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Bergara B14-R; How are they shooting?

36K views 143 replies 40 participants last post by  Robison 
#1 ·
I've been kicking around the idea of buying a Bergara B14-R sometime in the future. I've handled both the steel barreled and CF wrapped barreled versions and I had pretty much decided I'd prefer the steel one. Lately I've been reading mixed reports on how they're shooting. IIRC KOD said his CF wrapped B14-R was a great shooter. Since he had the barrel replaced on his steel one I assume it didn't shoot as well as he hoped. I'm now wondering if I should go ahead and spend the extra $100 and get the CF wrapped version. I've been thinking about this for awhile and now I'm thinking that the weight of the CF wrapped one might be more suitable for what I want to use it for too. If they tend to shoot better that would help me to make my decision. I realize these are factory rifles and each one will be a roll of the dice but I won't be happy if I spend $1K on a rifle and it doesn't at least shoot decent ammo under MOA on a regular basis. I have already have a Tikka T1x (among other rifles) and it's starting to look like it's going to be a good shooter. If I don't feel confident the Bergara will shoot at least as well or better than the Tikka I won't waste my time and money on it.

So here's my question for the owners of B14-Rs, which barrel do you have and how are they shooting? Are they performing up to your expectations? Are shooting under MOA with decent ammo?
 
#5 ·
I’ve had my B14r for about 2 months and had it to range about 5 times. It shoots well better than me. At 50 yards I’ve shot .25 groups with a variety of ammo, one of it “Match”. It shoots Geco Semi Auto, SK Pistol Match Special better than Center X. Not scientific but I shot at least 8 groups of 5 of each. I have to learn how to shoot it better.
I’ve shot a Winchester 52 Pre A with a Lyman 20x for the last 10 years and know how to shoot it. The Beraga will out shoot it. (1932 vs. 2020).😊
 
#6 ·
My steel B14r was poorly finished barrel and shot 1+MOA with any ammo. Great action and takes bix-n andy trigger... so some great Pluses. It makes a good rebarrel job in the future if you have sub-par barrel. My only "%%%" is the slogan is "Our Barrels make the difference"... not really. And yes this is after calling Bergara USA with expectation of accuracy is 1-2 MOA ... this is not pride in their barrels.
 
#7 ·
Mine is the CF barrel. My consideration was the weight; I think it is about 1 pound lighter than the steel barrel. And it is plenty heavy for me. I replaced the trigger so I could get a two stage 8oz/8oz for PRS shooting. This made a big difference in group size for me. The oem trigger is very good. But I wanted lighter pull than it would go. My buddy put the oem trigger in a Rem. 700 and says it is about the best field/hunting trigger has has ever had.
After 6 months, the groups are getting smaller- or maybe its me. Using Center X, this rifle will shoot .5 to .75 inch groups at 100 yards very consistently in light wind. It shoots as good, or better, than my Kidd supergrade.
The gun meets the high expectations I had for it. I am not dissappointed with it at all. I will admit, it took a while to get here... different trigger, different ammos, barrel wear, etc. have made the gun a real pleasure to shoot.
 
#9 ·
I have the carbon barreled version with a Bix n’ Andy TacSport set around 4 ounces. Both of these targets are off of a bipod and crappy rear bag, clean barrel to start. They are representative of most days I shoot it without much focus and mild winds. Both at 50 yards all 5 shot groups. It’s shot better and I’ve certainly shot it worse but I’m not trying to post cherry picked groups. Target is folded because other shots were with different rifles. Midas groups shot from left to right again starting with a very clean bore. The lower ones were it fouling in and some of the floaters in other groups are a combination of me being jumpy and wind.
 

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#10 ·
I have the carbon barreled version with a Bix n' Andy TacSport set around 4 ounces. Both of these targets are off of a bipod and crappy rear bag, clean barrel to start. They are representative of most days I shoot it without much focus and mild winds. Both at 50 yards all 5 shot groups. It's shot better and I've certainly shot it worse but I'm not trying to post cherry picked groups. Target is folded because other shots were with different rifles. Midas groups shot from left to right again starting with a very clean bore. The lower ones were it fouling in and some of the floaters in other groups are a combination of me being jumpy and wind.
Thanks for sharing! I'd be very pleased with groups like those!
 
#12 ·
Mine is back at Bergara Lawrenceville, Ga. Shot a .590" 5 shot group at 100 yds with Center-X. The more I shot it the worse it got. Last group was over 2" at 100 yds. They told me it would be over a month before they could look at it. Really!!! They said it will be tested at 50 yds at an outdoor range. They can keep it if it does not shoot .2s at 50.
 
