I just picked up my new Bergara HMR pro. Pretty much a first real BA rifle. Any advice on maintenance? Also when I pull the bolt out there’s grease still on the bolt face. Should I leave it, wipe it, take the bolt apart and clean it? Thanks.
- Thread starter Patrickg513
- Start date
Clean it good including the barrel, shoot rinse repeat.
I do the same. Clean it up and re-apply some grease, oil will work too if ya don’t have any grease. Just a light bit. Swab the barrel. Then shoot it! Have fun!
Thoroughly clean the bolt and bolt face then put a dab of white grease on the engaging face of the bolt lugs
Thanks guys.
Take the stock off and check for oil, paint, or other debris. Clean up anything you find and re torque the action screws. Had I done so it would have saved me some serious range frustration and ammo. Only had to do it once and now she shoots fine with the right ammo. Enjoy your new rifle!
HTH
HTH
Just bedded mine at the rear tang and the front section of the action up to the recoil lug recess in the stock. Another guy on here had seen some inconsistency until he bedded it (apparently he saw improvement by just relieving around the pillars first, but got more improvement after bedding), so it was on my mind, but what finally tipped me over was when my new M24 contour barrel was obviously not aligned in the barrel channel. Rather than open up the channel a ton on the left side to eliminate the contact, and then have a really wonky-looking stock, I just bedded it, problem solved.
...after I beat the action out of the stock with a 2x4, because I was silly and didn't tape the front of the recoil lug.
ETA: Don't bother doing this unless you're unsatisfied at the range, lots of folks have perfectly good results with the stock configuration. Enjoy the new rifle, I wish I'd gone with the Pro model to start. Excellent choice.
...after I beat the action out of the stock with a 2x4, because I was silly and didn't tape the front of the recoil lug.
ETA: Don't bother doing this unless you're unsatisfied at the range, lots of folks have perfectly good results with the stock configuration. Enjoy the new rifle, I wish I'd gone with the Pro model to start. Excellent choice.
Where would I find said torque specs?
In the manual. Looks like the bottom of page 16, 55 in-lbs.
Someone mentioned bedding. I plan on changing the stock. Eventually.
Gotcha. Thank you.
It’s so easy to get wrapped around the axle on such a topic. I’m gonna run it as is. Honestly, this thing will outperform my skills even if it shot like crap.
Believe it or not, I actually like the stock quite a bit. I drilled and tapped an extra hole to mount up an ARCA rail, but other than that and the bedding job to get it cleanly aligned I've been quite happy with it. I like the ergos, and it's been more durable than I expected.
Since you usually have to pop the cheek piece out to remove the bolt, I bought these little guys, cut them in half, and filed down the sides so they'd slip into the recess underneath the cheek piece. I use them as stops for the cheek piece height, so I don't have to reset the height every time I remove the bolt. Silly little thing, but it's made my life much happier with this stock.
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The CkyePod has my attention these days, but that price tag is a tough pill to swallow. I've been mostly happy with the Atlas CAL, so it'll do for now.
As far as mounting options, you can put a little Pic rail up front on that stock with no drilling, I recommend the Atlas BT17, plus a couple #10-32 x 3/4"screws, should thread right into the sling stud holes with no issues. If you really get into the game, you'll want an ARCA rail eventually, you can either do what I did and thread/tap another 10-32 hole close to the front action screw (no T-nut required, just thread right into the aluminum chassis), mount up a short ARCA rail up front (not recommended), or swap stocks to something with a full-length ARCA rail like you mentioned. Have fun!
As far as mounting options, you can put a little Pic rail up front on that stock with no drilling, I recommend the Atlas BT17, plus a couple #10-32 x 3/4"screws, should thread right into the sling stud holes with no issues. If you really get into the game, you'll want an ARCA rail eventually, you can either do what I did and thread/tap another 10-32 hole close to the front action screw (no T-nut required, just thread right into the aluminum chassis), mount up a short ARCA rail up front (not recommended), or swap stocks to something with a full-length ARCA rail like you mentioned. Have fun!
I have a Bergara HMR in 6.5 PRC. Only thing I did to it is replace the trigger with a Jewel cause I had an extra. She shot great for the first 300 rounds but would throw a flyer more than I liked so I bedded it. It definitely made a difference. 
