Blaser R8 In Large Calibers

[Beck]

I had no idea that by starting this thread, I would cause so much of an internal struggle within people! Lol!
I like the idea of the interchangeability of the barrels as well. But, I do agree that if the stock or action have problems for some reason, the whole redundancy thing is out the window.
As to owning many more rifles than needed, and having most of them overlap each other in application, that's something I'm always struggling with as well. (If you call that a struggle). I love the idea of pairing my collection down to the bare minimum, but when I take them out of the safe and fondle them a bit, most of the time they go right back into there respective slots, with me mumbling something like, "Thats just too nice to sell!" So in the end, we end up with 5 or more deer/PG rifles and 5 or more DG rifles in the safe. I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one with this affliction! Before I started talking with you guys on AH, I was considering committing myself.

Where did you end up on this, did you buy one?

 

[BeeMaa]

First let me say, I have done very little research on this subject. I checked out some R8's in .458 Lott on Gunbroker, and they are all listed with 25-26" barrels, and at 7.5 lbs. My initial reaction was too light, and too long. After about nine seconds of research, it seems that most of the Lott's are running closer to 10 lbs? Do they make a 22" barrel? Will the R8 in .458 Lott also fire .458-win mag? My attraction to the .458 Lott is the ability to fire .458-win mag ammo, you can always find .458-win ammo in a pinch.

I owned a Sauer and Sohn in .404 Jeffery; Blaser owns Sauer and Sohn. I never bought a second barrel for that gun as the barrels are super expensive, and I don't mind carrying two rifles to Africa. I also had a handful of issues with that gun:

-First, the rifle arrived without the ordered express sites - I had to send it back to the Blaser shop to have them installed. Not the end of the world, but when you spend 7-8k on a rifle I feel it should show up as ordered.

-Second the safety malfunctioned, I had to send it back again and they completely replaced the safety. This problem was more disturbing as the safety literally broke without ever firing the gun. The Sauer has a very similar safety system to the Blaser, they might even be identical, I am not sure.

-Third the stock did not fit me well, I found Sako's in similar chambering's more comfortable to shoot. This one is really a matter of personal preference, but I did end up selling the gun for this reason.


Finally, would you choose a Blaser over say a Rigby or another premium bolt action rifle? Does it make more sense to build a custom rifle at this price point? Should I worry about the issues I had with the Sauer occurring in a Blaser?

The Blaser R8 458LOTT barrel is 22mm (Selous) profile and 600mm long (~23.5").

The weight of the rifle can vary for a number of reasons. Stock material (wood/synthetic), receiver material (aluminum/steel), trigger group material (synthetic/aluminum/steel) and if a kickstop is installed (they come in weights varying from 10 to 16 oz).

I had a R8 416RM that came in 4.86 kilos (over 10.5 lbs) for the bare rifle. No sling, ammo or scope. @One Day... has a 458LOTT that weighs 5.22 kilos (11.5 lbs). I'm not sure of the overall length because I sold the rifle, but it's about 41.5". Maybe someone with a Selous barrel can chime in on this.

The Blaser R8 is not directly competing with a Rigby Highland Stalker/Big Game, the Heym Express Magnum Bolt Action Rifle along with many other traditional bolt action rifles.

It is in direct competition with other straight pull rifles like the Merkel Helix, Strasser RS14, Beretta BRX1 and Haenel Jager.

What the Blaser R8 offers (compared to those listed above) is a caliber range of 17HMR to 500J all available from one rifle stock. Magazine is on top of the trigger group making the rifle about 4" shorter than a comparable one. Optic is mounted on the barrel, not the receiver which makes return to zero more repeatable.

There are other advantages I'm sure to be forgetting but for a traveling hunter, it's a very handy package. All wrapped up and ready to go in a Pelican 1700 case that's well under the 50 lb weight limit.

Your question about choosing between a Rigby and a Blaser is all about personal choice. I obviously enjoy the R8. I also know people like @Red Leg who own both Rigby rifles and R8's. Certainly there are those who much prefer a traditional rifle. We should be thankful to have such hard decisions to make. In the end, you should get what works for you and makes you happy.

