I have had my MG Lite Premier 6.5 PRC for over a year now. A few things I don't like about this system. The folding stock mechanism is easy to activate inadvertently. Last year on my elk hunt, while hiking, the stock folding button was accidentally pressed and my rifle fell out of my slick sling attached to my pack. Fortunately the rifle wasn't damaged as it hit the ground but my scope was knocked off its level. A positive thing to note, the carbon fiber held up just fine from the impact. Another issue, after just 25 rounds of shooting the rifle (right out of the box), I noticed the action starting to become sticky. Typically after my 4th or 5th shot as the rifle heats up, the action becomes sticky and the bolt throw is sometimes impossible to lift. After researching possible issues, this maybe because of a carbon ring in my neck of the barrel. I now have 180 rounds through the gun and hopefully have effectively cleaned out the carbon ring but I have not been to the range to test it since my research and taking corrective action. I do use a suppressor so a build up of excessive carbon is to be expected. I am in contact with Bergara about the issue and they have offered to assist. Customer service as this point has been very helpful. I do like how accurate the rifle is. I absolutely love the bubbled level integrated into the rifle, this is vital especially for those longer shots. I also like that I don't have to take my cheek off the weld to see the level, what an awesome design. Overall all the rifle performs well but there are a few bugs to work out.
I bought this exact gun in January. And i have been very dissatisfied with it. I have multiple low end Bergara's that are the best guns i own. This one however is not great. 6.5 PRC is not a good option. I have had horrible speeds and accuracy (factory and hand loads). On top of it i had non stop pressure issues with it, to the point the bolt was almost stuck shut and that was with factory ammo! Bergara is going to swap me to the same gun in .308 so I hope that it does what i want. At least .308 is more suited for an 18 in barrel.
Read my comment above. Im having the same issue. Do you use a suppressor? Im not getting accuracy issues but definitely pressure signs, also with factory ammo.
@drewfire7 I do use a suppressor but I have had the issues with the can on and off. The last shot i put through it before I sent it to Bergara was a factory eld x and I almost couldn't get the action open.
gavin thanks for another great review this rifle is a hit for smaller frame shooters i myself have been wanting to build a light wt in this style but i see several companys making them now bergara, weatherby,fierce, etc, i would love to see a sako action in some of these builds but everbody builds off 700 foot print all they would have to do is reprogram the cnc just like they do for there others once program is made your done tweek it only if you want to or have to its simple im a cnc operator my self .they could do it so easy they do it for tikka and others sako is a very high quailty gun but no aftermarket chassis. thanks again for all your videos i give you a A+.
It's a cute rifle...super lightweight etc. The price point for this little guy even with premium features seems a bit high though. It simply depends on your specific need for the rifle I suppose. Long range shooting for me consists of off the bench and a much heavier configuration like the MASTERPIECE ARMS 6.5 Creedmoor.
XLR makes great stocks. Trigger tech triggers are always awesome. I'm sure the action is well built as with the barrel. Just gotta find what the barrel likes to make those groups amazing in a super lightweight package. I'd prefer chambered in 7/284.
@@leonhart2452 100gr Hornady ELD -VT .. I think you could get 3400fps with a 18” barrel, the 3603fps was at 8000ft altitude and I lost 16fps at 5630ft today
Backfire did a video about the velocity differences. He used a 20" PRC vs 24" if I remember correctly. Think the PRC had nearly the same velocity with the same bullet. (40fps more?) If his numbers are correct, the 18" barrel would turn the PRC into a Creedmoor, give or take a bit.
Was wondering this as well. Can tell you for a fact the Mountain Reaper does indeed have this problem. I have found the folding stock is useful for one thing - Cleaning If maximum precision is your MAIN goal i would personally suggest you avoid a folding chassis.
I have an MPA folding Chassis that I got for easier cleaning of the barrel but I have found that it locks up solid w zero play. I would hope that XLR is addressing this possible problem with their chassis. Would like for Gavin to let us all know if his XLR has lock up play or not. Well how bout it Gavin?
