Question about my first gun.

[dombeyblue]

Hi,

I hope you can help me with my decision. I never had a long-range rifle and I am buying my first gun. I wanted a 6.5 Creedmoor because of the accuracy but now I am thinking of picking up a .308 because it is way cheaper (gun and ammo) in my country (6.5 creed guns are very limited). + the longest shooting range in our country is 800 meters or 875 yards. So I don't really need long-range caliber or do I for that kind of length?

So my question is because I am on a budget and for that length, is it ok to buy a Bergara rifle in .308 and put it on MDT chassis?

And the next question is because I am putting the barrel on different chassis is the barrel on all B14 Bergaras the same? Our local store has Bergara B14 sporter varmint 24" or Bergara B14 HMR...because sporter varmint is way cheaper.

I won't be shooting precision competitions. Probably only steel plates.

Thanks!

 

[Fx51LP308]

Hi,

I hope you can help me with my decision. I never had a long-range rifle and I am buying my first gun. I wanted a 6.5 Creedmoor because of the accuracy but now I am thinking of picking up a .308 because it is way cheaper (gun and ammo) in my country (6.5 creed guns are very limited). + the longest shooting range in our country is 800 meters or 875 yards. So I don't really need long-range caliber or do I for that kind of length?

So my question is because I am on a budget and for that length, is it ok to buy a Bergara rifle in .308 and put it on MDT chassis?

And the next question is because I am putting the barrel on different chassis is the barrel on all B14 Bergaras the same? Our local store has Bergara B14 sporter varmint 24" or Bergara B14 HMR...because sporter varmint is way cheaper.

I won't be shooting precision competitions. Probably only steel plates.

Thanks!

I started with a .308 Win. And I'm glad I did. I did not want to train myself in PRS (Precision Rifle Shooting) with anything more powerful. Start with that, master it, and once you are more comfortable with it you can upgrade the power and range (308 will work well at 1000 yards if you do it right).

As for me, when I'm ready to upgrade, it will most likely not be 6.5 creedmor but .338 Lapua Mag.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Buy what you want, not what is cheap. If you make your purchase based on cheap, you will always have in the back of your thoughts, what if I got what I really wanted. If you really want the 6.5, get that.

 

[Aftermath]

Pick up the B14 HMR. Go shoot it as is.
Later, once you have gained some skill, upgrade the trigger and shoot it some more.
Practice will do you far more good than the chassis or choice of caliber and that 7.62 NATO will serve you very well.

 

[Greenfish]

I vote the hmr. The stock/chassis is actually pretty nice for the price of the rifle. And the barrels come from the same blanks but the hmr has a heavier profile.

And if 308 saves you money, that's good! Put the savings into a scope and bipod! The barrel life will also be longer. Not sure how the gunsmith situation is in your country but it would probably be harder to send it back to bergara for a new barrel as well if you went that route. And you could always do a 6.5 barrel at that point if you wanted also.

Just out of curiosity, what is the price of the hmr and what would the price of the Sporter/mdt combo be?

 

[dombeyblue]

I vote the hmr. The stock/chassis is actually pretty nice for the price of the rifle. And the barrels come from the same blanks but the hmr has a heavier profile.

And if 308 saves you money, that's good! Put the savings into a scope and bipod! The barrel life will also be longer. Not sure how the gunsmith situation is in your country but it would probably be harder to send it back to bergara for a new barrel as well if you went that route. And you could always do a 6.5 barrel at that point if you wanted also.

Just out of curiosity, what is the price of the hmr and what would the price of the Sporter/mdt combo be?

Bergara Sporter Varmint .308 is 890 eur or 950 usd
Bergara HMR .308 is 1350eur or 1450usd...so almost double the price of the sporter

MDT full chassis is 1300eur or 1400usd

So Bergara sporter with MDT is 2350usd and hmr is 2850usd

But then again...Tikka t3x tac a1 is also 2350usd...which for me is such a nice looking gun. The most beautiful gun for me at the moment is the 110 elite precision but it is 3500usd.

 

[pineoak]

+1
.308 for your needs

 

[stanley_white]

If you are choosing 308 for commonality / price in your country, I would suggest you figure out the same for your rifle as this will lead to parts and gunsmithing longevity.

