I am no stranger to Bergara rifles. I’ve been lucky to experience a great deal of shooting with a variety of their rifles. That experience has taught me to expect good things from their products, so I was looking forward to getting to know the Bergara Premier Canyon.
 

Table of Contents

Bergara Premier Canyon .308
More Features
Specifications
Rifle Setup
Shooting the Premier Canyon
The Elk Hunt
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts

Bergara Premier Canyon .308

The Premier Canyon rifle is built around Bergara’s Premier action. Like the company’s popular B14 action, it is a Remington 700 footprint, which allows for a plethora of aftermarket support. Accessories like triggers, magazine systems, scope mounting options, etc., are mostly compatible with these 700 clones. That alone is one good reason for them, but the Premier goes deeper.
 

Related Review: Bergara Crest Carbon in .308 Win Is at Home on the Hunt
 

The Premier action is a two-lug design that also uses a floating bolt head. This feature has been popular with some custom actions, as it allows even contact with mating surfaces. The bolt head has a sliding extractor built into the right lug and dual plunger ejectors for reliable cartridge cycling. 
 

With its conical-nosed bolt, the action feeds cartridges smoothly. Behind the bolt head, there is a gas shield safety feature for dangerous situations like a case-head separation. The whole assembly has been nitrided for durability and a reliable service life.

The bolt body is stainless steel, and the bolt handle threads into the back. A handsomely faceted bolt shroud at the rear also houses a cocking indicator that can be seen and felt protruding when the rifle is cocked. 
 

More Features

Additionally, the Premier action uses larger 8-40 screws (more robust than the traditional 6-32 screws) to attach the scope mounting base. The trigger options are unlimited using the Remington pattern, and Bergara went with a safe, popular option by using a TriggerTech model.
 

Bergara is famous for its barrels. This .308 model uses one of the company’s 1:10 twist barrels finished at 20 inches. In my opinion, this is the optimal use of the .308 Winchester. The barrel is fluted to reduce weight and threaded to accept the included muzzle brake or other devices.
 

The barreled action is mated to an AG Composites carbon-fiber stock. Underneath it features a detachable AICS pattern magazine and comes with a three-round magazine. All these features make a well-balanced rifle that weighs 6.2 pounds, making it ideal for rugged hunting country like mine.
 

Specifications

• Caliber: .308 Win
• Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Overall Length: 41 inches
• Barrel Length: 20 inches
• Twist: 1:10
• Magazine: AICS three-round included
• Finish: Sniper gray Cerakote
   

Rifle setup

This rifle was bound for several Rocky Mountain big game hunts. Keeping with its lightweight theme, I decided to put a scope that doesn’t overload the rifle but doesn’t compromise on ability, either. Using a set of Warne rings, I mounted a Lucid Optics MLX 3-18 riflescope. I’ve used this scope extensively, and it performs well and would allow this rifle to be used to its effective range.
 

For ammo, I grabbed a selection of Hornady Precision Hunter and American Whitetail as well as a 175-match selection from DTM. A good spread of 150, 175, and 178-grain bullets would give an idea of what the rifle likes.
 

Shooting the Premier Canyon

For a change, I shot this rifle at a rifle range to get an idea of what to expect. I was surprised when my first groups measured under .5 MOA. The match-grade ammo seemed to shoot the best, which was no surprise, but all the ammo shot well within my expectations for hunting. After shooting through a few boxes at the range, I decided this rifle needed to get into some hunting country to see how it performed in real-world scenarios.
 

I packed up the rifle and headed into the high Rocky Mountains, ending up in some deep wooded canyons around 8,000 feet above sea level. With a friend and his son, we gave the little rifle quite a workout. We shot at targets from 100 yards to as far away as 980 yards, where the accuracy of the Premier truly showed.
 

We experienced zero failures of any kind. The magazine system worked fantastic, cycling three rounds at a time over and over. Very positive extraction and ejection made quick follow-up shots reliable. The fantastic trigger pull made the impacts predictable, and the radial muzzle brake kept recoil down to spot your own long shots.
 

As we moved around, I couldn’t help but comment on how light and pointable the rifle was. The balance was exceptional, and it was a joy to carry compared to what I’m used to.
 

The Elk Hunt

Since the Premier Canyon performed so well for me, I wanted to give it a fair shake in the woods. I let a good friend named Jacob borrow the rifle for a Rocky Mountain elk hunt. We spent some time together practicing with the rifle at various ranges until he felt comfortable shooting and carrying the rifle. 

After watching many different elk over several days, Jacob decided to take a shot. Early one morning, he spotted a bull pushing a group of cows through the sagebrush-covered canyon bottom. They worked their way down near an aspen grove. 
 

The bull appeared and gave a shot opportunity while facing away at 460 yards. The downhill angle gave Jacob a clear view of the bull and his back, allowing for a quartering shot. The 175-grain bullet impacted behind the bull's shoulder and exited the front of his chest. He stumbled into the aspen, where he would lie down in the crunchy yellow leaves for the last time. The little Bergara made a perfect companion for Jake’s hunt.
 

Pros and Cons

One of the first things I noticed about the Premier action was a slight stiffness when you push the bolt down as you close it. I wasn’t the only one to notice; everyone else who picked up the rifle mentioned it. I figured it might need a little break-in, and it did seem to go away the more we shot it. While others said they didn’t like it, it didn’t bother me at all, especially after shooting the rifle and experiencing the benefits. 
 

Additionally, I usually shoot suppressed to avoid noise and muzzle blast. Radial muzzle brakes like the one on the Canyon tend to send a lot of debris into the air and sometimes into your face. This is easily corrected by changing the brake or installing a suppressor.

As far as positives for this rifle, I could go on for quite a while. I had to force myself to find something I disliked about the rifle because I really like it. I’ll say it again, the lightweight balance of this rifle is outstanding, and the fact that its accurate shooting performance is equally great makes this exactly the kind of rifle I want to hunt with. 

Great features like the AICS magazine system are a bonus, though I don’t think you’ll need to do a lot of fast reloading, as well as this rifle shoots. The stock is handsome, comfortable, and incredibly light. Many comparable rifles at this price point feature carbon barrels, and even though this one doesn’t, it is still comparable in weight. In my opinion, it’s better than many of those, as the stainless-steel barrel seems more consistent as it heats up with firing.
 

Final Thoughts 

As a backcountry big game hunter, I would feel confident taking this rifle on nearly any hunt. Whether hiking into the deep dark woods of Montana’s Kootenai National Forest in search of black bear or hunting for big bull elk in these Wasatch Mountains where I live.

With the compatibility of a Remington and the proven accurate performance Bergara is famous for, it’s hard to pass on this rifle. With a street price over $2,000, it is no small pill for the average hunter, but I expect it would be the last hunting rifle you’d ever truly need. If you are looking for a compact and light hunting rifle that will go for miles, and one you’ll be glad you brought once the smoke clears, the Bergara Premier Canyon should be on your list.