Well it would be nice to see A line of m-rad style of rifles to interchange with parent bullet cartridges and off spring ones like the 30-06 and it's variants of the 308 down to the 22 cheetah or the different prc bullet types! 😏🙄 any thoughts 🤔 a Lee enfield style of bolt might help with any head spacing needs 😁
I want to love it, but for half the price you can get a Sig Cross Trax that weighs 2 ounces more and gives double the rail space, and if weight is an absolute premium you can even get a Howa 1500 Superlite that is a pound lighter for only $1,000 (but you will not get the nice adjustable stock or mlok rails or other premium features of the Bergara). I think this would be a great $2,200 to $2,400 rifle. For over $3,000? That's a hard no.
I'm also curious what velocities you're getting out of an 18" barrel. From my understanding, this rifle makes way more sense in 6.5 CM or 308 with that short of a barrel, especially with factor ammunition. Is there enough of a difference in FPS with the PRC to make up for the way less barrel life and way more expensive ammo compared to 6.5CM?
Mountains, Mullets, Merica! The guy has a video performance of the .308W vs. 6.5CM, each having 16" barrels. You need to see the performance of the cartridges. He uses a 169-grain bullet in his 308W and a 144-grain bullet in his 6.5CM; you can see the performance of the 308W compared to the 6.5CM. Amazing shooting!
99.9% of shooters will never shoot out a barrel. Yes it does put you in the speed range of the creedmoor, but for the same barrel length it will still have higher velocity than a creedmoor. I'm not a prc fanboy and don't own any of the 3 PRCs
@lamont814 really comes down to what you want out of it. The point of the micro is having a shorter barrel so if you don't mind the barrel length and want the barrel life the creed makes more sense for you
If I noticed correctly your velos, when it worked, showed about 2,650fps which is 300fps slower than my 24” barrel and about 100 fps slower than my 6.5 Creed with a 22” barrel. I can’t understand the short barrel philosophy being touted today for magnum type cartridges.
Check out my hunting videos on this channel. I've used the 30-06 on grizzly, black bear, elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and more. It's still a fine hunting cartridge.
With a 24 inch barrel and factory ammo, a 6.5 PRC has more energy at 200 yards than almost all 30-06 loads. Yes it's a thing of the past. A dinosaur that raises its head occasionally for a redundant video on youtube.
.308 is the only caliber that is appropriate for the barrel length this gun is offered in. Would not mind seeing it in 6mm or .22 ARC. Those calibers like 18" barrels and the recoil would match up with the rifle's light weight. Firing 6.5 PRC out of an 18" barrel on a 5# gun is silly.
I love bergaras but for the price the mglite ive had hands on was meh. It barely hit sub MOA and was inconsistent in group size. Sent it back to bergara and even their groups were .2 moa and .9moa. The butt plate fell off the first time out and the 2nd one after bergara replaced it also came loose so we just epoxied it on. The stock is also miserable to try and shoot with a bag
I like that platform. What I don't care for is the short barrel length.. you lose quite a bit of velocity with those short barrels that will hurt you in terms of boolot expansion. Don't even bother with solids.. the ELD-eXploder pairs with these low velocities well if you don't mind eating a little lead 😵💫 Personally I would chamber it in 8.6 blackout... 338 ARC for the Hornady fanbois but I'll take the twist rate on the 8.6 at subsonic speed.
He's my friend, and an astute businessman. He's also an engineer. My mind doesn't operate the way his does, I like the old traditional things, the 30-06, the 45-70, the 308 Winchester, even the 30-30... Gavin has me talk about hunting, self-defense, and budget reloading. Things that are important to me. He's the fellow who knows the people who build the Best of the Best in the arena of handloading and rifle building. Hope that helps a bit.
Gavin, i like the format a lot but youre beginning to sound like a salesman rather than a data driven reviewer. Two suggestions: 1. Get back to showing us data. For example, shoot the bergara with multiple factory loads and figure out its realistic accuracy. 2. It might be time to be more transparent about your sponsors. Someone on Reddit was mentioning that you dont leave bad reviews and that you arent transparent with your sponsorships. I looked into your sponsor link and you dont actually mention who your sponsor is and what level theyre at. Frankly, i dont care if bergara sponsors the review but you hiding it creates a lot of room for people to question your integrity.
