Does that make it more like a single stage triggeR?

I think the Argos beats everything else in its price range on feature set. Haven't done a tracking test but there are reviews out there showing good results. Glass clarity seems on par with my SWFA. Only complaint is knobs are a little mushy, but it's an issue with the grease they use and is easily corrected (Google for the YouTube video fix). Guy next to me on the range had an Argos just like mine (but bought within the last week), and he said his knobs are very tactile. I believe Athlon has begun using a new grease in their turrets.

Yeah, it's a single, not a double.

So i guess so far it seems like everyone likes them. Still haven't seen any groups from one in 6.5 CM. 

Still planning on cutting an HMR in 6.5 down to 16.5"

Just got home from the range with my 308 hmr. The gun was amazing, my shooting not so much. This is my first center fire bolt action and first time really trying to shoot sub moa. I was using a front and rear sandbag, but for some reason I still couldn't hold the gun very steady.

My set up -

HMR in 308
EGW 0 moa base
Burris XTR low rings
Primary arms 4-14 ffp

I shot some FGMM 168 grain and hornady black ammo 168 grain. My best 3 shot group with the FGMM was .338". My best 3 shot group with the hornady was .554".(probably luck on those but ill take it) And since no one thinks 3 shot groups matter, I started going for 5 shot groups, that's when things started to open up. (My fault not the gun)  my best 5 shot group with the FGMM was 1.201" and my best with the hornady was 1.110". None of my other groups were over 2", most were around 1.5". So with a little bit more practice I should be able to get those 5 shot groups to tighten up. Over all I am very happy with the HMR.

God...I hate this thread.  I HATE IT!!!!!!

I went out snooping today and got to handle an HMR in .308. I also handled the more expensive, premium chassis gun and one of the hunters.

Seeing some of the questions the pop up in here, I paid attention to the following details of ALL of the guns ( all were .308 )

FIRST: How does the stock "feel"?
   The stock felt VERY nice.  Both the hunter and the HMR were VERY comfortable.  The stock material is a molded plastic, it is VERY light BUT it doesn't feel "crappy" or "flimsy".  I tried to get the stock to flex by applying increasing pressure to the stock by grabbing the barrel at the fore end and putting thumb pressure on the stock.  The stock did not flex...now this was a layaway gun that I got to look at a bit but I didn't go crazy on it.  Now, I did the same on the Hunter and got the same result.  This stuff is light...but stiff.   I am not going to say it inspires the same confidence as the material in an HS Precision Stock....but it is by no means whatsoever flimsy or cheap.  I would say it is similar to many AR 15 type stock polymers.

SECOND:  How does the action FIT in the stock? 
    Very nicely.  Being a freak...I would bed the action, personally but the action IS firm in the stock inletting.  The Hunter was very centered in the stock BUT the HMR barrel was a bit to the left in the forent groove.  It was noticeable....BUT there was no stock contact and the stock was plenty stiff.   There was still more than enough room on the tight side to keep it free floating, easily.  Not gonna lie, it bugged me BUT they are far from the first company to have a barrel a bit crooked in the forend.

THIRD: the cheek piece....how well does it work? 
    Okay, the cheek piece is a thumb nut adjustable unit with two pillars.  There are locking notches in the rear pillar.  To me, however, this felt like a friction lock...and WHAT A FRICTION LOCK IT WAS.  I work with a lot of precision gages and tooling.  Friction locks are very common.  I work with high end stuff from all of the major companies such as Starrett, Mitutoyo, Suburban, etc.  The friction lock design on the HMR I handled ( sample size of ONE ) was FANTASTIC!!!  Solid as all bloody hell.

FOURTH:  How does the stock feel as an ergonomic interface? 
    Good.  Damn good.  Not perfect.....but damn, damn good.  I am 5 foot 10 and 180....average as they get.  Fit reallllllll damn nice.

