Bergara B-14 Ridge SP
Review
Years ago I had a 308 varmint rifle that weighed a ton. I even took it deer hunting. So since then I have been looking for something shorter, and lighter, that still has the accuracy I got out of the varmint rifle. Bergara had exactly what I was looking for in their Ridge line of rifles. That rifle is the Ridge SP in 308 winchester.
The Ridge SP is a shorter version of Bergara's standard Ridge line. The SP stands for “special purpose”. I think they intended this rifle for police snipers, but I can’t be sure. Really, the special purpose could be mid range hunting, or just someone wanting a bolt action performance rifle that doesn't weigh a ton. The only real difference between the .308 Ridge and the .308 Ridge SP, is that the SP has an 18 inch barrel instead of the standard 20 inch.
When you first look at the Ridge SP, it looks like most “hunting” style rifles. It has the normal looking American style stock with a hinged floor plate. The stock is a black polymer style with grey speckles. Bergara finished the stock in some sort of a semi-grippy coating. It is not smooth, but not sticky either. It gives a really good balance of grip if your hands are wet or muddy. It also has some diamond texture on the pistol grip and forend. There is also a nice soft buttpad. The buttpad probably helps more on the larger calibers, but it is really nice on the 308. To round out the stock, it has front and rear sling swivel studs and free floats the barrel.
Bergara is known for their barrels. Their barrels produce some good accuracy. They even have an accuracy guarantee. It is “Sub MOA at 100 yds with 3 shot groups of available factory match grade ammunition”. They recommend a few loads in 308 that should work. Those are: 168 gr Federal Gold Medal Match, 175 gr. Federal Gold Medal Match, Berger 175 gr OTM. I didn’t have any of these on hand, so I used some Norma 175 gr Golden Target and some 168 gr reloads I had made up. I was able to get 3 shot groups under 1 MOA fairly easily with the Ridge SP. I even have some 5 shot groups that measure under 1 MOA. All my accuracy testing was done at 100 yards. The barrels on the Ridge line are also threaded in the standard threads for whatever caliber they are chambered in. This gives the ability to put on any type of muzzle device, including suppressors. As a FYI, I broke in the barrel following the procedure in the rifles manual.
The action on the Ridge SP is fantastic. It is super smooth to operate. For being a factory, mass produced rifle, I don't think you will find a smoother action, especially in the under $1000 price range that the Ridge SP falls into. Now that that is said, the action also feeds extremely nice out of the 4 round internal magazine. The large textured bolt handle tends to give you a good feel for what you are doing. It is also large enough to help with fast follow up shots. Something I couldn’t say about that varmint rifle I had.
On top of the Ridge SP’s action is a 20 MOA picatinny scope rail. I believe this is because it is the SP line and Bergara doesn’t mention that it comes with one. If you want to change the rail or put normal scope mounts on the Ridge SP, it uses standard Remington 700 bases. I mounted a 4-16 Lucid on it when I first received the SP. Shortly after that I received a SightMark Presidio 5-30x56 and installed it. Yes, it is overkill for a rifle of this type, but I like it. One of my only complaints, with the scope rail, is that it gets in the way of loading the internal magazine.
The Bergara Ridge comes with an adjustable trigger. For a “hunting” style rifle, the trigger is fantastic. It’s a typical Remington style 700 trigger and can be replaced with any of the aftermarket triggers for that style of rifle. The trigger is a single stage, curved, and has zero take up, a short crisp break, and a little bit of over travel. I really like this trigger. The Ridge’s trigger is also adjustable for pull weight, from around 2 pounds up to 5 pounds. This one came from the factory at 3 pounds. I adjusted it down to about 2-¼ pounds and it works really good for me. If I were carrying it around in the brush, I personally would probably adjust it to 3-½ pounds or more. An aftermarket trigger, with the same pull range, would be hard pressed to be better.
I have been really liking the Ridge SP. Granted I am not going to put thousands of rounds through it for a review. But I do have enough different types of ammo through it to know how well it works. I am well past 300 with about half that being some sort of match ammo. The match ammo does shoot better, but the new precision style hunting rounds are pretty good too. Now onto other stuff. I really like the texture of the stock. It is smooth but grippy. I’ve been told it feels weird, but then they shoot the Ridge SP with the stock and forget about it. My biggest complaint about the Ridge SP is the small loading/ejection port. This makes it harder to load the internal magazine. Add in the 20 MOA top rail, and it is even harder to load the magazine. For a hunting rifle this isn’t a deal breaker, but it is annoying. Speaking of that 20 MOA rail, I was thrilled that it came already installed. Even if you are only using the Ridge at 100 yards, a 20 MOA rail just makes sense. Did I mention the barrel is threaded? I did use it with a suppressor. The Ridge SP is a great suppressor host. The shorter barrel makes it so the overall length isn’t terrible with a long suppressor hanging off the end. The Ridge SP is just a great all around rifle.
If you are in the market for a short, handy rifle, the Bergara Ridge SP would be a great choice. It has great accuracy, is super smooth, and doesn’t weigh a bunch. It really doesn’t matter if you are using it for hunting or anything else, it just works. The Bergara Ridge SP is also reasonably priced for what you get. If you want a quality, shorter barreled hunting rifle, definitely check out the Bergara Ridge Line. Especially the Ridge SP.
Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points
Claim to Fame:
Shorter barreled hunting or precision rifle
Target Market:
Anyone wanting a shorter barreled performance bolt action rifle
Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:
Caliber: 308 Win
Capacity: 4
20 MOA picatinny mount included
Stock Material: Synthetic
OAL: 37.50"
Hand: Right Hand
Barrel Finish: Graphite Black Cerakote
Barrel Material: 4140 Steel
Twist: 1:10"
Receiver Material: Stainless Steel
Safety: Two-Position
Stock Type: American Style
Threaded: ⅝-24
Barrel Length: 18"
Receiver Finish: Graphite Black Cerakote
Trigger: Performance adjustable 2-5 lbs
Weight: 7.20 lbs
Stock Finish: Black / Gray Speckled
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?
A ton of different calibers in the Ridge line. Only 6.5 Creedmoore and .308 Win in SP line with 18” barrel
What others are saying?:
Jamie P at Sportsmans Warehouse
Ridge SP
This is a great rifle and accurate! Great everything rifle. I like the 18" barrel. Georgia Woods Hunting mostly some open field 300 yds shooting. Great action and the Ridge SP is very balanced and is comfortable to carry with a sling.
Link to other reviews:
Price point:
MSRP = $999.00
Retail = $900
I need it now! Availability:
Primary Arms or Palmetto State Armory
Our Rating:
Pros:
Super smooth action
Accuracy
Uses Rem 700 style action and accessories
Adjustable trigger
Good weight
20 MOA picatinny rail came mounted on rifle
Threaded barrel
Cons:
Ejection port is short (so loading internal magazine is difficult)
Score: 8.50 Great
Favorite Link: Global Ordnance Monolith review
