Bergara rifles. You’ve probably heard of them and may have even considered picking one up. So, why do this Bergara Crest review? Quite frankly, I wanted to see what kind of performance I could get out of a gun that falls squarely into what I would call the mid-range production category. You can certainly get much less expensive rifles like the Ruger American or Savage 110, but what kind of upgrade do you get with Bergara rifles?
Like many rifle manufacturers, the Bergara rifle offerings are numerous, with the B-14 Squared Crest being one of their mid-range options. In this day and age, it’s easy to associate a higher price point with better performance, but that’s not always the case. Some features that drive a higher price point are simply luxury features, while other factors that raise the cost can have a direct impact on how well a rifle actually performs.
This rifle was put through the rigors of real use during a full hunting season, countless range trips for load development, an unfortunate warranty replacement (more on that below), and then a second round of testing.
How did it fare? Did it really deliver the sub-1 MOA performance that Bergara Rifles guarantees?
Let’s dig in.
What Makes the Bergara B-14 Crest Rifle Stand Out
The Bergara B-14 Crest Squared rifle is not what I would consider a lightweight rifle, but it’s certainly not a heavy one. It is built with shootability in mind while still keeping the base weight relatively low at just under 7 lbs. The Bergara Monocoque Carbon Fiber stock is one I came to love, and the action is super smooth, particularly for a rifle at this price point. I’ll go into more detail on these features below.
BERGARA RIFLES CROMOLLY STEEL B-14 ULTRA-SMOOTH ACTION
The Bergara rifle’s two-lug bolt system features a Cromolly Steel B-14 Action and includes a sliding extractor with a tapered bolt and breech stop, which I found to deliver extremely smooth operation and provide the feel of a much more expensive action. In fact, this action is smoother than some more expensive rifles I’ve tested, such as the Fierce Carbon Rival XP.
The Bergara rifle action features a two-position safety, but personally, I’m a fan of a three-position safety for hunting purposes, as it helps prevent the bolt from accidentally opening while hiking around the backcountry. That said, it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. I did have the bolt slide open on me multiple times with the Bergara B-14 Crest Squared rifle while hauling it around the mountains. The ultra-smooth action seemed to pop open more easily than others, so that same smooth action became a negative in this respect. This could easily be solved with a three-position safety.
BERGARA TRIGGER – ADJUSTABLE
The single-stage Bergara rifle trigger that comes with the Bergara Crest Squared rifle was adequate, but not amazing. I found it to be slightly on the spongy side and to have a little bit of creep. While nothing egregious (and I’ll admit, I’ve had the luxury of testing some of the best triggers on the market), it’s an area where there’s room for improvement. If this came with a TriggerTech Primary like their Bergara MgMicro Lite rifle, it would be an upgrade. That being said, the Bergara trigger that the Crest comes with is still miles above the triggers found on entry-level rifles like the Ruger American or Savage 110.
The trigger came to me from the factory set at 2.3 lbs, which I found interesting. I usually set my triggers between 1.5 and 2 lbs on my hunting rifles, but some folks prefer something closer to 3 lbs. It’s nice that the Bergara B-14 Crest Squared trigger is adjustable, so you can dial it in to your liking.
BERGARA B14 CREST BARREL – CARBON OR STAINLESS STEEL
It’s nice that the Bergara B-14 Crest is offered in both a stainless steel barrel option (the one I tested) and the Crest Carbon model featuring their Cure Carbon Barrel. The primary difference, as you can imagine, is the significant weight savings.
The Bergara Crest Carbon comes in at 6.2 lbs base weight (6.5 PRC), whereas the Crest with the stainless steel barrel comes in at 7.2 lbs base weight (6.5 PRC). The Crest Carbon is also nearly $400 more expensive ($2,200 vs. $1,830 at the time of this review). Depending on the caliber you select, barrel length can be either 20 inches or 22 inches. For some folks, the extra cost is well worth it for the one-pound weight savings; for others, the extra weight simply isn’t a big deal.
