Bergara BA question and more

[Smoov82]

I’ve spent many hours the last few days reading the rimfire thread. Made it to like page 18 and October of last year. Wasn’t sure of where I wanted to go with the sport. Read about ERL and NRL. Ok with both. Started thinking RPRR then decided not. Came across t1x, cz 457, and b14r. Not big on the stocks. Want a chassis.

Forget who mentioned this in another thread but has me curious. “Buy a Bergara barreled action think they are $550-600. Then pick your chassis and trigger.” This advice solid? Quick google search shows for a Bergara barreled action at $650. Chassis I looked through threads and like the MPA. But not seeing any for a Bergara. Am I missing a section on their site? And prices of what I saw for other actions on their site jumped up in price. MPA might not be an option. Open to other suggestion. Trigger I saw a few mentioned here and there in threads. Forget what was mentioned to be honest.

Scope!! Been down this rabbit hole. Fun yet exhausting at times. I used to own a SWFA SS HD 5-20x50. I liked the scope. Seen suggestion of razor gen I, Burris xtr3 3-18, Bushnel h2dmr 3-21, Athlon Ares etr 4.5-30x56, vortex venom, Athlon Cronus, and many more.

Total budget $3,000!

Any suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[IamJoHo]

Any chassis that fit Remington 700 will fit the Bergara. There was one person on the hide that often got barreled actions in stock for a good price. I will see if I can find the post.

As far as quality low priced scopes look at the Vortex strike Eagle. Join PRS and you get 40% of vortex at eurooptic.com.

 

[littlepod]

If you got a budget of $3000... I'd just get a Vudoo, a KRG Bravo, and like a Arken EP5 5-25

 

[IamJoHo]

Rimfire - Bergara B14R barreled action & complete rifle.

Any update on left hand barreled actions? Unfortunately, no. We have 80 different versions of the wrong handed B14R on order. However, no ETA on shipping date! 😡🤬😡👍🏻 Trust me when I say this “pisses me off” As much as it does y’all. But!, we have no control over when they ship!’ 😡🤬🤣🤬

www.snipershide.com

 

[IamJoHo]

Also what littlepod said.

 

[IamJoHo]

I got behind one of the new Arkens recently and was definitely impressed for the price.

 

[AirGunShawn]

As to your question, I know that a MDT LSS Gen 2 will fit the Bergara as will a Trigger Tech Diamond trigger.
The forth photo is what I described. I put it in my Vudoo chassis just to see how the B14R felt.

Afterwards, I saw no advantage to getting a chassis for her as she shoots really well even with the stock trigger.
BTW... the stock trigger is long, heavy and creepy. You can alter it with a long nose spring plunger at a cost of $5.00
and get it to 11 ounces. That also incorporates a sear engagement. That would buy you some time to decide, if a
different, more expensive gun was needed.

The first change I made to mine was to add a Vudoo bolt knob and an old ACE trigger shoe. I didn't care for the factory
knob because it was too small in diameter, too short and mostly because it's knurling was too sharp and crisp.
I tend to slap my bolts around....

As it happens, I just put a $200.00 Jewell HSVR trigger in the Bergara and it is very nice. It came set to 1 pound and all I did
was change the trigger spring to decrease it to 4 ounces. I left the other factory settings as they were.

The target was the first one shot last season with the aforementioned POS trigger and prior to adding the spring plunger.
The spring plunger mod is also reversable except for it leaves a #6-32 tapped hole where a plain .110 hole
currently exists.

It seems like my gun was $975.00
Atlas bi-pod $300.00
Pic attachment $20.00
Vudoo type bolt knob $25.00
Scope mounts $45.00
Trijicon 5-50 $2000.00

Of course, once you buy most of the ancillary equipment, you could put it on a Vudoo or RimX etc.
at a later date.

Over all, I'm very happy with the B14R. I feel they are good value though it lacks the prestige of some other guns.
Both my B14R and V22 went to Lapua and they both shot virtually the same. I also find the B14R to be an easy shooter
while the V22 took much more focus..... go figure.

