Intro: In the world of precision long-range shooting, innovation and quality craftsmanship go hand in hand. And when it comes to the release of a new rifle, the anticipation within the shooting community can get emotions soaring! Recently, I had the unique opportunity to be a part of the release video for the highly anticipated Bergara Small Batch M40ish Rifle. This blog post will read a little differently. It won’t contain the technical and advanced long-range blogging information you’ve grown accustomed to, but rather I’ll be discussing the unique experience of playing “the talent” for the Bergara Small Batch Rifle release video. And of course, I'll also talk about the Bergara head nod to the M40A4 sniper rifle, and those who took it along on operations.
Setting the Stage: It was late one evening when I got a call from a good friend “Do I have a weird request for you! Bergara is releasing an M40 rifle clone and they are looking for someone to play the role of a retired US Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned civilian shooter. Do you think you’d be interested in that?”. Somewhat surprised and unexpected, I think I might have responded with “I’ll try almost anything at least once, sign me up!”. I was quickly put in contact with the production lead from Copeland Creative, who would be filming the short video. It was decided the Allison Divide Ranch (ADR) would serve as the ideal filming location as it somewhat loosely resembles areas in the Middle Eastern Area of Operations (MEAO). The ADR is a vast shooting range complex with numerous firing points nestled among oddly shaped Texas tabletop mountains. The ADR is Wolf Den’s premiere training location for all things government and civilian training. And so it turns out, ADR is also a prime location for video production. We all arrived at the ranch late in the evening, sharing a beer while getting to know each other and discussing the schedule for the coming days of filming.
The Team: A unique project like this requires a dedicated and talented team with diverse experiences. I’m convinced Copeland Creative brought no less than 90 camera lenses, and a two-man team of incredibly experienced and detail orientated videographers and photographers. I brought just myself… and A LOT of sniper equipment. The experience amongst the Copeland crew was evident as soon as we got started on the first day. I think we ran the first few scene cuts around 15-20 times each! Such was the attention to detail and professionalism of the videographers. Towards the end of capturing the first few scenes, I was starting to understand how Bill Murray might have felt in his 1993 film Groundhog Day!
Exploring the Bergara Small Batch Rifle: Before the video shoot began, I had the opportunity to learn about the component features and craftsmanship that make the Bergara Small Batch Rifle build a quality M40A4 clone. The attention to detail and quality materials used in its construction are conducive to a tack driver you’d expect to stack rounds. The Bergara action houses a threaded 1:10RT straight taper stainless steel heavy barrel in 0.308WIN and a Trigger Tech® 1.5-4lb adjustable trigger, all glass bedded into a McMillian A4 stock with a detachable AICS magazine. It was evident that this sniper rifle clone was a reminiscent and respectful dedication to those who have previously served with an M40A4.
This comparison to an actual M40A4 was all made possible because Tony from TAB Gear had driven out to ADR early that morning to provide us with an actual pristine condition M40A4 sniper rifle for filming purposes. During filming, I babied that M40A4 better than I nursed my own Accuracy International SR98 sniper rifle, which also had many MANY more scratches.
And ACTION: The video storyline involved capturing the essence of the Bergara Small Batch Rifle M40ish while concurrently telling the story of a US Marine Scout Sniper reminiscing the days of operational deployments behind his issued M40A4. So, the following day we set out for the main canyon to find a comparable area of terrain which ticked all the MEAO filmset boxes. With that requirement met, the Copeland Creative crew fired up their cameras and went to work capturing the distant memory of a sniper on operations. That required a copious amount of camouflage face paint, sniper equipment, natural vegetation attentively attached to my ghillie, and of course the centerpiece of this whole thing, Tony’s M40A4. With the sniper part of the story captured, the Copeland Creative crew adjusted focus (horrible videography pun intended) back onto showcasing the Bergara M40ish. Here the camera crew really went to work, using all sorts of tools, equipment, drones, filming techniques and methods to tell the remainder of the story while showcasing the quality of the soon-to-be-released Bergara Small Batch M40ish Rifle.
That’s a Wrap: Being a small part of the release video shoot for the Bergara Small Batch M40ish Rifle was a unique experience. The opportunity gave me a rare insight into the imagination, creativity, skill, and talent required to capture a high-quality production. From the meticulous planning to the captivating shot angles, the Copeland Creative crew truly showcased the essence of the rifle. It’s clear to me that the Bergara Small Batch Rifle builders share a passion for quality craftsmanship. Much the same can be said for the crew at Copeland Creative. But don’t take my word for it, check out the release video down below!
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