Bergara opinions??

[go4thegusto]

Looking at the Wilderness Sierra because I am left handed.
Not a Tikka fan.
Other option is Christensen
Thoughts? Thanks

 

[yeti12]

You picked 2 bad options and you don't like the good option.

I've seen more than one bergara develop issues that cause them not to fire with not very many rounds down them. Definitely wouldn't take one hunting.

Christensen, another cheap 700 clone plagued with qc issues. Might get a good one, Might get a bad one.


How do you not like a tikka?

 

[ElPollo]

Looking at the Wilderness Sierra because I am left handed.
Not a Tikka fan.
Other option is Christensen
Thoughts? Thanks

That’s sorta boxing yourself out of the reliability zone. Sako would be at the top of the heap if it’s not too close to a tikka. X-bolt? Weatherby MKV? Sauer is supposedly coming out with a left handed 101, but who knows when or how available they will be in the states. Beyond that?

 

[Hondo0925]

I love my Bergara. Had it for 3 years now and I’ve hunted with it every year

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Bergara and Christensen both have high likelihood of having out of the factory issues as well as long term reliability issues (think actual use, not somebody saying “they’ve had one for years” that is barely ever shot).

Tikka and Sako have very low likelihood of out of the factory issues and will not have any long term reliability issues in general (some Sako 85s have extraction hitting windage turret issues).

 

[5811]

Bergara and Christensen both have high likelihood of having out of the factory issues as well as long term reliability issues

This sounds like hyperbole. Can you quantify "high likelihood" or have data to support this?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

This sounds like hyperbole. Can you quantify "high likelihood" or have data to support this?

Sorry. Based on what I’ve seen, with around 10+ samples of each.

Can you quantify or have personal data to support the opposite?

 

[General RE LEE]

I know Rokslide is Tikka fandom but I’ve owned Tikkas going back to 2011. They all have been shooters.

I had a Bergara HMR Wilderness in 6.5 PRC and it was very temperamental with various handloads. I bedded the action and that helped.

 

[coyotekilla]

I know you didn't mention it, but beretta brx1 is completely ambidextrous, and a slick rifle, best of all, when sell time, either right or left shooters can use it

 

[Hnthrdr]

Have a couple CA’s one is more accurate as my tikkas, one is as accurate. They were 3x the cost… just saying

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I seen a handful of bergaras shoot 1200+ rounds in the July Tennessee heat in about 3 hours one afternoon. Never missed a beat. People claim heat will kill group, and those guns never cooled off while maintaining moa if the shooter could.

 

[pharmfisher]

What don't you like about Tikka? Are cosmetics your highest priority? That's the only reason I can think of that someone would pick a Christensen. Their guns just suck.

 

[RWT]

I’ve had 7 of Bergara go through my hands. All but one has shot sub MOA with a 5 round group. The one that didn’t was a 223 and replaced under warranty. I am scope poor right now and haven’t had the time to test the warranty replacement.

While waiting for the warranty replacement I picked up a used Tikka in 223. I like it and it shoots. I still feel Tikkas are unattractive, but I want function over looks so I am happy I picked one up.

Regarding the other Bergaras, they were all in 6.5 CM. 2 HMRs, 2 SP’s, 1 Hunter Ridge and 1 premier canyon. IMO the premier canyon is perfect for an off the shelf mountain rifle. The Premier shoots the best of them all. Likely the AP stock and TT trigger. 3 of these were not mine, but I was asked to set them up for friends. Most required minor tweaking as far as sanding down a high point in the channel or on the pillars. These were the HMR’s. The SP and Ridge model were shot straight out of the box after cleaning and set up.

I generally recommend them for a few reasons, 700 footprint if they are coming from a Rem700, budget under $1000 and aftermarket availability. If you can swing it I would pick up a Premier Canyon. I would have bought that rifle it were available when I ordered my custom. Same stock and trigger as my custom.

Tikkas are nice now that I have one, I have no issue recommend them either. Their plastic stocks and funky rail were the turn off for me. That being said, they shoot and I will likely pick up another one in 6.5 in the future.

IMO you cannot go wrong with either company as both deliver, just in different ways.

 

[Spoonbill]

Bergara and Christensen both have high likelihood of having out of the factory issues as well as long term reliability issues (think actual use, not somebody saying “they’ve had one for years” that is barely ever shot).

Tikka and Sako have very low likelihood of out of the factory issues and will not have any long term reliability issues in general (some Sako 85s have extraction hitting windage turret issues).

There won’t be an issue with extraction hitting windage turrets on left hand rifles since the windage is opposite of the ejection port. It is one of the few advantages of being left handed when it comes to rifles.

 

[tikkashooter88]

There won’t be an issue with extraction hitting windage turrets on left hand rifles since the windage is opposite of the ejection port. It is one of the few advantages of being left handed when it comes to rifles.

Unless the scope has a large parallax knob and an illumination knob on top of that making it stick out more than a windage turret...

 

[BKM]

I had a Bergara HMR, it was ok but not great.

It was very picky on ammo, I only found one factory load it liked and I went through a lot of components finding a hand load that was 1moa. The trigger was ok but not near what my Tikka trigger is.

I never had any reliability issues.


I know you don’t like them but my Tikka does everything better.

 

[go4thegusto]

What don't you like about Tikka? Are cosmetics your highest priority? That's the only reason I can think of that someone would pick a Christensen. Their guns just suck.

I will start another thread titled "why I will never own a Tikka"

 

[tumbleweed419]

I had one Bergara and never again. It will make a great boat anchor or maybe a canoe paddle!

 

[pharmfisher]

I will start another thread titled "why I will never own a Tikka"

Did you? I can't find the thread. Also, an x bolt is another decent option. I'm left handed and own a Tikka and a Browning. I like my Tikka more but my Browning does the job. Way too many QC issues with Christensen.

 

[go4thegusto]

Did you? I can't find the thread.

Not yet...