Blaser R8 for Dangerous Game

BeeMaa said:

@Red Leg - I thought I remembered you picking up a 404J barrel a while back. Wasn't sure if it was 17 or 19 mm.

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Kind of in between. I have yet to fire it.

I shot my R8 500J with the professional stock at our big bore competition yesterday and it was delightful, all 6 shots. Then I shot my Heym 470 double, the felt recoil is definitely more. I can only put it down to the superior stock with the kickstop.

You're tempting me Kevin! There's been a 500J R8 listed here for years. No takers. I'm not sure I can afford 7,500 Euros but when I read reviews like yours....

Tiger2001 said:

You're tempting me Kevin! There's been a 500J R8 listed here for years. No takers. I'm not sure I can afford 7,500 Euros but when I read reviews like yours....

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That is a good price, you will not regret it. Keep a little spare cash to fit a Blaser RD20.

Found this on GI over the weekend.
GI R8 Two Barrel Set

Alright… I’m almost convinced to dive into an R8 after being a voyeur on this thread for a bit. I’ve been looking at all the options and I was curious if anyone runs Blaser scopes?

R eight said:

I don’t think most people realise just how difference there is between the alloy and steel receivers in the R8.

I’ve got the safari barrels in 375, 416 and 500 which are exclusively used in my steel PH receiver/stock. That makes for a heavy rifle that is almost pleasant to use even in 500J. However, I certainly wouldn’t want to do any mountain hunting with her, even with the 375 barrel.

With the benefit of hindsight I shouldn’t have bought the 375 in the safari style barrel. I should have bought the standard profile barrel and run her in a standard Professional stock.

So, I love the steel receiver for the 416 and 500 J…. But 375 and less, IMO, are best in a Professional stock.

As I type this from the bar of a ship passing by Kodiak Island…. Wish I were in the hills chasing brownies again. I’d even be happy to be carrying the 500 J.

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R8…. Saw that many times going into Anchorage landing on runway 7R. We’d descend over the Turnagain Arm coming from the east, and then a right base turn just outside of Fire Island. Miss those years so much.

Agree re the steel receiver and thick barrels, and how much weight they’d add up to. I think with a big S&B scope on top, she’s weighing in at 13 pounds. It’s a beast, but lower recoil. Lugging it around definitely makes you ponder the wisdom of your choices.

I don't have an R8 in .500 Jeffery, but a 404 Jeffery.
It has an aluminum receiver and weighs 10.3 lbs when ready for action.
It strikes a perfect balance between weight and caliber

This is not the weight straight out of the box from the factory, but rather with some modifications.

@WesRic404Jeff - Who made your 404J barrel and what profile is it? Like for you to share some pictures and what mods you've made.

BeeMaa said:

@WesRic404Jeff - Who made your 404J barrel and what profile is it? Like for you to share some pictures and what mods you've made.

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Hi,
The barrel was made by a gunsmith here in Norway.

The barrel is fitted into a sleeve that exactly matches Blaser’s specifications. So, if desired, I can order additional barrels for the sleeve in any caliber, provided the cartridge fits in the receiver.

It uses a Walther barrel blank.
The barrel profile is 19mm.
It is 52cm long.
It uses magazine insert no. 11 and a UM bolt head.
Open sights are from Recknagel.
It is threaded for a suppressor, featuring a somewhat unique method for removing the front sight when using the suppressor.
The entire barrel assembly is CrMo-coated and laser-engraved.

The rifle stock is a standard R8 Professional in black/orange.
Modifications include a new Kickeez recoil pad (I believe it was the "Magnum" model).
Naturally, I had to open up the barrel channel slightly to accommodate the 19mm barrel profile.
During that same process, I filled the barrel channel with epoxy and tungsten shot to increase the weight and distribute it for optimal balance.
Finally, I installed a Kalix Teknik CR2 adjustable comb, inlaying it with the same rubber material found on the forend and pistol grip.

For the sight, I opted for the Blaser RD17, as I prefer it over the RD20, which I feel is too bulky.

(I’ll try to upload some photos later on.)