Around 1994, I had a Burris for about 36 hours. It was heavy and the glass had a green tint and was fuzzy around the edges.
I have an Athlon CRONUS and an ARES and only use them on my cheaper guns. Below, one of them is on a $275.00
Zastava for accuracy testing. The sixth shot FUBAR in the last photo was my fault.
The two Atlon scopes may be OK for most people but not for my Air Rifle comps.

btw... my Bergara has never given me any trouble what so ever.

 

[Smoov82]

Great info. Thank you.

Trijicon 5-50 the Tenmile TM5056?

 

[littlepod]

If you're shooting NRL/PRS I wouldn't advise a 5-50 tenmile. Get something with more appropriate magnification and better eye box. Get a reticle you like and can do hold overs on the clock.

 

[Smoov82]

Have a few in mind so I can research them?

Thanks

 

[Tortuga]

Came across t1x, cz 457, and b14r. Not big on the stocks. Want a chassis.

CZ is available from factory with chassis. T1x is less expensive than a B14r BA and there are plenty of chassis available.

Forget who mentioned this in another thread but has me curious. “Buy a Bergara barreled action think they are $550-600. Then pick your chassis and trigger.” This advice solid?

B14r barreled action comes with trigger which many have tuned. Aftermarket trigger is a great addition, though.

Quick google search shows for a Bergara barreled action at $650. Chassis I looked through threads and like the MPA. But not seeing any for a Bergara. Am I missing a section on their site? And prices of what I saw for other actions on their site jumped up in price. MPA might not be an option. Open to other suggestion.

B14r is a Remington 700 clone. Most stocks/chassis will work, some are just more sensitive about magazine feeding.

Trigger I saw a few mentioned here and there in threads. Forget what was mentioned to be honest.

Trigger Tech, Timney, and Bix and Andy are all good options.

Scope!! Been down this rabbit hole. Fun yet exhausting at times. I used to own a SWFA SS HD 5-20x50. I liked the scope. Seen suggestion of razor gen I, Burris xtr3 3-18, Bushnel h2dmr 3-21, Athlon Ares etr 4.5-30x56, vortex venom, Athlon Cronus, and many more.

Find the features that are important, find your max price, and look for a deal. Sometimes timing is key. Pro deals, used on the PX or a change in a company's lineup can make for a great deal.

Total budget $3,000!

Any suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks!

Here's a worksheet I gen'ed up for my wife when she was building a new rifle. My B14a came in high because I built it up as if I was buying a Vudoo or a RimX. That way if I didn't like the B14a BA, I would just sell it and throw it all on RimX. As of now, I am keeping the B14a and also ordering a RimX.

 

[Smoov82]

Awesome feedback and much appreciated. I’ve been researching a lot. What I’ve came up with at this point.

Bergara B14r barrel action
mdt lss gen 2 chassis
Athlon midas tac 5-25x56

MDT buttstocks are $350? Chassis doesn’t come with buttstock?!

Decent?

 

[littlepod]

Awesome feedback and much appreciated. I’ve been researching a lot. What I’ve came up with at this point.

Bergara B14r barrel action
mdt lss gen 2 chassis
Athlon midas tac 5-25x56

Decent?

That's a lot lower than your original budget. But I mean those parts work.

 

[Smoov82]

That's a lot lower than your original budget. But I mean those parts work.

True. Just been researching and shopping around putting stuff that seems to work together. And I’m ok with being lower on budget. Just means more ammo.

Still going to continue to look and research.

 

[littlepod]

True. Just been researching and shopping around putting stuff that seems to work together. And I’m ok with being lower on budget. Just means more ammo.

Still going to continue to look and research.

I've gone through the entire upgrade path... 10/22, T1X, CZ 457, Bergara, Vudoo, Ultimatum Deuce, RimX... Luckily I bought into a lot of stuff used, sold it used, didn't lose too much money, but yeh if I had bought a bunch of stuff new, sold them each for a 20% depreciation rate, that's a lot of money to burn.

