I began my shooting career in the late 1980’s in the NRA Junior Smallbore program at a small conservation club in the northwestern corner of Ohio. The armory at this club had a stock of Winchester 52’s and Remington 513’s, all of which were right-handed bolt guns. Over thirty years later, I’ve always wanted (but never owned) a left-handed bolt action rimfire capable of superb accuracy.
At SHOT Show 2025, I spent some time at the Bergara booth and became acquainted with their B14 bolt-action rimfire, which is available in a left-handed option.
The B14 features an 18″ 4140 steel barrel in a #6 taper profile with 1/2″ X 28 muzzle threads. It is also available with a carbon-fiber barrel. The action is compatible with any stocks that accommodate a Remington 700 short-action footprint, but the Bergara factory stock is very good. It has adjustable length of pull and cheek-rest height.
Specifications:
- Weight: 8.1 lbs
- Overall Length: 38″
- Barrel Length: 18″
- Rifling Twist: 1:16
- Bolt: Floating bolt head with non-rotating gas shield
- Magazine: detachable AICS-style, 10 rounds
Inspection:
One of Bergara’s taglines is: “Our barrels make the difference.” I thought I would give the barrel on the B-14 a closer inspection.
Borescoping the barrel showed very smooth machining with sharp rifling and a precise leade.
Setup
To get the B14 ready for testing, I added a scope rail from Idaho manufacturer Salmon River Solutions. Allowing the rail to center itself under screw tension resulted in a perfectly leveled rail compared to the bolt lug recess tracks inside the receiver.
I topped this off with a Blackhound Emerge 3-24 X56 first focal plane optic in Badger Ordnance rings. The Blackhound has a lot of magnification, a milliradian reticle and knobs, and parallax adjustment down to 20 yards. I also added a Gemtech Outback suppressor on the muzzle.
Performance
It wasn’t the best weather in the world for shooting. Idaho seems like it’s having a hard time deciding between “mud season” and “second winter.”
In any case, trying to get a nice prone position meant the bipod was either slipping off icy packed snow or sinking into the mud. This inconvenience notwithstanding, after basic sight-in, the B14 printed a fairly tight first group at 50 yards with Eley subsonic ammunition.
After pasting the target and making a few adjustments, I printed a 50-yard ten round group in the center of the target that fit under a dime:
With good ammunition, superb accuracy is no problem for the B14.
Function
The B14 shoots well, but how does it do with various bullet types and shapes? I decided to try out a few more ammunition types I had available including Winchester Power-Point, RWS High Velocity hollow point, and Winchester Subsonic Max hollow point.
Some of these bullets have a very blunt profile. If I could get them to feed smoothly, it’s likely the B14 will eat any .22 LR ammo you can stuff into its magazine. Firing a few mags worth of each of these ammo types resulted in zero malfunctions of any kind. All ammo kinds fed smoothly, fired reliably, extracted and ejected consistently.
Conclusion
There are plenty of accurate bolt-action rimfire rifles on the market, but the Bergara B14 brings something special to the table: a bolt action rimfire that is compatible with Remington 700 stocks, bases and triggers, that is available left-handed. While it is possible to change out the stock and trigger to build a trainer almost identical to bolt-action centerfire competition guns, the Bergara factory stock and trigger are very good as-is. Bergara’s HMR stock incorporates a full-length integrated mini-chassis for repeatable bedding and supports the fully free-floated barrel. It has integrated OD flush cup sling mounts and swivel mounts, adjustable cheek piece and length-of-pull. The bolt handle is a semi-elongated competition/tactical style that is easy to access and works smoothly. With a price tag currently around the $1150 mark, the Bergara B14 compares favorably to the price of other precision rimfires. For example: if you have a 10/22 style action, by the time you equip it with a good trigger, match barrel, competition-style stock, and other accoutrements, you could easily be at or above the $1150 mark depending on which accessories you select.
For Rimfire PRS, long-range plinking, or back yard pest control, the B14 does the job with style.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and are based on my personal experience with the product. I was not compensated for this review, but this product was provided to me for free for the purpose of evaluation. Your experience may differ from mine. Please consider your own needs and preferences when deciding whether to purchase this product.
Safety and Legal Notice: Always use firearms responsibly and follow applicable safety guidelines. Ensure you are aware of and comply with local laws and regulations regarding the ownership, carry, and use of firearms. This product is intended for lawful purposes only. The reviewer and the manufacturer are not liable for any misuse or illegal use of this product.