The Bergara B-14 Extreme Sporter Viper Western

“Wow, what rifle is this!” – Is a normal reaction when you go to the range with the B-14 Extreme Sporter Viper Western.

Why is it so special?

Bergara has several B-14 series of rifles to choose from. The Extreme Series is one of the most exciting with four versions: Extreme Hunter, Extreme Sporter, Extreme Hunter Viper Urban and the Extreme Sporter Viper Western.

The Viper Western rifle is a true eye catcher, and not just because of the unique camo pattern and Coyote Tan Cerakote. So let’s get a deeper look into this special rifle and how it shoots.

The Viper Western really stands out from the crowd, but it won’t look out of place on a hunt

Shooting the “Viper Western”

Bergara guarantees groups of 1 MOA or less at 100 yards with quality factory match grade ammunition. The Viper Western in 6.5 Creedmoor is no exception. The rifle has an 18” barrel, which is a great length for hunting in forests but you have find the right ammo when you want to shoot lead free bullets.

A quick trip to the range to zero and select ammo

Which ammunition is best?

For the rifle’s first visit to the range I tried several kinds of ammunition. With a 1:8 twist rate and 18” barrel I recommend bullets with at least 130grs, however, the Sako Powerhead Blade 120grs also worked quite well. By “quite well” I mean hole-in-hole at 100 meters!

If you don’t want to use lead free bullets, Hornady ELD-X 143grs worked well in my Viper Western.

Straight out of the box, every round I tested gave good enough precision for hunting. The more precise the better, however, and that’s why carefully selecting which lead-free ammo to test according to the barrel’s twist rate and length was the right way to proceed.

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For the best results in the field the author recommends testing ammo at the range first

Let’s go for a hunt

Going on a hunt with this rifle is a great experience. The M14x1 barrel thread makes it easy to find a silencer and the rifle is short and easy to handle.

I use the rifle with a 20 MOA Bergara Picatinny Rail together with a GPO Spectra 6x 4,5- 27x50i. The rifle alone weights 3.1kg and equipped with a suppressor and a medium range scope it is still handy enough for stalking in the woods. I have to say that the Viper Western camo pattern does not fit every environment, however, this doesn’t matter for the typical medium game animals I hunt here in Germany. Anyway, I move louder than this rifle is flashy!

Ammo selected and rifle zeroed, it’s time to go hunting!

Custom gun out of the box

I do not just like the special look of the rifle and the high accuracy. It features a Montecarlo synthetic stock with SoftTouch, which gives a great feeling and even my small hands can use it without issue. The adjustable trigger breaks straight and clean and the action is really smooth. In my eyes it’s made for outdoors.

People keep asking me why I wanted this rifle. My answer is always the same. Bergara made a very smart decision with the Extreme Series and especially the Viper Western. With its Viper Western Camo, fluted bolt and barrel finished in Coyote Tan Cerakote, M14x1 barrel thread, adjustable Bergara Performance Trigger, and based on the Remington 700 platform it looks and feels like a custom gun! In my opinion this is all you need for hunting.

It’s also great value for money! The Viper Western has it all and goes straight to the top of my favourite hunting and plinking rifles.

About the Author

Claudia is a Bergara Pro Team Member. She started shooting when she joined the German armed forces and completed her hunting license. Nowadays, stalking in the woods, especially on wild boar and roe deer, is her favorite hobby. As a psychologist she connects shooting, hunting and mental training in her own company, helping different kinds of people meet their best hunting version. She loves all the experiences of hunting and the adventure it brings.

Instagram: @hunting.tales

Website: www.hunting-tales.de

Co-Host: WaffenSein Podcast

Publisher in hunting magazines: WirJagen, Jagern, Pirsch, Jagd in Bayern uvm.