If you're not sure if you're going to like NRL, then I'd consider just getting a Ruger RPRR and a Arken EP5 5-25. You don't need a ton of mods to make your life be usable, and the RPRR is adjustable to get to know a feel of what you like / don't like. After that you hop into your next set of contenders -

CZ 457 MTR, Tikka T1X, Bergara B14R, which basically all shoot about the same. The CZ 457 and Tikka T1X have a much smoother action. The B14R is clunky, but if you are going through the upgrade path, a B14R for 650 as a placeholder until you fill it with a Vudoo or RimX, is a pretty decent path. Question is you won't know what chassis you want until you play with a few.

Scopes are pretty personal.

$500 - Arken EP5 5-25
$850 - Athlon Ares ETR
$1200 - Athlon Cronus

Midas Tac kind of sits between the EP5 and the ETR. I'd choose go one or the other, probably not in between.

 

[Aussiedan]

If you got a budget of $3000... I'd just get a Vudoo, a KRG Bravo, and like a Arken EP5 5-25

This this and this again (except id go a mpa ba comp). Youre most likely to end up there anyway.

 

[acudaowner]

if you got that much money you can put any of those companies rifles in a chassis of your choosing or you could send me the money Id pick up a voodoo with your money anyway .

 

[Smoov82]

I don't see how the vudoo is going to be within the $3,000. KRG Bravo is definitely not my style. Chassis similar to the MDT LSS Gen 2 and MPA ba are what I'm after. If there are chassis that look and feel the same as an MDT for the price and reliable as the KRG Bravo let me know. Then adding an Arken EP5 on a rifle like a vudoo and mpa to me would just be silly imo. Which lead me to sticking to that $3,000 as my entry level. I'd assume scope would be in the $1,500 range and gun $1,000 to $1,500 range. Not to mention a trigger and bipod add another $500. More I've looked into scopes they seem to be around the $1,000 range then jump to the $2,000 range. Scopes under $1,000 range you're getting China quality and not Japan!? As for the RPRR, not for me. I used to own the RPR in 6.5 creedmoor with a SWFA SS HD 5-20x50. Loved scope, gun was acceptable for my first long range rifle.

Above suggested was next level past the RPRR entry level being the CZ 457 MTR, Tikka T1X, Bergara B14R. I don't like any of these stocks/chassis. And I was under the impression that all three of these were about equal, just the b14r was more diverse with the Remington 700 platform. Thats why when doing my research, I was going with the b14r b/a to drop into a chassis I liked. Then when looking at chassis it seemed prices were around the $650 for MDT and $1,200 for MPA. Not including a stock and trigger price added.

For the scopes, I understand they can be very personal. I was deep into researching the Athlon Cronus btr gen 2. I like it a lot. I'd assume your $1,200 price point is for a used one being a BNIB is $1,700. Which at that point I'm thinking with close to $1,700, and with the Razer III release, sit and buy a Razer II used. Just another avenue I've thought about taking. I've looked at the Arken EP5 when mentioned in an earlier post in this thread and didn't like what I read and saw.

After all of this, I'm so lost on what to do tbh. I thought I had it figured out yesterday. Under budget and had a pep in my step. Feel like I'm back to square one haha.

Appreciate all the help. I'll keep researching and stay patient.

 

[littlepod]

B14R 650$
Chassis 1000$ I guess the B14R is slightly short for the ACC. For 1000$ I would get the new XLR envy pro.

 

[littlepod]

I got an ep5 and really impressed.

I personally don't like the gen 2 razor. It's really heavy and makes balancing a pain. And it doesn't parallax to 25 yards.

I ran the ares etr for a long time. I think the glass on that is fantastic.

Athlon and Vortex are no questions asked lifetime warranty so no reason to really buy one new.

 

[Aussiedan]

I don't see how the vudoo is going to be within the $3,000. KRG Bravo is definitely not my style. Chassis similar to the MDT LSS Gen 2 and MPA ba are what I'm after. If there are chassis that look and feel the same as an MDT for the price and reliable as the KRG Bravo let me know. Then adding an Arken EP5 on a rifle like a vudoo and mpa to me would just be silly imo. Which lead me to sticking to that $3,000 as my entry level. I'd assume scope would be in the $1,500 range and gun $1,000 to $1,500 range. Not to mention a trigger and bipod add another $500. More I've looked into scopes they seem to be around the $1,000 range then jump to the $2,000 range. Scopes under $1,000 range you're getting China quality and not Japan!? As for the RPRR, not for me. I used to own the RPR in 6.5 creedmoor with a SWFA SS HD 5-20x50. Loved scope, gun was acceptable for my first long range rifle.

