Opinions on Bergara and Ruger American

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J_Bar94

Well-Known Member
Hi all ,

Hoping to get my FAC through the door in a few weeks time and I just wanted to know if any members have experience with my two centrefire choices:

I am looking to hopefully purchase a bergara wilderness hmr carbon in 6.5CM, this will be used for stalking and range work which is normally 600,800,1000,1200 yards)

The next is new this year a Ruger American Gen 2 in .243 again for vermin, stalking and shorter range work.

Has anyone shot either ?
Feedback on groupings some reviews online say the barrels aren’t free floating and can impact the stock any hands on experience from forum members?
POI shift due to heat on the carbon barrel?(are we talking a few magazines worth before groupings start to get loose more/less)

Only after opinions from people who have owned or shot the above rifles I’m not looking for alternative recommendation's at this time.

Thanks in advance!
 
J_Bar94 said:
Hi all ,

Hoping to get my FAC through the door in a few weeks time and I just wanted to know if any members have experience with my two centrefire choices:

I am looking to hopefully purchase a bergara wilderness hmr carbon in 6.5CM, this will be used for stalking and range work which is normally 600,800,1000,1200 yards)

The next is new this year a Ruger American Gen 2 in .243 again for vermin, stalking and shorter range work.

Has anyone shot either ?
Feedback on groupings some reviews online say the barrels aren’t free floating and can impact the stock any hands on experience from forum members?
POI shift due to heat on the carbon barrel?(are we talking a few magazines worth before groupings start to get loose more/less)

Only after opinions from people who have owned or shot the above rifles I’m not looking for alternative recommendation's at this time.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I have a bergara B14 Timber and it is very accurate sub 1/4 moa but I had to try a lot of different ammo because it seems a fussy rifle. The bergara is ok but a prefer the trigger and general feel of my Tikka and Sako rifles.
 
Bergara’s are good workhorse rifles. But I wouldn’t spend a lot on one with fancy stocks etc. I would keep funds in my pocket.

Ruger Americans are cheap.

A better rifle IMHO for is the Mauser M18.

TikkaT3x are pretty good rifles and should be at same price point as Bergara’s. In the US they are a $599 type rifle, not the well above £1,000 we pay here.
 
I have previously had a B14 HMR in 6.5 creedmoor, I didn’t have any issues with it. Produced good groups with whatever ammunition I used, I sold it and bought a B14 crest as I wanted something lighter for stalking, I am equally pleased with it. I have never had issues with mirage on either but both were steel barrels.
 
Thanks all for your feedback. Just in a chicken and egg scenario wanting a hybrid rifle for stalking and long range work.

Budget sits at around 1500 for the creedmoor and 700 ish for the .243. Hoping to buy brand new if possible!
 
I was also looking at a Ruger American Gen II rifle and got to hold and feel one. It is a lot of value for the price point. I am looking for a short range vermin type work and to dedicate the rifle to a thermal scope. the .223 is a tight twist ( 1 in 8") not sure that is perfect for lighter 50gn type bullets. Like you it may be a .243 which I have done a lot of foxing with in the past with 60gn bullets.

I like the fact that it is a plastic rifle and I can beat it up a little without feeling bad, I like that the barrel is threaded for a mod, I like the low mounted scope rail, I like the 3 position safety, trigger is adjustable (have to remove stock), I like the metal finish, no bluing to destroy, I like a 20" barrel, great for on the rack of the quad. Not sure I love the 3+1 mag or the mag release, I know you can fit the 10 round mag but it sticks down a bit.

I own a Ruger American first generation rifle in .300 blackout, it's a great little shooter. As people say there are many great rifles out there but I think this rifle has a place that seems to fit your intended use. It seems as if this rifle is being used as a base for all of the short straight wall cases that have become very popular for deer hunting in the US in semi populated areas, .450 Bushmaster and a growing list of others.

