There’s something inherently cool about a break-barrel single-shot rifle. Perhaps it’s the association with high-end rifles like the Blaser K95 or Merkel K5, often carried by mountain men in search of mouflon. Both ultra-light grade 5 beauties dedicated to taking that single all-or-nothing shot at a majestic chamois. Or perhaps it’s the image of big-game hunters levelling a monstrous double rifle at dangerous game on the African plains? Whatever it is, the BA13 is certainly not one of those rifles.
This is a truck gun, plain and simple – and proud of it. It’s something to throw in the truck and grab when the need arises. There’s no bolt or mag to leave behind in the cabinet, just an accurate grab-and-go rifle. Stuff a few rounds in your pocket and you’re ready for anything.
It’s ideal for a keeper, farmer or in fact anyone who occasionally comes across targets of opportunity. It’s equally at home with a day optic or digiscope. You can even forego the scope entirely and opt for open sights or perhaps a red dot for close-range encounters. The gun on test is in .223, so the perfect tool for cost-effective pest control and opportunistic foxing.
DESIGN AND ACTION
The steel action breaks open via a lever below the trigger guard. It unlatches the action, which then drops open under its own weight in the style of a shotgun. It’s a non-ejector, so empty cases won’t ping out over your shoulder, the steel extractor claw simply draws the spent round from the chamber, allowing you to grab the case rim. Wearing thick gloves during the winter months this might admittedly be a slightly fiddly procedure.
Inserting a new round isn’t a ‘drop- in’ like a shotgun cartridge. It’s a reassuringly snug fit due to the much tighter tolerances of rifle cartridges and chambers.
Straighten up the forend, it all locks very solidly into place and you are ready to go. It’s not cocked at this stage, so it’s perfectly safe to be carried closed over your shoulder. It’s also fully ambidextrous, with only the tiniest amount of cast. I’m a left- handed shooter and had no complaints – it performed perfectly.
FORM AND FUNCTION
When the time comes to cock the rifle you simply pull pack on the hammer to set the trigger. Bergara have added a handy knurled lever that can be swapped to either side of the hammer to ensure that a firm (but not excessive) amount of force is required to cock the action. The trigger then quietly clicks into place. At 2.4lb the pull is fairly firm, which I prefer for a field gun. It’s very predictable and there’s no creep before it breaks crisply with just 3mm of overtravel. The barrel is also completely free floating to aid accuracy.
Fully loaded with the Hawke Frontier 2-6x24 tactical dot reticle plus the stumpy but effective Nieload GenX moderator, the whole thing weighs just 8lb 14oz. The Hawke was the perfect partner and just the kind of scope you want atop the Picatinny rail, which ships as standard and is screwed directly into the action. The rail is also ideal for quick swaps for either a night vision or thermal scope should the need arise.
As tough as old boots and ready for day duty while easily re-rigged for night vision or thermal
BACKPACK PARTY TRICK
The BA13 is small to start with, but one of this variant’s party tricks is its ability to break down for convenient storage or portage. This might come in handy en route to your shooting ground, especially if a degree of anonymity is required. Fitting into a typical medium sized backpack, with the scope fitted, it’s very unobtrusive. You will need to remove the mod in most cases but that’s not really much of a hardship.
Breaking the rifle down is simplicity itself, especially if you’ve ever handled a shotgun, as the process is identical. Remove the forend with the underlever, break the action and the barrel simply lifts away, leaving the action and butt section behind. It couldn’t be simpler.
If noise isn’t a huge issue you could even forego the mod entirely, although if you’re planning to shoot a lot I’d recommend ear plugs. The Nieload moderator may be small, but it certainly takes some of the bark out of the 20" barrel. It is also strippable, so make sure everything is snug before heading out. I neglected to check first time and the end cap worked loose, which did nothing for my accuracy until I spotted my mistake.
A 20mm thick solid-rubber recoil pad caps the stock’s butt, with its stippled surface creating a solid shoulder weld from any shooting position. It also contributes to the 14" LOP, which is quite impressive for a small rifle. The stock and forend are injection-moulded polymer, with the moulding joint hidden by the lovely camo pattern, which boasts chequering both fore and aft in all the right places. The barrel and action sit well with the stock, thanks to a tough green cerakote finish.
There’s a forend stud for sling or bipod and another loop is moulded into the underside of the butt, making it a very handy gun to carry. The grip is a bit on the slim side and shows no palm swells, which suits its ambidextrous nature, and it has a spacious, open radius.
It’s a sturdy gun with rock-solid, no- nonsense build quality throughout. There are no creaks or rattles, and it feels as tough as it looks. Bergara are famous for producing straight-shooting barrels and the BA13 is a prime example. Ammo was in short supply during testing, so I can’t provide detailed comparisons between brands, but I’m very confident the BA13 will pass the 1 MOA test with flying colours given the right ammo.
Simplicity itself, although full ejection might be handier over the winter months
IN THE FIELD
Breaking the action is always going to require a bit of shuffling around when prone, and as with most rifles the comb height was a little low for me – the curse of high cheek bones!
Admittedly a bolt action is faster and requires less movement, but there’s a certain focus gained from knowing that you must make that first shot count. And let’s be honest how many times do you get the chance for a second shot on a fox unless it’s a finisher. From a standing position it handles like any non- extracting shotgun. It’s obviously slower than racking a bolt, but certainly not painfully so.
As I mentioned earlier Bergara barrels are impressive, with the gun holding zero over multiple shots extremely well. For an opportunistic foxer or vermin shooter this is a great tool and .223 is the perfect calibre. I’m guessing that it might be a bit lively in the larger calibres, but in this classic foxing format it’s very easy to handle, with the combination of gentle recoil and low magnification providing a great sight picture through the shot.
A snug fit for the cartridge, matching the rock-solid lock-up of the action
SUMMARY
Swings and roundabouts there may be, in terms of single shots and functionality, but at the end of the day this is a very useful and versatile truck gun that’s also great fun to shoot.
It’s light without being skittish, has a great trigger, breaks down easily for covert adventures (while still maintaining zero), shoots well, and perhaps best of all it isn’t expensive to buy and feed.
It’s really the ideal second gun for an occasional night hunter who doesn’t want to tinker with their beloved bolt action for the odd bit of pest control.
ACCESSORIES USED
SCOPE
Hawke Frontier 30 1-6x24 Tactical Dot Reticle
(supplier Hawke UK)
Web: hawkeoptics.com
Price: £699
MODERATOR
Nieload GenX 5.5mm (supplier Artemis Outdoors UK)
Web: www.artemisoutdoorsuk.co.uk
Price: £240 inc. VAT
TECH SPECS
Weight: 3.2kg/7.1lb
Magazine capacity: Single-shot break action
Trigger: Single-stage, 2.4lb
Barrel length: 510mm/20", 1 in 10" twist, button rifled
Stock material: Injection-moulded glass fibre reinforced polymer
Length of pull: 360mm/14"