Above suggested was next level past the RPRR entry level being the CZ 457 MTR, Tikka T1X, Bergara B14R. I don't like any of these stocks/chassis. And I was under the impression that all three of these were about equal, just the b14r was more diverse with the Remington 700 platform. Thats why when doing my research, I was going with the b14r b/a to drop into a chassis I liked. Then when looking at chassis it seemed prices were around the $650 for MDT and $1,200 for MPA. Not including a stock and trigger price added.

For the scopes, I understand they can be very personal. I was deep into researching the Athlon Cronus btr gen 2. I like it a lot. I'd assume your $1,200 price point is for a used one being a BNIB is $1,700. Which at that point I'm thinking with close to $1,700, and with the Razer III release, sit and buy a Razer II used. Just another avenue I've thought about taking. I've looked at the Arken EP5 when mentioned in an earlier post in this thread and didn't like what I read and saw.

After all of this, I'm so lost on what to do tbh. I thought I had it figured out yesterday. Under budget and had a pep in my step. Feel like I'm back to square one haha.

Appreciate all the help. I'll keep researching and stay patient.

I've got a strike eagle on my vudoo for now, definitely doesn't do the rifle any justice.
I get that you can't hit what you can't see, but you also can't hit what your barrel/action can't consistently throw rounds at, no matter how good your scope is.

The b14r will be 90-95% as accurate as a vudoo, and shares a rem700 footprint which means if you do eventually decide to go with a high end action, your trigger and chassis will fit the vudoo/rim x later on down the track.

 

[Tortuga]

B14R 650$
Chassis 1000$ I guess the B14R is slightly short for the ACC. For 1000$ I would get the new XLR envy pro.

I have an Envy Pro on order from a cert I won at a NRL22 event. It will bounce between the Bergara and the to be ordered RimX until I figure out what works best. That reminds me, I need to call them up and change my order to the new buttstock.

 

[archangel485]

I've gone through the entire upgrade path... 10/22, T1X, CZ 457, Bergara, Vudoo, Ultimatum Deuce, RimX... Luckily I bought into a lot of stuff used, sold it used, didn't lose too much money, but yeh if I had bought a bunch of stuff new, sold them each for a 20% depreciation rate, that's a lot of money to burn.

If you're not sure if you're going to like NRL, then I'd consider just getting a Ruger RPRR and a Arken EP5 5-25. You don't need a ton of mods to make your life be usable, and the RPRR is adjustable to get to know a feel of what you like / don't like. After that you hop into your next set of contenders -

CZ 457 MTR, Tikka T1X, Bergara B14R, which basically all shoot about the same. The CZ 457 and Tikka T1X have a much smoother action. The B14R is clunky, but if you are going through the upgrade path, a B14R for 650 as a placeholder until you fill it with a Vudoo or RimX, is a pretty decent path. Question is you won't know what chassis you want until you play with a few.

Scopes are pretty personal.

$500 - Arken EP5 5-25
$850 - Athlon Ares ETR
$1200 - Athlon Cronus

Midas Tac kind of sits between the EP5 and the ETR. I'd choose go one or the other, probably not in between.

Having gone through the entire path, if you had it to do all over again, what would you do? And which one did you settle on?

 

[Deputy Dan]

Seems I'm just a bit ahead of you on more-or-less the same path. Though if I had $3,000 to spend I'd likely just shoot my 308 and spend it all on ammo. As it is I'm poor and shifted over to rimfire because I can shoot all day for the cost of my sighters with the 308!

