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Bergara B-14R Range Report and Assessment

Guys thanks for all the input. just went thru all of this post. Mine is coming this week. Is the factory trigger adjustable? A lot of trigger info, some worked some did not. What trigger are you using?

Mark
The factory trigger is usable and can be adjusted down to a smidge over 2 pounds. Mine is getting replaced by a 4 to 32 ounce TriggerTech Diamond. It's a tits in the window trigger
 
Guys thanks for all the input. just went thru all of this post. Mine is coming this week. Is the factory trigger adjustable? A lot of trigger info, some worked some did not. What trigger are you using?

Mark
As Nate has stated factory trigger is usable
I installed a trigger tech diamond
With no problems
KOD has some problems with a trigger tech, but mine is doing great
Bix an Andy, jewel,
Just make sure it fits inside trigger guard
Congrats on the b14r I think you will be happy with it
 
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Have tried Timmney 2 stage, the one with the blue housing and TT diamond single stage. No issues with either.
And like yoteman stated, the factory trigger is not that bad, at least not in mine.
 
My factory trigger only went down to 2lbs 15 oz but feels very good for the weight and breaks clean. Definitely usable. That being said, I am enjoying this rifle so much I decided I could throw a few more bucks at it. Triggertech primary is arriving any minute now....
 
Did a little 200 and 300 yard practice this weekend.
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Glad to see a new post. Things have been quiet on the B14.
Finally got around to shooting a little better ammo (At least for me) out of both guns. Shot a few different SK ammo types plus my normal stuff. I’m starting to think that the carbon setup is slowly pulling away from the steel one. Or at least with the ammo I have tried. The Carbon gun just seems to have less flyer. Both shoot pretty good even with various bulk Rem/Win/Fed. May have to do some 6x5s with them just for fun to see the numbers. Think they will be under 1.5 average. Here is some targets I shot in the last few weeks. Most of my range time is spent shooting at 1in shoot and see dots on targets left on target boards, bullet holes at 100 and dirt clods at the 200 yard berm. I find it more fun.
Carbon—51 and 101 yards. For some reason my range has target boards at 23/51/76/101/193 Yards.
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Steel-Only took picture of the 51. Did do a 7 group target that was almost exactly 1in with SK+ at 101 so nothing special.
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Tested some more SK. Carbon gun liked PM Special and did just ok with the RM. Steel gun looks like it does a hair over an inch with everything. Going to just start bringing it and my CZ to the range till I get it figured out. 101 yards
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Had an issue when trying to run a suppressor on my B14R Carbon. When attaching the suppressor, I'd have extreme POI shift. 10+ mils, and groups opened up hugely. I tried 5 different brands/models of 22lr suppressor with similar results that varied per can. Those with larger bore diameters shifted less, which led me to believe it was baffle strikes. I've experienced this exact same thing with other carbon tension barrels of this design, such as volquartsen, and others. The shoulder on the barrel is comprised of a threaded nut, that is tensioned against a carbon fiber sleeve. Sometimes, that nut gets off axis from the bore, so when you tighten up a suppressor, it will pull it off axis. Other times the tool used to interface the two holes in the nut, damages the two holes, and causes a bit of material to stick up which will contact the suppressor before full lockup. This is not specific to bergara, but rather can happen with any barrel of this design. Without the suppressor attached, the rifle shot great.

With the barrel setup true to the bore in a lathe, you can face off the nut, and square it up. This solved the issue 100% and I can now attach a suppressor with only a couple tenths of a mil of shift, (which is very minimal) and the groups are nice, just as they are without the suppressor.

Before:
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After:
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I bought a B14R Carbon online and just got it today. Because of your post I checked the barrel and my suppressor with an alignment rod and it was way off. So, thank you! I probably never would have checked. The fit and finish of the carbon to the barrel is absolutely terrible. Here are some pics of what I got.
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I bought a B14R Carbon online and just got it today. Because of your post I checked the barrel and my suppressor with an alignment rod and it was way off. So, thank you! I probably never would have checked. The fit and finish of the carbon to the barrel is absolutely terrible. Here are some pics of what I got.
Sorry you're dealing with that, but glad I helped.

I first had this issue with a carbon tension barrel long ago... like 15-18 years ago. It stuck with me since. ;)
 
Sorry you're dealing with that, but glad I helped.

I first had this issue with a carbon tension barrel long ago... like 15-18 years ago. It stuck with me since. ;)
I emailed them about it. Hopefully I’ll hear something back before the weekend but I doubt it.
 
I emailed them about it. Hopefully I’ll hear something back before the weekend but I doubt it.
Please keep us updated. I am still struggling to choose between the carbon and steel barrels, but I want to shoot with a can, so this is a big issue for me. I'd also like to know what they are going to do about the poor fit between the carbon and the barrel.
 
