Bergara BMR bolt action rimfire rifles... Anyone have one?

[WDR]

A search here only brought up one short previous thread on the subject.

I've been on the prowl for a new .22 rimfire rifle for a while now, to end up as a host for a YHM Phantom rimfire can that should be approved any time now (89 days today, e-file Form 4 on a trust... fingers crossed). Originally, I was looking at Rugers American line (I have a bunch of 10/22 mags), but availability is spotty, and I've read a lot of mixed reviews. CZ is also on the short list, but most of their rifles don't "speak" to me... the precision trainers are interesting, but a bit heavy if I decided to hike around with it. A switch barrel .22/.22 Mag/.17 HMR is interesting though.

This brings me to last weekend. I was out of town, and poking around a new shop I hadn't ever been in before, and they had both the Bergara BXR 10/22 clones, and also the BMR bolt action in standard steel barreled models, alongside the carbon fiber barrel model. Picking them up and futzing with them a bit, I started really liking the standard steel BMR. Cleanly threaded muzzle on on a not too heavy taper barrel. It was light, and felt well balanced (bare, no scope) while also feeling a bit more like a "real" rifle than some other bolt action .22's I've put hands on. The stock seemed quite solid, despite its very light weight. Light weight is a good thing, if I ever want to get the kids shooting this gun. I'm not a big fan of the idea of a plastic magazine, but it comes with 5rd and 10rd mags (the CZ's seem to only come with one). Downsides: no irons, and no provisions for irons that I am aware of, so I'd have to buy a scope for it. No irons isn't a deal breaker, but having the option is nice. I'd also have to buy another magazine or two to have on hand, but they are apparently somewhat hard to find and expensive.

I held off on buying one on the spot, despite my wife's encouragement to "just buy it!"... but I'm still looking at them online. Does anyone have one of these? How has it been? What about the .22 Mag and .17 HMR models?

Related question: Does the BXR semi-auto 10/22 clone have a cleaning port drilled on the back of the receiver, to allow cleaning from the breech end? I may end up with one of these down the road as well.

[SecondsCount]

I have not handled a BMR but I have a B14R. I would think that the quality would be pretty similar

It was purchased at a reduced price due to it being a barreled action that a guy won at a shooting event. I put it in a Boyd's At One stock so it had adjustability for me and my wife to shoot it. The nice part about the B14R is that they are based on a Remington 700/40X pattern so the same triggers and stocks will fit.

Most of the time I just plink with it using Automatch or CCI Standard Velocity.

Rifle
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Playing around in the backyard at 50 yards
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[WDR]

I believe the BMR also uses a Remington 700 style trigger like the B14R... but I think the factory one is adjustable, and pretty good. That's some pretty good accuracy, for just playing around. :cool:

[SecondsCount]

I believe the BMR also uses a Remington 700 style trigger like the B14R... but I think the factory one is adjustable, and pretty good. That's some pretty good accuracy, for just playing around. :cool:

I have left the factory trigger as it arrived. It is a good trigger but I shoot a 7.5 lb LEM in my pistol so the Bergara pales in comparison :D

The accuracy iss pretty satisfying for 5cpr ammo. SK Standard is nearing 15cpr, and other 22LR match ammo is even more, which makes shooting a 22LR less appealing.

[flyrodr]

I bought a carbon-barreled BMR a few months ago, rationalizing it was to be my grandson's trainer (he's, um, three). I intended it to be a trainer for my centerfire bolt guns. Put a largish 6-24X Athlon scope on it; otherwise it's stock.

I'm enjoying it, as part of the larger process of getting back into rifle shooting, something I've not done much of since I was a kid shooting squirrels. The BMR is cheap to shoot, relatively, and its light weight really accentuates any errors on my part, thus it is a bit unforgiving of any slacking of technique on my part. That said, it is a pretty accurate little gun. It'll punch tight holes at 50 yards, and I have (once) shot a sub-half-inch 5-shot group at 100 yards with it (I did use some SK match ammo). It'll usually shoot one-inch groups, assuming I can hold still.

