Bergara HMR, Bergara LRP, or MPA BA Lite PCR Competition Rifle?

H

Hbomb9998

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 18, 2017
15
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#1
Hello all,

I am new to precision shooting, however I am not new to shooting. I am looking to purchase a precision rifle I can use to get started in shooting long range.

I am currently looking at:

Bergara HMR around $1000
http://bergarausa.com/bergara_b-14_series_hmr_hunting_and_match_rifle.php

Bergara LRP around $1800
http://bergarausa.com/bergara_premier_series_lrp_rifle.php

MPA BA Lite PCR Competition Rifle $1999
http://masterpiecearms.com/shop/mpa-ba-lite-pcr-competition-rifle/

All rifles would be in the 6.5mm Creedmore. At first I was pretty much set on the HMR but after looking around for a bit I'm starting to lean more towards the LRP or the MPA Lite. I am really digging the chassis on the MPA. I wouldn't mind entering in some production class competitions but would mainly be for fun.

What are you guys thoughts and opinions? Do you think the price tag is worth the jump?


 
#2
I have an MPA BA in 338LM, so this is apples to oranges a bit. I originally bought the folding stock option but it was not reliable so I yanked it off and returned it. Apparently, I got a rare lemon and MPA is not seeing many hinge failures. In general I'd give MPA a strong thumbs up. I have about 450 rounds down the tube. I do have to keep an eye on the action screws and re-torque them every 50-100 rounds but that might not be as big an issue for a 6.5CM.
 
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#3
Thanks TripleBull! I am really liking the MPA but one of my biggest concerns is if I do any production class competitions I am really limited on optics at $1000. It's tough to find ffp with a lot of power at that price point.
 
#8
certainly buy what you can afford. personally, if i were to get this rifle i would get the minimum standard LRP Elite. i've heard to much iffy about the HMR stock
 
#9
If your budget is around $2k I don't see why you can't have your cake an eat it too. Get the Bergara HMR and drop it in a Rem 700 MPA BA chassis. CORE Shooting Solutions and PVA have MPA BA and BA Comp Edition in stock ready to ship. The Bergara and Tikka, in my humble opinion, are the 2 best factory (non-custom) actions on the market.
 
#10
blbennett1288, I like your idea! I actually found a guy who can get me a HMR for $850. I don't think I can let that gun go at that price. He said it will be in in two days. I would easily be able to buy a MPA chassis with the cash I save plus end up with a Bergara action. Although, MPA says that they true and lap a remington 700 action. How much of a difference does that make in their actions? Does just make the shell casing fit flatter in the barrel or does it make the action smoother also?
 
#12
long range sponge said:
If you're gonna put the HMR in another chassis you might as well go with the BMP. That chassis isn't exactly an MPA Comp but still a step above the HMR stock. They can be had for less than $1300.
Click to expand...


I picked my bmp up right around $1150. I too looked at the mpa and the lrp. The bmp is similar but more like a less expensive variant Of the MPA. Thats my oppinion. I doubt that anytime soon id be able to tell the difference at the target between them. With the delta moneywise i was able to pick up the accesories and reloading supplies ill need. That, and when it gets right down to it, id rather put wear and tear on the BMP, rather than super nice LRP or MPA.
 
#13
Hbomb9998 said:
blbennett1288, I like your idea! I actually found a guy who can get me a HMR for $850. I don't think I can let that gun go at that price. He said it will be in in two days. I would easily be able to buy a MPA chassis with the cash I save plus end up with a Bergara action. Although, MPA says that they true and lap a remington 700 action. How much of a difference does that make in their actions? Does just make the shell casing fit flatter in the barrel or does it make the action smoother also?
Click to expand...

Truing will be between the barrel and action, lapping will be on the bolt lugs. You wouldn't be able to tell by cycling the bolt. This is done so everything is concentric to the bore. This issue stems from the Remington manufacturing process. The Bergara will not have this issue, their action just uses a Remington 700 footprint.
 
#14
I just picked up a BPR 17 LRP (not elite) in 6.5cm. I went into the shop to look at the BMP 14 BMP, also in 6.5cm. After handling both of these in the store, the LRP is a nicer rifle and the premier action was noticeably better IMO. I cant wait to hit the range. I also handled the MPA 6.5cm (cant remember which exact model), it was a tough choice between the LRP and the MPA for me. I ended up getting the LRP OTD for under $2K (including sales tax). My LRP also came with a test target at under 3/4 MOA.
 
#15
Well, I decided to pull the trigger and buy the HMR. At 900 with sales tax I couldn't pass it up. Now comes the even harder part of deciding what optics to buy. I've been looking at the XTR2, PST gen 2 (not really wanting to wait 6 months for one though), DMR2, and maybe Athlon. I am able to get LE discounts. What are guys thoughts and opinions? I really like the xtr2 options but a little scared of all the reports of bad clarity. Then DMR2 seems about the best deal with discount and I really don't know anything about Athlon, I just recently have even heard of them.
 
