First Look: Bergara B14 Timber

Bergara, the vaunted Spanish barrel maker, now produces three full-fledged rifle lines. Its least expensive, the Performance line, features two rifles: the B14 Hunter (synthetic) and B14 Timber. These rifles are designed by American hunters and shoot and feel like rifles that cost much more. As such—at under $1,000—they may be one of the best values in hunting rifles available today. Here are five things you need to know about Bergara's B14 Timber.

1. An oiled walnut stock features a Monte Carlo-style raised cheekpiece to align the eye with a scope; fine checkering ensures a good grip; a thin buttpad won’t snag clothing, but is thick enough to mitigate recoil. Internally the stock features epoxy pillars that bed the action, ensuring consistent accuracy even amid wet conditions.

2. Bergara’s own barrel is CNC-machined from 4140 chrome moly steel and triple honed at the company’s Spanish facility before being cut and finished at BPI’s Duluth, Ga. plant. Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win. .308, 30-06 and .300 Win. Mag., it’s a premium-quality, target-crowned barrel that contributes greatly to the rifle’s accuracy.

3. A B14 Timber test rifle shot 1-inch groups at 100 yards with several different types of ammo. Its accuracy is a testament to this 7¾-pound rifle as a whole, from its quality barrel, stock, action, and trigger—and the mating of all of them by skilled Spanish workers.

4. The company’s proprietary action is based on the venerable Remington 700 design but has several tweaks that hunters will appreciate. Silky smooth, its two-lug bolt assures strength and safety; a sliding plate extractor and plunger ejector assures reliability; the bolt-release button on its left side is easy to access, and the two-position safety is simple, quiet and effective.

5. The trigger is crisp, clean, and features absolutely no creep. It’s adjustable from 3 to 5 pounds and is not typical of a rifle in this price range.

The B14 Timber ships with an MSRP of $950. For more information, go to BergaraUSA.com.