The first thing I did when I received my Bergara rifle was run my digital borescope down the inside of the barrel. If you don’t have a borescope, I would highly recommend one, as it may have saved me from a catastrophe—as you’ll see here in a moment.
The bore scope I have and have loved is the Teslong Digital Bore Scope. It has become a tool that I use every time I clean my rifles, every time I get a new rifle, and frequently in between to check my barrels. The barrel looked great upon initial inspection, so I grabbed some factory ammo and headed to the range (see below for one of the most interesting barrel discoveries I’ve ever made using that digital borescope).
I love that the barrel comes threaded, and it’s also nice that the rifle includes a radial muzzle brake from the factory. I will say, however, that I’m not a fan of radial brakes, as I’ve found them to be less effective than side-port brakes. Nonetheless, it’s still a huge improvement over having no brake at all.
INCLUDED, PRE-INSTALLED 20 MOA PICATINNY RAIL – BERGARA RIFLE
I also love that the Bergara Crest B-14 Squared rifle comes with a pre-installed 20 MOA Picatinny rail. Most rifles don’t, so it’s a nice bonus to not have to order a new rail just to get your scope mounted. I would, however, recommend adding some thread lock to the screws to make sure the rail doesn’t loosen over time. I’ve seen those screws come loose when rails come pre-installed, so just throw some Vibra-Tite Thread Lock on them to ensure you don’t run into an issue at an inopportune time (that actually happened to my brother on a deer hunt last year).
SLING OPTIONS – SLING STUDS + QUICK RELEASE – BERGARA RIFLES
The Bergara Crest Monocoque Carbon Fiber stock comes with length-of-pull (LOP) spacers, allowing you to adjust the LOP to fit your needs. It also includes built-in quick-detach (QD) sling swivel sockets, as well as two pre-installed standard sling studs, giving you the option to use whichever setup you prefer. Additionally, it allows you to install an Arca/Picatinny rail, like I did with the SRS Arca/Pic rail. Because the stock comes with two pre-drilled holes (I removed the sling studs and used those holes to mount the SRS rail), the installation was super easy.
It would be nice if the Bergara Crest rifle came with a built-in Picatinny rail at the fore-end of the stock, but these rails are relatively inexpensive, and installing one—like I did—was quick and easy since the rifle comes with two sling studs. Installing the SRS Arca/Pic rail makes mounting a bipod fast and easy with any Picatinny-style bipod, and it also gives you the ability to quickly attach to any Arca-style tripod head, allowing you to shoot off a tripod when needed.
1 MOA GUARANTEE – BERGARA RIFLES
Bergara offers a 1 MOA guarantee on their rifles, so I was excited to test that out on my first range trip. Most of us would be hard-pressed to consistently shoot a 1 MOA group in all reality, but having tested many other rifles, I felt confident that if the gun could do it, I could as well.
I shoot a lot of rifle rounds each year, and even now, there are days when I find myself struggling to consistently hold a sub-MOA group, even when I know the rifle is capable. After all, we’re talking about putting a minimum three-shot group inside 1.047 inches at 100 yards. That’s a tight group—especially when you’re shooting factory ammo.
BERGARA MONOCOQUE CARBON FIBER STOCK – BERGARA RIFLES
The Bergara Rifles Monocoque carbon-fiber stock is absolutely fantastic. While I didn’t take it off the rifle to weigh it myself, it is exceptionally lightweight yet still gives you the feeling of being extremely robust. In fact, this Bergara Crest Carbon with their stainless steel action and Cure Carbon barrel comes in at nearly the same weight as the Fierce Carbon Rival XP when configured the same way. What makes this especially interesting is that the stock on this Bergara rifle feels significantly more robust, while also coming with integrated QD swivel ports. That’s pretty impressive.
I do wish that the stock had an adjustable cheek comb to further customize the fit, but the raised comb still provided a great fit for me personally. You’ll just want to pay attention to your scope ring height to help ensure proper fit and consistent cheek weld.
