It's interesting to introduce experienced hunters and shooters to a new, unfamiliar rifle and, after they inspect it, ask, "So what do you think this would cost?"
I did just that in South Africa last August, showing guides and other hunters the new Bergara B14 Timber rifles. The answers ranged from $1,300 to $2,300. And their eyebrows arched when I disclosed that the rifle had a manufacturer's suggested retail price of just under a grand and was actually selling at retail for about $775.
Yes, paired with a new Zeiss Conquest HD5 scope, it made for an impressive hunting combo.
Bergara, a BPI Outdoors brand, launched a custom rifle line a couple years ago. We detailed in the Nov. 24, 2014, Military Times how the company was hiring former military gunsmiths who were experts in building military sniper and competition firearms. Their custom rifles have a following, ardent but limited since prices can exceed $3,000. Expansion into a more affordable production line was an obvious course of action for the company, according to Chief Executive Officer Dudley McGarity.
The key was capitalizing on the Bergara brand as identified by its quality barrels and then wrapping a reliable, high-value, lower-price package around those barrels.
The "Performance" line, which includes the B14 Timber, is assembled in Spain. Our model, chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum, was the oil-finished, walnut-stock version. The stock is a Monte Carlo design with raised comb and cheek piece. A synthetic stock Hunter model costs $825. There is also a new Woodsman model. It features a walnut stock of the same quality as the Timber, but cut into a more traditional look with a straight comb and no cheek piece.
The B14 is offered in four other cartridge chamberings: .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor. Another hunter was using the 6.5 Creedmoor model on a mid-December deer hunt. This cartridge is gaining high praise as an excellent option for big game up to elk sizes. All B14 rifles are guaranteed to produce 100-yard groups of 1.0 minute of angle (MOA) or better with quality factory ammunition.
Our .300 WM was zeroed with Federal Premium 180-grain Nosler Partition cartridges. Flat-shooting and packing some serious whump downrange, this was a good all-purpose choice for African plains game and big whitetails.
Guides were surprised at the affordability of the oil-finished, walnut-stock Bergara B14 Timber that Ken Perrotte took to Africa and Kansas. Shown with Zeiss Conquest HD5 scope.
Photo Credit: Ken Perrotte
ON THE HUNT
We took the Bergara rifle and Zeiss scope on two hunts. The first was to South Africa. The centerpiece quest was for a Greater Southern kudu, sometimes referred to as the "Gray Ghost of Africa." They can be elusive and have a tendency to vamoose quickly once spotted.
On Day 5 of the six-day hunt with Phillip Bronkhorst Safaris, we arrived at first light to an area our outfitter had called "prime kudu country." Much of the habitat resembled a canyon with acacia and shrub-choked lowlands bordered by the steep, rocky hillsides. Kudu liked to retreat to the hillsides at daybreak to bed. From their lofty perches, they could monitor activity and danger below.
It was ideal terrain for the .300 WM. The low ground varied from 100 to 500 yards across. Hilltops rose to about 500 yards. Almost anything seen might be in range.
My professional hunter Pieter Taylor, our tracker Elvis and I gazed into the hillsides in the early morning light. I used skills learned over decades of white-tailed deer hunting, looking for parts of an animal, recognizing that whole animals are often obscured in thick cover.
After an hour of hunting, a set of ears came into view atop a rock ledge a couple hundred yards above and left. An animal's head followed. We froze. To my naked eye, it looked to be a cow kudu. Whatever it was, it was big. Once I brought the Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 binoculars to my eyes, though, the black spiral horns of a mature bull kudu became sharp and clear in the frame.
I asked Taylor for his assessment of the kudu.
"He's a good one!" came the quick response.
Lifting the rifle, I dialed the 3-15x50mm scope to 13 power and leaned slightly forward with a solid rest. The kudu remained motionless a moment. Still, I had a dilemma. The bull was facing head-on, offering a challenging frontal shot. I could wait for a broadside and risk that the animal would flee or settle the crosshairs at the base of its neck and rely on shooting technique and an accurate rifle to do the job.
This was the shot offered; this was the shot we'd take.
I held about 2 inches low to allow for the steep uphill trajectory, pushed the safety forward, let out a breath and squeezed the crisp trigger.
At the shot, the kudu wheeled left and began crossing the rocky ledge. I jacked another cartridge into the chamber and prepared to shoot again, but Pieter, watching through binoculars, said, "He's finished."
The bullet took out the kudu's heart and a lung and it crashed dead after just 35 yards. Later, Pieter told me the kudu had been measured using Safari Club International trophy standards and scored just under 53 inches in length. "Welcome to the 50-inch club," Pieter said with a hearty laugh, pumping my hand in congratulations.