Greetings to the Hide,
This is my first attempt to break into BA guns. I am an AR 15/308 nut. 22 years in the AF taught me to rely on what I was told to use. No more. I am 66 now and need a new vice. I want to test myself, but know old eyes are limiting. My wife has givin me the green light to get a new pew (after a lot of honey doos). After a great deal of time and research I have decided on a Bergara HMR Pro in 308. Before you guys cut me up, know that I am set for 308, reloading for many years now and don't think my wife would allow me to get another caliber to spend money for. I was lucky to get her ok on this! The price point is acceptable, I found a few outlets with 1599-1650 average prices. Guys, what do you think? I have been reading carefully everything at the Hide and other resources on this subject. Please feel free to chime in. Thanks to all, and keep em small.
This is my first attempt to break into BA guns. I am an AR 15/308 nut. 22 years in the AF taught me to rely on what I was told to use. No more. I am 66 now and need a new vice. I want to test myself, but know old eyes are limiting. My wife has givin me the green light to get a new pew (after a lot of honey doos). After a great deal of time and research I have decided on a Bergara HMR Pro in 308. Before you guys cut me up, know that I am set for 308, reloading for many years now and don't think my wife would allow me to get another caliber to spend money for. I was lucky to get her ok on this! The price point is acceptable, I found a few outlets with 1599-1650 average prices. Guys, what do you think? I have been reading carefully everything at the Hide and other resources on this subject. Please feel free to chime in. Thanks to all, and keep em small.
I think that without going custom, the Bergara HMR Pro is an excellent choice. You get all of the key upgrades: stainless barrel, cerakoted barrel/action, Premier bolt with swappable bolt heads and tool-less takedown, and a TT Primary. For perspective, I bought an early HMR model, before they corrected the firing pin hole oversize problem (causes cratered/pierced primers), and I've made the following upgrades:
- Premier Bolt: $275
- TT Primary (originally, then went to a 2-stage Special because the Primaries don't have 2-stage): $160
- Custom Barrel (because the factory barrel accuracy was unsatisfactory): $650 (chambered and threaded)
So if you add all that up to the ~$900-1000 price for the base HMR, it's hundreds more than what you're looking at paying, and your action won't get cosmetic rust like mine does when I go hunting in the cold. Enjoy it, mine is very smooth to operate and I hear the Premier actions are even better.
Curiosity always gets me, where did you get the info on the bolt head being swappable? I know that Bergara will do a barrel change for reasonable$$, but who would you recommend for a custom barrel? Is the cost you mentioned all in? I may want to get a bit longer barrel. 20" seems a bit short to me. Or am I wrong on this point? Thanks for the input. It does make a difference. Keep em small.
What can you advise on bipod and attachment. I would rather have a Arca type if possible. Can a bag rider go on the stock, or will I have to get creative...
Bergara advertises them as swappable, and it very easily comes out when you break the bolt down. The retaining pin actually often wants to fall out on its own when the firing pin is removed, cause it's not under tension anymore. There are several outfits who will do Bergara barrel nut barrels (a "Berage" barrel); I can only ever remember @Deep South Tactical who did mine. Barrel length depends on what you want; competitors often want more length for free velocity but mostly for better balance. Shorter barrels are often more inherently accurate (due to stiffness), but mine's a 24" 6.5 CM, M24 contour, and it still needs a little help with balance (forend weights). The cost I mentioned is all in: a Hart blank they had in stock for $330-350 I think, plus chambering and muzzle threading for $300, plus a barrel nut for like $40-50. Barrel nut is reusable. Bergara will rebarrel a rifle for $500 (including cerakote), so that's definitely a cheaper path, but you have to wait for it to be done, and I have no idea what that lead time is these days. Bergara USA has great customer service though, you can call them and ask.
I installed a full-length Henderson rail (I like that it's light for hunting). The 10" was perfect for the HMR stock, and you want the "traditional embedded" hardware option: https://www.shortactionprecision.co...ils/products/henderson-precision-10-arca-rail
I installed it by using the two front sling stud screw points (I think they're #10-32 screws), and also drilled and tapped a third hole in the aluminum rib in the centerline of the forend a few inches in front of the magwell for the third mounting screw. Works great, no T-nut required. Drilled with a drill press, but a hand drill would work fine if you're careful; a #10-32 hand tap is cheap.
