Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Bergara B14 rifle

does anyone know anything about this brand of rifle ? i have been kinda thinking about buying one in a 30-06. thanks for any info , Pete53

Pete,

From the one rifle I had as well as doing research on them they are typically pretty accurate. My 6.5CM was boringly so - 1/2 MOA with a couple factory loads and sub 1” with all 5-6 tried in it. They are a Rem 700 clone design and come in a few configurations. Mine was the B-14 Ridge model and was supposed to be 7.7 lbs bare. I never weighed it but felt heavier than that and due to the semi-heavy contour barrel it was easy to shoot offhand or from the bench. The stock was pretty stiff for a factory composite and had a grippy texture. The trigger was surprisingly good for a current factory gun.

Bergara was known first as a barrel maker and Kimber turned to them to source barrels when they were having QC problems with their own.

You didn’t state with version you are considering but the Ridge in an ‘06 would be a good setup if not used for extensive hiking.

I have one in 450BM I love it
My friend just bought one in 308 I scoped it for him and we sighted it in so limited experience with that one but it shot well as I expected, both of these are ridge models
Not sure why but just an easy gun to shoot

I have an HMR in 6.5 manbun the stock is cumbersome not as happy with that one

Hank

I had one the B14 Timber in 308. Good, accurate gun but a bit chunky for my taste. I like them more svelte

Bought a B14 Hunter in 6.5 CM. It was a shooter but weighed a LOT more than my 6.5 Tikka and didn't shoot any better. I had a chance to sell it for more than I paid so I let it go. But I was impressed enough to try a B14 Ridge in 308. The Ridge has a slightly heavier barrel and is sort of a middle ground between a target and hunting rifle. Never could get it to shoot and let it go.

A couple of years later I ran across a B14 Wilderness Ridge in 308 and decided to try again. It was a 1.5 MOA at best rifle with anything I tried. But I really wanted to like this one so I sent it back to Bergara. They tweaked the crown and bedding then returned it with a .495" 3 shot target with 165 gr Federal Gold Match ammo.

I wasn't able to find any of that ammo and even if I could wouldn't pay $50/ box for it. The gun still wouldn't do better than 1.5" with my handloads. The same loads were in 1/2" with my Tikka 308. Sold it too.

My advice; Buy a Tikka. It'll cost less, shoot better, and weigh less.

I agree with JMR40.

thanks gentlemen , i will buy a different new rifle , maybe a Tikka ? as a FFL dealer i ordered a S.S. wood stock and a Laminated wood too in 30-06 Tikka so what ever comes in 1st ? and its on back order for a while.

That's fine but anybody who guarantees that a Tikka will outshoot a Bergara doesn't know squat about Bergara. They are some shooters

I had a B14 Ridge 308.It was boringly inaccurate.I dumped it.How ever they have sweet triggers.

I had a Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor, it hated anything heavier than 120 gr. Bullets. With 120s, .5” groups were more common than not. Someone talked me out of it. I now have a HMR in .308. 1.25” three shot groups at 200 are not unusual. I’m satisfied with their accuracy. I do like the triggers, and they operate smoothly and have good triggers. I can’t complain. They are easy to clean, too.

Old70

I have two B-14 Hunter rifles. The first was a 30-06 bought used from someone here at the 'Fire. It shoots extremely well, so well that I bought a new one in 7mm-08. The 7mm-08 didn't shoot very well, so I called Bergara and they said send it back. I did. They recrowned the muzzle, lapped the bolt lugs, and sent it back with a three shot group measuring .999".

I shot the rifle again and found it still wanting in accuracy. So, I shot 30 David Tubb bullets in reduced velocity ammo I loaded. After that, it has been shooting very well. Bergara says their warrantee is void if you shoot handloads. I don't care about their warrantee.

One final comment: The Bergara 30-06 wouldn't feed reliably from the hinged-floorplate magazine. Bergara offered to fix it if I shipped it to Georgia. I bought their drop-box magazine conversion kit instead. I prefer detachable magazines, and now it feeds perfectly.

Would I buy another B-14 Hunter? Maybe. I have had better luck with accuracy in the Tikkas I have owned. I have owned six, and all shot very well.

I have the Woodsman version that I bought mainly because of the wood. Beautiful rifle that shoots as good as it looks. I consider it a Model 700 done right. I have shot more 1/2" or smaller groups with this rifle than any other I have ever owned. Shoots so good that I recently picked up the .22lr version. It also is a fantastic shooter. I have zero hesitation in recommending Bergara rifles.

I have a B14 in 243. I would but another one over any other rifle out there.

I agree. They look nice, but every time I pick one up they are heavy. Hell, my old pre 64 featherweights are lighter.. Was talking to a guy at a long range shoot last Saturday and was asking him about his rifle. He was shooting his Ruger precision rifle instead of the Bergara he just bought. I guess the Bergara had some issues and was at the smith's getting some attention. Thought it was odd, since all the reports and reviews seem to be pretty positive. I guess every rifle can have issues, but If I were wanting a nice accurate and lightweight rifle, the Bergara would not be my first choice..

My son just bought one, nice rifle, in 7mm Rem Mag. It's a bit muzzle heavy, but I hope it proves to be a good shooter. Dang, that bolt sure is smooth!

My buddy Gavin has used several of them. Here's a report on his 6.5 PRC. Link goes to both a written article and the video:

https://ultimatereloader.com/2020/08/07/tested-bergara-b-14-wilderness-hmr-in-6-5-prc/

Regards, Guy

Not sure where the 'Heavy' is coming from. The Woodsman pictured above is a pound and a half lighter than my M70 30-06. It's not an ultra lightweight but certainly not heavy.

It depends on the model. I bought a slightly used Bergara Ridge synthetic-stock in 6.5 Creedmoor 2-3 years ago for a good price. I assumed its name meant it was relatively light in weight, but was wasn't--around 9 pounds with scope. Shame on me for not doing my homework, but wanted to try one and the price was right. It shot well, but have owned more than one lower-cost and lighter-weight 6.5 Creedmoor that was more accurate.

Example of one....

I maybe should've kept my B-14 Timber. But my Ruger Hawkeye killed it. The 77 was so much more trim and lighter. The B-14 Timber always felt like it needed some serious wood removed where the Hawkeye always feels alive in my hands. And I just put 30 rounds through that Hawkeye just today so that feel is fresh in my mind. I love that Rifle

thank you guys for more post on this site , i am just going to keep the Tikka on order. Pete53