Please keep us updated. I am still struggling to choose between the carbon and steel barrels, but I want to shoot with a can, so this is a big issue for me. I'd also like to know what they are going to do about the poor fit between the carbon and the barrel.
This is a big issue for me as well, because I planned on primarily shooting it with a can. When I used my alignment rod I could feel it hit at least three baffles in my can.

I actually received a quick response from them this morning. They emailed me a return label and repair ticket, but they told me it would be a 4-6 week turn around. Needless to say I was quite unhappy about that news and replied saying so. I received a prompt call from them shortly after my reply. They upgraded my shipping to overnight but still 4-6 week turnaround. They told me it’s because this is a busy time of year for them with hunting season coming up and between CVA and Bergara they only have three gunsmiths on hand for repairs.

They are going to make it right, but it’s just aggravating to buy a new rifle and have to send back immediately.
 
Took a friend out to shoot 1K with his new 6.5 today. Broke out my Bergara at the 200 yard line for fun. Didn't do too bad, decent waterline with CCI SV, holding one mil, and small gusts blew to 2mils. Two inch dot.

Bergara_200yds.jpg
 
So I shot my first rifle match of any kind yesterday (NRL22) with the B14R. Came in 6th which for my first match I am more than happy with. There were 3 Bergaras in the top six. Such a great rifle for the money I couldn’t ask for more.
 
Mine (left) and my buddy’s Bergaras. He came in 3rd.
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RFutch,
Did you or your friend see a significant improvement in anything by switching stocks? I have two Bravo stocks and two MPA Hybrid chassis, improvements were mainly ergonomics going from a hunting style to a pistol grip tactical style. Not sure how much of an improvement "if any" I'd see over the B14R stock.
 
Just ergos I’d say. I liked the grip of the HMR stock but Everything behind that felt odd to me. Like it was too low or something.

After shooting this match I am wanting to add more weight though. Mike is 11 lbs now and I could definitely see where a few more would help. My buddy’s weighs almost 20 lbs lol.
 
How do the mags work in both the Bravo and MPA? I'm thinking about getting the MPA because I will eventually get a Gen 2 Vudoo or the Deuce Ultimatum. I already have a Bix & Andy trigger not being used so it's not like I'd be "wasting" money by buying a 700 footprint chassis/stock.
 
Initial results of having mine for a little over a week.
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50yd, 5 and 10rd groups, Center X
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50yds
SK Match top 2 groups
SK std + remaining
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50yds
SK std +
SK match. The hot rounds were from ammo that was left out in the sun.
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100yds
The wild groups of SK and Center X were fired during gusts from N-S. I was curious to see the dispersion.
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How do the mags work in both the Bravo and MPA? I'm thinking about getting the MPA because I will eventually get a Gen 2 Vudoo or the Deuce Ultimatum. I already have a Bix & Andy trigger not being used so it's not like I'd be "wasting" money by buying a 700 footprint chassis/stock.

The only issue I've run into, is if I'm pressing into a barricade with the rifle on a game changer bag, will cause some feeding issues(mag actually hitting the bag). Most of the time I can move it back a bit and then chamber the round. Other than that its fed perfectly.

The MPA has more magwell surrounding the mag to protect it from this so it is probably better. I haven't seen my buddy have any issues with his.
 
I got my Trigger Tech Diamond in my B14R today. Makes all the difference. Great trigger.
Mark
 
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I got my Trigger Tech Diamond in my B14R today. Makes all the difference. Great trigger.
Mark
I'll never understand why I couldn't get my TTD to work. Something just wasn't right with the combo. Glad yours is working out.
 
I got one of the first "if not the first" B14R rifles on here. I also believe I got a "bottom of the barrel" rifle, accuracy wise. It seems that most, if not all B-14R's in here and on RFC are more accurate than mine is. My B-14R is simply fantastic in every respect except accuracy. Having thought about it and just how much I like the platform I decided to send my B-14R off to Mark Penrod to see what he can do with it. He called me today after he opened the box and we discussed several things. He said he was impressed with the smoothness of the bolt and overall design. We talked barrels again and I have decided to not get the barrel threaded. This will not only save me some money with threading and back boring on the button rifled barrel but should eliminate an accuracy variable, after all that's why it's there. My first barrel choice is the Shilen 5R and the second choice is the 3 groove benchmark. That's all for now, will update as new information comes up.
 
Wondering what bore guide people are using? I like bore tech stuff, anyone tried the vudoo guide?
 
