By Chris Avena
It was a stormy day in April down in Decatur Texas, but the torrential down pour was not enough to keep us away from the Long Shot Tour hosted by Bergara Rifles and CVA. With Covid hitting the pause button on all major trade shows for the past year, Bergara and CVA opted to host their own “Media Day at the Range”.
This was a great way to designate additional time to learn more about their new product lines but more importantly, it gave us the opportunity to meet the people behind their latest designs. Their Media Day was held at Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds. We gathered at their lodge to hear the day’s itinerary before we made our way out to the range. On arrival to the range, I made my way over to the CVA shooting station. I was anxious to try the new designs on the Accura X-Treme Series. The Accura X-Treme is billed as the most accurate break action muzzleloader and after test firing the X-treme several times, I would have to agree. The Accura X-Treme loads and fires with ease. The new muzzle break reduces the recoil dramatically to where you can barely feel the rifle kick. As far as the accuracy? We were hitting the steel targets at 100 yards with ease.
Next, I tested the CVA Paramount HTR. The Paramount is a long-range bolt-action muzzleloader. You would pour the powder and load the slug in the same manner as any other muzzleloader. The primer is loaded through the bolt action. It was very simple and easy. When they told me that this was a long-range muzzleloader, they were not kidding. We were effortlessly hitting our steel targets at 400 yards. Yes, I said four hundred yards! This is due in part to the new 40 caliber ELR. The .40 Caliber ELR slug shoots faster, flatter and further that the standard .50 Cal.
Moving on to the Bergara shooting station, the new “Side Kick” from their small batch series immediately caught my eye. The Side Kick is a limited-edition hand-crafted firearm that certainly packs a punch. It is compact and versatile. It comes complete with a folding stock and a 10.5-inch barrel. The overall length is 28.5 inches and is perfect to keep in your backpack during your hike in the woods, but is also ideal for hunting or a day at the range. I tested the 6.5 creedmoor, hitting my target at 250 yards with the stock folded. The side Kick is also available in 308 and 223. The Side kick is a limited edition with only 200 rifles made. It is my opinion that this is one rifle that everyone would want in their collection.
I was just as impressed with the Bergara Micro Rimfire (BMR). This will soon become your favorite rimfire rifle. The BMR is available in .22LR, .17HMR and .22WMR. The overall length is 36” to 38” with a weight if 5 to 5.4lbs. The .17HMR and the .22WMR barrel are just a bit longer than the .22LR which would account for the extra ounces and length. The magazine capacity is available in five and ten rounds. Again, you will not be disappointed with the accuracy of the BMR. I emptied several magazines while littering my 100-yard target with bullet holes. The BMR is a great addition to any shooting enthusiast’s collection.
I would also like to give a special thanks to Emily Kantner the PR Coordinator at GunPowder Inc for the invitation to this fun and informative event.