Bergara B14 Crest Carbon: Tailor-made for the West

The new Bergara Crest Carbon rifle has a cure to your western hunting wanderlust. Hint: It's the barrel!

July 29, 2024 By Colton Heward

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Perched atop a rocky bluff, it was readily apparent the rut was on here in Montana. Multiple whitetail bucks, albeit small, frantically chased several groups of does through the river bottom below and on up into the foothills. Turning my glass upward revealed no less than four different groups of mule deer does basking in the morning rays while being harassed by numerous lovesick bucks. Lucky for me, my tag was good for either species.

I am a mule deer junkie at heart, but our attention this week was directed towards white-tailed deer in search of an impressive buck my good friend and Director of Advertising and Marketing at BPI, Chad Shearer, had seen the week prior. Truthfully, whitetails have never been a priority for me, mainly due to my disdain (and mild ADHD) for hunting out of treestands and blinds. However, the opportunity to spot-and-stalk hunt whitetails in the mountains of central Montana, the same way I hunt mule deer around home, piqued my interest.

I have hunted mule deer all over the West and whitetails in several states but never hunted an area that had both species co-existing together. That in and of itself was a neat aspect of this hunt and it quickly became readily apparent that both mule deer and whitetail deer exhibit species-specific nuances in their behavior and actions. Most of the mule deer we saw stuck to the relatively open faces where they were much easier to pick out with good optics. Whitetails on the other hand, especially the few decent bucks that we saw, primarily tip-toed through the thick bottoms and rarely left the safety cloak of the shade except to pursue a hot doe.

two hunters glass through binoculars while standing — The rolling hills of central Montana offer plenty of places for mature bucks to hide. (Photo submitted by the author)

Over the course of several hours, we slowly made our way up the drainage, dissecting every inch of it with our optics. Deer numbers were plentiful, and the rut activity was unlike anything I had ever seen. Bucks were constantly on the move, lip curling as they checked does and running off inferior bucks. Even though we were looking for a specific whitetail, old habits die hard, and my binoculars constantly wandered to the various groups of mule deer scattered throughout the upper end of the drainage, secretly hoping a mature buck would show up. I knew it was only a matter of time before a mature buck, regardless of the species, would make a mistake.

We looked over more than a hundred deer that day, but never laid eyes on anything that made the trigger finger twitch. The second morning started with a bang when a fleeing coyote made the fatal mistake of taking one last look back before cresting the skyline. Bergara’s new B-14 Crest Carbon rifle, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, barked, folding the dog on impact at just over 300 yards. I was confident in the rifle’s ability before pulling the trigger, but putting that bullet in the baseball-sized sweet spot of a coyote at that distance, upped that level of confidence ten-fold.

Bergara Crest Carbon

Rifle close-up — The B-14 Crest Carbon was a lightweight companion on a tough Montana hunt. (Photo submitted by the author)

Bergara’s new B-14 Crest Carbon rifle builds upon the success of the B-14 Crest and incorporates their patented Cure Carbon barrel to create a lightweight, precision-capable rifle for serious hunters. Bergara has long been known for producing precision barrels and their new Cure Carbon barrels are no different.

The benefits of a carbon-wrapped barrel are no secret, dissipating heat for superior accuracy and cutting down on the overall weight of the rifle. This sounds wonderful in theory, but the reality is that some carbon barrels produce the opposite effect, trapping barrel heat and subsequently reducing accuracy. Bergara’s patented Cold Bore Technology overcomes that hurdle, meticulously weaving strands of stainless steel into the carbon to reduce barrel heat efficiently and consistently. Bergara also uses a proprietary process to physically bond the outer carbon weave to the inner steel barrel. The result is a stiff, straight and lightweight precision barrel designed to deliver impressive accuracy shot after shot.

We always strive for a one-shot kill, and, given that outcome, you will see very little, if any, difference in performance between a steel and carbon barrel. However, despite our best efforts, follow-up shots are often needed. It is following the third and fourth consecutive shot in rapid succession where the benefits of the Cure Carbon barrel will shine through, delivering a consistent point of impact as opposed to sending sporadic fliers due to excessive barrel heat.

In terms of weight, the Cure Carbon barrel shaves off nearly half a pound when compared to the B-14 Crest. That may not sound like much, but ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain in the backcountry. The weight savings is merely an added bonus to the increase in accuracy.

For accuracy testing, I received a Crest Carbon rifle, chambered in .308 Win., (different than the 6.5 Creedmoor used on the hunt) and fired five, five-shot groups with two different factory loads to come up with an average MOA group size. Both loads held true to Bergara’s sub-MOA guarantee with Hornady’s 168-grain A-MAX bullet, loaded in their Black line, stealing the show with an impressive average of .76 MOA. Nosler’s 165-grain Partition, loaded in their Trophy Grade line, also produced impressive results with an average grouping of .91 MOA.