Will I buy one, I think yes, why - because it comes with everything I need out of the box, scope rail and shorter threaded barrel, my CZ 527 in .223 is a great rifle but I just put a one piece scope rail on it and the thermal scope sits way way above the barrel, my trusty Ruger stainless M77 MKII in .243 needs a special one piece mount adaptor for providing a scope rail and it's a little heavy, long and not currently threaded. By the time I start modifying other rifles I'm halfway to the cost of a Ruger American Gen II.

I own a lot of very nice rifles but this one also has a place and use. What's the worse case, I don't like it, sell it.

Good luck in making a selection.
 
Last edited:
J_Bar94 said:
How many rounds have you put through it? Any noticeable POI shift after 5/10 rounds?
Click to expand...
Hello, To date no movement of the POI, I have a total of about 280 shots, on Sunday I fired about 40 shots on the two hundred meter line to evaluate two loads, one with Norma URP and the other with VV N160 and the rifle did well its duty, a small sore point is the trigger which remains quite heavy, around 1100 grams, there is a procedure to bring it to around 480/500 grams but I don't know what it is.
I'm curious about your question, have you had any problems?
 
Zio65 said:
Hello, To date no movement of the POI, I have a total of about 280 shots, on Sunday I fired about 40 shots on the two hundred meter line to evaluate two loads, one with Norma URP and the other with VV N160 and the rifle did well its duty, a small sore point is the trigger which remains quite heavy, around 1100 grams, there is a procedure to bring it to around 480/500 grams but I don't know what it is.
I'm curious about your question, have you had any problems?
Click to expand...
I haven’t bought either rifle yet but didn’t want to part with that amount of money if there were going to be issues.

End of the day I’m a perfectionist and accuracy is the main aim but with it also being reasonably practical. Just wanted first hand feedback of a carbon fibre barrel on the bergara compared to steel for the type of shooting I would be doing. Thanks for your feedback it’s really appreciated !
 
J_Bar94 said:
Thanks all for your feedback. Just in a chicken and egg scenario wanting a hybrid rifle for stalking and long range work.

Budget sits at around 1500 for the creedmoor and 700 ish for the .243. Hoping to buy brand new if possible!
Click to expand...

At the budget you have I would look at these:

Tikka T3X Super Varmint Green Cerakote 6.5mm Creedmoor Rifle | New Guns for Sale | guntrader

Buy a 6.5mm Creedmoor Tikka T3X Super Varmint Green Cerakote Bolt Action Rifle online today. This new Bolt Action Rifle requires a firearm licence. Contact the seller today using our contact form. This right handed Rifle has a 20" barrel, please call or email for further information. Could this...
www.guntrader.uk www.guntrader.uk

Tikka T3X UPR 6.5mm Creedmoor Rifle | New Guns for Sale | guntrader

Buy a 6.5mm Creedmoor Tikka T3X UPR Bolt Action Rifle online today. This new Bolt Action Rifle requires a firearm licence. Contact the seller today using our contact form. A New Tikka T3X UPR in 6.5mm Creedmoor. This rifle comes with stainless 24" barrel. Please call 01789 339070 to…
www.guntrader.uk www.guntrader.uk

Howa 1500 Carbon 6.5mm Creedmoor Rifle | New Guns for Sale | guntrader

Buy a 6.5mm Creedmoor Howa 1500 Carbon Bolt Action Rifle online today. This new Bolt Action Rifle requires a firearm licence. Contact the seller today using our contact form. This right handed Rifle has a 24" barrel, please call or email for further information. Could this 1500 Carbon be your...
www.guntrader.uk www.guntrader.uk

There are some amazing deals on good second hand 243’s out there which would keep things in budget
 
