GUN TESTS GRADE: A

$1999

While it is not the lightest rifle in our test group, it doesn’t miss it by much.

The 24-inch stainless-steel barrel uses a No. 3 taper with a 1-in-8-inch twist. It measures about 1.2 inches at the receiver and then thins down to approximately 0.55-inch diameter at the muzzle. The engineers deigned to omit a muzzle brake, so the barrel ends with a simple, recessed crown. The barrel is free-floated its entire length, and there is a hefty recoil lug sandwiched between it and the receiver. Both the barrel and the receiver are finished in Tactical Gray Cerakote.

The stock is 100% carbon fiber and is made by AG Composite, a company well known for the quality of their product. A black-and-gray dapple paint has been applied to the carbon fiber to help break up the lines and just look cool. It uses a standard hunting configuration with a slender forend and wrist to go along with a fairly high comb. It is capped with a good Decelerator recoil pad. The stock is not bedded per se, but it is machined to a very close fit with the receiver, and the action screws feed through integral pillars. We actually had to work at it a bit to remove the action from the stock — the fit is that tight. Single sling-swivel studs are mounted fore and aft.

More weight savings come from the action. The knurled bolt head is somewhat enlarged and hollow. The bolt body is fluted. The whole package is trim enough to allow only two of the not-so-trim 6.5 PRC rounds in the magazine. Please note that magnum rounds will normally allow three in the magazine, and common cartridges such as the 6.5 CM or 308 Win. will fit four in the mag. The bolt release is a pivoting arm to the left rear of the receiver. The safety is a two-position rocker type positioned immediately to the rear of the bolt handle. The bolt is a two-lug design that features a separate floating head to help ensure proper alignment and lockup within the action. The bolt nose is cone shaped to help with feeding. It features a sliding plate extractor in the front of the lower locking lug and a plunger-type ejector. The one-piece bolt body is stainless steel, while the bolt head, the non-rotating gas shield, the bolt handle, and bolt shroud are fully nitrided for extreme durability and its inherent lubricity. A visual and tactile cocking-status indicator protrudes from the rear of the bolt shroud. Be aware that the Bergara requires 8-40 screws for the scope base, not the more standard 6-48 pattern.

Once again, the bottom metal is actually metal. Access to the magazine is via the hinged floorplate. The release for the floorplate is located on the front of trigger but, try as we may, we did not have any issues with the floorplate opening until we made a legitimate effort to do so.

We appreciate Trigger Tech triggers and, like several rifles in this test series, the Bergara has a good one. It uses Tech’s “Frictionless Release Technology,” is easily adjustable, and only required 2.5 pounds of compression to activate. Trigger take-up was almost non-existent, and total movement was only about one-eighth of an inch.

Two of our three test rifles have muzzle brakes, with the Bergara being the exception. Without the brake, the increase in recoil was very noticeable, though not prohibitive even for those who are somewhat recoil averse. The consensus (and we realize this is very subjective) was that the rifles without brakes recoiled about like a 270 Win. That would stand to reason, with both cartridges having bullet weights and powder charges in the same range. The Bergara actually preferred the EDL-X hunting bullet to the ELD-M match round, with groups averaging a mere 0.41 inch for the former.

Our Team Said: With a 100% carbon-fiber stock and trim 24-inch barrel, the Bergara Mountain Premier 2.0 lives up to its name.

Range Data