WesRic404Jeff said:

For the sight, I opted for the Blaser RD17, as I prefer it over the RD20, which I feel is too bulky.

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For the RD20/RD17 debate and those that don't know.

The RD20 was an upgrade to the RD17 in many areas.
The RD20 offers an integrated Blaser QD mount where the 17 requires an adapter.
The 20 has a larger housing of 36mm vs 20mm of the 17.
The 20 has longer battery life.
The 20 has automatic illumination control, where the 17 is manual.

I'd be interested in knowing the weight difference between a RD20 and the RD17 (with the mount).

@WesRic404Jeff - Do you think the RD17 offers a lower sighting plane than the RD20 to keep a better cheek weld? I'm not sure what mount you are using.

BeeMaa said:

For the RD20/RD17 debate and those that don't know.

The RD20 was an upgrade to the RD17 in many areas.
The RD20 offers an integrated Blaser QD mount where the 17 requires an adapter.
The 20 has a larger housing of 36mm vs 20mm of the 17.
The 20 has longer battery life.
The 20 has automatic illumination control, where the 17 is manual.

I'd be interested in knowing the weight difference between a RD20 and the RD17 (with the mount).

@WesRic404Jeff - Do you think the RD17 offers a lower sighting plane than the RD20 to keep a better cheek weld? I'm not sure what mount you are using.

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The RD17 and RD20 both feature an integrated mount.
The weight of the RD17 is 240 grams.
The RD20 weighs 195 grams.

Honestly, I don't know the answer to your last question.

WesRic404Jeff said:

The RD17 and RD20 both feature an integrated mount.
The weight of the RD17 is 240 grams.
The RD20 weighs 195 grams.

Honestly, I don't know the answer to your last question.

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The RD17 can be separated from the Blaser QD mount and has an AimPoint style base. It was made to fit more than just Blaser brand firearms. However, they were typically sold with the Blaser QD mount.



The RD20 base is integrated Blaser mount meaning it can not be separated from the Blaser mount. This means fewer fasteners and fewer points of possible problems.

@BeeMaa here are some photos of the rifle.

WesRic404Jeff said:

@BeeMaa here are some photos of the rifle.
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That’s a pretty ingenious way of installing the front sight. Really nice to not have to have a thread protector in front of the front sight.

TOBY458 said:

That’s a pretty ingenious way of installing the front sight. Really nice to not have to have a thread protector in front of the front sight.

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Yes, absolutely. That was the only reason I chose this as an extra upgrade.

Couple of updates on our Blaser rifles. First is the 2.0 stock that I picked up in trade for other rifle parts. The other are the scope (adapter) mounts. They are from INNOMOUNT and I'll post a video of how they work in a little bit. Lastly is the AimPoint T2 on 375H&H. The T2 will alternate time with a Swaro Z8i 1-8x24 that's currently out for repair. I'm looking forward to sighting them in...as soon as my shoulder is a little more recovered from surgery.

For those unfamiliar with INNOMOUNT, allow me to introduce you to them. They make all kinds of mounts to adapt optics to various rifle systems. Most of them are European, but I do have one for a Pulsar thermal that goes to a Picatinny rail.

All of the INNOMOUNT QD's operate in similar fashion. Push the buttons on the right side of the barrel and it pops out a little wing on the left side. This wing swings out horizontally. This is important because I've seen the Blaser QD "wing" that requires rotation to lock/unlock, hit a scope turret creating a clearance issue. Another upgrade is that INNOMOUNT uses a Torx or metric Allen to adjust the tension instead of a flat bladed screwdriver. Took me about 30 seconds to set the tension for each of the mounts.

Here's a video because it's easier to show than explain. Let me know if there are any questions.

I’m still having trouble letting go of my R93s for the R8. Old topic but it’s real…… Now with them changing the R8… I think that 2.0 stock is pretty unattractive.

Bushog said:

I’m still having trouble letting go of my R93s for the R8. Old topic but it’s real…… Now with them changing the R8… I think that 2.0 stock is pretty unattractive.

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Like you i am a r93 man. No dg cartridges but I do have a 7mm rem mag. Both attaché and professional stocks.