FIFTH: How does the action feel. 
   All 3 guns were smooth as hell with less than the expected amount of free play when racking the bolt.  In fact, the HMR and the Hunter were every bit as smooth and clean as their Premier model.  NOTE the bolt on the Hunter and the HMR are like a POST64 Winchester 70 bolt.   The Premier actually has kind of a Savage type bolt...it's "different" but also damn nice.  I am not a tactical bolt gun master, strictly a sporting and target shooter from a bolt gun perspective.  These aren't super slick, snipertactical, whiz bang bolt systems however, they are smooth, clean and feel very nice.

SIXTH: 
  The trigger.  In each case all three guns had super clean, extremely short breaks.  In each case the triggers were around 5 pounds.  These are true single stage triggers.  There is no perceptible take up and almost no overtravel. They are VERY solid feeling.  Kind of a "no bullshit", "they did this right" trigger.  Yes, they are too heavy....but these are box guns....they haven't been cleaned, oiled or shot.  I would expect a decent drop in perceived weight after a few drops of quality oil and some shootin'!!!  ....and they have none of that "safety trigger" bullshit that Ruger and Savage are pulling.  GOD, I HATE THOSE!

SEVEN: 
   How is the weight?  These guns are very light, even the chassis gun wasn't looney heavy.  It was very manageable.

EIGHT:
   How well are they finished?  From a manufacturer's perspective:  ALL of the Bergara's were very well put together.  These are production guns not semi customs.  They were damn nice.  A far sight better than the crap Remington has been putting out, that is for sure.  My only two complaints:  the barrel was a bit crooked in the stock of the HMR and the bottom metal of the Hunter looked made for economy.  It doesn't fit with the rest of the action which, by the way, is darn nice!  Really nice.   The main barreled actions and bolts are sweet.  I really like that the barrel profiles aren't zero taper monstrosities.  They are not super light ( 'cept the Hunter ) but they aren't dead cow heavy, either.

NINE:  Do I want one?  Yes.  In 6.5.

Nice write up......and DAMN YOU!!!!  

I know! Right??!?!?!?!

I am still trying to decide if I want to take the plunge to 6.5 or just stick with .308.  I'm in Arizona so we don't exactly have tons of 1000 yard shots around here as the Valley is fully populated and the Northwest of the state  is....well...damn it's four hours from me.

Shit, I'm in MD and I still want a 6.5....

Well, for those of us undecided this is a GREAT video that might help you decide. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ3OosLWCDU

For me, after looking at loading data and knowing that I am not going to be shooting beyond 600 yards, the .308 just makes more sense.

However, if I lived in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas or even North Western Arizona, I'd bite the bullet and do 6.5, particularly for medium game and smaller.

For me, this is a target gun for inside ( well inside ) 600 yards and .308, for ME is more logistically viable.

Here is where the Ruger RPR shines.  You can do an easy conversion that gives you a LOT of flexibility.

Spaniard;

Quick question >>> What size are the screws in the top of the receiver 6-48 or 8-40?

Thanx!

- R -

They are 6-48 on the B-14 series. The premium series uses 8-40...

I thank you sir!  That's what I thought but wanted to make sure...  ordering parts (base) for the next project...  

I put my 6.5 in a AI chassis and it's shooting great.  Mine really likes Federal American Eagle 140gr Match of all things.  Not sure but I suspect it's a SMK bullet.  Prone I'm averaging around .6 MOA and I've shot under half minute with the Fed Amer Eagle 140gr.  Overall very happy.  It seems to feed better with the metal AI mags.  I just installed a gen 2 Little Bastard break but have not shot it with the break yet.  Recoil isn't bad anyway, but I want to be able to stay on target without muscling the gun.  I will post target pics after I get back from NRA.


Attached File

I picked mine up on Wednesday. If it'll quit raining sometime this weekend I'll give it a good workout.

I believe the American Eagle line uses Speer components, versus the Sierra components of the Gold Medal line.  At least that's the way it is with the .308/7.62x51 M1A load--168gr Speer BTHP

I could be wrong; however.  Either way, they're decent components for a "budget" line like the American Eagle

The American Eagle load uses the same Hornady 140 grain BTHP that Hornady uses in their American Gunner load. I contacted Federal and that's what they told me anyhow. The American Eagle load performs very well in my B-14 hunter and I'm hopeful that the results will be similar in my HMR.

