Lethal Corporation: Lucas Botkin Shakes Out the Bergara B14 and MDT LSS Gen3 Chassis!

Custom precision rifles are expensive. Full rigs can cost near five figures. And that's not attainable for very many people. In a recent video, Lucas Botkin (yes, that Lucas) of Lethal Corporation decided to take on the challenge of building a budget precision rig with a basic Bergara rifle. Let's check it out.

Building The Rifle

Lucas started with a Bergara B14 Wilderness and paired it with an MDT LSS chassis, giving the B14 an adjustable stock, Arca compatibility, and M-LOK mounting options. To help drive the rifle properly, Lucas moves his MDT SEND IT level forward and adds an MDT thumb rest borrowed from his SP10. He also cautions that M-LOK screws mounted close to the barrel need to be checked carefully to ensure they do not protrude far enough to contact it.

For ammunition, Botkin uses Federal 140-grain Sierra MatchKings, a load he trusts. Chronographing the ammunition yields an average muzzle velocity of 2,627 fps, with a standard deviation of 20 fps. He enters the data into his Kestrel and range card before moving into positional drills. The rifle feeds from AICS-pattern magazines, and while two heavily used Accurate mags cause feeding and ejection problems, switching to MDT magazines eliminates the issue.

Putting It Through The Paces

The training session covers prone shooting, a Conex container, and a PRS barricade. Lucas sends about 100 rounds during the session, which he notes is a substantial amount for a bolt gun in a single training day. Though to him, it's all about repetitions to evaluate the rifle system.

Botkin's first impression of the B14 is generally positive. The single-stage trigger is good enough to keep, although he notes some grit and play immediately after the wall. The rifle is also front-heavy, partly because of the long Nightforce optic, and he believes additional weight toward the rear could improve its balance. His biggest takeaway is that this is exactly what training is supposed to reveal: shortcomings that can be identified, adjusted, and worked around before they matter in a more consequential setting.

Final Thoughts

At around $1,000 before the chassis and accessories, the B14 serves as the starting point for this build. Adding the MDT LSS and other MDT accessories changes the overall configuration, giving the rifle additional adjustability and functionality. It's not intended to compete with a $10,000 custom rifle, but the finished setup provides an accessible way for someone to get into the sport and determine what features matter to them. For more videos like this, check out the LETHAL Corporation YouTube channel.