Personally I think it would be cool if some of the "Boutique" rifle manufactures would send in flagship products and have them compared vs the competition but many viewers out there seem to wince at seeing reviewers nitpick a rifle that costs literally 10 times of what they carry in the field, optic not included. For others- that's EXACTLY what we want.
I have had my MG Lite Premier 6.5 PRC for over a year now. A few things I don't like about this system. The folding stock mechanism is easy to activate inadvertently. Last year on my elk hunt, while hiking, the stock folding button was accidentally pressed and my rifle fell out of my slick sling attached to my pack. Fortunately the rifle wasn't damaged as it hit the ground but my scope was knocked off its level. A positive thing to note, the carbon fiber held up just fine from the impact.
Another issue, after just 25 rounds of shooting the rifle (right out of the box), I noticed the action starting to become sticky. Typically after my 4th or 5th shot as the rifle heats up, the action becomes sticky and the bolt throw is sometimes impossible to lift. After researching possible issues, this maybe because of a carbon ring in my neck of the barrel. I now have 180 rounds through the gun and hopefully have effectively cleaned out the carbon ring but I have not been to the range to test it since my research and taking corrective action. I do use a suppressor so a build up of excessive carbon is to be expected. I am in contact with Bergara about the issue and they have offered to assist. Customer service as this point has been very helpful.
I do like how accurate the rifle is. I absolutely love the bubbled level integrated into the rifle, this is vital especially for those longer shots. I also like that I don't have to take my cheek off the weld to see the level, what an awesome design.
Overall all the rifle performs well but there are a few bugs to work out.
Beautiful and interesting rifle! Love it.
I bought this exact gun in January. And i have been very dissatisfied with it. I have multiple low end Bergara's that are the best guns i own. This one however is not great. 6.5 PRC is not a good option. I have had horrible speeds and accuracy (factory and hand loads). On top of it i had non stop pressure issues with it, to the point the bolt was almost stuck shut and that was with factory ammo! Bergara is going to swap me to the same gun in .308 so I hope that it does what i want. At least .308 is more suited for an 18 in barrel.
Agree
They are putting out a lot of lemons lately. Need to pay more for actual quality control instead of influencers
Read my comment above. Im having the same issue. Do you use a suppressor? Im not getting accuracy issues but definitely pressure signs, also with factory ammo.
@drewfire7 I do use a suppressor but I have had the issues with the can on and off. The last shot i put through it before I sent it to Bergara was a factory eld x and I almost couldn't get the action open.
@@ethanray4064 absolutely unremarkable considering the rifle is 3k!
I would like it in 6.5 Grendel!
Agree. ARC and Grendel calibers are perfect for this platform!
Ditto.
gavin thanks for another great review this rifle is a hit for smaller frame shooters i myself have been wanting to build a light wt in this style but i see several companys making them now bergara, weatherby,fierce, etc, i would love to see a sako action in some of these builds but everbody builds off 700 foot print all they would have to do is reprogram the cnc just like they do for there others once program is made your done tweek it only if you want to or have to its simple im a cnc operator my self .they could do it so easy they do it for tikka and others sako is a very high quailty gun but no aftermarket chassis. thanks again for all your videos i give you a A+.
Yeah I’m over this model 700 copy garbage. There are much better options nowadays, like the Tikka, with more modern features.
Would love to see a comparison between the dasher and a prc.
When is the load development coming???
It's a cute rifle...super lightweight etc. The price point for this little guy even with premium features seems a bit high though. It simply depends on your specific need for the rifle I suppose. Long range shooting for me consists of off the bench and a much heavier configuration like the MASTERPIECE ARMS 6.5 Creedmoor.
XLR makes great stocks. Trigger tech triggers are always awesome. I'm sure the action is well built as with the barrel. Just gotta find what the barrel likes to make those groups amazing in a super lightweight package. I'd prefer chambered in 7/284.
Just took my 24” Savage 6.5 PRC to 3603.1 fps sprd 3.9 sd 1.6 with the eld-vt … Hodgdon Superformance 62.7 gr
100 gr bullet
What bullet and would it still get that velocity with an 18" barrel?
