Any thoughts on the new Blaser R8 Ultimate X?

[VertigoBE]

Hi all,

received the following announcement in my mail from Blaser. An funky looking R8 with a 10 shot capacity...

they put some kind of intermediate piece between the action and the pistol grip, to allow for the longer magazine.

Seems to me it removes a lot of the advantages the R8 was known for: being short, well balanced, unlooseable magazine. I also wonder what it does to the triggerpull...

 

[Nyati]

Tacticool, not for me.

 

[BigSteve57]

It might make a really good varmint rifle. I've never shot a big bore with a thumb-hole stock (if it even comes that way) but I'd be afraid of losing it. My thumb, that is.

 

[Red Leg]

I pretty much hate all of this tactical nonsense. Probably comes with a vintage copy of "Soldier of Fortune" magazine. I am sure it will appeal to some of the wannabe crowd with deep pockets.

 

[BourbonTrail]

I’m not a R8 fan or a Tacticool fan, but that’s an ungainly thing by any standard.

The only thing that would be useful for in Europe would be driven pigs, but people seem to do alright with the rifles already in existence. A straight pull bolt with a big box mag might be useful in Texas, but AR-10’s are better suited for helo hunting.

 

[Justin.]

Looks funky! Anyone have any experience with floating cheek pieces like that? Seems like some flex could be introduced after hard use at first glance?

 

[CEO]

That looks like a bad April fools joke.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Why???

 

[Opposite Pole]

Why???

Why not? Someone will probably buy it, it won’t be me though.

 

[Ravensview]

I am not a fan of it at all, I like the R8 platform though and see many advantages to its system, I keep mulling over in my little noggin what I would be willing to sell to start down that path, but am not quite there yet

 

[Opposite Pole]

I am not a fan of it at all, I like the R8 platform though and see many advantages to its system, I keep mulling over in my little noggin what I would be willing to sell to start down that path, but am not quite there yet

R8s are great and who needs two kidneys anyway ;-)

 

[CoElkHunter]

Why???

For the Creedmoor crowd! Ha! Ha!

 

[One Day...]

Different market segment...
On one side of the ledger: law enforcement, military...
On the other side of the ledger: internet snipers, 1,200 yards kudu "hunters"...

Likely successor to the R93 tactical...

Wikipedia

 

[Inline6]

I am a tactical kind of guy, I really like my AIs (Accuracy International).

This R8 does not appeal to me at all. It reminds me of a Savage.

I have really looked hard at an R8, it would not be this one.

 

[Spearhead]

Fugly.

 

[spike.t]

Just when I thought that R8 thing couldn't get any worse....Holy shit.....

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

im a blaser fan, big one, have R8's, but somehow dont like this one. i am however def NOT a fan of AR's and these tactical setups, especially not for hunting. maybe thats why i dont like this one

 

[BeeMaa]

I’m an R8 guy with 2 to my name and one more for Mrs BeeMaa. This new tactical version goes against some of the very reasons I have R8’s. Specifically the magazine sitting on top of the trigger to make everything shorter. Not a fan of this at all.

 

[mark-hunter]

Training, competition, driven hunt, all in one as per web site?
Non defined futuristic hybrid without personality is my perception.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

They are obviously trying to include adjustability of everything to be a universal fit-all package. That isn't stupid, but surely it could have been achieved in a more aesthetic way?