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Thoughts on Bergara B-14R in a krg bravo chassis

sparky702

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
May 12, 2020
276
343
Missouri
I would like to know how well the Bergara works in the krg Bravo stock . My prs centerfire rifle is a R700 action in bravo chassis and I am going to start shooting prs rimfire matches , So In my mind I think it would be a good training tool if they run ok in the bravo stock . I would like to hear the good , the bad and the ugly .
 
They seems to run good in the bravo, I have very limited experience with the combo since my manner showed up in time to do my build and I didn’t spend much time behind it. I know there are a bunch of people running the combo with good success, I think once you get the fore end pressure off the mag they are trouble free.
 
I've been using that combo since last July. It works well, my only problem has been the mags, they don't fit quite right. I had to get the extended release and adjust it for a tighter fit and it's still not 100% but close. Then only problem I have is sometimes it won't feed a round after the first 5 or 6 rounds. Just push on the bottom of the mag and it feeds OK. Maybe I need to experiment with more spacers or something.
 
I've had that configuration for about a year. I had a small issue with the mags, but I loosened the forend and re tightened it with the mag in. Works perfect now.
 
I would like to get into the NRL22 game. I recently bought a B-14R barreled action with 18 in CF barrel. I just ordered KRG Bravo chassis for Remington 700 SA. KRG offered 90 day return if everything is in as-new condition, so I am willing to try it. I am planning to use Bushnell Match Pro 6-24x50 scope, it's a 30mm tube. What scope mount do you guys recommend?
 
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My B14 Ridge 6.5 Creedmoor sits in a tan Bravo, my B14R sits in a black Bravo. I have had zero issues with either.

My B14R hasn't had any issues. In fact, since I put the B14R in the Bravo, I can now use the polymer Vudoo mags with no issues. OEM mags run perfectly as well.

I know from other people I've talked to with the same setup, magazine fitment can be an issue...usually it's just a matter of loosening all the set screws in the chassis and playing around with the spacing between the forend and stock parts of the chassis. Maybe 20% of the people I've talked to have had an issue. It was a simple fix for those that did.

You are attempting a similar setup as I have...a true "Trainer" setup. I run the same scopes, triggers, bipod on both calibers. Mags are the same size, same LOP, same stock....it's a great combo...and I can't think of a less expensive option.
 
I would like to get into the NRL22 game. I recently bought a B-14R barreled action with 18 in CF barrel. I just ordered KRG Bravo chassis for Remington 700 SA. KRG offered 90 day return if everything is in as-new condition, so I am willing to try it. I am planning to use Bushnell Match Pro 6-24x50 scope, it's a 30mm tube. What scope mount do you guys recommend?
I like a LaRue Tactical 20 MOA Base and American Rifle Company Low Rings.
 
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I would like to get into the NRL22 game. I recently bought a B-14R barreled action with 18 in CF barrel. I just ordered KRG Bravo chassis for Remington 700 SA. KRG offered 90 day return if everything is in as-new condition, so I am willing to try it. I am planning to use Bushnell Match Pro 6-24x50 scope, it's a 30mm tube. What scope mount do you guys recommend?
Hey, that sounds familiar...here's my B14R steel in a Bravo with Bushnell Match Pro.

I'm running a Leupold Backcountry 20MOA base...$40 from Amazon. Nothing "special" but it works well with the Match Pro in Burris XTR (or Vortex Tactical or SWFA) 30mm low rings. I have 14.6mil up from a 50yd zero with SK Rifle Match/CCI SV.

8OuwPYR.jpg

.
 
I was one of those guys who had an issue with mag fitment. I tried the set screw adjustment but couldn't get it to work, could have been a mag issue too but honestly didn't try too hard to make it work. Otherwise I am a big fan of the Bergara and KRG.
 
I would like to know how well the Bergara works in the krg Bravo stock . My prs centerfire rifle is a R700 action in bravo chassis and I am going to start shooting prs rimfire matches , So In my mind I think it would be a good training tool if they run ok in the bravo stock . I would like to hear the good , the bad and the ugly .
I have the KRG Bravo on my Howa 6.5 Creedmoor. The stock is really nice and the accuracy is outstanding. I have two Bergara B14 HMR Wilderness Rifles in 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC . The factory stocks are nice but I have to give the nod to the KRG Bravo if I had to choose between the two stocks. The Bravo stock just fits me a little better. I like the angle of the grip. The adjustable cheek riser is really fast and easy to use. Both stocks are really good though.
 
Worked perfect for me. Mag in the action while you tighten up the forend and trigger guard.

It is the best "cheap" chassis. The only problem is budget the extra for an arca rail, and spigot. So it's not as cheap as it first seems, it's still half the price of anything that includes those features.

And for those of us in cold places, the plastic is the only way to go. Bare aluminum is miserable at 0*.
 