So, the bucket-list kudu was now a reality. The next planned hunt with this rifle-scope combo was southeastern Kansas in mid-December with Kansas Whitetail Adventures. This is land known for monster-racked whitetails, and outfitter Gene Pearcy's lodge is full of examples of the deer roaming the 20,000 acres he hunts.
Hunting group poses with Greater Southern kudu.
Photo Credit: Ken Perrotte
As with Africa, shots could range from chip shots to 400 yards or more. And, as Pearcy, warned, the wind always blows in Kansas.
As luck, bad luck that is, would have it, Kansas and the rest of the Lower 48 states were either suffering from or immensely enjoying an unparalleled heat wave. For deer, already wearing warm winter coats, and the deer hunters questing for them, the heat was too much, and the big bucks just shut down their movement.
We passed on opportunities with smaller bucks and does. There's always next year.
GEAR UP
Bergara B14 Timber: This rifle's stylish walnut stock has a checkered pistol grip and fore-end. The wood stocks are bedded with integral epoxy pillars for stability and enhanced accuracy. Barrels are free-floated. These high quality barrels are crafted in Spain via a multistage boring and rifling process that uses exceptionally high tolerances. The diamond-tipped honing bits and computer-aided operation create an ultra-smooth bore that matches those of top, hand-lapped, custom barrels.
Specifications (rifle used on the hunt): barrel length, 24 inches; overall length, 44.5 inches; weight, 7.9 pounds; length of pull, 13.75 inches; trigger setting, 1.4 kilograms; floorplate magazine capacity, 3+1 (4+1 for non-magnum calibers); scope ready (open sights optional).
Bergara also makes a "Premier" line with suggested retail prices of $2,000 to $2,200. Offered in the same calibers as the B14, Premier gun upgrades include a stainless steel Cerakote-coated barrel, Timney trigger, hand-laid fiber-glass or grade 5 walnut stock, Premier action, and a custom hard case by Negrini. Premier guns also include a test target to show that they passed a sub-1 MOA (minute of angle) accuracy test. www.bergarausa.com
Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 binoculars.
Photo Credit: Ken Perrotte
Zeiss Optics: With 3x15 magnification range and 50mm objective, the Zeiss HD Conquest 5 scope offers superb target visualization at low light with the option for super zoom. The fine quality glass and coatings in the Zeiss Conquest binoculars and scope add strong contrast in low light.
Our scope had the redesigned Rapid-Z 600 reticle. The Rapid-Z reticle has elevation cross-bars set for 50-yard increments. It also has similar windage compensation hash marks, based on 10 mile per hour crosswinds. Should you find yourself without a rangefinder, it also has horizontal hash marks above the center crosshairs that help you estimate range based on an animal's body size and how it fits within the marks. For shooters who want additional long-distance edge, the Rapid-Z 800 is specifically designed for hot-loaded magnums. The scope retails for about $1,050.
I used Zeiss' online ballistics calculator, which matches factory loads with scopes, calibers and various atmospheric variables such as temperature and altitude, to easily identify expected bullet performance and trajectories at varying ranges.
We also used Conquest HD 10x42 binoculars, which offered a good field of view with manageable weight (about 1.75 pounds). With superb glass, these are among the finest binoculars I've ever used on a hunting trip. Retail is about $850. www.zeiss.com/sports-optics
Vero Vellini Premium Leather II QR Rifle Sling: This stylish, well-padded and comfortable sling added to the hunting combo's elegant look. Made in Germany, the handmade sling is nonslip and had quick-release swivels. Retails for about $110. www.pioneer-research.com/verovellini.asp
HSS Safety Harnesses: When tree-stand hunting, a quality safety system is a little expensive but worth it. Your life is in a precarious situation 17 feet up an oak tree. In Kansas, I used Hunter Safety System's new Elite model, which sells for about $150. Others used the new HSS-Hybrid Flex model ($124) and loved it. Both were comfortable and, more importantly, easy to wear and use. Other reliable harnesses are available at prices from $84 to $200. www.huntersafetysystem.com
The SKB iSeries Rifle Case is airline-friendly with TSA-approved locks.
Photo Credit: Ken Perrotte
SKB iSeries Rifle Case: This SKB hardshell case took a pounding, handled many times over multiple flights. Airline-friendly with TSA-approved locks, it kept all items inside secure and, importantly, the rifle stayed in zero. Retails for about $289. www.skbcases.com
OUTFITTERS
Phillip Bronkhorst Safaris: Bronkhorst's Bateleur Safari Camp in Limpopo Province is about 64 miles from the Botswana border. Luxury tented safari with great food, diverse game and some superb side-trip options. We took a two-day sightseeing visit to Kruger National Park. www.pbsafaris.com
Kansas Whitetail Adventures: Archery, muzzleloader and rifle hunts for trophy deer and exceptional hunts for spring gobblers. www.kansaswhitetails.com