The vertical grip features a pronounced palm swell and an integrated thumb shelf that promotes proper hand placement, helping to reduce hand torque on the shot. While the thumb shelf isn’t nearly as pronounced as the Gunwerks Nexus stock, it is still more than adequate to place your hand and thumb in the proper spot.
Make sure to check out our other gear reviews and the Backwoods Pursuit YouTube Channel to help you decide what gear will help you stay out in the field longer!
One feature I wish the Bergara Monocoque stock included is an integrated Arca rail. The built-in Picatinny rail is perfect for attaching a bipod, but there are times when shooting off a tripod is the better—or even necessary—option, especially when you need extra elevation to clear tall brush and execute a shot. As noted above, adding an Arca rail like the SRS Arca/Pic rail was super easy, but it would be nice if it came standard with the stock. If it were pre-installed, this rifle would be even more versatile right out of the box.
Bergara B-14 Crest Rifle Specs
Part of what determines whether any piece of equipment fits our list of wants comes down to the specs. If you have a particular target weight in mind and are looking for a lightweight rifle build, that will instantly narrow your possibilities. If you aren’t quite so set on hitting a specific weight, your options open up considerably—and you’ll likely have a rifle that is more enjoyable to shoot, even if it’s not as light to carry around the mountains.
Here are the Bergara B-14 Crest Squared rifle specs:
| Bergara B-14 Crest Rifle Specs | Crest B-14 Steel Barrel | Crest B-14 Carbon Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Cromolly Steel B-14 Action two bolt system | Cromolly Steel B-14 Action two bolt system |
| Barrel | 4140 CrMo Steel Fluted Barrel, Threaded with Omni Muzzlebreak | Cure Carbon Barrel – #6 Barrel Taper, Threaded with Omni Muzzlebreak |
| Barrel Length Offerings | 20″ and 22″, depending on configuration | 20″ and 22″, depending on configuration |
| Bolt Angle | 90° | 90° |
| Trigger | Bergara Trigger | Bergara Trigger |
| Safety | 2 position | 2 position |
| Stock | Bergara Monocoque Carbon Stock | Bergara Monocoque Carbon Stock |
| Magazine | Drop Box / AICS 5 Round | Drop Box / AICS 5 Round |
| Grip | Vertical | Vertical |
| Current Caliber Offerings | Many Options | Many Options |
| Weight (no scope or bipod) | Starting around 6.8 lbs, depending on configuration | Starting around 6.2 lbs, depending on configuration |
| Accuracy Guarantee* | 1 MOA | 1 MOA |
| Integrated Picatinny bipod mount | No | No |
How We Tested For this Bergara Rifle Review
Because we value thorough, hands-on testing, we spent more than a full year shooting, hunting with, and developing loads for this Bergara rifle review. While there are plenty of more technically detailed reviews out there, our focus is on how this rifle performs in its intended role—as a true hunting rifle.
With that in mind, we put it to work.
BERGARA RIFLE TEST #1 – IS IT 1 MOA? PASSED
The first thing we set out to test for this Bergara rifle review was the 1-MOA guarantee. A lot of rifle manufacturers have implemented this guarantee as a way to give consumers confidence that the rifle will perform. To test this guarantee, I grabbed a box of Hornady Match Grade ammunition loaded with 147-grain ELD-M bullets. I’ve found that most of my 6.5 PRC rifles like that bullet, so it was a natural place to start with this test.
I mounted a Zeiss V4 6-24x50mm scope on my Bergara rifle and made a trip to the range to zero the rifle, confirm my ballistic data out of this rifle using the Garmin Xero Chrono, and see what kind of groups I could get from this rifle. As expected, the Hornady 147-grain ELD-M factory loads immediately produced sub MOA groups. I wasn’t shocked, but it was great to see it shooting exactly how it was supposed to.