I'm all set for my bigger calibers but if they made one of these in 223 with a 1:7 twist 22" barrel and AICS compatible DBM, then I might have to add one to the stable.

I specifically asked that question of Bergara on Facebook earlier this week, and was told they have no plans for a 223 HMR.

...which was disappointing...

Hornady American gunner 140g bthp is the best bang for your buck in 6.5

Here's my 5 shot zero verification before running out to 1k.

Attached File


Under $1 a round at Buds

That's disappointing they aren't doing a 223. It would be a good trainer to my 308. I have a bunch of match 223 on hand I don't plan on putting through my ar, I've been looking into putting together a 223 off of a rem action.

On another note, i just received my surefire procomp 7.62. It looks pretty dam good on the HMR, if I say so myself. Unfortunately there is a 80% chance of rain this weekend,  so I won't be able to get it out. I'm curious to see how it affects accuracy and the recoil.

Fit in my AX AI chassis with no mods.

Damn!

I purchased the Bergara b14 HMR in 6.5 and I've put the Seekins 20moa base on it. I've ordered the Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50 (because you can't find anything with the same features for less than double the cost of the Argos) and the Seekins LOW rings. Should all arrive in the mail Friday and I'm a little anxious to see how the scope will fit (if it fits) because I can't wait to shoot this thing! What are your thoughts? Are your Burris XTR rings low? Thanks!

I'll definitely post pics soon

Sounds like a great setup! Yes, my Burris rings are low. Definitely the way to go with a 20 MOA base. If anything, I'd prefer a bit lower. Only problem is the power ring on the Argos gets in the way of the bolt at 6-7 power. That's a function of the high bolt lift and the design of the power ring on the Argos. I just leave my scope at 8x or above and there's no issue.

Thanks! I wanted to go as low as I could too, but was a little worried about clearance. Im feeling better about that now. I'm glad I found this forum thread. Lots of good information here. If everything goes will I will be shooting it this weekend for the first time, so I'll have a follow-up post to share.

Fed Amer Eagle 140gr.  Some groups right after I put it in the chassis....

The paster dots are .63" in diameter.


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Can you guys school me on rings and bases?This will be my first precision rifle. I'm going to get one of these in 6.5.

I just ordered a Leupold MK4 LRT 4.5-14x50.

A gent with AMU first cued me on this rifle, then Jim Gilliland got his hands on a pair and is testing them with very favorable remarks thus far. Basically HMR 6.5 + Glass may be the best sub-$2K precision rifle package out the box, period, that you can hop right into PRS with. Eagerly awaiting these to be on the market longer so I can pick one up in 6.5, and hopefully already have a can by the time the budget is ready for it.


Any word on Manners/McM stock compatibility should a body want to drop it in later? I saw the AI chassis above.

damn you people.....

put one on layaway and now I am scoping out ( pun intended ) NightForce optics.  I hate to disappoint but, as noted in my reasoning above, I went ahead with the .308 and will use this as a 500 yard and under target gun.  Maybe, someday, when I burn out the barrel in the Monolith, I'll change THAT to a 6.5.  Hee hee hee.....I like that idea!!!!

Bought a BMP in 6.5 creedmoor to get rid of the new gun itch....
Handloads are fun with 130 grain TMK and 143 grain ELD X...Prime 130s are steady sub MOA all day in the BMP.
Picked up an HMR in .308 tonight at Sportsman's Warehoue.
Now I have another Bergara rifle on layaway.

I think I have a problem...

Good problem to have.  I saw bud's had BMPs for a really decent price....it was hard not to drop more coin, lemme tell ya.  Those BMPs are INCREDIBLE.

Sonuvabitch.  That B-14 HMR looks great and this thread isn't helping.  Gonna have to wait for Bergara to start making it in a southpaw model before I jump, though.  Sonuvabitch.

It is very nice.... and my employer is happy I'm working overtime to get it done!