I'm currently shooting Extreme Silhouettes but may try my hand at NRL22 at some point. I'm moving up from my 10/22; My B14R BA should get to my FFL in a few days. If you can find one at $650 in stock good on you - vendors that actually have them want a little bit more . I ordered mine through Aces&Eights here on the Hide and so far it's been a great experience doing business with him. You'll find him (including current prices) in the PX.

My plan is to cannibalize all the parts needed from my Rem 700 - chassis, bipod, scope, and if I'm not happy with the mod to the trigger according to AirGunShawns mentioned spring (above), then I'll swap in my 700's TriggerTech too. That was my primary reason for choosing the 14R in the first place. If the 700 is going to be a safe queen for awhile, she can be a fugly one.

Worst part for me is waiting for the B14R to show up! I've been immersed in minutiae relating to trigger and magazine mods, barrel break-in, selecting the right ammo - including sorting and measuring, tuning, and about anything else you can think of. Can't wait to get out and SHOOT.

In any case, I expect that it will take me a long time to get to the point where I need a more accurate platform.

 

[littlepod]

Having gone through the entire path, if you had it to do all over again, what would you do? And which one did you settle on?

Some background - I shoot NRL22/PRS Rimfire primarily, probably 1-2 matches every month. Pretty competitive (Top 10%).

If I did it again, I think I would do a Ruger RPRR w/ whatever scope you like. I say that because you really need to learn your body and your length of pull and your cheek height etc. After knowing what I like and I've been shooting my Vudoo for almost 2 years. I did a match for fun and borrowed a friend's base class Ruger RPRR and I set it up the way I liked it, first time out with it and it was great. They shoot well enough 100 yards and in. This was also with a Vortex diamondback tactical which I wouldn't recommend given that there's no zero step and like 6 mil revolution turrets.

So then I want to graduate because let's say I'm moving onto more consistent larger matches, finishing in the top 3rd of my group and want more consistence at 200y+. Now I need a match chamber and it just comes down to budget. Out of the box the most consistent rifle I've shot is a CZ 457 MTR. They guarantee sub moa, and they've all been fantastic shooters with tight match chambers and have held their own against my Vudoos. So I'd pick up a CZ 457 MTR for like $750, sell off the wooden stock for $200, and go find me whatever chassis I've grown to love. Downsides of this setup are really the magazines are small and the push fed mechanism of the CZ generally I see like 1 flyer every I'd say maybe 20-30 rounds or so? But it's the most consistent and reliable one. The action is smooth, runs really fast. Downside also is trigger selection but the factory one for a single stage setup is good enough.

Most of my friends in NRL22 who 'graduated' went from their RPRR to a Vudoo or a RimX. So again, it's up to what your budget is. A lot of people also just borrowed the RPRR and did like 1 match and knew they were hooked and jumped right into a CZ setup. The Tikka T1X is also very consistently accurate. I personally did that step but I really think the Tikka's ejection spring is a flawed design and too many people have had to consistently tweak theirs, including me having to do mine a few times. So these days I just recommend to go to a CZ.

Then you go into all the Vudoo vs RimX discussions which I won't get in to, so people can make up their own mind . I went from an 18" Kukri Vudoo V2, to a 22" Kukri Vudoo 360.

 

[Smoov82]

You suggest getting a RPRR with an Arken EP5 5-25x56 and be done short term!

 

[littlepod]

You suggest getting a RPRR with an Arken EP5 5-25x56 and be done short term!

Yes. If you know your future chassis you can buy external mlok weights to make the rprr heavier. And you can add a weighted arca rail as well. Then reuse those later on

 

[archangel485]

Some background - I shoot NRL22/PRS Rimfire primarily, probably 1-2 matches every month. Pretty competitive (Top 10%).

If I did it again, I think I would do a Ruger RPRR w/ whatever scope you like. I say that because you really need to learn your body and your length of pull and your cheek height etc. After knowing what I like and I've been shooting my Vudoo for almost 2 years. I did a match for fun and borrowed a friend's base class Ruger RPRR and I set it up the way I liked it, first time out with it and it was great. They shoot well enough 100 yards and in. This was also with a Vortex diamondback tactical which I wouldn't recommend given that there's no zero step and like 6 mil revolution turrets.