BERGARA RIFLE TEST #2 – REAL WORLD HUNTING CONDITIONS: PASSED – 1 RESERVATION
Saying a rifle “passed the test” in a hunting situation is always relative, so take this for what it’s worth. In the field, I’m mainly looking for any real-world quirks or annoyances you’d want to know about. After using the Bergara Crest rifle in the field on multiple trips, including setting up for several shot opportunities, this rifle proved to be excellent in real-world hunting conditions. Yes, this was with factory ammo.
I did walk away with one slight annoyance, though. I found that the magazine unintentionally fell out on more than one occasion due to the larger-than-necessary release lever in front of the trigger. This first happened while setting up for a difficult uphill shot where we had to set the rifle up, then the animal moved, so we had to quickly grab the gun and reposition in another location.
During this scramble, the magazine release lever must have been bumped, and the magazine- along with the ammo needed for the shot-dropped at that first setup location. When getting ready to chamber a round at the second setup location, I realized what had happened and had to run back to the first location to find the magazine. Thankfully, it wasn’t far and didn’t affect our opportunity, but it easily could have.
The second time the magazine fell out of this Bergara rifle was while it was attached to my backpack during our pack-out. Thankfully, I noticed it falling out this time and was able to pick it up. This could have been a bad situation if I hadn’t seen it fall out.
That larger five-round magazine that comes with this Bergara rifle seemed to snag and catch on my pack more than a flush-mount magazine, so I ultimately elected to swap it out for a three-round flush-mount magazine to reduce the likelihood of this happening again. Thankfully, these are AICS-compatible magazines, so there are plenty of good options on the market if you decide to swap it out or need a replacement.
I still don’t love the magazine release lever, as it’s unnecessarily large and can be easily bumped. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on in the field and maybe even a reason to carry a fully loaded backup magazine. That’s something I already do, so in the worst-case scenario, I’ve always got that extra magazine in my pack—but this is still an issue that should be addressed. I can’t be the only one who’s run into this.
BERGARA RIFLE TEST #3 – HOW EASY IS LOAD DEVELOPMENT? PASSED
Another key test for this Bergara rifle review was to see how easily I could develop a load for it. While I realize this is highly subjective and depends on both the handloader and the level of care taken, I’ve done enough load development over the years to know when a rifle is going to be cooperative—and when it’s going to fight you.
After going through load development with a few different loads, I found that the rifle (not surprisingly) liked the Hornady 147-grain ELD-M bullet. Loads generally grouped in the 1 MOA range, but I did find it a little more challenging to find “the load” with this rifle than with some others I’ve tested. Now, to be fair, I’m not happy with a load until I’m seeing well under 1/2 MOA, and I know that’s a higher expectation than I probably should have for this rifle.
That being said, with just a little tinkering, I was able to achieve a killer load with this Bergara rifle, producing a 0.398-inch group at 100 yards using the 147-grain Hornady ELD-M bullet, paired with one of my favorite powders, Hodgdon H1000, with velocities approaching 2,900 fps. I have no doubt that with more tinkering I could push it a little harder and find additional bullets that it shoots well, but for the purposes of hunting with this rifle, I was more than happy with that level of performance.
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight (grains) | AVG Muzzle Velocity (fps) | Group Size (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 PRC | |||
| Hornady ELD-M ( factory ammo) | 147gr | 2815 | 0.86 |
| Hornady ELD-M ( hand load) | 147gr | 2787 | 0.39 |
| Hornady ELD-M (hand load) | 147gr | 2880 | 0.38 |
It’s worth noting that I tested these results repeatedly across a range of temperatures, seasons, activities, and elevations. As expected, there were minor variations in velocity, but overall, the results stayed remarkably consistent. Next on my list is developing loads for the 153-grain Hornady A-Tip and the Berger 156-grain EOL bullets.
INSANE Barrel Issue – Bergara Rifle Review
Ok… I’m not trying to dramatize this barrel issue, but it was wild. I was maybe 100–200 rounds into testing and had just returned from the range. As usual, I set the Bergara Crest aside to clean it and then got started with my usual cleaning routine. After giving the barrel a thorough cleaning, I grabbed my Teslong Digital Bore Scope to inspect the interior of the barrel—something I always do—to confirm that it was clean to my liking and to perform a basic safety check.