I've had no issues with it, other than accuracy was degrading once, which I tracked down to the factory-installed scope base having worked loose (you'd think I'd have learned to "never assume" by now). Removed, cleaned, Loctite applied, and back to shooting well.

I'm well satisfied, and might even let my grandson shoot it . . . in a few years.

[okie john]

I bought a carbon-barreled BMR a few months ago, rationalizing it was to be my grandson's trainer (he's, um, three).

I buy guns for my grandkids, too.

They're not even born yet.


Okie John

[awp_101]

I bought a carbon-barreled BMR a few months ago, rationalizing it was to be my grandson's trainer (he's, um, three).
Totally legit reason. My Grandfather bought me a Winchester 94 .30-30 at the same age.😁

[WDR]

I'm well satisfied, and might even let my grandson shoot it . . . in a few years.

That's good to hear. Thanks for the reply. I have used my kids as excuses for a few guns or accessory purchases over the years. The light weight of the gun is one of my current ones. :cool:

Any issues with the magazines? I saw someone complaining their ten round mag didn't work as well as the 5 round one.

[flyrodr]

Any issues with the magazines? I saw someone complaining their ten round mag didn't work as well as the 5 round one.

I haven't noticed any issues at all re: the 10-rd magazine. Loading that 10th round in the mag is a little tough, but feeding is no problem. Well, if you work the bolt too slowly and lightly, a round will occasionally FTF, but that happens on the 5-rd as well as the 10-rd. A "normal" smooth cycling of the bolt results in good feeding. I'd note that I ordered a couple of extra 10-rd and one 5-rd mag (vaguely recall I ordered them from EuroOptic), and there is no difference in feeding; they're all consistent.

Whatever slimy lube SK puts on their match ammo does make feeding smoother yet. And it's certainly more accurate than bulk pack ammo.

[DamonL]

I bought a bunch of guns for my kids, but they don't seem to care about them, so now I am stuck. ;)

I have a B14r that shoots really well. If the Begara makes the BMR as nice as the B14r, than I think you will be very happy with buying one.

WDR Did you think the BXR was nicer than a standard 10/22?

[WDR]

I bought a bunch of guns for my kids, but they don't seem to care about them, so now I am stuck. ;)

I have a B14r that shoots really well. If the Begara makes the BMR as nice as the B14r, than I think you will be very happy with buying one.

WDR Did you think the BXR was nicer than a standard 10/22?

The BXR is probably a better gun than a Ruger for similar money/model type. I own a couple older 10/22's that are good guns. Their newer guns seem cheaply made to me. I may end up with a BXR down the road.

[WDR]

Whelp... now I need a scope and rings. :cool:

[DamonL]

Congrats!

[SecondsCount]

Whelp... now I need a scope and rings. :cool:

Congrats!

What are the distances that you plan on shooting?

[WDR]

Congrats!

What are the distances that you plan on shooting?

Most likely would be typical .22 plinking and hunting ranges. I may stretch it out to 100-200 for fun, but for me the 30 MOA factory scope base is probably overkill. Might have to shim it, depending on what scope I go with. I may some day dip my toes in the precision rimfire stuff, but I mostly bought this thing for a light walk around varmint/plinking gun. I'm thinking I should keep it lighter. Adjustable parallax would be nice.

I will be honest, I didn't really have a plan as far as optic... so I'm still working that out in my head.

[sparkyv]

I enjoy shooting my BMR. I'm still testing, but so far it likes Norma Tac-22 and SK Std +. It's an excellent rifle and a good value. I have no regerts.

