This week, we’re showcasing a lightweight chassis rifle that combines accuracy, ergonomics and packability to produce one heck of a mountain hunting rig: the Bergara Premier Series MgLite.
Starting with a ultra-lightweight, magnesium chassis system—the Element 4.0 from XLR Industries—the MgLite comes fully featured with a weight-reducing carbon-fiber pistol grip, a carbon-fiber buttstock and an adjustable carbon-fiber comb. All combined, the chassis weighs just 28 ounces and it still houses all the adjustability to provide a custom fit, ensuring that your rifle and optic meet your eye and shoulder at exactly the right place. In addition, the MgLite features a built-in bubble level and a 1.5-inch dovetail for ARCA-Swiss compatible components on the underside of the stock. The chassis accepts AICS-pattern detachable box magazines—three or five round, depending on caliber—and since the XLR chassis design provides a multi-point radial-cut inlet, there is no need for action bedding or V-block type foundations. And perhaps the most notable feature of the MgLite is, of course, its folding stock, which reduces the package down to an extremely packable 33 inches in length.
Mated to the stock is the Bergara Premier Action, which closely resembles one of the most popular bolt-action rifle designs of the modern era, the Remington Model 700. Bergara adds to that two-lug system a floating bolt head, which produces a more consistent and concentric lockup without the need for custom tuning. A one-piece, stainless-steel bolt body features a cone-shaped nose for smooth feeding and a sliding plate extractor. The bolt head, the non-rotating gas shield and the bolt shroud are fully Nitrided for extreme durability, as well as its self-lubricating properties. This system requires a 90-degree throw and provides a generously sized handle for operation. Bergara rounds out the fire-control system with an ultra-smooth, zero creep, user adjustable Trigger Tech trigger which can be tuned from near 1.5 pounds to 4 pounds of pull weight. Our test rifle’s trigger was sitting right around 2.5 pounds from the factory.
Bergara employs a completely new proprietary barrel system called CURE. A hybrid carbon-fiber design, Bergara’s CURE barrels weave stainless strands with carbon-fiber to manage heat. The result is a barrel that is ultralight, stiff, straight and accurate. And because it dissipates heat better than any other carbon-fiber barrel, CURE barrels perform shot after shot. Our test rifle, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, wears a 22-inch barrel, though depending on the caliber you choose, barrels range from 22- to 24-inches in length. Every MgLite barrel is topped with an Omni muzzle brake, making the MgLite fully adaptable to suppressed hunting, too.
Bergara offers the Premier MgLite in fan favorites such as the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, .308 Winchester and .300 Win. Mag., and twist rates for Bergara’s CURE carbon barrels are optimized respectively.
Bergara provides a 1 MOA guarantee with factory-made match-grade ammunition, and we’ve had shooters achieve even better results than that. Considering the total package weighs in from 6.6 to 6.8 pounds depending on your caliber choice, and can be folded into a pack-ready compact package, this may be the ultimate rifle for high-altitude sheep hunters. Of course, it’s just as handy in the Eastern whitetail woods, too. MSRP is right around $3,100.
For more information on the Bergara Premium Series MgLite rifle, visit Bergara.online/us.