What 308 rifles are most common in your country?

-Stan

 

[acudaowner]

best of luck with your first gun .

 

[perttime]

Bergara Sporter Varmint .308 is 890 eur or 950 usd
Bergara HMR .308 is 1350eur or 1450usd...so almost double the price of the sporter

MDT full chassis is 1300eur or 1400usd

So Bergara sporter with MDT is 2350usd and hmr is 2850usd

But then again...Tikka t3x tac a1 is also 2350usd...which for me is such a nice looking gun. The most beautiful gun for me at the moment is the 110 elite precision but it is 3500usd.

Without handling the particular rifles ... I'd be inclined to pick a Tikka. The A1 or a CTR. There's nothing particularly wrong with a stock CTR but people who frequent these forums often want to use a different stock or chassis.

 

[Greenfish]

Bergara Sporter Varmint .308 is 890 eur or 950 usd
Bergara HMR .308 is 1350eur or 1450usd...so almost double the price of the sporter

MDT full chassis is 1300eur or 1400usd

So Bergara sporter with MDT is 2350usd and hmr is 2850usd

But then again...Tikka t3x tac a1 is also 2350usd...which for me is such a nice looking gun. The most beautiful gun for me at the moment is the 110 elite precision but it is 3500usd.

If you got the hmr would you be wanting to put it in an mdt chassis? It comes with a pretty decent stock/chassis that has a full aluminum block. So imo for just shooting steel for funzys you wouldn't need to buy the mdt. It also comes threaded and has a heavier barrel compared to the Sporter.

The Tikka tac 1 is super nice and cool but like perttime said, the ctr is plenty nice as well and you could always toss a chassis on it down the road if you decide you want one.

 

[pineoak]

2 big bolts to move the action from one stock to another

5 mins with a hex key

----

If you're referring to Savage, quality control and customer service are both... lacking.

Just my humble opinion, but your money and long term experience will go farther with

Tikka > Bergara > Savage

Price out the Tikka CTR as well.

If you really like the MDT, they do Tikka

Regardless, I doubt this will be your last gun

Just enjoy the experience and remember that precision rifles are not like pistols and semi auto rifles

If you overheat the barrel shooting too fast, you will damage it affecting accuracy and longevity

Easy to do when the weather is hot

 

[alamo5000]

Hi,

I hope you can help me with my decision. I never had a long-range rifle and I am buying my first gun. I wanted a 6.5 Creedmoor because of the accuracy but now I am thinking of picking up a .308 because it is way cheaper (gun and ammo) in my country (6.5 creed guns are very limited). + the longest shooting range in our country is 800 meters or 875 yards. So I don't really need long-range caliber or do I for that kind of length?

So my question is because I am on a budget and for that length, is it ok to buy a Bergara rifle in .308 and put it on MDT chassis?

And the next question is because I am putting the barrel on different chassis is the barrel on all B14 Bergaras the same? Our local store has Bergara B14 sporter varmint 24" or Bergara B14 HMR...because sporter varmint is way cheaper.

I won't be shooting precision competitions. Probably only steel plates.

Thanks!

At those ranges either will work. The benefits of the 308 is that you will need to be better at fundamental things such as reading wind. This is not at all a bad thing because later on when you graduate to other options it will be very useful.

For me I am with the others that say get what you want rather than what is cheap. If that means saving for another month or two so be it. Later on up the road it will retain it's value a lot more, and eventually if you decide to swap out the barrel and change the caliber or whatever it will still be a desirable option.

What I would ask is the availability of ammo in your country? Do you reload? If so what is the availability of reloading components? If you are new to the shooting community then it will benefit you greatly to talk to people in your area that have been at it a while. They can let you know what things are most available in regards to ammo and/or components.

Neither option is a bad choice for actual shooting given your parameters, so I would lean towards other criteria.

 

[dombeyblue]

If you are choosing 308 for commonality / price in your country, I would suggest you figure out the same for your rifle as this will lead to parts and gunsmithing longevity.

What 308 rifles are most common in your country?

-Stan

Most common rifles are Bergara, Tikka, CZ

Ruger is also quite common (like RPR).