Some answers:
- yes, it's fairly light, great for offhand shooting (silhouettes) or hunting
- I think the stock is surprisingly stiff for it being polymer
- the polymer magazines seem robust and are now readily available, but cost $40
- I had no issues with either magazine
- correct, no sights; seems it's intended as a LR rifle, and a rail is included
- I shimmed my rail by 30 thou; I have no need for 30MOA built unto the rail


It was light, and felt well balanced (bare, no scope) while also feeling a bit more like a "real" rifle than some other bolt action .22's I've put hands on. The stock seemed quite solid, despite its very light weight. Light weight is a good thing, if I ever want to get the kids shooting this gun. I'm not a big fan of the idea of a plastic magazine, but it comes with 5rd and 10rd mags (the CZ's seem to only come with one). Downsides: no irons, and no provisions for irons that I am aware of, so I'd have to buy a scope for it. No irons isn't a deal breaker, but having the option is nice. I'd also have to buy another magazine or two to have on hand, but they are apparently somewhat hard to find and expensive.
Most likely would be typical .22 plinking and hunting ranges. I may stretch it out to 100-200 for fun, but for me the 30 MOA factory scope base is probably overkill. Might have to shim it, depending on what scope I go with. I may some day dip my toes in the precision rimfire stuff, but I mostly bought this thing for a light walk around varmint/plinking gun. I'm thinking I should keep it lighter.
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[SecondsCount]

Most likely would be typical .22 plinking and hunting ranges. I may stretch it out to 100-200 for fun, but for me the 30 MOA factory scope base is probably overkill. Might have to shim it, depending on what scope I go with. I may some day dip my toes in the precision rimfire stuff, but I mostly bought this thing for a light walk around varmint/plinking gun. I'm thinking I should keep it lighter. Adjustable parallax would be nice.

I will be honest, I didn't really have a plan as far as optic... so I'm still working that out in my head.

30 MOA is a ton. You'll need a scope that can accommodate that.

I am running a 6-24X Cabelas Covenant. For the $249 sale price I am happy with it on a 22, and have shot with it out to 300 yards.

For something higher quality but budget friendly, check out the Vortex PST II, Brownells MPO, Burris XTR, and some of the Bushnell offerings.

[WDR]

30 MOA is a ton. You'll need a scope that can accommodate that.

I am running a 6-24X Cabelas Covenant. For the $249 sale price I am happy with it on a 22, and have shot with it out to 300 yards.

For something higher quality but budget friendly, check out the Vortex PST II, Brownells MPO, Burris XTR, and some of the Bushnell offerings.

As I understand it, Bergara aimed these guns at the entry level of NRL22 matches, which makes the 30 MOA base understandable. I'm okay with shimming it if I have to. It's made me pay far more attention to total MOA of travel available in the scopes I've been looking at. I've been reading about, and looking at specs for various scopes all day, and have officially reached Analysis Paralysis. I really don't think I want to spend $500 on a scope, but I may end up coming close to that. My gut tells me don't mount a large (over 16X) scope on this gun... as I don't plan to get into NRL22 matches any time soon. But it also tells me that I shouldn't scrimp on glass for what is probably a very capable gun.

[WDR]

I went to a local place and took a peek through a coupe scopes today after work. A Burris that I am not really interested in, because of the HUGE combination side focus knob/illumination dial... and A Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16X FFP. I had looked over the specs of this Vortex, and it seemed like a good contender. I can pick one up for about $315, I thought I might bring it home if I put hands on one today.

I am not a big fan of made in China optics, but the scope looked nice. The turrets felt good, with distinct clicks that lined up with the markings well. The power adjustment was smooth. The side focus seemed to work really well up close (15 yards or so) as well as farther out. I liked most everything about the Vortex, except that the center portion of the reticle was damn near invisible at 4X. This obviously improved when turning the power up, but I think for something like a snap shot on small game, I'd struggle to use such a fine reticle. I'm not very familiar with FFP optics, so it has me wondering if this is just the way they all are.

The invisible center cross hair at 4X has me thinking there has got to be something else out there. So I'm back to searching.

[OlongJohnson]

Also consider parallax adjustment. For rimfire, you might want to either have that set at a fixed shorter distance or be able to dial it down, depending on what distance you're shooting at. If you're going to be chewing on 50-yard targets, you might not want typical centerfire parallax settings.