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So, I got the KRG Bravo and tried to put Bergara into it today. Here is what I did:
1. Installed action into the chassis, got the action screws started (half a turn or so)
2. Installed magazine
3. Got the action screws finger tight

At this point I decided to see how it feeds, using aluminum dummy rounds. The good news is that it feeds fine. The bad news is that after it extracted the first three rounds, now it does not extract at all! I am getting Failure to Extract 100% of the time. Here are the troubleshooting actions that I did:

1. Removed magazine and single fed the rifle - made no difference. FTE 100% of the time.
2. Removed the action from the chassis, single fed and tried to extract. FTE 100% of the time.
3. Tested the same dummy rounds in my Savage MK II .22LR rifle. Extracts fine 100% of the time.
4. Tested the same dummy rounds in a semi-auto .22LR pistol. Extracts fine.

If I partially close the bolt (to the first "click" but not all the way) the B-14R extracts fine. Unfortunately if I close the bolt all the way it does not extract the dummy round. It's difficult to see, but it feels like the extractor disengages or slips off when I turn the bolt all the way. At this point I am inclined to blame the action, and I suppose the FTE has nothing to do with the chassis.

I took the bolt out and pushed on the extractor "claws" (there are two of them on the bolt). The left one seems very firm, the right one seems a lot weaker. I am wondering if it has something to do with my failure to extract? I checked the extractor prongs on my Savage Mark II and they seem somewhat weaker than the "tight" one on the Bergara, but quite a bit firmer than the weak one on the Bergara. At this point I am inclined to suspect a broken extractor spring (not sure what's inside the B-14R bolt, I have never taken it apart).

Well, this is a bummer, it's a brand new action that I bought on the Hide, in unfired condition. What should I do next, call Bergara and send it in?
 
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Instead of using a dummy, try using a 22LR fired case...or if you feel spicy, a live 22LR round with the safety on.
 
Instead of using a dummy, try using a 22LR fired case...or if you feel spicy, a live 22LR round with the safety on.
I don't feel spicy at all, nor do I trust mechanical safety devices on firearms. I have seen a Walther P38 once that would fire when you put it on safety/decock. I will put the rifle into the chassis, take it to the range and play with chambering live ammo there, with the barrel pointed downrange. The shooting range is a short drive from my house. I'll also measure the live ammo OAL and compare it to dummy rounds, just for kicks.
 
Typically where failure to extract has been a problem, it is actually a very small amount of play in the extractor. A lot of folks have remedied this by staking the extractor on the underside of the action. In one of the groups I follow, someone from Bergara actually weighed in on this and posted a pic of the ejector staked. I had 2 of the B14r and one had this issue and one did not. The stake job did work for me on the troubled one. Also, yes the springs are different on the two hooks. One side is lighter.
Obviously this might not be your fix, although I can tell you this is the problem for a fair amount of folks. Also when I contacted Bergara, they sent a return authorization right away to take care of it, I just didn’t feel like shipping it back, so I tried it myself and it took care of it.
 
The B14R has a match chamber, meaning the bullet fully engraves the rifling when you chamber a round. If the dummy rounds have an aluminum bullet, I would expect them to get stuck. Aluminum is much stiffer then soft waxed lead when you chamber. Put a phone book or Hunter Biden's new book in front of it & chamber a live round.

The floating ejector hook is suppose to float. This prevents it from dragging in the slot on the bottom of the bolt & hurting accuracy. Ejector is not the problem.

Read this it is a detailed explanation. Videos of failure included.
 
I realize now he said it is not extracting...I misread and thought he was talking ejecting. Glad your extractor fix is working for you.
Just FYI I don't believe the ejector issue would have any bearing on accuracy as it never contacts a live round. Also just for what it's worth, my response from Bergara on the ejection issue....

"The ejector should be fixed and not have any discernible play in it from the factory.

I have created a repair ticket and FedEx label for you. Return that repair to:"

BPI Repairs
1270 Progress Center Ave.
Suite 100
Lawrenceville, GA 30043

That would lead me to believe that the ejector shouldn't float too much.
 
I realize now he said it is not extracting...I misread and thought he was talking ejecting. Glad your extractor fix is working for you.
Just FYI I don't believe the ejector issue would have any bearing on accuracy as it never contacts a live round. Also just for what it's worth, my response from Bergara on the ejection issue....

"The ejector should be fixed and not have any discernible play in it from the factory.

I have created a repair ticket and FedEx label for you. Return that repair to:"

BPI Repairs
1270 Progress Center Ave.
Suite 100
Lawrenceville, GA 30043

That would lead me to believe that the ejector shouldn't float too much.
If you had to fix as many engineering Fuckups as I do on a daily basses you'd not trust the Bergara CS rep either let alone their engineer's.