I got one of the first "if not the first" B14R rifles on here. I also believe I got a "bottom of the barrel" rifle, accuracy wise. It seems that most, if not all B-14R's in here and on RFC are more accurate than mine is. My B-14R is simply fantastic in every respect except accuracy. Having thought about it and just how much I like the platform I decided to send my B-14R off to Mark Penrod to see what he can do with it. He called me today after he opened the box and we discussed several things. He said he was impressed with the smoothness of the bolt and overall design. We talked barrels again and I have decided to not get the barrel threaded. This will not only save me some money with threading and back boring on the button rifled barrel but should eliminate an accuracy variable, after all that's why it's there. My first barrel choice is the Shilen 5R and the second choice is the 3 groove benchmark. That's all for now, will update as new information comes up.
Waiting to see how it turns out. My carbon gun is a shooter that will probably shoot mid .2s average at 50 and sub .75 average at 100. That’s with its favorite ammo. The steel barrel gun is really just good not great or at least with the ammo I have tried. Will probably just do some tweaking on it and not spend more money on it. Does plenty good for position shooting but not as fun off the bench.
 
Thought I'd put this up. This is the last plate I shot before sending to Mark. Just for viewing. If groups are compared you will just have to do a visual. This is how I've measured my groups for years and it works pretty good for my use. All my groups are measured center to center.

Overall I guess these groups are not to bad. After the first group was shot I made a scope correction and the rest were together. When I look at this rifle I see a 70% to 80% 1/2" shooter. To me that means this rifle shoots 1/2" or better 70-80% of the time at 55 yards. The shots I have circled are WTF shots, shots I simply don't know what happened. Those are what I want eliminated.

B-14R SK RM 9-6-20.jpg


Just for comparison here's a plate shot the same day with the same ammo from my 457 with IBI barrel.
457 IBI SK RM 9-6-20.jpg


Same ammo ten days later, with my T1x with IBI barrel. And yes, that "1st shot of day" is the dreaded and hated "cold bore flyer".
Tikka IBI SK RM Lot 20951 9-16-20.jpg


T1x with Lapua Pistol King. Pistol King is one of my favorite ammos in all my rifles.
Tikka IBI Lapua Pistol King 9-16-20.jpg
 
Talked to Mark Penrod this morning. As expected after slugging the B-14R barrel it's no wonder it shot they way it did. Mark said the slug started out good but the further to the muzzle it got the looser it got until it almost fell out at the end. Sounds like Bergara used the wrong end of the barrel.

Overall he said he was very impressed with the quality of the B-14R. He commented on the Elftmann trigger, that it was very good. The stock was good but could possibly be made better by bedding. He was very impressed the the receiver and bolt. I'll make a decision later on for what to do "if anything" about the stock. For me, I really like the factory stock and how it feels. BTW, this is the first Bergara B-14R he has laid his hands on.

He sent me three photos yesterday showing the receiver end of the barrel. The adapter shown below will be used to install a new barrel. That will standardize the threads for if I decide later on I want a different barrel it won't be so expensive nor difficult to change. Barrel wise, I have decided on the Shilen Ratchet, .920 straight contour barrel. Length will be probably somewhere between 24 and 26", just wherever the tightest spots ends up being. Chamber choice, he said he said he recommended using his reamer and that was what he was using on his Shilen Ratchet .920 barrel. From the way he talked I believe it might be close to the 22 LR Match chamber as shown below in the black outline, but I'll find out for sure next time we talk. The other options he offerers, I haven't decided on. Mark Penrod is also a competitor. He placed 18th out of 71 at the Shilen Challenge a few weeks back.

Once more decisions have been made I'll post it here.

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I know better than to get into a high level discussion here. So I'll simply say, experience. Much experience.

As I said, genuinely I wish you luck. Everyone deserves a precise and accurate 22lr. :) From the sounds of it, anything will be an improvement from what was on there.
 
KOD, may I ask what the reasoning is to machine an adapter for a smaller diameter barrel (at the breach) and not going the regular step of machining a one piece barrel?
 
Mark Penrod has the Shilen barrels on the shelf and can turn this project around rather quickly instead of months if he had to find a larger blank and turn it down. Plus this way is a lot cheaper. Now that I think about it I am concerned how it's going to look. I thought orkan might touch on the cosmetics as a reason he wouldn't do it but he didn't.

Orkan, I wasn't going to discuss or debate your reasoning, I was just looking for the reason. I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. If you have knowledge and experience then please share it.
 
I thought orkan might touch on the cosmetics as a reason he wouldn't do it but he didn't.

Orkan, I wasn't going to discuss or debate your reasoning, I was just looking for the reason. I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. If you have knowledge and experience then please share it.
Absolutely nothing to do with aesthetics, and everything to do with accuracy/precision.
 
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Absolutely nothing to do with aesthetics, and everything to do with accuracy/precision.
Okay, well obviously you don't think it will have accuracy or precision can you elaborate the pitfalls so I can ask Mark about these.
 