UpNorthMI said:
the .223 is a tight twist ( 1 in 8") not sure that is perfect for lighter 50gn type bullets. Like you it may be a .243 which I have done a lot of foxing with in the past with 60gn
Click to expand...
I was involved in the armed forces change over from 55 grain to 62 grain ammo. Tests were done and acceptable accuracy was achieved with the lighter ammo in the faster twist barrels but not the other way around. We had been using 5.56 55 grain ammunition since the early 1960’s in a few theatres but the problem wasn’t the NATO trials which produced the SS109 Heavy Belgian ammunition but the fact that we didn’t make the swap until adoption of the L85 and 86 in the mid 80’s. This meant we had stocks of 55 grain ammo and also had it produced in small batches by RG. The ammo would not register on the new ETR equipment and you could shoot a whole magazine at a target and hits wouldn’t be recorded!
We were using at the time in the green army at least two weapons with a one in twelve twist, the original AR15 and the HK53.
Eventually we used up most of the stocks of 55grain ammunition not in training but by issuing it as operational stock until the L85 family took over!
Sorry for the rambling on!
 
I’ve shot 2 different Bergara, both in 6.5 CM and both shot very well.
I was in try local RFD to order one, and was offered a Tikka T3X just arrived in that day (whilst I was drinking up the eye candy on the wall). The price was only a little more than the Bergara, I took that.

Now it’s a few years old, still shoots very well sub moa. I like it that much I bought it’s little brother in .223.

I’m not saying anything against Bergara. There are a few in our club and never hear any complaints.

I forgot to say, the Tikka only came with a max barrel length of 24”, I would have chosen 26 or 28” if they were available. If I re barrel down the line I’ll go longer.
 
J_Bar94 said:
Hi all ,

Hoping to get my FAC through the door in a few weeks time and I just wanted to know if any members have experience with my two centrefire choices:

I am looking to hopefully purchase a bergara wilderness hmr carbon in 6.5CM, this will be used for stalking and range work which is normally 600,800,1000,1200 yards)

The next is new this year a Ruger American Gen 2 in .243 again for vermin, stalking and shorter range work.

Has anyone shot either ?
Feedback on groupings some reviews online say the barrels aren’t free floating and can impact the stock any hands on experience from forum members?
POI shift due to heat on the carbon barrel?(are we talking a few magazines worth before groupings start to get loose more/less)

Only after opinions from people who have owned or shot the above rifles I’m not looking for alternative recommendation's at this time.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Evening,

I haven't shot a Bergara Wilderness or the B14 Series,

I however have had experience with the gen 1 ruger american predator with the aics style magazine system in 204 Ruger,

It was a fairly good rifle for the money par one issue, did balance well off quad sticks, barrel was a proper length of 22" accounted for a fair few foxes in the time i had it
shot both 32gr vmax/accutip and 40gr factory fodder v well.

the new gen ii has corrected the common issue I had where it would bring a round up and jam on feeding into the chamber,
Ruger have also got rid of the zippy bolt sound in the GenII version,

the problem with the new ones is as standard the barrels aren't 20" a few youtube reviewers picked up they are actually 18.75"
not an issue for 308, 223 etc But for 243, 6.5 creed and long action rifle cartridges etc it's too short, 20" as a minimum for 243 and with 270, 30-06 you want 22" and above.


I would recommend you a Sako 75/85/A7, Tikka 595/T3 or T3X, Howa 1500 sporter in 243 these are really good rifles well made and shoot well, and are on the used market too
I have owned at some point all par the 85 over the years so have had experience of these.
 
J_Bar94 said:
Only after opinions from people who have owned or shot the above rifles I’m not looking for alternative recommendation's at this time.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I know plenty of people with HMRs and they do what they say on the tin. They're a hunting match rifle. Not sure about the carbon but the Steel barrel version handles 16x 8-12 shot PRS Stages one weekend and goes out on a stalk the next no problem.

Almost got one myself But ended up with a Tikka T3x Tac A1 and very quickly after chopped that in for an AI.

Just make sure you get hands on with one and like the stock. Worse case scenario if you don't like it it's at least a Rem700 action with plenty of available aftermarket stocks and chassis.

I've no experience with the Gen 2 Ruger but they appear to be liked online. I considered one not long ago but went with the Bergara Stoke .223 and put it straight into a chassis. Not to say the Ruger wouldn't have been a good choice, I just wanted something that I could put in a chassis and that had more aftermarket support.

Have you picked a scope out for them both yet?
 
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