer than it would if they just contorted in strong side.
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It can also be a mind game trick to screw with other guys in my squad. I'll shoot from support side and I'll hear someone say, "Hey, I never thought about shooting it like that." Then they get up and it takes them longer than it would if they just contorted in strong side.
See that in USPSA from time to time. Someone will run a stage in a certain way that's different from everyone else before because it plays to their strengths and they burn the stage down. Others who haven't shot see that and change their plan to follow without understanding why it worked for him.
Then hilarity ensues.........
I bought a 457 Training Rifle 2 weeks ago. The manual is an interesting read.
On page 5
The manufacturer of the firearm does not recommend excessive dry firing (firing without ammunition). It is advisable to use snap caps for dry training as they are intended for this purpose.
On page 6
Note: The manufacturer does not recommend frequent dry firing of the gun. So-called "dry-fire training" should be carried out with discharge cartridges that are designed for this purpose.
On page 21
If you are disappointed that you can not dry fire your firearm without the use of girly snap caps, you should consider selling it to Schutze for $600.00
I swapped out the LHT 3-15 for the G2 4.5-27 in a 20moa Spuhr this morning. Switched the can out for my home brew tuner/dampener.
Was mainly load testing 224 Valk & 25 Creed today, but got the B14R re-zeroed with the G2.
On the way out of the driveway to the range there sat My Fed ex from Creedmoor Sports with the SK High Velocity Match.
Shot a group at 200 to see how far off Strelok was (pretty far). Group was 1.9" tall x 3" wide.
Tried it at 500y up against range closing & went 4 for 10 on a 10" plate with the SK HV match. 22.9 mil & .4 L spindage.
Next trip I'll tune the dampener for the SK HV & play more at 22 ELR distance.
Dampener version #2 has worked well previously. Best results were .683 moa avg. 6x5 @ 100y with SK LR & .574 moa avg. 6x5 @100y with Eley 10X.
Today was the first time I've run it with all 5 o-rings installed. Had 3 installed for the previous best groups. Didn't have time for 6x5 today.
Dampener version #1 didn't perform any better then bare muzzle. I don't think it liked the 7 degree taper + 7 degree angle changes crown - exit.
This was only tunable via o-ring arrangement. It did have a unique report, but it's now in the spare parts bin.
Tunable dampener version #2 is a little simpler and more compact. Tunable in/out 1" & I got the o-ring tension tuned better.
This one has made a noticeable improvement (3 of 5 o-rings installed) & by luck was in the middle of adjustment range for SK LR & Eley 10x
Was mainly load testing 224 Valk & 25 Creed today, but got the B14R re-zeroed with the G2.
On the way out of the driveway to the range there sat My Fed ex from Creedmoor Sports with the SK High Velocity Match.
Shot a group at 200 to see how far off Strelok was (pretty far). Group was 1.9" tall x 3" wide.
Tried it at 500y up against range closing & went 4 for 10 on a 10" plate with the SK HV match. 22.9 mil & .4 L spindage.
Next trip I'll tune the dampener for the SK HV & play more at 22 ELR distance.
Dampener version #2 has worked well previously. Best results were .683 moa avg. 6x5 @ 100y with SK LR & .574 moa avg. 6x5 @100y with Eley 10X.
Today was the first time I've run it with all 5 o-rings installed. Had 3 installed for the previous best groups. Didn't have time for 6x5 today.
Dampener version #1 didn't perform any better then bare muzzle. I don't think it liked the 7 degree taper + 7 degree angle changes crown - exit.
This was only tunable via o-ring arrangement. It did have a unique report, but it's now in the spare parts bin.
Tunable dampener version #2 is a little simpler and more compact. Tunable in/out 1" & I got the o-ring tension tuned better.
This one has made a noticeable improvement (3 of 5 o-rings installed) & by luck was in the middle of adjustment range for SK LR & Eley 10x
I bit the bullet about a month ago and ordered the B14R in the HMR stock. It arrived the day I left for work for 3 weeks, of course. The morning after I got home, I picked it up. Mounted a NF NX8 2.5-20x50 on a 20MOA rail and installed a Timney that I had sort of laying around. Mounted a CB brake for the Ultra 7 and set it aside. It was several more days before I took the time to go fire it.
no pics.
First round, not even bore sighted, was 6" high and 2" left at 25 yards. I adjusted and zeroed on the 3rd round.
I fired several more to be sure. I plan to get a true zero at 25 meters and install a 30 MOA rail.
Then I changed POA and shot 10. Changed ammo and POA for 10 more. Repeat for 5 total different ammos.
RWS Match was my best with pretty much a single hole. Second best was the CCI SV with a just slightly larger hole. Impressive. I do have some Center X to try out as well as some other stuff but just took some of what I have the most of.
I moved to 50 yards and the POI was negligible.
