I got a bit of a bonus at work and figured this was as good a time as any to pick up a B14R. I ordered from Bud's and it was delivered to my local FFL early this week. I picked up a couple of spare mags from a seller on Ebay (apparently it was good timing because I don't find them listed anymore). I also grabbed a Area 419 Pic rail adapter to use in place of the sling studs on the HMR stock and one of their finger-groove bolt knobs to match the one on my B14 in 6.5 Creedmoor. I already had a Talley 20MOA base that I took off my B14 when I replaced it with a Seekins model (because it has a recoil lug), so I installed that as well.
Before I ever went to the range I took the action out of the stock and used fine grit sandpaper to remove the paint and texturing from the bedding areas where the aluminum pillars meet the action, smoothing it out and getting it nice and uniform. I figure it can't hurt to remove any high spots or pressure points created by the uneven surface. I backed the trigger adjustment off all the way and just left enough threads engaged to hold the screw in (with some thread locker). I put the action back in the stock with the action screws torqued to 40 in-lbs since that seemed to work best for @Kisssofdeath when he tested his rifle. I also cleaned the barrel with BoreTech Eliminator until the patches showed almost no streaking.
It was about 37°F this morning with no wind (rare for Oklahoma). I sighted the rifle in at 50 yards with Eley SA Benchrest Outlaw. It took me 5 shots to get zeroed because I'm a bonehead that can't remember right from left. Once I found zero I shot five more and proceeded to begin testing the various flavors of ammo I had on hand. I shot 10 round groups at 50 yards until the wind picked up. I'm not going to put up all 12 groups, but I'll put up three of the better ones. With each of these I've grouped all 10 shots and then made another group that throws out 1 shot, so the lower group label that shows a tighter measurement is the 9-shot group. (Grid is 1/4" and center diamond is 1/2")
Eley SA Benchrest Outlaw
SK Flatnose Target
Eley Club
I'm absolutely pleased with the accuracy from this rifle. Even supersonic varieties shoot remarkably well (for supersonic varieties) and very few varieties actually shot poorly. There were several more groups that showed 7 or 8 shots in a tight group and then a couple of outliers that were probably more the fault of the shooter than the rifle. All 3 mags functioned flawlessly and there were no failures of any kind in the 130 rounds I put down range.
The trigger on this rifle is a little heavier than the one on my T1X but it's just as good. I can't detect any creep, the break is clean, and the overtravel is just right IMO. I don't have a trigger scale, but I usually like my triggers in 1 to 1.5 lb range and this one is just above that. It's a really good factory trigger and I don't feel the need to replace it at this time.
I like the action on this rifle, it feels very solid and positive. It's not as easy to operate as my T1X, but it has that feel of something that's going to break in over time and smooth out. The bolt close can feel kind of hitchy, but I get the impression that it's because the headspace and lockup is tight and the final "hitch" is the bolt forcing the bullet shoulder into the lands. The throw is 90° like it's full-sized brother, but the stroke is short and it feels very natural to me. I prefer the Area 419 bolt knob over the factory design, but the factory isn't bad at all.
This is a rimfire rifle that doesn't feel like a rimfire. The receiver is the same size as the centerfire B14, the barrel is the same contour as the centerfire (if a little shorter at 18"), The bolt operates and feels like the centerfire, the stock literally IS the centerfire stock, and it's just as heavy as a centerfire. I'm really looking forward to breaking this rifle in and hopefully improving my scores in our local NRL22 matches with it.
Before I ever went to the range I took the action out of the stock and used fine grit sandpaper to remove the paint and texturing from the bedding areas where the aluminum pillars meet the action, smoothing it out and getting it nice and uniform. I figure it can't hurt to remove any high spots or pressure points created by the uneven surface. I backed the trigger adjustment off all the way and just left enough threads engaged to hold the screw in (with some thread locker). I put the action back in the stock with the action screws torqued to 40 in-lbs since that seemed to work best for @Kisssofdeath when he tested his rifle. I also cleaned the barrel with BoreTech Eliminator until the patches showed almost no streaking.
It was about 37°F this morning with no wind (rare for Oklahoma). I sighted the rifle in at 50 yards with Eley SA Benchrest Outlaw. It took me 5 shots to get zeroed because I'm a bonehead that can't remember right from left. Once I found zero I shot five more and proceeded to begin testing the various flavors of ammo I had on hand. I shot 10 round groups at 50 yards until the wind picked up. I'm not going to put up all 12 groups, but I'll put up three of the better ones. With each of these I've grouped all 10 shots and then made another group that throws out 1 shot, so the lower group label that shows a tighter measurement is the 9-shot group. (Grid is 1/4" and center diamond is 1/2")
Eley SA Benchrest Outlaw
SK Flatnose Target
Eley Club
I'm absolutely pleased with the accuracy from this rifle. Even supersonic varieties shoot remarkably well (for supersonic varieties) and very few varieties actually shot poorly. There were several more groups that showed 7 or 8 shots in a tight group and then a couple of outliers that were probably more the fault of the shooter than the rifle. All 3 mags functioned flawlessly and there were no failures of any kind in the 130 rounds I put down range.
The trigger on this rifle is a little heavier than the one on my T1X but it's just as good. I can't detect any creep, the break is clean, and the overtravel is just right IMO. I don't have a trigger scale, but I usually like my triggers in 1 to 1.5 lb range and this one is just above that. It's a really good factory trigger and I don't feel the need to replace it at this time.
I like the action on this rifle, it feels very solid and positive. It's not as easy to operate as my T1X, but it has that feel of something that's going to break in over time and smooth out. The bolt close can feel kind of hitchy, but I get the impression that it's because the headspace and lockup is tight and the final "hitch" is the bolt forcing the bullet shoulder into the lands. The throw is 90° like it's full-sized brother, but the stroke is short and it feels very natural to me. I prefer the Area 419 bolt knob over the factory design, but the factory isn't bad at all.
This is a rimfire rifle that doesn't feel like a rimfire. The receiver is the same size as the centerfire B14, the barrel is the same contour as the centerfire (if a little shorter at 18"), The bolt operates and feels like the centerfire, the stock literally IS the centerfire stock, and it's just as heavy as a centerfire. I'm really looking forward to breaking this rifle in and hopefully improving my scores in our local NRL22 matches with it.