#17
Hbomb9998 said:
Well, I decided to pull the trigger and buy the HMR. At 900 with sales tax I couldn't pass it up. Now comes the even harder part of deciding what optics to buy. I've been looking at the XTR2, PST gen 2 (not really wanting to wait 6 months for one though), DMR2, and maybe Athlon. I am able to get LE discounts. What are guys thoughts and opinions? I really like the xtr2 options but a little scared of all the reports of bad clarity. Then DMR2 seems about the best deal with discount and I really don't know anything about Athlon, I just recently have even heard of them.
Click to expand...

With that sort of budget you are not too far off from the next step up in scopes and I would be looking at the Optics PX for a used Razor GEN2. Out of that list I would prob go with the DMR2.
 
#19
So I went to scheels and looked through some scopes. I was able to look at nf shv, xtr2, pst gen2, and a razor2. The razor of course blew them all away by a Mile by I definitely thought the pst gen 2 was a lot better that the xtr2 as far as clarity. I would say the shv is on par to the pst.. unfortunately I was not able to get my hands on a dmr2. But I'm definitely up in the air on what to buy now.
 
#21
Hbomb9998 said:
So I went to scheels and looked through some scopes. I was able to look at nf shv, xtr2, pst gen2, and a razor2. The razor of course blew them all away by a Mile by I definitely thought the pst gen 2 was a lot better that the xtr2 as far as clarity. I would say the shv is on par to the pst.. unfortunately I was not able to get my hands on a dmr2. But I'm definitely up in the air on what to buy now.
Click to expand...

I ordered a PST Gen 2 from OpticsPlanet. They called me and said it would be several weeks before the scope would ship, but they could sell me a Gen 1 Razor at a "significant" discount. Turns out "significant" was $400 off. You might want to call them and ask if they're still able to do that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
#22
The DMR II would be slightly less glass than the Razor II but better than the PST II which only has a 30mm tube. The DMR II is a great value and I picked one up with the 25% rebate from Bushnell that ended last month.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

 
#23
Hbomb9998 said:
So I went to scheels and looked through some scopes. I was able to look at nf shv, xtr2, pst gen2, and a razor2. The razor of course blew them all away by a Mile by I definitely thought the pst gen 2 was a lot better that the xtr2 as far as clarity. I would say the shv is on par to the pst.. unfortunately I was not able to get my hands on a dmr2. But I'm definitely up in the air on what to buy now.
Click to expand...

My new Athlon Cronus 4.5-29x56 BTR is much better than I expected it to be! I knew it would be very good but not "great". Seriously a fantastic scope for the money. It's hard to beat a R2 but this thing is nipping on it's heels. IMO it above all the others in various ways.

So much so that I'm considering selling my S&B.
 
#26
Dude you'd be much better off with a Cronus BTR. The DMR2 doesn't compare to the Cronus in many aspects. Zoom range, Reticle, Clarity, Eyebox, Illumination, Etc. The HMR is a sweet rifle. I've shot every Bergara rifle model out there as we sell a pile of them and they're all excellent for their price point. The stock on the HMR is a true winner and I know they'd sell a metric shit ton of them at the $400-$500 price point if they were willing to do so. The BMP is also a very solid option if a guy wants a heavier profile barrel. (That chassis is also pretty killer for the $$$)

I personally own a Premier 22" 6.5 that I threw in a magpul hunter stock as a backup rifle/LR hunting rig. Not a major fan of the XLR element and I love the magpul so that was an easy sell/swap) The thing just hammers with 140 ELD's. The premier series action is smooth as silk. I'd put those actions against most custom actions out there barring a few. The only reason I'd consider the MPA would be for the chassis. But again with the Bergara's 700 footprint that's an easy swap!

We are an MPA dealer also so I'm not speaking from a bias standpoint.

Also for those who didn't know--the timney flat blade 700 triggers will not fit in the magpul DBM.
 
#27
hypno02 said:
Dude you'd be much better off with a Cronus BTR. The DMR2 doesn't compare to the Cronus in many aspects. Zoom range, Reticle, Clarity, Eyebox, Illumination, Etc. The HMR is a sweet rifle. I've shot every Bergara rifle model out there as we sell a pile of them and they're all excellent for their price point. The stock on the HMR is a true winner and I know they'd sell a metric shit ton of them at the $400-$500 price point if they were willing to do so. The BMP is also a very solid option if a guy wants a heavier profile barrel. (That chassis is also pretty killer for the $$$)

I personally own a Premier 22" 6.5 that I threw in a magpul hunter stock as a backup rifle/LR hunting rig. Not a major fan of the XLR element and I love the magpul so that was an easy sell/swap) The thing just hammers with 140 ELD's. The premier series action is smooth as silk. I'd put those actions against most custom actions out there barring a few. The only reason I'd consider the MPA would be for the chassis. But again with the Bergara's 700 footprint that's an easy swap!