Your correct it shouldn't have much float. If it is rigidly fixed & as a result drags the bolt slot or doesn't allow the bolt to center square to the head space shim it could affect accuracy. As you said it doesn't contact the live round, but any miss-alignment of the bolt when in battery is not good for best accuracy. Ruger 10/22 also has floating ejector bar.

FWIW - I'm at Edit: 780 1060 rounds with zero ejection failures after the ejector & mags fixes outlined in the linked thread. I was getting 1 in 10-20 failures before the fix. My ejector is still floating.

Headed to the range now to put another 2 -3 hundred through it.
 
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My Vudoo is mounted on a KRG Bravo stock. It's ok and kinda sorta like the stock that comes with the Bergara. Personally, I would look for something better. I don't know how you plan to use your rifle. I shoot informal benchrest and I may get a MDT chassis for it down the road. I have one on my CZ452 and Anschutz 1710 and like them. Good solid workmanship and no bedding required.
 
My Vudoo is mounted on a KRG Bravo stock. It's ok and kinda sorta like the stock that comes with the Bergara. Personally, I would look for something better. I don't know how you plan to use your rifle. I shoot informal benchrest and I may get a MDT chassis for it down the road. I have one on my CZ452 and Anschutz 1710 and like them. Good solid workmanship and no bedding required.
I am planning to use B-14R for a trainer rifle and may be some NRL22. I actually like the KRG bravo stock, it fits me well. I also like the stock that my Sako TRG42 came with from the factory, which I think "inspired" the KRG Bravo. I am curious why you are thinking about upgrading the Bravo to MDT. Do you want more adjustments, or you don't like the feel of the plastic on the Bravo?
 
When I put my B14R into a Bravo, I got occasional FTF on rounds 6-10 due to the front of the magazine dropping lower, and experienced 10% failure to eject even in the OE Bergara HMR stock.

On my Bravo, I removed the forearm, loosened the triggerguard screw and moved it all the way forward, tightened the triggerguard screw, inserted the magazine then tightened the forearm. Magazine had practically zero vertical or fore/aft play after doing this.

I also beveled the sharp edges of the magazine as described in 357Max’s thread, linked above.

120 rounds fired yesterday with flawless feeding and ejection.
 
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My Vudoo is mounted on a KRG Bravo stock. It's ok and kinda sorta like the stock that comes with the Bergara. Personally, I would look for something better. I don't know how you plan to use your rifle. I shoot informal benchrest and I may get a MDT chassis for it down the road. I have one on my CZ452 and Anschutz 1710 and like them. Good solid workmanship and no bedding required.

Did you actually bed the Bravo? If so, why?
 
Did you actually bed the Bravo? If so, why?
I did not bed the Bravo. It has an internal aluminum chassis, and I feel that further bedding is not required. I didn't mean that there is anything wrong with the Bravo chassis, but If I were to order the rifle again, I would choose a more stable platform for BR shooting. The Bravo is more versatile for all around work.
 
I did not bed the Bravo. It has an internal aluminum chassis, and I feel that further bedding is not required. I didn't mean that there is anything wrong with the Bravo chassis, but If I were to order the rifle again, I would choose a more stable platform for BR shooting. The Bravo is more versatile for all around work.

I have several, which was why I asked. I've seen people bed different chassis rifles just because "that's what you do with a precision rifle".

I really like the KRG ARCA rail on the bottom of the forend. Gives it a nice long flat wide base to sit on the bags if I use them. I find myself using my ckye pod or tripod more often than anything though.
 
I really like my B14r in the krg bravo. The fit and finish are awesome. Honestly I didn’t even try the rifle in the her stock. I did have some feeding issues but that was super easy to fix with some epoxy on the magazine.
DA788C81-C90B-495F-81F7-30FC5DD96279.jpeg
 
I would pick the Xray over the Bravo. More money, but for me better ergonomics.
 
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I've been using that combo since last July. It works well, my only problem has been the mags, they don't fit quite right. I had to get the extended release and adjust it for a tighter fit and it's still not 100% but close. Then only problem I have is sometimes it won't feed a round after the first 5 or 6 rounds. Just push on the bottom of the mag and it feeds OK. Maybe I need to experiment with more spacers or something.
I have been having the issue of it sitting just a tad to low and am destroying bullets and not chambering unless i push up on it
 
I have been having the issue of it sitting just a tad to low and am destroying bullets and not chambering unless i push up on it
I’d say you’ve got two options if you want to run the bravo, get the extended mag latch and either fit the mags to it or fit it to the mags both of which leave you married to that chassis since they are fitted together. The other option I feel is better is get the mags from L3i with the adjustable catch and get them adjusted to the right height for the bravo, and if down the road you switch chassis just adjust them to the new setup.
 
I am trying to squeeze a little more accuracy out of my Wilderness HMR so I bedded the recoil lug last night.

With that said, the KRG Bravo is an appealing stock due to the features and price point. Has anyone installed an HMR in a Bravo stock? How was the balance with the heavy contour barrel?