I am looking at two long range chassis rifles. The Howa HCR and the Begara 14 BMP in 6.5 CM. They are very similar and several website have tested their accuracy and reported about 1/2 MOA. The current best price on the Howa is $1011 compared to $1277 for the Begara. I would like input as to whether or not the Begara is worth $266 more than the Howa?
Howa HCR or Begara
- Thread starter charliebrown1999
- Start date
I can't speak to the HCR specifically, but all of the Howa's Ive built/shot have been awesome, especially for how little they cost in relation to other actions. Barreled actions are 300-400, giving you a lot of money to spend on stock or other upgrades.
The HCR seems like a solid rifle but I've heard of a few guys that found the forearm could flex a bit more than they prefered; I think it canbe/was remedied by retorquing the screws for handguard.
The only experience I've had with Bergara was their hunting model but it shot very well for a thin light rifle. I think either would be a solid choice but the other considerations may tip the scale:
Aftermarket parts availability (stocks/chassis, triggers, bottom metal, bases, etc)? Howa probably has lead in this department but Bergara may pick up steam.
Rebarrel availability? Maybe a tie, but Howa's run metric tenon so many companies/Smith's do not want to do them. Criterion offers prefit barrels now though and mine is running very well.
General support? Howa is supported by Legacy Sports in Nevada; I've worked with them and they do a pretty good job all in all. Unsure about Bergara support in US if it becomes necessary.
Personally, If the HCR fits your ticket I think it's a very solid choice. However, I would strongly consider looking at a barreled action and buying a specific chassis/stock that could have better features for your needs. You'd have about 700-800 available for build after buying the action. MPA, MDT, even Brownells BRN 1, all have some features that could be useful over HCR chassis.
Good luck!
The HCR seems like a solid rifle but I've heard of a few guys that found the forearm could flex a bit more than they prefered; I think it canbe/was remedied by retorquing the screws for handguard.
The only experience I've had with Bergara was their hunting model but it shot very well for a thin light rifle. I think either would be a solid choice but the other considerations may tip the scale:
Aftermarket parts availability (stocks/chassis, triggers, bottom metal, bases, etc)? Howa probably has lead in this department but Bergara may pick up steam.
Rebarrel availability? Maybe a tie, but Howa's run metric tenon so many companies/Smith's do not want to do them. Criterion offers prefit barrels now though and mine is running very well.
General support? Howa is supported by Legacy Sports in Nevada; I've worked with them and they do a pretty good job all in all. Unsure about Bergara support in US if it becomes necessary.
Personally, If the HCR fits your ticket I think it's a very solid choice. However, I would strongly consider looking at a barreled action and buying a specific chassis/stock that could have better features for your needs. You'd have about 700-800 available for build after buying the action. MPA, MDT, even Brownells BRN 1, all have some features that could be useful over HCR chassis.
Good luck!
The good thing is you can easily clone the howa chassis rifle pretty easily, and even cheaper. Brownells sells the chassis under their own brand and they sell what ever Howa barrled actions as well. The good thing is you can use what ever buttstock you want then. I would prefer the XLR tactical buttstock.
I can give some input to the customer service I received from Bergara on a LRP I bought last year. The rifle came with a proof target and I wanted to know what ammo they used to shoot it. So I called them, their headquarters is over in Georgia. The fella I talk to could not have been any nicer, he answered my questions, and appreciated my business. That type of customer service is why I'll promote a product. As for the rifle, first 3 shots at 100 yards to get zeroed, then printed a 1/2 MOA 5 shot group at 300 yards with 168gr FGMM.
I can't speak for the bergara but my HCR is absolutely perfect for what it is. Even with cheap, non match grade ammo, this thing is pretty damn accurate. I've been wanting to get into long range shooting for a while but life and work seemed to always get in the way. Last weekend I finally got the opportunity to stretch her out. It was my first time ever doing so. Only got to shoot at 445 but that was stupid easy. Hit after hit after hit. My HCR does not have any flaws that I can think of. Correction, the original mag it came with will not feed the last round properly into the chamber. I can't say that's the rifles part, as I tried a magpul and it was butter smooth. All in all, I would definitely recommend it. Or, if you want to go a bit more custom route, get a barreled action from brownells and drop it in any chassis you want or like. Good luck on your decision.
I am convinced that the Howa HCR is more than adequate for my needs. I have ordered one from Grabagun and will follow up with an Athlon scope, warne 20MOA rail and XLA rings-Done deal.
I'm glad1 you went that route. It is definitely a bit cheaper but will perform just as good as any higher priced factory gun, maybe even those customs...
