Weatherby or Bergara?

[CaliforniaSunGrown]

Hello,

I am looking at purchasing a rifle and I am stuck between the Weatherby Mark V Live Wild and the Bergara Ridge Carbon Wilderness. I would have already purchased a Tikka Roughtec but they do not have 7 PRC or 280 AI.

I will be using this rifle to hunt whitetail deer in a blind and Elk in the mountains and anything in between. My main concern with the Weatherby is the barrel length and the main concern with the Bergara is I heard the action is better on the Mark V.

Live Wild .280 AI - 5.8 lbs 24” barrel 1/9 twist
Ridge C 7 PRC - 6.7 lbs 22” barrel 1/8 twist
Live Wild 7 PRC - 6.8 lbs 24” barrel 1/8 twist

I will be adding at least a 2” muzzle bake. Thanks for all the input!

 

[CaliforniaSunGrown]

Also, I am leaning towards the 7 PRC due to ammo availability and it’s about $10 cheaper a box. I do not reload ammo (at least not yet)

 

[nobody]

Not a huge Weatherby rifle fan (though one day I’ll own a 257 weatherby mag, for no reason other than I want it…), but you couldn’t gift me a bergara with a gun to my head. They have a track record, and not a great one. Lots of known issues with their ability to perform and to actually function as they’re supposed to. Just google “bergara rifle problems” and read away. Add on the known shortcomings of the Remington 700 footprint and barf.

 

[270quest]

I have to do some more research and really dig in because I don’t know a lot about the Bergara (good and bad) but yesterday I handled a crest carbon at Scheels. Man that rifle has a lot going for it. The carbon stock was the real deal!!

 

[CaliforniaSunGrown]

Not a huge Weatherby rifle fan (though one day I’ll own a 257 weatherby mag, for no reason other than I want it…), but you couldn’t gift me a bergara with a gun to my head. They have a track record, and not a great one. Lots of known issues with their ability to perform and to actually function as they’re supposed to. Just google “bergara rifle problems” and read away. Add on the known shortcomings of the Remington 700 footprint and barf.

Wow really? I had no idea. I watched a lot of Backfire TV and that guy is pretty happy with Bergara. Thanks for your input. I’ll look into it.

 

[H80Hunter]

Yeah I’ve had bad experiences with Bergara as well. Good customer service but the second rifle was just as problem laden as the first one. I doubt they’re all bad, but I’ve seen enough from my end.

 

[WormSportsman]

Mark V Live wild in .280AI. Save the 1lb in the 6 lug action and enjoy a great rifle in a great cartridge.

 

[TxLite]

Had bad luck with my ridge until I glass bedded it. Shoots great now

 

[nobody]

Wow really? I had no idea. I watched a lot of Backfire TV and that guy is pretty happy with Bergara. Thanks for your input. I’ll look into it.

Yeah he’s bought and paid for by them, he’s not a good resource for actual data.

If you wanna spend big money, buy a Seekins.

Here you go, read away about bergara:

bergara rifle problems - Google Search

 

[Josh Boyd]

I currently own 3 Bergara's and have had zero issues with them. One of them is a Wilderness Ridge Carbon and is a great rifle. I did a quick evaluation of it here. Bergara Ridge Carbon

 

[CaliforniaSunGrown]

I currently own 3 Bergara's and have had zero issues with them. One of them is a Wilderness Ridge Carbon and is a great rifle. I did a quick evaluation of it here. Bergara Ridge Carbon

Thanks! Great review!

 

[flyboy214]

I have two Mark V weatherbys and I can recommend them. Both were easy to setup and shot factory ammo within my normal accuracy range. (.9-1.3 MOA) One is a big dumb 6.5-300 that weighs 7.2 lbs with the scope and sometimes surprises me by shooting 4 rounds in a clover. If I have cleaned them, both of my Weatherby rifles like 7-10 fouling shots before the really good groups come back.

Overall, I really like the trigger, short bolt throw and their carbon stocks from peak 44. I would not worry about the polymer stock on the live wild. Tikka has proven that polymer can be accurate. As long as you like the stock geometry, I'd say you should go for it.

Scope mounting on the 6-lug action is less fiddly than on the 9-lug action because of the shorter distance. With the 6-lugs, you can use the peak 44 rail and fit a Trijicon 2.5-15x42. I highly recommend the peak 44 rail. On my 9-lug action, I had to use the Talley mounts and lapp them.

The 280ai would put you in the 6-lug action, giving you some wiggle room on scope weight while keeping overall weight down.

 

[CaliforniaSunGrown]

Yeah I’ve had bad experiences with Bergara as well. Good customer service but the second rifle was just as problem laden as the first one. I doubt they’re all bad, but I’ve seen enough from my end.

What issues did you have?

 

[H80Hunter]

I had a B14 that broke the extractor, when they replaced it I had two different types of ammo then fail to extract as well and I had the tap the bolt open to get the brass out.

 

[H80Hunter]

He has the same issue at about 5:15 into this video. Once I saw this I was done hahaha

 

[Samson7x]

Weatherby and chop the barrel if you want it shorter.

Had a bergara that I couldn’t get to shoot anything well.

 

[cole96]

I have two weatherbys. One a vanguard and one a mark v. Both shoot outstanding.

 

[tumbleweed419]

I had a Bergara and it would not group with any ammo including the ammo Bergara says they use. This rifle would make an excellent canoe paddle!

 

[MarkOrtiz]

I’m in the same boat but looking at the Bergara Wilderness Sierra in 7mm prc vs the Browning x-bolt 2 composite hunter in 7prc. A friend just got the Bergara wilderness carbon in 7 prc and has had no issues. I’m wondering if the bergara issues are on older firearms and possibly fixed? I see nothing but good reviews on the wildness series.

 

[CaliforniaSunGrown]

Weatherby and chop the barrel if you want it shorter.

Had a bergara that I couldn’t get to shoot anything well.

Would cutting down the barrel affect the accuracy and would a machinist be able to thread the newly cut barrel to fit a muzzle brake?