Rimfire-specific scopes are set up this way. So are shotgun scopes.

[WDR]

Well, I ordered a Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x33mm EFR tonight, along with some rings (Burris Signature, with the offset spacers), and another 5rd magazine. I'm not sure how fast the scope is going to show up, but I'm still waiting for my Form 4 to clear for the YHM Phantom that's gonna go on the muzzle, so I have time. I'd love to have everything in hand by the weekend to shoot it, but I'm sure the Feds, the shippers, and the rest of the stores will not cooperate on that.

I decided for my uses, for now, the EFR Loopy should be sufficient. If I hate it, I should be able to flip it and break even or not lose too much money (I got it for $360), or stick it on one of my other rimfires.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help.

[DamonL]

I was at my local Walmart and they had CCI Standard Velocity. I bought some, but they limited me to 3 boxes. I went to the next nearest and bought 3 boxes there. Price is decent, so you might check your local Walmart for some.

[WDR]

https://i.imgur.com/XBEXQJ1h.jpg

Forgive the crappy pic, but I was excited that my scope showed up. Was able to mount it after dinner was done, right in the kitchen. :cool:

I think the 3-9X33 EFR Leupold was a good decision. It keeps the gun light and balanced, and looks proportional. The objective end of the scope does not turn with the focusing ring, so I should be able to get some flip caps for it, though the screw in Leupold aluminum caps are insanely priced now ($200 a set!). I used Burris Signature rings with the "0" offsets to start out with. I bore sighted it on the bricks of the shop behind my house (~15 yards), and it didn't take too much elevation to get it close. I'll see if I have issues with the 30 MOA slope base when I go to sight it in, I guess. I think offset Burris ring inserts will be cheaper than buying .030" shim stock somewhere. Not many local places carry the inserts, unfortunately. The brass part of a 5.56mm stripper clip is about .014", and I have those on hand, but I think some real stainless steel shim stock would be a better option, if needed.

Downside: I have commitments after work tomorrow, so I can't take it to the range and screw my currently-in-NFA-jail YHM Phantom on it for a spin... I'd be tickled pink if my Form 4 got approved soon (a bit over 90 days on an e-file now).

This should be a fun little varmint popper. I have not been this excited about a rimfire in probably 20 years.

[DamonL]

I was at a gun show this weekend with a friend. He was looking for a Ruger Precision Rifle in .22lr. We saw a BMR and he was tempted. He didn't buy it but it was close. I also saw the BXR. I decided I was going to spend way more money upgrading the 10/22 I have instead of buying a nicely set up gun for less. :) These Bergara's are nice guns.

[WDR]

So today I went to my favorite indoor range, to sight in the Leupold, and visit my YHM can that is in NFA jail. All rounds fired through the suppressor. My rough bore sight got me pretty close at 25 yards (max available at this range). 3 rounds of CCI Blazer, fired quickly, to start out.
https://i.imgur.com/0zRgj2Fh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zRiFnVth.jpg

I dialed in some elevation and windage to get a good zero, then shot a few groups. The pistol range benches are not the best shape/size for great precision shooting form, but I made due, shooting over my pistol range bag as a rest. I shot a few rounds each of CCI Blazer, CCI Subsonic HP, CCI Standard, and some Federal HV Match. Here are two five round groups of the CCI Subsonic HP:

https://i.imgur.com/tBTEPySh.jpg

All of the groups were similar size. 25 yards isn't an ideal distance to try to pick out a precision load for a .22 rimfire, but I believe with a proper bench and good ammo, this rifle is easily ten shots under a dime at 50yards. I'm excited to try to stretch it out. I also cant wait to get that can out of jail... its absurdly quiet with standard velocity/subsonic ammo. The bullet hitting the paper target and the backstop was louder than the report. I should have bought a rimfire can years ago.:D

[flyrodr]

The pistol range benches are not the best shape/size for great precision shooting form

Had to laugh, as I was reminded of having the same experience when I first got my BMR.

