FYI: Bergara B14 hmr accuracy fix

[Omnibuzz]

Hey all, I figured I would drop a comment about a fix I found for the accuracy issues I was having with my Bergara B14 HMR wilderness in case it should be helpful to anyone. The rifle was not grouping well with any type of ammo other than Hornady eld, Norma whitetail, and Freedom Munitions BTHP at 140 grains. Anything else was shooting all over the place in seemingly random patterns. I tried 143, 147, 139, 130 weight bullets from many different manufacturers and the best I could get it to do was around 1.5 to 3.5 moa. The ammo it liked could get it to .6 to .8 moa at my skill level. I have a tikka and a sako that group well with almost anything so I was a bit disappointed in the Bergara, but decided to investigate because I love everything else about it.

After going through the usual suspects (cleaning, rail, rings, scope, action screw torque), I found a post about overpainting on the inside of the stock in a Bergara forum. I took the action out and discovered that mine seemed to have the overpainting issue. Basically, there are three sections where the metal chassis was painted over (near front of recoil lug inlet and near the front and back of the trigger inlet area). I sanded the paint off of those enough to where the metal was showing and made sure the splatter on other parts of the stock were not thick enough to touch the action or barrel. The rifle now shoots everything I tried previously .8 moa or better (again this is at my current skill level). It has gone from a decent rifle to an awesome one for me.

Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to help anyone else who may be having accuracy or ammo pickiness issues with their B14 hmr because it is a great rifle once you get it humming along. Hope it helps.

 

[Lowholer]

Thank You for the tip I had same issues on 2 of my bergara rifles.They are now shooting like a bergara should shoot.Awesome rifles for the money!

 

[BoJangles]

Nice, thank you for the heads up on this.

 

[GalilAce]

Hey all, I figured I would drop a comment about a fix I found for the accuracy issues I was having with my Bergara B14 HMR wilderness in case it should be helpful to anyone. The rifle was not grouping well with any type of ammo other than Hornady eld, Norma whitetail, and Freedom Munitions BTHP at 140 grains. Anything else was shooting all over the place in seemingly random patterns. I tried 143, 147, 139, 130 weight bullets from many different manufacturers and the best I could get it to do was around 1.5 to 3.5 moa. The ammo it liked could get it to .6 to .8 moa at my skill level. I have a tikka and a sako that group well with almost anything so I was a bit disappointed in the Bergara, but decided to investigate because I love everything else about it.

After going through the usual suspects (cleaning, rail, rings, scope, action screw torque), I found a post about overpainting on the inside of the stock in a Bergara forum. I took the action out and discovered that mine seemed to have the overpainting issue. Basically, there are three sections where the metal chassis was painted over (near front of recoil lug inlet and near the front and back of the trigger inlet area). I sanded the paint off of those enough to where the metal was showing and made sure the splatter on other parts of the stock were not thick enough to touch the action or barrel. The rifle now shoots everything I tried previously .8 moa or better (again this is at my current skill level). It has gone from a decent rifle to an awesome one for me.

Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to help anyone else who may be having accuracy or ammo pickiness issues with their B14 hmr because it is a great rifle once you get it humming along. Hope it helps.

Would you please show some pictures (before and after)? Thanks in advance.

 

[JINKSTER]

Yep...it seems SOP for new Bergara owners and why Bergara would guarantee accuracy with a overmolded chassis and then paint over the bedding?...I'd be firing someone...

 

[Pappasniper]

I have an LRP that shoots everything lights out but my Wilderness hates heavy bullets. Will shoot 120's 130's up to 140 with good accuracy but 147 and 150 bullets shoot terrible. Like 2 to 2.5 MOA

Jinkster, that velocity is legit. I did juts realized it was PRC but still nice movement.

PB

 

[waterman86]

I have the same issues as others. I have a hmr pro 6.5 CM that's a .5 gun with emd-m 147 and .75 with American gunner. Love that gun so got the hmr wilderness in 300 WM for an elk hunt. 3x5 shot groups with freedom munitions 175 loads have been 1.75" to 2.25". Put 2 rounds of eld-m 195gn through it and they were 3.75" apart so I aborted and brought it home.

Took it apart today and noticed there was pain on the bedding areas with some black splatter on the front recoil lug. The base paint was chipped/ rough so I'm sanding that down now. Was thinking wtf and found this thread. Should be able to shoot Monday. I'll report back if it helps.

Before and after pics below.