Okay, well obviously you don't think it will have accuracy or precision can you elaborate the pitfalls so I can ask Mark about these.

KOD,
If at all possible, do what you can to steer away from the bushing....it’s a horrible approach. The introduction of variation is never a good idea especially if the bushing was not finish turned and threaded on the barrel being fitted to the receiver.

Hope this helps....

MB
 
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The bushing looks to be made on a cnc. If the bushing is as good as it looks it will be just as crooked as the receiver when properly attached.
 
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KOD,
If at all possible, do what you can to steer away from the bushing....it’s a horrible approach. The introduction of variation is never a good idea especially if the bushing was not finish turned and threaded on the barrel being fitted to the receiver.

Hope this helps....

MB
Sir, you've my greatest respect for trying to help KOD in a bergara B14r post.
 
Sir, you've my greatest respect for trying to help KOD in a bergara B14r post.

Thank you, Sir. KOD is after what we're all after and there's enough of us that have been down this bushing route before to know it's not the best route. I've machined away more than my fair share of 40X threads to "properly" qualify the new threads I cut to centerline, then "properly" fit a barrel. So I don't have to use words like, "looks," "if," and "just as crooked."

If KOD is looking to resolve the issues he's having, qualifying new threads to the receiver and then fitting a barrel to those threads is a far better route than using threads that are, "just as crooked," but hey, what do I know....

MB
 
Thank you, Sir. KOD is after what we're all after and there's enough of us that have been down this bushing route before to know it's not the best route. I've machined away more than my fair share of 40X threads to "properly" qualify the new threads I cut to centerline, then "properly" fit a barrel. So I don't have to use words like, "looks," "if," and "just as crooked."

If KOD is looking to resolve the issues he's having, qualifying new threads to the receiver and then fitting a barrel to those threads is a far better route than using threads that are, "just as crooked," but hey, what do I know....

MB

Who said the threads are crooked? They are metric threads that he is bushing to standard threads. I think Mr. Penrose said that he was impressed by the bolt and receiver.
 
Who said the threads are crooked? They are metric threads that he is bushing to standard threads. I think Mr. Penrose said that he was impressed by the bolt and receiver.

That's an excellent question Dude and now gets us back to the right spot. KOD asked a question and @orkan made a statement based on his experience and because he's been run through the mill here in the past, he chose not to elaborate. KOD is a good Dude and I don't want to see him sent down the wrong path, so I chimed in with an experience based opinion, and that is, even with perfect threads, a bushing isn't the best way to approach re-barreling KODs action.

I get it that Mr. Penrose (I don't think that's his name) "said he was impressed," but did he make that statement here himself or does anyone have any further context to what that means? No, he didn't, so no one really knows what Mr. Penrose said except KOD.

So, as it relates to improving a rifle at the price point of the B14R, it makes sense to eliminate a component that serves to promote the stacking of tolerances where the process of properly fitting a barrel is concerned. Factually, it's difficult for anyone to argue that, perfect threads or not.

MB
 
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That's an excellent question Dude and now gets us back to the right spot. KOD asked a question and @orkan made a statement based on his experience and because he's been run through the mill here in the past, he chose not to elaborate. KOD is a good Dude and I don't want to see him sent down the wrong path, so I chimed in with an experience based opinion, and that is, even with perfect threads, a bushing isn't the best way to approach re-barreling KODs action.

I get it that Mr. Penrose (I don't think that's his name) "said he was impressed," but did he make that statement here himself or does anyone have any further context to what that means? No, he didn't, so no one really knows what Mr. Penrose said except KOD.

So, as it relates to improving a rifle at the price point of the B14R, it makes sense to eliminate a component that serves to promote the stacking of tolerances where the process of properly fitting a barrel is concerned. Factually, it's difficult for anyone to argue that, perfect threads or not.

MB
So you are saying that a threaded "plug" cannot be installed, glued, bored and threaded for a standard thread barrel and be square to the receiver?
 
I think what that means is someone has penis envy with another that actually can shoot well what he builds well.
 
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So you are saying that a threaded "plug" cannot be installed, glued, bored and threaded for a standard thread barrel and be square to the receiver?

No sir, that's not what I'm saying at all, but that's not what the above bushing represents. A "plug" can certainly be installed, adhesed, bored and threaded, but why would one do that instead of qualifying the threads that are already there?

MB
 
I think what that means is someone has penis envy with another that actually can shoot well what he builds well.

Do you actually have something to contribute? You sent me a PM because you were pissed that I quoted your post and now you want to carry on like this? You said you won't "blow your own horn on a public forum," but you can carry on like a child? But, you mentioned the horn after you told me you've been building "match grade" rifles for 45 years that have established world records and you've set three records yourself....Either contribute according to your stated experience or take it to RFC.

MB