Professional deer stalker and hunter Peter S Jones reviews the Bergara Premier Cima Pro Carbon
Bergara Premier Cima Pro Carbon – At a Glance
Type: Premium bolt-action deer stalking rifle
Best suited to: Hunters looking for a lightweight, traditional sporting rifle with premium engineering and exceptional handling.
Strengths
- Outstanding balance and handling
- Lightweight 2.6kg carbon fibre construction
- Excellent TriggerTech trigger
- Smooth Premier action
- Superb fit and finish
Weaknesses
- Magazine loading could be slicker
- Two-position safety won't suit everyone
- Premium price tag
My Verdict
A beautifully engineered stalking rifle that proves refinement often matters more than reinvention.
I've been fortunate enough to shoot a great many rifles over the years. Some have been beautifully engineered, some astonishingly accurate and a few have cost more than the average family car. Yet, when it came to replacing my own stalking rifle, I wasn't looking for the most expensive option or the latest innovation. I was looking for the rifle I'd be happiest carrying day in day out.
That search took the best part of two years.
During that time, I looked at just about everything the premium stalking rifle market had to offer. Blaser, Sako, Tikka, Sauer and others all had compelling arguments in their favour. I also had the opportunity to attend Bergara's launch event at Cotswold Sporting, where I spent time handling their range of rifles, talking to the people behind the brand and, perhaps more importantly, understanding the philosophy behind the rifle.
At first glance, there's very little about the Bergara Premier Cima Pro Carbon that shouts for attention. It isn't a futuristic straight-pull rifle. It doesn't have an adjustable chassis stock or innovative new design; in fact, it looks very much like a traditional sporting rifle.
But that's entirely the point.
Bergara haven't tried to reinvent the sporting rifle. They've simply taken a design that has served hunters well for generations and refined it using exceptional materials, modern manufacturing techniques and a meticulous attention to detail.
Sometimes that's exactly what good engineering looks like. It's not perfect, but then few things are, and that is exactly what honest reviews are all about.
First Impressions – Conventional Never Looked So Good
Spend five minutes with the Cima Pro Carbon and one thing becomes immediately apparent: this isn't a rifle designed by a marketing department.
There are no gimmicks, no unnecessary accessories and no attempt to follow the current trend of making every hunting rifle look like a departure from the norm. Instead, Bergara has produced something refreshingly understated.
The lines are clean and purposeful. The carbon fibre stock is elegant rather than flamboyant, with just enough texture to provide a secure grip in wet conditions without feeling abrasive in the hand. The muted Cerakote finish is practical rather than decorative, reducing glare and offering excellent protection against the sort of British weather that quickly exposes inferior finishes.
It is, quite simply, a handsome sporting rifle.
That may seem a superficial observation, but appearance matters. A stalking rifle is something many of us will own for years, perhaps decades. It becomes part of every memorable stalk, every successful outing and, inevitably, every frustrating one too.
Fortunately, the good news doesn't end with its looks. Pick the rifle up and the quality becomes immediately apparent.
The balance is superb. Although the carbon barrel undoubtedly contributes to the overall weight reduction, what impressed me most wasn't how light the rifle was on the scales, but how light it felt in the hands at just 2.6kg. There's an important distinction between the two.
Some lightweight rifles achieve impressive headline weights by removing material wherever possible, often leaving them feeling muzzle-light, twitchy or simply awkward to shoot unsupported. The Cima Pro Carbon doesn't suffer from that. The weight distribution feels natural, allowing the rifle to settle comfortably whether shooting prone, from sticks or from a high seat.
Weight is one of those specifications that's easy to dismiss until you've carried a rifle for a few hours across uneven ground. A few hundred grams saved in the gun cabinet feels insignificant. By mid-afternoon, after climbing steep banks, crossing fences and covering several miles, it becomes one of the rifle's greatest virtues. The Cima Pro Carbon is one of those rifles that simply carries well.
After carrying it for a full day's stalking in the North Wessex Downs, I found myself appreciating something I'd scarcely noticed at first: the absence of fatigue. A pound saved on paper rarely sounds significant, but after a few hours on foot it becomes surprisingly noticeable.
Indeed, good rifle design often goes unnoticed. The best rifles don't constantly remind you how clever they are; they simply disappear in your hands and allow you to concentrate on stalking deer.
That, I think, is one of the Cima Pro Carbon's greatest strengths.
Engineering You Don't Notice — Until You're in the Field
Modern rifle manufacturers often compete by adding features. Bergara has taken a rather different approach.
Instead of asking, "What else can we add?", the engineers appear to have asked, "How can we make every existing component just a little better?"
It's a subtle distinction, but an important one.
The Premier action is a good example. Based around the familiar Remington 700 footprint, it immediately benefits from one of the largest aftermarket ecosystems in the shooting world. That compatibility alone will appeal to many experienced riflemen, but simply copying the Remington design would never have justified the Premier badge.
Instead, Bergara has refined it.
The bolt cycles with a reassuring smoothness that immediately inspires confidence. There's no graunching or hesitation as the lugs lock into place, just a positive, mechanical feel that suggests careful machining and close tolerances rather than unnecessary complication.
It isn't the slickest action I've ever operated. A well-run-in Mauser 25 or Merkel Helix still set the benchmark for outright speed, and some premium Sauers possess an almost glass-like feel. But comparing them directly misses the point.
The Cima isn't trying to imitate a straight-pull rifle. It's trying to perfect the traditional turn-bolt action. And, in my opinion, it comes remarkably close.
The same philosophy extends to the barrel.
Bergara's CURE carbon barrel isn't there simply to reduce weight or provide marketing appeal. Carbon-wrapped barrels have become fashionable over the last decade, but fashion alone doesn't justify the considerable increase in manufacturing cost.
In practical terms, the carbon construction helps reduce weight while maintaining rigidity, producing a rifle that's easier to carry without sacrificing the consistency you'd expect from a premium stalking rifle.
For the average UK deer stalker, that's a sensible trade-off.
Few of us fire long strings of shots in the field. We carry rifles far more than we shoot them. Indeed, I'd much rather save weight during ten miles of walking than own a heavier barrel capable of firing a hundred consecutive rounds without significant heat build-up. That's the reality of deer stalking.
Good engineering isn't always about maximum performance. Often, it's about optimising performance for the job in hand. That's where I believe Bergara have got this rifle absolutely right.
They haven't chased headlines or attempted to reinvent the modern sporting rifle. Instead, they've concentrated on refining the things that genuinely matter to deer stalkers: balance, handling, weight, reliability and practical accuracy.
On paper, none of those things sound particularly revolutionary. In the field, however, they make all the difference.
Final Thoughts
After spending some time with the Bergara Premier Cima Pro Carbon, I keep coming back to the same conclusion.
This isn't a rifle designed to impress you in the gun shop. It's a rifle designed to impress you after a full day in the field.
Its strengths aren't flashy. They reveal themselves gradually in the way it balances on sticks, the way it carries over miles of countryside, the confidence inspired by the action and trigger, and the way it simply becomes an extension of the stalker rather than a distraction.
Could Bergara improve it? Of course. I'd still prefer a three-position safety, and loading the magazine isn't quite as intuitive as some competitors. No production rifle is perfect.
But perfection was never the objective. Building a rifle that deer stalkers genuinely enjoy carrying and shooting was.
In my opinion, Bergara has achieved exactly that.
To watch our County Deer Stalking YouTube film about the Bergara Premier Cima Pro follow this link: (365) My NEW Deer Stalking Rifle Setup | Why I chose It - YouTube
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