 

[Char'ed Cuterie]

Just for extra data points - I had to pull my B14 HMR out of the OEM stock at around 900 rounds last weekend (as part of an unrelated warranty adventure involving ejection, it's back at the mothership after I tried everything I could think of) and also noticed the crazy paint in these same spots. I hadn't had any issues with accuracy, and have a few 5 shot sub-1/2-MOA groups on paper targets, but I will for-sure be sanding that paint away once it comes back from warranty.

To cut Bergara some slack on this, though - my Grayboe stock for a separate rifle ALSO came with textured paint slazzered all over the bedding blocks and recoil lug area, so... it happens to a few companies, it seems.

 

[DocRDS]

Solving your own problems and then posting a fix for others to learn? You better cut that shit out right meow.

(nice job btw)

 

[EotS]

Any newer production #s showing Bergara has fixed this?

 

[BoJangles]

Any newer production #s showing Bergara has fixed this?

I bought a B14 HMR Wilderness 2021 in 300 PRC and did not have any issues with it.

 

[EotS]

I bought a B14 HMR Wilderness 2021 in 300 PRC and did not have any issues with it.

No accuracy issues, or no overspray?

 

[whatsupdoc]

My HMR had no accuracy issues even with the overspray, I removed the action to replace the
trigger and some of the overspray had came off the stock and adhered to the action so I had
to clean up the overspray from the stock.

 

[EotS]

So, I'm hearing the reason for near 3moa groups is a tad of overspray causing contact between the action and chassis?

 

[BoJangles]

No accuracy issues, or no overspray?

I never felt the need to check for overspray because the gun was sub MOA from the day I bought it.

If it’s shooting fine I just leave them alone.

 

[pineoak]

For big box guns, remove the barreled action from the factory stock.

Chalk up the bottom of the barrel and place back in stock. Relieve any areas of the factory stock that are touching the barrel with a Dremel.

 

[EotS]

Also, wouldn't you need to remove the material surrounding the action bolts to ensure none of that was higher?

I still don't see this issie taking a 2.5moa rifle down to a half moa rifle.

 

[waterman86]

It does seem crazy that a little over spray would kill accuracy. But I was shooting 2 - 3 inch groups before this. Groups below are still not the best (was rushing before a monsoon hit) but good enough to hunt with. The improvement could also have been torqing the action screws to spec or just the barrel breaking in, but the accuracy improvement was quite dramatic.

Either way, I'll be happy if it keeps this up.

 

[Char'ed Cuterie]

It does seem crazy that a little over spray would kill accuracy. But I was shooting 2 - 3 inch groups before this. Groups below are still not the best (was rushing before a monsoon hit) but good enough to hunt with. The improvement could also have been torqing the action screws to spec or just the barrel breaking in, but the accuracy improvement was quite dramatic.

Either way, I'll be happy if it keeps this up.

I've wondered about this as well, because while mine has always been 0.75-0.50 MOA, I didn't fire it on the factory torque - I used the front action screw to attach an Arca rail, and torqued both front and rear to spec after that install, so I have no way of knowing how it shot from the factory. Mine for sure has the overspray, too. I wouldn't at all be surprised if some of these reported issues (taken as whole) were, in fact, rifles taken right out of the box and shot with loose scope rails and loose action screws. The rifles shoot like poop, get taken apart for troubleshooting, the paint is seen and corrected BUT ALSO the rails get threadlocker and torque and the action screws get some attention, rifles go back together, and shoot fine.

Mine's still at the mothership for ejection-related warranty work, but when I do get it back, I'll be sanding that paint off (because why not, I have to re-zero everything anyway), re-torquing, and running some tests. I don't expect any issues.

 

[Biscuits]

I'm getting a 300PRC Wilderness HMR in the next week. Will check this before I start using it.

When you retighten the action screws, what is the correct torque to use? Do you put Loktite on them or no need?

 

[EotS]

I'm getting a 300PRC Wilderness HMR in the next week. Will check this before I start using it.

When you retighten the action screws, what is the correct torque to use? Do you put Loktite on them or no need?

No Loktite, and I THINK I remember the tq being 60in lbs.
At any rate, the tq specs are in the owners manual.

 

[Mjolnir74]

I'm getting a 300PRC Wilderness HMR in the next week. Will check this before I start using it.

When you retighten the action screws, what is the correct torque to use? Do you put Loktite on them or no need?

 

[Biscuits]

Thanks. Got the rifle in 300 PRC. I cleaned out the excess pained and I tightened the action screws to 60 in.lbs before I saw your post. But maybe it's close enough to 55 that I won't mess with it. Although I haven't zeroed it yet, so maybe I will mess with it.