Bergara or Bergarbage Challenge - Anyone near ABQ w/ a 300WM that shoots?

[swavescatter]

See my thread here about my toubles getting anywhere near MOA with my Bergara B14 300WM.

Is there anyone near ABQ willing to get to the bottom of this? My plan is to find out if I am, in fact, a magnum weenie and recoil sensitive, or if this rifle just won't shoot.

I'm going to mount up a new Nightforce NX8 scope and let someone else with proven 300WM sub-MOA chops try different premium factory ammos to see if they can get an MOA group with this rifle. I would also like to try shooting your rifle for a group to see if I'm the problem. I'll provide all the ammo, and even some refreshments and dad jokes along the way.

If the rifle is still the problem, at least I'll have proof that it's their issue and they're on record telling a customer to pound sand and not honor their warranty.

If anyone is willing to take part in the Bergara/Bergarbage challenge please let me know! I can escort you in to the private range where we shoot through a 100yd tunnel (no wind). You might want the opportunity to get a really clean no wind zero on your rig too.

 

[Balderdash]

I have a couple very accurate 300's and would love to help you out. But I'm a long way from ABQ.

Good luck with this project.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Can you film yourself shooting?
Have someone load a dummy round and you don't know which one?
This will show if you are flinching.
Good luck figuring it out.

 

[swavescatter]

Can you film yourself shooting?
Have someone load a dummy round and you don't know which one?
This will show if you are flinching.
Good luck figuring it out.

I could, but my hope is to generate some sort of proof. I'm not a pro, but I've worked hard to improve my technique - I can shoot MOA with my cheap CVA muzzleloader which seems to kick just as hard if not more than my 300WM. I can ring steel out to 800yds, etc. I just want to be able to directly counter Bergaras dismissal of me if that makes sense (unless they're right in which case I'll eat crow.)

 

[wind gypsy]

Can you shoot after dark in said tunnel? I’m in ABQ for work frequently so could probably bring a rifle with but wouldn’t be there on weekends or during business hours.

 

[Lwarner03]

Following…

 

[swavescatter]

Can you shoot after dark in said tunnel? I’m in ABQ for work frequently so could probably bring a rifle with but wouldn’t be there on weekends or during business hours.

Yessir. 24/7 almost (no early Wednesdays).

 

[swavescatter]

Welp... put a Nightforce on there and got 4 rounds of Federal Powershok 180gr through to sight in/foul. This happened after the first cartridge of Winchester Deer Season XP 150gr. Obviously some pressure issues...

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Sounds like it needs rountrip ticket to Bergara to let them sort it all out.

 

[swavescatter]

Sounds like it needs rountrip ticket to Bergara to let them sort it all out.

Well I tried, but they told me to pound sand and that I'm just a caliber pansy since they had it in once before...

 

[Balderdash]

That's not acceptable.

Life's too short to use such equipment.

7PRC here we go!

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Well I tried, but they told me to pound sand and that I'm just a caliber pansy since they had it in once before...

Email them a link to this post and your video.

 

[Dos XX]

A number of years ago, a buddy of mine won a Bergara barrel in a match. It was so crooked you could plainly see it when you rolled it on a table.

 

[SDHNTR]

You have excess brass expansion. Measure your cases just ahead of the belt pre and post firing and post your results.

 

[OneShot]

If you do Facebook, there are quite a few Bergara pages. I’d make a post on each page weekly if Bergara doesn’t back up their product. Bad press is not good, especially when buyers see that the company won’t back up their product when it fails.

 

[swavescatter]

So here's a quick comparison of the spent brass: Factory, Bergara and a new Tikka:


Oddly, the Bergara has an oblong neck???

 

[SDHNTR]

Ok, so that extra .003" expansion at the web could matter. FWIW, its at least showing that there is more slop to that Bergara chamber than the Tikka. It's obvious that middle case is sticking at the base, see the brass marring? Have you tried other ammo/brass? As for the necks being out of round... Does every piece of spent brass that comes out of that chamber look like that? or did that piece hit the ground after ejecting? You may have a couple things going on here.

I really think you'd benefit from casting that chamber and taking measurements. I'd put money on it being out of spec.

 

[swavescatter]

Ok, in my quest to die on this hill, I went out and bought the lightest, most recoiling 300WM I could find - a Tikka T3X Superlite without a muzzle brake. Weighs in at just over 6lbs naked, 8lbs with scope.



Paired it up with my Leupold VX6HD 3-18 scope, and shooting from a light sled. I've been slowly breaking this barrel in, and it had only about 9 rounds through it so far. This is the first batch of decent ammo I've tried. Hornady Superformance SST 180gr factory loads.

First group after 1 fouling shot:


It seems like I am capable of sub-MOA shooting, so maybe now I can send Bergara a link to these posts.

Thoughts on the new Tikka: Man, this thing is nice, and the weight will be a joy to pack around. However, this pencil barrel heats up REAL fast and shooting for groups is an exercise in patience after the first couple of rounds.

I'm going to thread the barrel and see how it likes my suppressor in the near future. If it doesn't, I'll go ahead and slap a brake on, adjust the trigger down, put on the pistol grip and see what ammo it likes best. Hopefully it's capable of 3/4 MOA!

 

[SC HUNTER]

I'm interested to see if Bergara sticks to the "eat a dick" mindset they have so far with you. I've got a ridge in 6.5 cm that I'm happy with but the lack of customer service is worrying. Good luck in your venture.

 

[Balderdash]

Ok, in my quest to die on this hill, I went out and bought the lightest, most recoiling 300WM I could find - a Tikka T3X Superlite without a muzzle brake. Weighs in at just over 6lbs naked, 8lbs with scope.

View attachment 529144

Paired it up with my Leupold VX6HD 3-18 scope, and shooting from a light sled. I've been slowly breaking this barrel in, and it had only about 9 rounds through it so far. This is the first batch of decent ammo I've tried. Hornady Superformance SST 180gr factory loads.

First group after 1 fouling shot:
View attachment 529145

It seems like I am capable of sub-MOA shooting, so maybe now I can send Bergara a link to these posts.

Thoughts on the new Tikka: Man, this thing is nice, and the weight will be a joy to pack around. However, this pencil barrel heats up REAL fast and shooting for groups is an exercise in patience after the first couple of rounds.

I'm going to thread the barrel and see how it likes my suppressor in the near future. If it doesn't, I'll go ahead and slap a brake on, adjust the trigger down, put on the pistol grip and see what ammo it likes best. Hopefully it's capable of 3/4 MOA!

IME, the Tikkas will shoot as good as the operator. And they'll do it with a lot of different loads.


I was later to the Tikka party than some, but after using a few over quite a few years now, I'm a believer. With as good as they are, I'd have to really love something a "custom" or "semi-custom" manufacturer was offering to not buy a Tikka.