#13 ·
Mine is back at Bergara Lawrenceville, Ga. Shot a .590" 5 shot group at 100 yds with Center-X. The more I shot it the worse it got. Last group was over 2" at 100 yds. They told me it would be over a month before they could look at it. Really!!! They said it will be tested at 50 yds at an outdoor range. They can keep it if it does not shoot .2s at 50.
Just the one group? If so, keep in mind that sometimes everything comes together -- five very consistent, consecutive rounds, excellent shot execution, no adverse impact from the wind -- and a really good group is produced. The rest may well be average. The five very consistent, consecutive rounds is the hardest part to replicate.
 
#14 ·
It shot several groups in the .600" - .700" range. I even swapped scopes when the groups opened up just to make certain I did not have a scope issue. My old 8-32X50 Crossfire gave up the ghost on my CZ455. Would not track. BTW this is not my first rodeo. I invented our .22 Sniper Match 10 years ago. Targets at 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 and 200 yds. 10 steel targets at each distance.
 
#19 ·
Can either rifling or throat be good for a while -- at least long enough to shoot a .590" group and several in the .600" - .700" range -- and then deteriorate so that groups soon expand to over 2", all at 100 yards? It seems like an unusual bore/chamber-related development.
 
#17 ·
At $1K, they should probably guarantee 0.5” at 50Y (like Kidd). But it seems that they do it more like CZ…..If the gun barely shoots 1” at 50Y, it’s still good to go.…..And that’s why, like CZs, you get guns that shoot in the low 0.3s and guns that shoot above 1”.
 
#20 ·
I don't know whether you can erode a .22 bore all that quickly, unless you have a couple of hundred thousand rounds on hand and a lot, I mean A LOT, of time. More likely that first 500 rounds would give you a good start on a carbon ring . . . no?
 
#22 · (Edited)
I'm wondering the same for my b-14r. The thing just won't group at 50. Best it will group is .6. Worst 1.2. @50. With various lots of ammo. It did shoot a .5 once with Midas +. But wouldn't repeat it

Edit: these are pics taken without a single shot sent. At least not by me. The entire length oh the barrel looked like this. It took a while to clean it. But it's down to clean metal now.

I got to looking at the engraving it does on the bullet. Mine engraves about .120 if this barrel is the saami match chamber I'm thinking of buying a reamer and changing it.

Also I took a look down the barrel before I ever shot it and it looked like it had already been shot with a ton of rounds. It's was horrible!
When I figure out how to post pics. I will.
 

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#25 ·
I have fewer than 1k rounds downrange with the Bergara 14R. So I am still figuring out what works. I have only shot a handful of groups that I am satisfied with, but it is early days yet. FWIW, it also took me a couple of outings to figure out what works with the Vudoo, so I am not too concerned about it. There are signs of promise, though.

I don't know for sure that the smeared lands are the end of the world. I am just surprised to see them from a company that has made its reputation on the quality of its barrels. I have never seen that in an Anschutz, for instance, although I have several CZs that look similar at the lede.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
 
#26 ·
It took forever to clean the barrel initially. My usual procedure with a new rifle is to run a brush through followed by a Bore Snake. Did not work with the Bergara. Ran the brush through several times, followed by wet patches, then dry patches. I was still getting dirty patches after ten attempts. So a couple of patches of J-B Bore Bright finally cleaned the bore. Never had a new barrel so filthy.
 
#28 ·
I have been reading all the posts concerning the accuracy of the Bergara B14R and feel compelled to respond concerning my experience with the rifle and customer service of Bergara in Lawrenceville, Ga. I ordered the B14R(steel) from my LGS and received it on 8/4/20. I mounted a Weaver T-36 scope and took it to my local range to try it out. Unlike many shooters here, I don't normally shot groups but shoot the USBR Green Monster for practice & competition. I normally shoot in the high 230's with my Kimber 82G with the T-36 scope. After shooting several targets over a few weeks with the B-14R using different lots of SK Standard Plus & Center X I was only able to average about 225 out of all the targets. I did shoot some groups in the sighter targets to see if the rifle was still sighted-in. None of my groups were anything like ColtCollector's or some of the other member's groups or targets, I could maybe get 4 rounds touching but always got a fifth-round flyer. Since I have a bore-scope I decided to checks the bore. The bore looked really good with sharp lands & smooth grooves but when I got to the leade where the chamber meets the lands I saw what I believed to be a problem. As in Flangster's photos, all the lands had burrs. A friend of mine who is a retired machinist & gunsmith said he believed that Bergara either used a dull reamer or the feed rate was too fast which torn the metal instead of cutting it smoothly.