Read the ballistics app and shot the steel at 200. I had to make a 1.5 MOA elevation adjustment but made about 95% hits on a 2 MOA target.
Moved to the 300 yard steel and had to make a couple of small adjustments to both elevation and windage but was getting about 60% hits.
AMAZING!!!
Took some shots at 400 but was unable to discern if I was hitting or not and didn't walk downrange to verify anything.
I didn't even take the Magneto Speed so have no idea of velocity or such.
The bug has bitten hard!!!
My bud bought the RPR to shoot with me and we should be able to get some range time together this weekend.
no pics.
First round, not even bore sighted, was 6" high and 2" left at 25 yards. I adjusted and zeroed on the 3rd round.
I fired several more to be sure. I plan to get a true zero at 25 meters and install a 30 MOA rail.
Then I changed POA and shot 10. Changed ammo and POA for 10 more. Repeat for 5 total different ammos.
RWS Match was my best with pretty much a single hole. Second best was the CCI SV with a just slightly larger hole. Impressive. I do have some Center X to try out as well as some other stuff but just took some of what I have the most of.
I moved to 50 yards and the POI was negligible.
Read the ballistics app and shot the steel at 200. I had to make a 1.5 MOA elevation adjustment but made about 95% hits on a 2 MOA target.
Moved to the 300 yard steel and had to make a couple of small adjustments to both elevation and windage but was getting about 60% hits.
AMAZING!!!
Took some shots at 400 but was unable to discern if I was hitting or not and didn't walk downrange to verify anything.
I didn't even take the Magneto Speed so have no idea of velocity or such.
The bug has bitten hard!!!
My bud bought the RPR to shoot with me and we should be able to get some range time together this weekend.
Took my Begara out for the first time to zero and break in and it got noticeably smother after 100 rds. But I did notice something weird, the first shot on a fully loaded mag shot way left as opposed to the single load mag I was testing. This happened 3 times in a row and it wasn’t a cold or clean bore 
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Maybe it's from the damage done as one round slides over the next round in the magazine (cycling and loading mag), causing bullet deformation thereby changing the effect the rifling has on it. You're not getting that single load. Not only that, the spring tensions in my magazines vary greatly. The more spring pressure the more damage.Took my Begara out for the first time to zero and break in and it got noticeably smother after 100 rds. But I did notice something weird, the first shot on a fully loaded mag shot way left as opposed to the single load mag I was testing. This happened 3 times in a row and it wasn’t a cold or clean bore
I’m going to try single loading the Begara mag and partial loads to try and isolate the problem.
Alright gang, I work at a gun shop part time and can get a steel B14r for just over our cost. I’ve been oogling and finger f’ing the B14r for a few weeks now and this thread is just fanning the fire- once I offload a few things I can grab it and get it set up. I was thinking about getting into NRL22. Do you think I should start in base class with something cheaper or just go for the Bergara and hit the open class?
Bergara B14R is an Open Class gun. Its MSRP is over a grand.
You have to have a scope that has an MSRP of like $150 or less....which means a scope that costs about $100 retail.
If you want to be competitive (even in base class) your gonna be break the $1200 MSRP cap to have an adequate setup.
Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. Wasn’t sure if it made sense to start with something lower end to get a taste in Base or just go all out and jump right into Open.
I am a perfect example of the arms race you could get into if you are not careful. I have a carbon B14R that is topped with an Athlon Cronus. My daughter shoots it in NRL22 matches. I swapped the trigger for a trigger tech diamond, and put a generic 8” arca rail on it. Does it shoot as well as my Vudoo that sports the same optic and trigger? Nope. Did it cost about $1500 less than my Vudoo - yup. And the difference between 3/8” groups at 100 yard vs 3/4” has not meant much practically yet.
So far, I have found wolf match target to shoot well. SK long range match was a bit better. And the lapua Midas plus that my Vudoo hates is showing some serious promise.
I would say go for the Bergara and put the best glass you can afford on top of it. If you really want to shoot base, some of the CZ 457 models can give you enough room for a Vortex diamondback tactical or Athlon Argos BTR. I have a good friend who swears by his tikka t1x.
Where I place in matches is directly correlated to how good I am at building positions. I have never felt limited by the gun (not yet at least). If I would do it all over again, I would have got a steel B14R, put a trigger tech diamond in it, and called it a day. I will never win enough prizes to even come close to covering what I have in guns.
So far, I have found wolf match target to shoot well. SK long range match was a bit better. And the lapua Midas plus that my Vudoo hates is showing some serious promise.
I would say go for the Bergara and put the best glass you can afford on top of it. If you really want to shoot base, some of the CZ 457 models can give you enough room for a Vortex diamondback tactical or Athlon Argos BTR. I have a good friend who swears by his tikka t1x.