What I found was something I’d never seen before. The borescope revealed what appeared to be a clean break about halfway down the barrel. I know—I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it either. After inspecting it further, then running a cleaning brush through the barrel again to make sure it wasn’t just residue left behind, it became impossible to ignore that there appeared to be a serious issue. To top it off, that same range trip had yielded my best groups yet with the rifle, including a 0.388-inch group at 100 yards. I thought I was set with my load—but little did I know, this was just the beginning.
I contacted Bergara Rifles and sent them pictures of what I’d found, and they requested that I send the rifle back in so their gunsmiths could take a look. While I expected them to simply replace the barrel, they ended up sending me a completely new rifle. That’s excellent customer service from Bergara. Unfortunately, that also meant I was back at square one with my load development. However, I had a great starting point, and the new Bergara Crest shot that same load well, so I didn’t lose too much time—other than the turnaround time for the return and an FFL transfer fee.
I never received an explanation of exactly what Bergara found when they inspected the rifle, but I’d assume it wasn’t good since they elected to replace the entire rifle. I’m glad Bergara took care of the issue and did so in top-notch fashion. Once I received the replacement rifle, I started over with my testing, so this review is based on the performance and results of the replacement Bergara rifle I was sent.
What I liked – Bergara Rifle Review
Doing this Bergara rifle review gave me a lot to love about the Bergara B-14 Crest. Given its price point, it’s a strong performer and offers you a ton a great features that you don’t always see on rifles in this price range.
- Excellent value
- Lightweight build designed for the backcountry
- Incredible overall performance
- Integrated thumb shelf for improved ergonomics
- Included 20 MOA Picatinny rail
- Vertical grip that promotes proper hand placement
- Muzzle brake included
- Excellent stock design
What I Disliked – Bergara Rifle Review
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about the Bergara Crest rifle, but there are a few areas where some changes would make it better:
MAGAZINE
My primary issue with the rifle after doing this Bergara Crest review was the magazine. The accidental release of the magazine while in the field is an issue I’ve never had before, and it could have cost us an animal if the situation had been different.
BARREL ISSUE
The other wild issue I encountered was the barrel crack, break, or scratch—whatever it was. I have no idea what happened, but it was unnerving, to say the least. The crazy part was that the gun was shooting extremely well when I discovered it. Who knows—maybe it would have never caused an issue, but I didn’t want to find out.
Other than that, there were just a few other small things I didn’t love:
- Limited cartridge offerings
- Magazine – If you fire a round with the magazine empty, there is a loud “boing” coming from the magazine. The springs inside rattle from the recoil of the gun. It doesn’t cause any issues, but it sounds like a cheap toy-shop gun.
- No integrated Arca rail
- No built-in Picatinny rail for quick bipod mounting
- No adjustable comb for perfect eye alignment
- Trigger could be better
None of these issues are deal-breakers, since nearly all of them can be solved easily with aftermarket parts (except for the cartridge offerings).
Conclusion – Bergara Rifle Review
This B-14 Squared Bergara rifle proved to be a great-shooting gun, a great value, and its silky-smooth bolt, reliable performance, and well-designed stock make it a fantastic option for those not quite wanting to drop “custom rifle” money.
For just under the $2,000 price point, this rifle performed exceptionally well, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Bergara Crest or the Bergara Crest Carbon to the backcountry hunter looking for a rifle that’s accurate, reliable, and offers great value. The Carbon option is extremely lightweight for those looking to shave some weight, but it does bump the price just over the $2,000 mark.
Confidence is something a rifle has to earn, and while we had a rough start with the barrel issue, over the course of the following year of testing, the Bergara Crest rifle did exactly that. When it’s crunch time, you want absolute certainty that the rifle will hit the mark—as long as you, the shooter, can do your part.
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