@@leonhart2452 100gr Hornady ELD -VT .. I think you could get 3400fps with a 18” barrel, the 3603fps was at 8000ft altitude and I lost 16fps at 5630ft today
I will stick with factory terminal ascent 130s at a average around 3100 fps out of my bergara premier approach and .5 moa
Velocities on the loads?
Backfire did a video about the velocity differences. He used a 20" PRC vs 24" if I remember correctly. Think the PRC had nearly the same velocity with the same bullet. (40fps more?) If his numbers are correct, the 18" barrel would turn the PRC into a Creedmoor, give or take a bit.
X Ring mentioned the XLR folding chassis had some looseness or wobble . Did you notice that also on your rifle?
Was wondering this as well. Can tell you for a fact the Mountain Reaper does indeed have this problem.
I have found the folding stock is useful for one thing - Cleaning
If maximum precision is your MAIN goal i would personally suggest you avoid a folding chassis.
I have an MPA folding Chassis that I got for easier cleaning of the barrel but I have found that it locks up solid w zero play. I would hope that XLR is addressing this possible problem with their chassis. Would like for Gavin to let us all know if his XLR has lock up play or not. Well how bout it Gavin?
What kind of velocity did you see?
Short barrel on an overbore cartridge
You do the math
Well it would be nice to see A line of m-rad style of rifles to interchange with parent bullet cartridges and off spring ones like the 30-06 and it's variants of the 308 down to the 22 cheetah or the different prc bullet types! 😏🙄 any thoughts 🤔 a Lee enfield style of bolt might help with any head spacing needs 😁
They need to do it in a 6 creed and I’d buy one
I’d like to see it reviewed in 308 with the 169smk
I want to love it, but for half the price you can get a Sig Cross Trax that weighs 2 ounces more and gives double the rail space, and if weight is an absolute premium you can even get a Howa 1500 Superlite that is a pound lighter for only $1,000 (but you will not get the nice adjustable stock or mlok rails or other premium features of the Bergara). I think this would be a great $2,200 to $2,400 rifle. For over $3,000? That's a hard no.
I'd consider it if it came with an AIAW option.
What ammo worked best? Have you ran 156 berger elite hunter? And what were velocities?
I'm also curious what velocities you're getting out of an 18" barrel. From my understanding, this rifle makes way more sense in 6.5 CM or 308 with that short of a barrel, especially with factor ammunition. Is there enough of a difference in FPS with the PRC to make up for the way less barrel life and way more expensive ammo compared to 6.5CM?
Zoom in on the Chrony 2655 fps ... for a Magnum? 😂😂
This Rifle would make way more sense in 308 cause it is a more effizient Case, or propably a 6Arc
Mountains, Mullets, Merica! The guy has a video performance of the .308W vs. 6.5CM, each having 16" barrels. You need to see the performance of the cartridges. He uses a 169-grain bullet in his 308W and a 144-grain bullet in his 6.5CM; you can see the performance of the 308W compared to the 6.5CM. Amazing shooting!
99.9% of shooters will never shoot out a barrel. Yes it does put you in the speed range of the creedmoor, but for the same barrel length it will still have higher velocity than a creedmoor. I'm not a prc fanboy and don't own any of the 3 PRCs
@lamont814 really comes down to what you want out of it. The point of the micro is having a shorter barrel so if you don't mind the barrel length and want the barrel life the creed makes more sense for you
Mate you have to make money flogging stuff somehow
If I noticed correctly your velos, when it worked, showed about 2,650fps which is 300fps slower than my 24” barrel and about 100 fps slower than my 6.5 Creed with a 22” barrel. I can’t understand the short barrel philosophy being touted today for magnum type cartridges.
Here are my thoughts, is 30.06 a thing of the past? It doesn't seem to get any love and rarely brought up.
yes
30 06 is alive and well and solidly in the hands of those who don't have more money than sense.
Check out my hunting videos on this channel. I've used the 30-06 on grizzly, black bear, elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and more. It's still a fine hunting cartridge.
With a 24 inch barrel and factory ammo, a 6.5 PRC has more energy at 200 yards than almost all 30-06 loads. Yes it's a thing of the past. A dinosaur that raises its head occasionally for a redundant video on youtube.
Dude that thing's awesome!!! A 223 option would be sweet to.