Where I place in matches is directly correlated to how good I am at building positions. I have never felt limited by the gun (not yet at least). If I would do it all over again, I would have got a steel B14R, put a trigger tech diamond in it, and called it a day. I will never win enough prizes to even come close to covering what I have in guns.
From what I've seen most people go one maybe two seasons in Base and go Open....unless they are Youth, Ladies, Old Gun.
They get tired of running the lower tier guns and see all the high speed rigs and make the jump.
The COF isn't any different if your Base or Open.
And if your truly wanting to run a Bergara and your brand new to the sport.....your probably not going to be in the immediate running being brand new. So what does it matter that your not top placing in Open versus Base?
So run what you want and forego worring about being in Open.
They get tired of running the lower tier guns and see all the high speed rigs and make the jump.
The COF isn't any different if your Base or Open.
And if your truly wanting to run a Bergara and your brand new to the sport.....your probably not going to be in the immediate running being brand new. So what does it matter that your not top placing in Open versus Base?
So run what you want and forego worring about being in Open.
So, today I finally had my first catastrophic failure to eject 
So that's 1 out of about 400 so far. But it was a good one! Had to release the bolt to let it drop out... I'm not sure, but I think I worked the bolt rather slowly when this happened (like I tend to do when shooting for groups).
So that's 1 out of about 400 so far. But it was a good one! Had to release the bolt to let it drop out... I'm not sure, but I think I worked the bolt rather slowly when this happened (like I tend to do when shooting for groups).
First range trip was a fail for me. Just picked up a B14r Carbon. The magazine shit the bed about 10rds in. Looks like a part of the polymer lips broke or cracked causing the rounds to ride to high to feed. Got annoyed and just stopped shooting it.
I only had the one magazine that came with it unfortunately.
Isnt there a Bergara rep on here?
I only had the one magazine that came with it unfortunately.
Isnt there a Bergara rep on here?
Bummer...getcha one or two of these.First range trip was a fail for me. Just picked up a B14r Carbon. The magazine shit the bed about 10rds in. Looks like a part of the polymer lips broke or cracked causing the rounds to ride to high to feed. Got annoyed and just stopped shooting it.
I only had the one magazine that came with it unfortunately.
Isnt there a Bergara rep on here?
Magazines | Mack Brothers Suppressors
macbros.com
Wish they were in stock! Thanks for the heads up.
First range trip was a fail for me. Just picked up a B14r Carbon. The magazine shit the bed about 10rds in. Looks like a part of the polymer lips broke or cracked causing the rounds to ride to high to feed. Got annoyed and just stopped shooting it.
I only had the one magazine that came with it unfortunately.
Isnt there a Bergara rep on here?
@Chad@Bergara is the rep.
B-14 AICS MAGAZINE .22LR | Brownells
Replacement AICS Magazine for the Bergara B14R Rifle. Chambered in .22 Long Rifle, made from polymer with a black finish. Available in 10-Round capacity.
www.brownells.com
Magazines back in stock.
Contact Customer Service and they will get you taken care of. Call 877-892-7544 and let them know what happened.First range trip was a fail for me. Just picked up a B14r Carbon. The magazine shit the bed about 10rds in. Looks like a part of the polymer lips broke or cracked causing the rounds to ride to high to feed. Got annoyed and just stopped shooting it.
I only had the one magazine that came with it unfortunately.
Isnt there a Bergara rep on here?
They took care of me. Sent me a new magazine. I did however buy a few spares from Euro Optic. Rifle ran flawless today with the new magazines.
Finally got my Bergara b14 carbon, been super keen to get out and shoot it.
Had a chance to hit the range over the weekend, put 200 rounds down it and didn't have not one issue. still early days but no matter how fast or slow I ran it the cases spat out fine. Got a few more types of ammo to put through it as I only had some hunting HV stuff to play with.
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It's a Manners MCS- CS , yeah shot heaps of groups but nothing too crazy as it was more just about getting shots down range to be honest .
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This was shot from my steel barrel B14 in a bravo chassis using sk long range match ammo. This is the best score I’ve ever shot on this target using any gun or ammo. The best I shot previous to my B14 was my savage BTVS and was a 243. I know the btvs isn’t a bench rest level gun but the Bergara shoots better with just about every ammo type.
Shot my B14R for first time today. Few 5 round groups using SK LR Match
Before people jump on it yes there’s several shots around some of the groups. I sighted several rifles in today and just jumped on some of the targets that had shots around them to group the last 20-25 rounds I had
Seems to be decent. Gun did drop spent casings into the gun once and a while which got annoying when trying to shoot groups.
All 5 shot groups are inside the caliper,
50 yards
Before people jump on it yes there’s several shots around some of the groups. I sighted several rifles in today and just jumped on some of the targets that had shots around them to group the last 20-25 rounds I had
Seems to be decent. Gun did drop spent casings into the gun once and a while which got annoying when trying to shoot groups.
All 5 shot groups are inside the caliper,
50 yards