We are an MPA dealer also so I'm not speaking from a bias standpoint.

Also for those who didn't know--the timney flat blade 700 triggers will not fit in the magpul DBM.
Click to expand...

The guys at JADE Precision certainly seem to like the Cronus BTR. I just dont know enough about them nor have I gotten behind one. It is nothing against Athlon, but if i am forking out that type of money I want to know the company is going to be around when I have an issue. I am not saying they are in trouble or anything, just saying they are a newer company and I want to see reliability over a couple years, and see that they are going to be around for a while, before making a purchase of that size.
 
#28
blbennett1288 said:
The guys at JADE Precision certainly seem to like the Cronus BTR. I just dont know enough about them nor have I gotten behind one. It is nothing against Athlon, but if i am forking out that type of money I want to know the company is going to be around when I have an issue. I am not saying they are in trouble or anything, just saying they are a newer company and I want to see reliability over a couple years, and see that they are going to be around for a while, before making a purchase of that size.
Click to expand...

Totally understand sir. I just hope you don't run into buyers' remorse knowing there are better options out there you know.
 
#29
To add to the conversation- this is my Bergara Premier LRP topped with a vortex AMG; fantastic rifle for the money. It's currently for sale by the way:

IMG_2537.JPGIMG_2532.JPG
 

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#30
That is quite a nice setup! If only I had the cash I would take it off your hands. I did get my HMR a couple days ago, however I am still searching for optics so I have not been able to shoot it yet. My initial impression is they did a very nice job with the HMR. The action is smooth. I would say its almost as smooth as the T3x action but from the Tikka I handled a couple days ago I would say I give the Tikka a slight minimal edge on the smoothness. The stock is very comfortable. The cheek pad is great seems very well designed and strong with no wiggling when fastened. No surprise here, but the fore end of the stock does bend a little if you apply lots of pressure. I don't really see anytime I would ever be applying enough pressure to bend when shooting though.

Once I get some optics I'll let everyone know how it shoots. I was going to order a DMR2 but they are currently sold out. So now I'm trying to figure out my next plan of action. I did put in an order for a PST gen2 but I'm sure I will end up cancelling that order before I receive it. I saw they did have the LRSTi's in stock but my only concern there is not having enough magnification to shoot long range.
 
#31
Hbomb9998 said:
That is quite a nice setup! If only I had the cash I would take it off your hands. I did get my HMR a couple days ago, however I am still searching for optics so I have not been able to shoot it yet. My initial impression is they did a very nice job with the HMR. The action is smooth. I would say its almost as smooth as the T3x action but from the Tikka I handled a couple days ago I would say I give the Tikka a slight minimal edge on the smoothness. The stock is very comfortable. The cheek pad is great seems very well designed and strong with no wiggling when fastened. No surprise here, but the fore end of the stock does bend a little if you apply lots of pressure. I don't really see anytime I would ever be applying enough pressure to bend when shooting though.

Once I get some optics I'll let everyone know how it shoots. I was going to order a DMR2 but they are currently sold out. So now I'm trying to figure out my next plan of action. I did put in an order for a PST gen2 but I'm sure I will end up cancelling that order before I receive it. I saw they did have the LRSTi's in stock but my only concern there is not having enough magnification to shoot long range.
Click to expand...

Rifles Only and GAP have the DMR2 in stock
 
#32
blbennett1288 said:
The guys at JADE Precision certainly seem to like the Cronus BTR. I just dont know enough about them nor have I gotten behind one. It is nothing against Athlon, but if i am forking out that type of money I want to know the company is going to be around when I have an issue. I am not saying they are in trouble or anything, just saying they are a newer company and I want to see reliability over a couple years, and see that they are going to be around for a while, before making a purchase of that size.
Click to expand...

Being an athlon and a vortex dealer I would whole heartedly recommend an athlon. 98 percent of a g2 razor at 60 percent of the cost (street price Not map). There is enough information on these forums and around to know that athlon is well represented and well respected and in my humble opinion the best bang for your buck optic in the premium category. The only area that the g2 razor beats the athlon is the superior turret design.
 
#34
So I finally got my HMR set up. I ended up putting and ARES 4.5-27 ffp on it. First impressions are great although I have not had it to the range yet. The glass is nice and I like the reticle. I don't have much experience with turrets so I cannot really comment on them. I was cycling rounds threw the chamber and the extractor doesn't seem to be working right. It will only fully expel about half of the rounds in a mag, the rest end up laying in the chamber. I going to go ahead and shoot it to see if that will make a difference or not. Maybe the springs are too tight and need to loosen up? The extractor looks ok imo. Anyways, I will keep you guys updated. Thanks for all the help!
 
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