Savage for example is really hard to find (only one or two guns in the country and it is in 338 lapua) so almost everything else is custom order.

 

[stanley_white]

Most common rifles are Bergara, Tikka, CZ

Ruger is also quite common (like RPR).

Savage for example is really hard to find (only one or two guns in the country and it is in 338 lapua) so almost everything else is custom order.

Bergara, being a Remington 700 clone IIRC, will have the most aftermarket support.

-Stan

 

[dombeyblue]

At those ranges either will work. The benefits of the 308 is that you will need to be better at fundamental things such as reading wind. This is not at all a bad thing because later on when you graduate to other options it will be very useful.

For me I am with the others that say get what you want rather than what is cheap. If that means saving for another month or two so be it. Later on up the road it will retain it's value a lot more, and eventually if you decide to swap out the barrel and change the caliber or whatever it will still be a desirable option.

What I would ask is the availability of ammo in your country? Do you reload? If so what is the availability of reloading components? If you are new to the shooting community then it will benefit you greatly to talk to people in your area that have been at it a while. They can let you know what things are most available in regards to ammo and/or components.

Neither option is a bad choice for actual shooting given your parameters, so I would lean towards other criteria.

This is exactly why I started to look into 308 more then 6.5 because ammo is also limited in my country. There is a lot more 308 ammo options then 6.5…my local store has only 2 different 6.5 creed options (Federal and Sellier&bellot). But they have a lot of options for .308. Almost every brand…I guess 6.5CM is not really popular In my country.

For now I will not reload. Maybe when i get better

 

[Newbie2020]

Bergara in 308 will be a great rifle for you. I would echo the vote for the HMR without a chassis upgrade. It will shoot lights out with quality factory match ammo.

 

[Dot3]

Bergara in 308 will be a great rifle for you. I would echo the vote for the HMR without a chassis upgrade. It will shoot lights out with quality factory match ammo.

And be about a grand cheaper w/out chassis upgrade. My dad has an HMR pro and I really like the stock pretty good.

 

[Dildobaggins]

Don't get me wrong bergara makes great rifles and I hate when people do this to me, and try to sway me...but hear me out. Cousin has a bergara that I've put some time behind. It's a fantastic gun, but I'd get a Tikka CTR. if you don't like the stock take it off and sell it. Then get the MDT. I was at the same cross roads as you wanting to do a semi custom build and went with a Tikka and I'm glad I did.

Bergara is a rem 700 platform. the barrel tenon is proprietary. Not sure what it is though.


Tikka has alot of aftermarket parts. The trigger is adjustable down to I believe 2 lbs. And I'd put it on the same level as a trigger tech special. Timney also makes a trigger for the Tikka as well as a few others, And you can buy a spring for the Tikka trigger for $10 and bring it down to probably around 1 pound or less.
Also, if you ever wanted to change the barrel, there are a plethora of options for the Tikka, from PVA, Criterion, bugholes, preferred barrels etc.

Either way, I don't think you'll go wrong no matter what road you take. Both are good firearms. Just get one and start having fun.

 

[Turkeytider]

2 big bolts to move the action from one stock to another

5 mins with a hex key

----

If you're referring to Savage, quality control and customer service are both... lacking.

Just my humble opinion, but your money and long term experience will go farther with

Tikka > Bergara > Savage

Price out the Tikka CTR as well.

If you really like the MDT, they do Tikka

Regardless, I doubt this will be your last gun

Just enjoy the experience and remember that precision rifles are not like pistols and semi auto rifles

If you overheat the barrel shooting too fast, you will damage it affecting accuracy and longevity

Easy to do when the weather is hot

I wouldn`t taut Tikka`s customer service when comparing with other guns. No question that Tikka makes a quality, excellent rifle. They`d better be considering Beretta`s after sale customer service. Some of, if not the, worst in the industry.

 

[pineoak]

@turkey agreed on CS for Tikka, it has a terrible reputation, one which I am lucky to never have had to deal with

+1 Dildobaggins on the Tikka trigger
the $10 YoDave! trigger ($15 shipping HAHA) brings it down in pull weight and the break is crisp and really good; this is using the stock factory trigger; make sure you do the buttstock test with any lightweight trigger