But at a proper rifle range, with a solid bench and steady bags . . . and match ammo . . . this happened at 100 yds.:

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[WDR]

That is a very impressive group for a .22 at 100 yards. Nice work.

[WDR]

Made it to a different range today. A place with a more rifle friendly bench. No suppressor this time. Shot some groups at 50 yards with various ammo, but CCI Subsonic HP stands out again:

5 rounds:
https://i.imgur.com/PNlcxP1l.jpg

10 rounds:
https://i.imgur.com/S5CbxYml.jpg

This particular range is "indoor" but the last 25 yards of the bays are open air, with only walls and baffles, so the wind was flapping the target, hung from the overhead trolley, and not stapled to a solid backer. I tried to time my shots in the lulls of the breezes as the target moved in the wind, but I think that may have something to do with the vertical dispersion. Some of it may just be the nut behind the butt. Either way, it looks like she shoots pretty decent with a couple different types of CCI ammo. I may track down some SK or Wolf target ammo, just for fun.

ETA: I just found out my brother bought a BMR... and a BXR... the scoundrel. :cool:

[ccmdfd]

Made it to a different range today. A place with a more rifle friendly bench. No suppressor this time. Shot some groups at 50 yards with various ammo, but CCI Subsonic HP stands out again:

5 rounds:
https://i.imgur.com/PNlcxP1l.jpg

10 rounds:
https://i.imgur.com/S5CbxYml.jpg

This particular range is "indoor" but the last 25 yards of the bays are open air, with only walls and baffles, so the wind was flapping the target, hung from the overhead trolley, and not stapled to a solid backer. I tried to time my shots in the lulls of the breezes as the target moved in the wind, but I think that may have something to do with the vertical dispersion. Some of it may just be the nut behind the butt. Either way, it looks like she shoots pretty decent with a couple different types of CCI ammo. I may track down some SK or Wolf target ammo, just for fun.

ETA: I just found out my brother bought a BMR... and a BXR... the scoundrel. :cool:

Nice shooting!

My CZ loves the CCI Sub also. But recently discovered Lapua Center-X. It really loves those. If you haven't already, might give them a try.

Group at Bullseye is CCI subsonic, five shots, 40 yards. The hole at the number 5 position near the top of the target is also five shots at 40 yd but this time it is the Lapua.

88485

[Evil_Ed]

A couple weeks ago I took my 10/22 out to the range and tried to shoot for groups...and quickly realized that the gun was throwing things all over, not me, and I wanted to eliminate that variable. So, I bought a Bergara B14R. I ordered an Arken 5-25x scope for it (mainly to make sure it's good, and if it is I'll buy another to put on my Sig Cross that the Bergara is basically a trainer for)...but couldn't wait for that anymore, so I put a Nikon P-Rimfire 2-7x on the Bergara, cleaned it up, loaded mags with Eley Club 22lr, and took it to the range. The suppressor on it is a Dead Air Mask, and all rounds were fired with it on.

The first 50 were to zero it - first 5 were to get it to an aiming point, next 5 were to make sure I got it, the following 40 rounds were all fired again to see if things were good, then I started shooting 10 round groups.

All of this was at 50 yards.

Preface: I am not a good rifle shot; it's literally been decades since I sat down and tried to be "precise"...but damn if the Bergara doesn't make me look better than I am :o

94817

94818

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I'm a believer...I might even pick up a centerfire now, jeeze..

[WDR]

Necroposting...

I got around to putting some better match grade ammo through this rifle today. 50yard, ten round groups, SK Long Range, and SK Rifle Match. All groups fired with my YHM Phantom can on the gun.

https://i.imgur.com/R3lqHsFh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Tkj6Hs7h.jpg

There were a few more groups, pretty consistent with those, if you tossed out the rounds I threw, and the rounds that went askew when the wind blew the hanging target up at an inopportune time.