ARCA is the way to go in my opinion for bipod attachment, because it lets you move the bipod forward/rear as circumstances dictate. Also, it'll leave you open for other attachments later, such as a gamer plate or tripod head such as the much-loved Anvil 30 (don't tell your wife). A full-length rail is nice because it's a) more flexible as far as mounting locations go, and b) provides an even flatter surface for dropping the rifle onto a bag. For bag rider, you mean a rear bag rider? I think you could install one with some stock modifications, but I just remove the rear sling stud and shoot.
Thanks for the support. I am more than cautious with new this venture. My Dad got me into 308, God rest him. He had 35+ years on active duty-Navy during WWII and the newly established AF when it became separate from the Army Air Corps in 1947. One of the first 1000 that crossed service. He's my hero!
The Henderson Rail is nice and will fit the bill nicely. Mounting via your suggestion looks do-able. Thought the Hmr Pro stock had mlocks- I'm wrong here? Yeah, the Anvil 30 is sweet. For that $$ I could get a nice upgrade or other toys
will need to find an option. Suggestions??? Really appreciate the help here, more than you know.No MLOK on there to my knowledge, just QD quick connects on the sides for slings and the like, and two fore and one aft sling studs. MLOK, Pic, or ARCA can be added to various places using various aftermarket methods.The Henderson Rail is nice and will fit the bill nicely. Mounting via your suggestion looks do-able. Thought the Hmr Pro stock had mlocks- I'm wrong here? Yeah, the Anvil 30 is sweet. For that $$ I could get a nice upgrade or other toys
You asked for suggestions:
- I would pop the barreled action out when you get the thing and gently remove the paint off the bedding pillars, you just want clean aluminum there
- I got tired of resetting the cheek riser height if I had to pull the bolt or clean the gun, so I bought some of these little collars, cut them in half, and installed them on the cheek riser posts to have a "set" height for the riser. Had to file the sides of the collar down to get it to fit in the little recess under the riser, but now I can yank the riser, pull the bolt, and slap the riser back in and it's already at the right height. Huge quality-of-life improvement, to the point that MPA now offers an overpriced version on their site for their chassis: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5Z2G9Z
- If you reload and want to run rounds all the way out to mag length, you'll need to notch the receiver at the front of the mag well, otherwise the bullet tips hit the receiver as they come up. A pretty significant design flaw in my opinion, but an easy enough fix for someone who doesn't mind putting a Dremel to their action. I understand fully why someone might not want to do that. If you don't reload, I wouldn't expect any issues.
Those are the main things that come to mind; I ended up bedding my stock eventually because when I put the custom barrel on it the BA was obviously off-center in the stock, plus some folks have seen accuracy improvements after bedding. Having played with a few different stock/chassis configurations, I can now say that I honestly Bergara dang near nailed it with the HMR stock. Despite being budget when it comes to adjustments and attachment modes and whatnot, the ergos are really solid, and with an ARCA rail installed, tick many of the boxes of much more expensive stocks.
I think you're gonna like the gun, good choice.
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Sorry this post is so late. I wanted to thank you for the suggestions on the Henderson arca rail and the travel spacers for the cheek weld. I had to postpone purchase until last week for health reasons, but I finally got the gun. A brand new shiny Bergara HMR Pro in .308. What a peach! Gonna have fun with this. Your suggestions have been implemented and looks nice. Did find a little junk under the action and barrel, but no problem cleaning it out. Didn't want to drill the stock for the 3rd mount on the arca, but it had to be done. 10 inch is perfect. The spacers work so well, simple things usually are the best. Going to the range next week to start breaking it in. Already have 100 or so rounds made up for load development. But that will wait until I feel the gun is broke in and ready. Again, thanks for the input. Stay safe and have fun.
Hey, really glad to hear the ideas worked well for you! Love it when someone's not mad with my ideas after they try them haha
Post some targets when you finish load development, I'm curious to see how the Pro barrel shoots
Will do. Might be a bit with holidays here. But I will. I'll get back to you. Thanks again.
