The Rimfire Report: On the Range with the Bergara BMR Carbon .17 HMR

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many different types of guns, ammo, shooting sports, history, and more! We’re going to take a quick break from our ongoing series of ammunition tests to try out a brand new offering in the market from Bergara and I think a first for us here on Rimfire Report - The new Bergara BMR Carbon chambered in .17 HMR. I spent a lot of money on .17 HMR in the past, mainly for pest control, but the cartridge itself is pretty cool in and of itself. Today, we’ll get to see how the new lightweight BMR Carbon bolt-action rifle series from Bergara handles one of the rimfire industry's highest-velocity cartridges.

More Rimfire Report @ TFB:

• The Rimfire Report: Aguila Super Extra Short 29gr – Compact Power
• The Rimfire Report: Klimovsk’s “Junior” .22 LR in the Green Box
• The Pint-Sized GOAT-15 Gen3 Pistol from Mountain Billy Gun Lab

The Rimfire Report: On the Range with the Bergara BMR Carbon .17 HMR

Bergara BMR Carbon .17 HMR

Product Link: https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/rimfire/bmr-carbon-rifle/

You asked, we listened. The Bergara BMR (Bergara Micro Rimfire) is for those that demand the best and expect nothing short of perfection. With the option of either a 5rd magazine for hunting or a 10rd magazine for running stages at your favorite rimfire match, we designed the BMR from the ground up with field and match performance in mind.

The BMR fits the bill of the base class within the NRL22 series and offers a match chamber with world-class accuracy. It’s also lighter (especially the carbon barreled version) and easier to carry in the field for small game pursuits. We’ve expanded the calibers available beyond .22 LR to include .17 HMR and .22 WMR so you can match your round to your application.

.17 HMR Configuration

• Caliber: .17 HMR
• Weight: 5.4 lbs
• Overall Length: 38”
• Barrel Length: 20”
• Twist Rate: 1:9
• Barrel: Carbon Fiber threaded 1/2x28 TPI
• Magazine: Comes with (1) 10-round magazine and (1) 5-round magazine
• MSRP: $799.00

Based on the configuration and the specifications of the rifle, it’s clear to me that the .17 HMR configuration with its longer barrel and hotter cartridge loading is entirely intended to be a lightweight varmint rifle. Part of the fun of long-range rimfire shooting is doing a lot of drop compensation and being able to run your turrets on your optic like you would on a full-size PRS rifle. .17 HMR is a much flatter shooting cartridge with the sole mission of vaporizing ground squirrels, feral cats, or groundhogs with high-speed efficiency and laser-like accuracy. Over the years, I’ve found that dollar-for-dollar, virtually all .17 HMR ammunition is more accurate than all but the most talented shooters and thus if we have any accuracy issues with the rifle on the range, we can only blame my aim or the rifle’s construction.

On The Range with the BMR Carbon .17 HMR

No varmint rifle these days is complete without a fitting optic and, of course, a suppressor. I have been putting an Engaged Industries Operator 5.56 through its paces over the last month or so and part of that testing extends to the BMR Carbon. Even though the Operator 5.56 isn’t optimized for the tiny .17 caliber bullet, it does a great job of eliminating a lot of the noise at the shooter's ear, although I’d still recommend ear protection as the cartridge is still leaving the barrel at a whopping 2,500 fps. Topped with a Maven 3-12 rimfire scope and a cheap Harris-style bipod, I felt like I had what constituted a plausible varmint rifle setup for the modern homesteader.

Reliability & Ergonomics

The words “rimfire” and “reliability” don’t often get mixed together in a positive context, but today I can say that they do - at least in the case of the BMR Carbon. Both the 5 and 10-round magazines fed the rifle flawlessly through hundreds of rounds of Hornady 17-grain .17 HMR. The ammo itself metered pretty consistently, which helped the situation, but what was most pleasing to me was the smoothness of the rifle’s action combined with the overall weight. While it’s pleasant enough to shoot from the prone position, if you’re after a groundhog you likely won’t have the luxury of shooting from the ground so you’ll be happy to know that even with the added weight of the Operator 5.56 and the bipod, the carbon fiber barrel keeps the entire rig nice and balanced

Accuracy

This should come as no surprise, but like I said earlier, the .17 HMR cartridge alone is probably more accurate than I am, especially with a paltry 12x magnification through the relatively inexpensive Maven rimfire scope. However, this combination in the prone position still netted me a sub-1” group at 50 yards, which is better than good for varmint hunting accuracy. Even if you’re only able to get a glimpse of a groundhog peeking over a mound, you should be able to put this rifle and this cartridge to work without issue.

Final Thoughts

The BMR Carbon in .17HMR is 100% a varmint hunter's dream. The rifle has an easily adjustable length of pull to accommodate different shooters and optic combos, a nice smooth and robust rimfire action that’s quick to cycle and easy to maintain, a very light and precise trigger, and of course, an overall balance that makes it a great suppressor host, and a dream to shoot no matter what position you might find yourself in. You’ll likely find the BMR Carbon series of rifles on sale at your local stores for about $650, which I think is a great deal for the level of quality, reliability, and accuracy you’re getting from Bergara’s lightweight .17HMR rifle.