I contacted customer service and told them of my concerns about the rifle's accuracy and the burrs in the leade. I was advised to send it to them for their gunsmith to check-out, but it would take 4-6 weeks turn around. I sent them an email with my concerns and photos of the lands with the burrs and asked to be updated with any info after the gunsmith examined the rifle. I was assured that they would make sure the gunsmith received my email & photos. I called on 10/1 to see if anything had been done and was advised that they were real busy and that they would include a letter with the rifle when it was sent back, explaining what if anything was done. I called again on 10/20 and was told that the gunsmith cleaned & lubed the rifle, recrowned the muzzle, re-torqued the action screws, and took it to the range where he shot a .475" group with Federal Gold Medal Target ammo. I asked about the burrs on the lands but was told that the rifle met their accuracy standards and the rifle was on the way back to me. I also had to ask what the action screw torque should be since it's not in the owner's manual and was advised that it was 55" lbs. I asked what their accuracy standard was and was told, .75" @ 50 yards. Apparently, they don't have the equipment to do any repair work on these rifles. There was nothing wrong with the muzzle that I could see and could not see where they re-crowned it. Needless to say, Bergara's customer service & quality control leaves a lot to be desired.

I believe these rifles came out about a year ago and those rifles were probably pretty accurate but mine and some of the later one's not so much. It could be that the bean counters got involved and instead of replacing worn reamers they continued using them a little longer than they should have, producing the above problems. No-one I talked to & showed my photos to believed that the burrs in the leade were conducive to good accuracy. I hope this helps anyone who is considering buying one of these rifles, it appears to be a hit or miss situation.
This is my first post and if I can figure out to include photos, I will in a later post.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I contacted customer service .... I asked what their accuracy standard was and was told, .75" @ 50 yards.
That's about 1.5 MOA.

The Bergara reportedly has a "match" chamber. It's not clear what chamber dimensions are used and it must be noted that chambers smaller than SAAMI sporting chambers may be described as match in some cases. At least one review suggests that the Bergara has a SAAMI chamber, but it's not known if this is confirmed by the manufacturer. https://www.recoilweb.com/recoil-review-bergaras-new-b14-r-rimfire-trainer-in-22lr-159176.html
Edit: There's a photo of the receiver in the review linked above. The receiver has a CIP stamp on it making it very unlikely that it's chamber would be SAAMI. Spain, where Bergara is located, is a member of CIP.

For perspective and comparison, CZ has an "official" guarantee.

Selected models in the .22 LR calibre, such as the CZ 457 MTR, have a Match cartridge chamber at the very edge of the CIP tolerance. Very precise production and low tolerances provide an excellent accuracy guarantee of 1 MOA depending on the ammunition used.
https://www.czub.cz/en/firearms-and...els in the .,depending on the ammunition used.

For other models without the CZ match chamber, CZ's standard is 2 MOA at 50 yards or 1" at 50. (Reported elsewhere on RFC by posters who enquired with CZ-USA.)

It's important to remember that most individual barrels by any manufacturer, especially mass production barrels, will be average for that manufacturer, while some will shoot better and some will shoot worse.

As always, accuracy is dependent on the ammunition used. And it should be noted that not all lots of the same match ammos shoot equally well. For example not all lots of Lapua Center X will shoot equally.
 
#30 ·
They test these rifles at a 50 yard outdoor range. So the "Barrel People" only guarantee a 3/4" group at 50 yards? I emailed them pictures of my groups at 100 yds. 2"+ is not acceptable. I also included some groups shot with my Kimber 82G at 100 yds - 1/2". I wonder if they have the ability to change barrels.
 
#32 ·
Joe D,
From talking to their CS people I don't think they have the equipment to do much repair work at Lawrenceville. The rifles are shipped in from Spain and they are just a distribution center. That means that they probably can't even change out a defective barrel because they don't even have the parts. Apparently, they have their gunsmith go out to the range and shoot some targets until they get one under .5" and say it's good to go.
 
#33 ·
Joe D,
From talking to their CS people I don't think they have the equipment to do much repair work at Lawrenceville. The rifles are shipped in from Spain and they are just a distribution center. That means that they probably can't even change out a defective barrel because they don't even have the parts. Apparently, they have their gunsmith go out to the range and shoot some targets until they get one under .5" and say it's good to go.
That's how rumors are started and bad information spread.
 
#34 ·
Not sure all of that is rumor. Bergara told me they took returned rifles to an outdoor range for testing. BTW I lived in Lawrenceville, GA for 20 years. I am not aware of any outdoor range close to Lawrenceville. I was a member of River Bend and South River.
 
#35 ·
That also means that you're not sure it's fact.

If a rifle is returned for accuracy problems, testing it seems logical. However, shooting it until a 1/2 inch group at 50 yards is achieved and then saying it's "good to go" isn't.

I'm not trying to start an argument but unsubstantiated statements about how a company does business can cause them bad publicity and potential business.
 
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