Bergara Premier Ridgeback is "Bad to the Bone"

[Ironworker]

Shot my Bergara Premier Ridgeback for the 1st time today. My hand loads and factory ammo all shot 1/2 MOA !
Its a heavy rifle ,medium palma contour bbl ,rides the bags very well . Hand loads were 3 different charges and they all shot 1/2 MOA .

 

[6xcshooter]

Mystery caliber i guess

 

[HandgunHTR]

Mystery caliber i guess

Well, based on the 140 grain ELD bullet being used with over 58 grains of RE-25, I am pretty much betting it is a 6.5 PRC.

It looks like it shoots pretty dang well.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Could be a 6.5-284

The only 6.5's that the Ridgeback is offered in is Creedmoor and PRC.

 

[6xcshooter]

You r correct

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Shot my Bergara Premier Ridgeback for the 1st time today. My hand loads and factory ammo all shot 1/2 MOA !
Its a heavy rifle ,medium palma contour bbl ,rides the bags very well . Hand loads were 3 different charges and they all shot 1/2 MOA .
View attachment 1141894

Let us see a pic of that rifle.

 

[Ironworker]

Let us see a pic of that rifle.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

View attachment 1149590

Now you have to try the 90 varmagedon.

 

[Ironworker]

I wonder how they would do with an 8" twist ?

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

I wonder how they would do with an 8" twist ?

I shoot 90 varmagedon out of my 6.5 creedmore 8twist -44 grains N540 and they work oondabah. I am trying to stop a coppering problem i have right now. Shooting/cleaning, shooting/cleaning it's starting to get better but still needs work. But my first group out of the clean barrel is about .110" then they get worse as copper accumulates. It's a top grade cut rifled barrel. It also copper's bad with 140 grainer's.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I shoot 90 varmagedon out of my 6.5 creedmore 8twist -44 grains N540 and they work oondabah. I am trying to stop a coppering problem i have right now. Shooting/cleaning, shooting/cleaning it's starting to get better but still needs work. But my first group out of the clean barrel is about .110" then they get worse as copper accumulates. It's a top grade cut rifled barrel. It also copper's bad with 140 grainer's.

Everytime you shoot a few shots scrub it with blue jb when you clean it, short stroking the first couple inches and itll get better real quick

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Everytime you shoot a few shots scrub it with blue jb when you clean it, short stroking the first couple inches and itll get better real quick

This barrel is not like most ,unfortunately. Most barrels will respond to jb polishing but this one is a SOB. It's chrome moly. I have been cleaning/ jb polishing /shooting. For close 200 rounds , what a pain

 

[FrankG]

I shoot 90 varmagedon out of my 6.5 creedmore 8twist -44 grains N540 and they work oondabah. I am trying to stop a coppering problem i have right now. Shooting/cleaning, shooting/cleaning it's starting to get better but still needs work. But my first group out of the clean barrel is about .110" then they get worse as copper accumulates. It's a top grade cut rifled barrel. It also copper's bad with 140 grainer's.

Might have nothing to do with the barrel. How did the reamer cut the throat? If the throat is really rough it could be stripping copper off the bullets and causing a fouling situation. If so until the throat breaks in it could be a pain for a while.

Also the type of bullets and lot of bullets can cause fouling issues as well as well as the load/pressure and velocity can cause issues as well.

Ask yourself this.....shoot 20 rounds thru it (4 groups of 5) with out cleaning. If the accuracy holds/maintains and doesn’t go sour on you....then you don’t have a fouling issue.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[FrankG]

Also watch how you clean. You could be damaging the barrel from improper cleaning and causing the barrel to foul as well.

Be careful with the abrasive cleaners and if you use an abrasive with a brush during cleaning that is guaranteed bore damage.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Also watch how you clean. You could be damaging the barrel from improper cleaning and causing the barrel to foul as well.

Be careful with the abrasive cleaners and if you use an abrasive with a brush during cleaning that is guaranteed bore damage.

I only use a brush and butch's bore shine to get the copper out . after the copper is out i have been using jb paste and i always use a bore guide and dewey ball bearing rod. The accuracy goes to hell after the first 5 shot group. I shoot 20 rounds , go home and clean and there is copper all the way to the crown. It was chambered with a brand new reamer i had made. Inspection showed no issues with throat area. I have shot 90- 140 grain bullet they all copper up the bore.

 

[FrankG]

I only use a brush and butch's bore shine to get the copper out . after the copper is out i have been using jb paste and i always use a bore guide and dewey ball bearing rod. The accuracy goes to hell after the first 5 shot group. I shoot 20 rounds , go home and clean and there is copper all the way to the crown. It was chambered with a brand new reamer i had made. Inspection showed no issues with throat area. I have shot 90- 140 grain bullet they all copper up the bore.

Are you using JB Bore Compound or the Bore Brite? Two different things.

Also the solvent could be reacting with the brush and putting a false reaction/color on your patches. Off hand it doesn’t sound like it.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Are you using JB Bore Compound or the Bore Brite? Two different things.

Also the solvent could be reacting with the brush and putting a false reaction/color on your patches. Off hand it doesn’t sound like it.

Jb bore paste blue label. When i get home from range i run two wet patches down the bore to take off surface carbon then i shine a bright light into muzzle and it is almost 60% copper as far down as you can look. Definitely has nothing to do with bore brush reaction. All i can do is keep going and hope it resolves itself as i shoot more.

 

[FrankG]

Jb bore paste blue label. When i get home from range i run two wet patches down the bore to take off surface carbon then i shine a bright light into muzzle and it is almost 60% copper as far down as you can look. Definitely has nothing to do with bore brush reaction. All i can do is keep going and hope it resolves itself as i shoot more.

OK....do you see copper building up on tops of the lands? If it’s building up really heavy on tops of the lands that is usually the accuracy killer.

How many rounds you got on it?

Call the barrel maker and talk to them before you start doing anything else to it.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

OK....do you see copper building up on tops of the lands? If it’s building up really heavy on tops of the lands that is usually the accuracy killer.

How many rounds you got on it?

Call the barrel maker and talk to them before you start doing anything else to it.

Almost 200 rounds so far, copper is both tops and groves about 60% coverage. I already sent it back for inspection and they said everything looks good , that i should just shoot it / clean it and hopefully it will stop coppering. So now i know what will most likely happen is they will say send it back for another inspection and then offer another barrel, that's another $300. To get it installed and ceracoated. So i am kind of locked into trying to fix this myself until i do fix it or finally have to give up. I'm hoping it will stop coppering as i continue.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

I think that I would have given up with chemicals and toothpaste and started polishing with diamond paste by now...Ebay has syringes of various grades down to stuff that polishes mirrors! A small amount - I use kerosene to wet a patch - then a tiny blob of paste and a lot of polishing. The barrel will get warm as you work. Fixed a couple of wayward tubes that way.