 

[375Ruger416]

I bought an R8 this spring in 300WM and 375 H&H. Planning on adding a 416 RM barrel from the aftermarket. I really like it, but love my 300 PRC bolt action with a 3 position safety. If I had it to do over I think I’d just go with a 416 bolt action.

If you don’t mind taking two rifles to Africa, I’d go with a Rigby, a Parkwest, a Hill Country rifles etc in 458 Lott. However, TRY to get a chance to test fire a Blaser before you decide. The factory Blaser 458 come in the selous (22mm) barrel contour with a steel receiver in the Professional Hunter, Selous, and Kilimanjaro stocks. They are all heavier than the standard R8 which has a 17 mm contour and an aluminum receiver. I love the appearance of the Selous and Kilimanjaro rifles.

The R8 shorter overall length, barrel swaps, faster reloads (than a bolt action), great trigger, and portability when broken down for travel are all great features, but for me the prince of them is the portability. It wasn’t terrible bringing a full size case to Namibia, but the more connections you have to make and the further off the beaten path you have to go, the more I like the Blaser’s portability.

Good luck!

 

[Beck]

I bought an R8 this spring in 300WM and 375 H&H. Planning on adding a 416 RM barrel from the aftermarket. I really like it, but love my 300 PRC bolt action with a 3 position safety. If I had it to do over I think I’d just go with a 416 bolt action.

If you don’t mind taking two rifles to Africa, I’d go with a Rigby, a Parkwest, a Hill Country rifles etc in 458 Lott. However, TRY to get a chance to test fire a Blaser before you decide. The factory Blaser 458 come in the selous (22mm) barrel contour with a steel receiver in the Professional Hunter, Selous, and Kilimanjaro stocks. They are all heavier than the standard R8 which has a 17 mm contour and an aluminum receiver. I love the appearance of the Selous and Kilimanjaro rifles.

The R8 shorter overall length, barrel swaps, faster reloads (than a bolt action), great trigger, and portability when broken down for travel are all great features, but for me the prince of them is the portability. It wasn’t terrible bringing a full size case to Namibia, but the more connections you have to make and the further off the beaten path you have to go, the more I like the Blaser’s portability.

Good luck!

Thank you, I appreciate your opinion and advice.

 

[Beck]

The Blaser R8 458LOTT barrel is 22mm (Selous) profile and 600mm long (~23.5").

The weight of the rifle can vary for a number of reasons. Stock material (wood/synthetic), receiver material (aluminum/steel), trigger group material (synthetic/aluminum/steel) and if a kickstop is installed (they come in weights varying from 10 to 16 oz).

I had a R8 416RM that came in 4.86 kilos (over 10.5 lbs) for the bare rifle. No sling, ammo or scope. @One Day... has a 458LOTT that weighs 5.22 kilos (11.5 lbs). I'm not sure of the overall length because I sold the rifle, but it's about 41.5". Maybe someone with a Selous barrel can chime in on this.
View attachment 717341

The Blaser R8 is not directly competing with a Rigby Highland Stalker/Big Game, the Heym Express Magnum Bolt Action Rifle along with many other traditional bolt action rifles.

It is in direct competition with other straight pull rifles like the Merkel Helix, Strasser RS14, Beretta BRX1 and Haenel Jager.

What the Blaser R8 offers (compared to those listed above) is a caliber range of 17HMR to 500J all available from one rifle stock. Magazine is on top of the trigger group making the rifle about 4" shorter than a comparable one. Optic is mounted on the barrel, not the receiver which makes return to zero more repeatable.

There are other advantages I'm sure to be forgetting but for a traveling hunter, it's a very handy package. All wrapped up and ready to go in a Pelican 1700 case that's well under the 50 lb weight limit.
View attachment 717347

Your question about choosing between a Rigby and a Blaser is all about personal choice. I obviously enjoy the R8. I also know people like @Red Leg who own both Rigby rifles and R8's. Certainly there are those who much prefer a traditional rifle. We should be thankful to have such hard decisions to make. In the end, you should get what works for you and makes you happy.