After reading all these comments it looks like my wife is going to be mad at me...... again.  I could have said no when the prices were closer to $1k, but the listing just over $800 are way too tempting.  I'm looking at the 308, and if/when it happens I'll make some reports.

I'm assuming here since I'm not all that familiar with Bergara, all a guy would have to do is mount on a reminton 700 pattern scope mount, then the scope and rings and you're off to the range.  That sounds pretty sweet to me.

That's how I understand it.  I just ordered a TPS Pic rail in the Rem 700 / 6-48 pattern for mine....so we're gonna find out pretty soon!!!!

I ran into a problem with the steel TPS 20 MOA Pic rail that I used on my Rem 700 SA.  All 4 screws (6-48s) that came with the rail were the same length but the holes were NOT the same depth!!!  The hole closest to the muzzle is a little shallower than the other 3.  When I called TPS they were clueless and useless.  I ended up shortening the screw myself and got lucky enough to not totally botch the job...  the shortened screw worked fine.

The only reason I am mentioning this is so that you can look at yours immediately to see if you have this problem.  Look at the screws and "dipstick" the receiver holes with a toothpick...  or simply trial fit the rail and pay close attention to the screw closest to the muzzle to see if it will seat completely. I would love to be wrong about this but in case I'm not - your choices will be shorten the screw yourself, use a gunsmith to mount the rail, or order shorter screws from Brownells (torx head 6-48 screw link HERE) or some other similar vendor...  Best of luck.  Let us know how it works out.  The B-14 may also have different hole depths compared to the Rem SA...

BTW - the rail I ordered for my Bergara B-14 HMR build is a "Badger Ordnance Maximized 1 piece steel base (30606) for Remington SA, 20 MOA cant,  Picatinny, matte".  It comes with 1 short and 3 "normal" length 6-48 screws!    I also have the glass, rings, and bipod...  Now all I need to do is order the rifle one of these days!  

Good to know.  I have installed one TPS on an OLD, trued Remington 700 and it was literally perfect.  I will watch this mount and if it's goofy, I'll send it right back and get a Badger or a Warne.

Ok, so I have this problem... Attached File

Hoping to have that same problem soon.  I have all of my accoutrements on order....AND I spent a healthy portion of this weekend loading up more .308.  I small base size because I want to be able to run my ammo in either my MA-10 or my bolt gun....but, even then, I get very good groups with my various 165/168 grain projectiles and IMR 4064.

Thanks for sharing!

It feels like I just got kicked off a fence 

I just paid mine off after loading another 200 rounds of .308 this weekend.



All accoutrements are inbound.  Rifle will ship....well, when Bud's ships it.

Can't wait!!!

Rifle in .308:



Spuhr Mount on TPS base:






Nightforce SHV4-14F1 (ffp ) Mil R




Lantac Brake:



Harris 6-9 Bipod:




and 5 more of these:





I have a big selection of Nosler and Hornady bullets ranging to 150 grain all the way to 178 grain loaded up.  These aren't hyper precision rounds but will shoot 1 inch or less in my MA-10.  It'll be a good start.

OK, now you're just taunting me!!!  LOL!  

Ya know...I thought that this muzzle brake would look really sweet with the HMR lines:



...it's made by a company I have never heard of, Mechforce.

...but every time I said the name "MechForce"....all I could think of was "Mega Force". 

Then all I could picture was this guy holding MY rifle:




...and, as cool as Ace Hunter might ( or might not ) be............

I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

LOL!  Save up for a suppressor!...  that's my plan...

Kind of off topic, but does anyone know if the Bergara's will drop in a Bell & Carlson stock designed for a Remington 700? I want to put a B14 hunter in a B&C stock as a new deer rifle.

Let me know what you think of the scope.  Of course my happy ass had to look through one right before payday....

CrazyHorse...I have already scoped one out at my local Sportsman's Whorehouse ( where all the guys spend their money on Friday night ) and, just like my roomie's NXS...the glass is FANTASTIC!!!!!!  jUST FANTASTIC!!!!

That's where I put my hands on one Wednesday... (dancing like Baby Groot humming happy birthday tune)!