So then I want to graduate because let's say I'm moving onto more consistent larger matches, finishing in the top 3rd of my group and want more consistence at 200y+. Now I need a match chamber and it just comes down to budget. Out of the box the most consistent rifle I've shot is a CZ 457 MTR. They guarantee sub moa, and they've all been fantastic shooters with tight match chambers and have held their own against my Vudoos. So I'd pick up a CZ 457 MTR for like $750, sell off the wooden stock for $200, and go find me whatever chassis I've grown to love. Downsides of this setup are really the magazines are small and the push fed mechanism of the CZ generally I see like 1 flyer every I'd say maybe 20-30 rounds or so? But it's the most consistent and reliable one. The action is smooth, runs really fast. Downside also is trigger selection but the factory one for a single stage setup is good enough.

Most of my friends in NRL22 who 'graduated' went from their RPRR to a Vudoo or a RimX. So again, it's up to what your budget is. A lot of people also just borrowed the RPRR and did like 1 match and knew they were hooked and jumped right into a CZ setup. The Tikka T1X is also very consistently accurate. I personally did that step but I really think the Tikka's ejection spring is a flawed design and too many people have had to consistently tweak theirs, including me having to do mine a few times. So these days I just recommend to go to a CZ.

Then you go into all the Vudoo vs RimX discussions which I won't get in to, so people can make up their own mind . I went from an 18" Kukri Vudoo V2, to a 22" Kukri Vudoo 360.

Thanks for the response, appreciate the background, that helps me understand your perspective. I shot my first NRL22 match last weekend, loved it, and want to get into it. I borrowed a vudoo for that match, and shot fairly well, 400 points or so, nowhere near your level, but a decent score for me (I shoot centerfire a couple matches a year, so not a complete nube). I have the opportunity to borrow a tikka t1x for the next few matches, but don't want to take advantage of that, so trying to decide if I get into something cheaper (CZ457, T1x and B14r, never considered the RPR), then upgrade as time and fun money allows to a "nice one" which would likely be a vudoo or a rimx, or if I just go straight for the "nice one". CZ457 seems to be a pretty consistently highly regarded rifle, just a bummer it doesn't have the 700 footprint, but at least chassis are available for it.

 

[littlepod]

Thanks for the response, appreciate the background, that helps me understand your perspective. I shot my first NRL22 match last weekend, loved it, and want to get into it. I borrowed a vudoo for that match, and shot fairly well, 400 points or so, nowhere near your level, but a decent score for me (I shoot centerfire a couple matches a year, so not a complete nube). I have the opportunity to borrow a tikka t1x for the next few matches, but don't want to take advantage of that, so trying to decide if I get into something cheaper (CZ457, T1x and B14r, never considered the RPR), then upgrade as time and fun money allows to a "nice one" which would likely be a vudoo or a rimx, or if I just go straight for the "nice one". CZ457 seems to be a pretty consistently highly regarded rifle, just a bummer it doesn't have the 700 footprint, but at least chassis are available for it.

If you get a hold of a CZ they don't really lose their value. Rimfire game is getting more popular everyday.

 

[Smoov82]

Yes. If you know your future chassis you can buy external mlok weights to make the rprr heavier. And you can add a weighted arca rail as well. Then reuse those later on

wowza. 8 to 12 week leads on the scope?

Reliable vender for the RPRR? Just emailed my guy and he recently retired unfortunately. Looked through the site and couldn't find anything recent for activity.

Thanks

 

[littlepod]

wowza. 8 to 12 week leads on the scope?

Reliable vender for the RPRR? Just emailed my guy and he recently retired unfortunately. Looked through the site and couldn't find anything recent for activity.

Thanks

Yes they are very popular. I just got one, and it took me about 12 weeks. I am about to place an order for another.

No idea on reliable vendors... everything has been constantly in and then immediately sold.

 

[Tortuga]

Just about everything is a moving target right now. This is a pretty good site at locating stock and price.
Gun Deals

 

[Smoov82]

What number to get? 8409?

 

[littlepod]

What number to get? 8409?

Any of the 22LR ones will work.