@Red Leg please let me know your feelings regarding Rigby vs. Blaser

 

[R eight]

@Red Leg please let me know your feelings regarding Rigby vs. Blaser

It would be easier to ask him to pick his favourite child.

 

[Beck]

It would be easier to ask him to pick his favourite child.

Ok, I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that one

 

[Red Leg]

@Red Leg please let me know your feelings regarding Rigby vs. Blaser

So, let's take a Blaser R8 in 7x57 and a Rigby Highland Stalker in .275. Comparing them is rather like comparing a BMW with a Range Rover. They are both superb vehicles with one reflecting Germanic engineering and the other British style. The former, depending on the model can be had for a quarter or third the cost of the latter. That parallel extends to the Blaser and Rigby.

I have often stated on this forum, that I believe that the R8 is the finest production rifle yet produced by anyone anywhere. In that context the "finest" includes accuracy, dependability, usefulness, and transportability. My Highland Stalker is one of the three or four "finest" firearms that I own. In that context finest includes tradition, fit and finish, accuracy, and dependability.

They both represent great "value" for those attributes.

I'll simply say that the R8, depending upon caliber configuration, is my go to rifle for anywhere and anything.

 

[Beck]

So, let's take a Blaser R8 in 7x57 and a Rigby Highland Stalker in .275. Comparing them is rather like comparing a BMW with a Range Rover. They are both superb vehicles with one reflecting Germanic engineering and the other British style. The former, depending on the model can be had for a quarter or third the cost of the latter. That parallel extends to the Blaser and Rigby.

I have often stated on this forum, that I believe that the R8 is the finest production rifle yet produced by anyone anywhere. In that context the "finest" includes accuracy, dependability, usefulness, and transportability. My Highland Stalker is one of the three or four "finest" firearms that I own. In that context finest includes tradition, fit and finish, accuracy, and dependability.

They both represent great "value" for those attributes.

I'll simply say that the R8, depending upon caliber configuration, is my go to rifle for anywhere and anything.

Yea, but range rovers are pieces of shit. "They should really give you a dog when you buy a Land Rover, that way you'll have company when you walk home"

Hardus Van Zyl
Professional Hunter
Owner Operator
Cabassa Safaris

 

[RIGBY]

My Highland Stalker is one of the three or four "finest" firearms that I own. In that context finest includes tradition, fit and finish, accuracy, and dependability.

We are honored that you feel that way and appreciate the sentiment.

 

[Red Leg]

First let me say, I have done very little research on this subject. I checked out some R8's in .458 Lott on Gunbroker, and they are all listed with 25-26" barrels, and at 7.5 lbs. My initial reaction was too light, and too long. After about nine seconds of research, it seems that most of the Lott's are running closer to 10 lbs? Do they make a 22" barrel? Will the R8 in .458 Lott also fire .458-win mag? My attraction to the .458 Lott is the ability to fire .458-win mag ammo, you can always find .458-win ammo in a pinch.

I owned a Sauer and Sohn in .404 Jeffery; Blaser owns Sauer and Sohn. I never bought a second barrel for that gun as the barrels are super expensive, and I don't mind carrying two rifles to Africa. I also had a handful of issues with that gun:

-First, the rifle arrived without the ordered express sites - I had to send it back to the Blaser shop to have them installed. Not the end of the world, but when you spend 7-8k on a rifle I feel it should show up as ordered.

-Second the safety malfunctioned, I had to send it back again and they completely replaced the safety. This problem was more disturbing as the safety literally broke without ever firing the gun. The Sauer has a very similar safety system to the Blaser, they might even be identical, I am not sure.

-Third the stock did not fit me well, I found Sako's in similar chambering's more comfortable to shoot. This one is really a matter of personal preference, but I did end up selling the gun for this reason.


Finally, would you choose a Blaser over say a Rigby or another premium bolt action rifle? Does it make more sense to build a custom rifle at this price point? Should I worry about the issues I had with the Sauer occurring in a Blaser?

One additional thing to consider is overall rifle length. With the R8 design you get an action inches less than a Mauser or clone. The 25-26 inch Blaser rifle delivers an overall length equivalent to a a Mauser with a 22" barrel while providing all the advantages of a full length barrel.