.308 is the only caliber that is appropriate for the barrel length this gun is offered in. Would not mind seeing it in 6mm or .22 ARC. Those calibers like 18" barrels and the recoil would match up with the rifle's light weight. Firing 6.5 PRC out of an 18" barrel on a 5# gun is silly.
Which suppressor is that?
I love bergaras but for the price the mglite ive had hands on was meh. It barely hit sub MOA and was inconsistent in group size. Sent it back to bergara and even their groups were .2 moa and .9moa. The butt plate fell off the first time out and the 2nd one after bergara replaced it also came loose so we just epoxied it on. The stock is also miserable to try and shoot with a bag
Rather have a Cross for a light folding bolt gun. Especially for the price.
I like that platform. What I don't care for is the short barrel length.. you lose quite a bit of velocity with those short barrels that will hurt you in terms of boolot expansion. Don't even bother with solids.. the ELD-eXploder pairs with these low velocities well if you don't mind eating a little lead 😵💫
Personally I would chamber it in 8.6 blackout... 338 ARC for the Hornady fanbois but I'll take the twist rate on the 8.6 at subsonic speed.
Good thing we live in America where everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
All the modern equipment you use, why wouldn't you just use a collimeter to boresight your rifle? Easy and quick in the shop.
Has any one compared the 6.5 CM vs the 6.5 PRC velocities in 18" barrels side by side. Like this rifle in both cartridges.
Where does Gav get all his coin from!! Doing something other than gunsmithing in those mountains ey 😂😜
He's my friend, and an astute businessman. He's also an engineer. My mind doesn't operate the way his does, I like the old traditional things, the 30-06, the 45-70, the 308 Winchester, even the 30-30... Gavin has me talk about hunting, self-defense, and budget reloading. Things that are important to me. He's the fellow who knows the people who build the Best of the Best in the arena of handloading and rifle building. Hope that helps a bit.
@@guyminer3168 Yeah mate I get it, just stirring the pot!
His business must be booming than! Lots and lots of expensive content frequently my friend.
Interesting
Who has ever shot unknown reloads someone else loaded?
Never that is way to dangerous imo.
Better off with a Sig Cross for half the price and same weight.
GR8 VIDEO THNX
Looks like Bergara getting there moneys worth out of there getaway for RUclipsrs
Uh, no. Just no.
Over 3k ✌🏽 good try bergara but outta 90% of us average Americans budget anyways!
Gavin, i like the format a lot but youre beginning to sound like a salesman rather than a data driven reviewer. Two suggestions:
1. Get back to showing us data. For example, shoot the bergara with multiple factory loads and figure out its realistic accuracy.
2. It might be time to be more transparent about your sponsors. Someone on Reddit was mentioning that you dont leave bad reviews and that you arent transparent with your sponsorships. I looked into your sponsor link and you dont actually mention who your sponsor is and what level theyre at. Frankly, i dont care if bergara sponsors the review but you hiding it creates a lot of room for people to question your integrity.
Personally I think it would be cool if some of the "Boutique" rifle manufactures would send in flagship products and have them compared vs the competition but many viewers out there seem to wince at seeing reviewers nitpick a rifle that costs literally 10 times of what they carry in the field, optic not included.
For others- that's EXACTLY what we want.
@foonus406 that would be dope. Seeing all the options compared similar to bullets for bucks.
I’ve been waiting on a review of this rifle!
If it's truly $3,000, it's an awful lot of money for what you are getting?.
👍
$3000 and they don't even throw in a case? Yeahhhh.....no thanks, I'll stick to my greek mauser from the 40's.
👍🤙
The amount of at bench standing and talking on this channel is too much. Need more action/in action shots.
Overpriced.... barely mentioned group size, this channel just got bought on this fake review. 3k plus scope and silencer, shoots crap groups
Says "overview" in title, not review.
@@theblishknovk should metion shil and paid off by factory for this garbage
@@vettepickingnobody cares if you don’t like the rifle, snowflake.
@@vettepicking buts its just an overview. If it was titled a review. I would 100% agree with you.
Penis Replacement Cartridge
Whats the point of this format pretending to talk to someone on computer??? Overpriced
Hopefully you’ll get paid plenty for the sales pitch. Lots of NOT so impressive reviews. 👎