The Cure Carbon barrel seamlessly ties into the Monte Carlo carbon-fiber stock, creating a rigged stock and barrel combination that is equally appealing to the eyes as it is functional and accurate. Bergara’s proven and ultra-smooth B-14 action complements the stock and barrel, creating a lightweight, modern rifle fit for the backcountry.

Other noteworthy features of the B-14 Crest Carbon rifle include the use of detachable AICS magazines, a sleek sniper gray Cerakote finish, and Bergara’s Omni-Directional muzzle brake. The Crest Carbon also features a shorter barrel than most traditional rifles, cutting down on weight and ideally situating them for use with a suppressor. Bottom line, the B-14 Crest Carbon looks, feels, and performs like a custom-built rifle.

Fate Finds Me

My guts tied themselves in a knot when I went to grab my pack out of the back of the Ranger and it wasn’t there. Fortunately, I had opted for the e-tag option on my phone so we could continue hunting, but knowing the monetary value of the pack and its contents left a wrenching pit in my stomach. Chad, his son Walker, and I had spent the majority of the morning scouring countless miles of the rolling, grass-covered hills and coulees of central Montana. Finding my pack would only yield slightly better odds than finding a needle in a haystack.

Following some Chester Fried Chicken from the local gas station, we altered our plans for the evening in an effort to backtrack our steps and hopefully stumble into the missing pack. However, given the looming storm and 30+ mph winds predicted to hit the following day, locating a mature buck was still priority number one.

Hunter admiring his harvest — Though capable of long-range action, the Bergara worked just as well at 100 yards. (Photo submitted by the author)

Fumbling through the knee-high grass near a glassing point that we had spent some time at that morning, we looked for the missing pack to no avail. Out of habit, we raised our binoculars and glassed the expansive country below us. Simultaneously, Chad and I said: “I’ve got deer”. Even from 2,500+ yards away, through the wicked mirage and glare, I could make out the large frame of a mule deer buck courting a doe. Previously, our primary efforts had been in search of a mature whitetail, but there was no doubt this muley deserved a closer inspection.

With only a couple of hours of light left, time was of the essence. We hustled down the ridge and began to cut the distance between us and the lovestruck buck. For more than an hour, we lost visual of the deer. However, thanks to a prominent fence junction, we had a solid landmark of their last known location. Knowing we were close, we slowed the pace but were still caught off-guard as we crested the ridge. Bedded, less than one hundred yards across the draw from us, was the big-framed buck and his doe. Fortunately, we saw them before they saw us, giving us an opportunity to get a much closer look at the buck. Truthfully, I didn’t want my hunt to end, but peering through my binos I knew this was a mature buck worthy of the tag and got set up for the shot.

Factors Worth Consideration

hunter smiling next to rifle and buck — Although the author had plans to take a good whitetail, he couldn’t resist this wide muley. (Photo submitted by the author)

There are many factors to consider before executing a shot. Some of these include distance, angle, wind, and the animal’s disposition. I have heard many hunters shy away from taking a shot on an animal in a bedded position, and, in some circumstances, I would agree with that assessment. However, as I steadied myself, I knew this was an ethical shot to take. The buck was bedded perfectly broadside, its entire body exposed less than 100 yards away, and there was no wind whatsoever to account for. Chad asked if I was comfortable taking that shot. I settled the crosshairs just inside the crease of the buck’s shoulder and squeezed the crisp trigger of the Bergara Crest Carbon. The muffled percussion was immediately followed by an assurance from Shearer that the 143-grain Hornady ELD-X had hit its mark. As the buck stumbled, I put one more insurance round in him and the buck expired mere feet from its bed.

Rolling over, I took a deep breath and soaked in the serenity of the Big Sky air and the events that had led us to that point. I never doubted the Crest Carbon rifle, paired with the Hornady ELD-X bullet, was more than adequate for the job but it is always a sigh of relief when a quick clean shot is executed.

Fate, defined as “the development of events beyond a person’s control” by the Oxford Dictionary, has a funny way of working its way into our existence and experiences. The 8-hour drive home from central Montana to southern Idaho, provided ample time for me to reflect on the events of fate that had led to a successful hunt. Call it luck, happenstance, or whatever it might be, but there is not an ounce of doubt in my mind that hanging my tag on that particular buck was nothing more than a stroke of fate, kickstarted by losing my pack. Better yet, as I was driving home, I received a picture of my pack lying in the grass from Chad. He had gone back out and found it near where I had shot the coyote the previous morning. God is good.