Blaser R8 PH

[R eight]

I’ve been trying for a few years to convince myself that I didn’t need an R8 PH……I’ve weakened.

Just picked her up. Two barrels with her, 375 H&H and a 416 REM Magnum, and a 500 Jeffery barrel on order. And…..just to remove any doubt of my capitulation, I bought a Blaser scope with IC for the 375 H&H barrel. The other barrels will wear Aimpoint H1 or H2 micros.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Great gun
U wont be sorry

 

[mark-hunter]

Quite a selection of calibers!

Now we expect dangerous game hunting report!

Congrats!

 

[R eight]

Quite a selection of calibers!

Now we expect dangerous game hunting report!

Congrats!

Gee….talk about pressure. I haven’t even fired her yet.

But Africa for buffalo and or elephant is planned for the near future. In the interim I’m practicing on paper lions.

 

[BeeMaa]

I had one in 416RM and found it EXTREMELY heavy with the steel receiver and 16 oz kickstop. I’ll admit that I did need the kickstop to help me with recoil. It was right at my recoil tolerance level.

I believe it’s properly weighed for the 458LOTT and 500J with the kickstop and 416RM without.

Best of luck with it and let us know your thoughts as you work through the process.

 

[R eight]

I had one in 416RM and found it EXTREMELY heavy with the steel receiver and 16 oz kickstop. I’ll admit that I did need the kickstop to help me with recoil. It was right at my recoil tolerance level.

I believe it’s properly weighed for the 458LOTT and 500J with the kickstop and 416RM without.

Best of luck with it and let us know your thoughts as you work through the process.

Thanks. First impression is “she is heavy”. However, she feels lively and fits me well.

 

[BeeMaa]

Thanks. First impression is “she is heavy”. However, she feels lively and fits me well.

Fit is extremely important. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[Red Leg]

I am a long time R8 user and am genuinely curious why select those three and particularly both of the last two where the overlap is particularly large. All will handily deal with any dangerous game animal on earth. A barrel that extends the use of your rifle both in Africa and worldwide would seem logical.

I would also recommend scoping the .416 with an illuminated 1x6 or 1x8. It is almost as versatile as the .375 and at 1 power you are essentially using a red dot. Yet, you will still have a rifle in hand that will let you take the kudu or sable of a lifetime at .250 yards while trying to walk down a buffalo or elephant.

 

[KIH]

Can you weigh the gun and post the results?

 

[Inline6]

Can you weigh the gun and post the results?

My 458Lott with a Swarovski 1X6 is 11.5#s

 

[meigsbucks]

You made a great choice. Since airing mine, I’ve added four barrels.
Like @Red Leg, I question why three barrels all geared toward DG? I would have thought maybe adding a .300 mag or .30/06 instead of either the .416 or .500 would give you a more versatile package. But that’s the beauty of the R8, you can add everything from a .22LR to the .500J.

 

[Inline6]

I'm not sure why not? The 3 I have are 7PRC, 375H&H, and 458Lott. I don't have just barrels either, have compete rifles. My OCD gets the best of me.

 

[TOBY458]

You’re becoming a lunatic like me. 458, 416, 375, 9.3 and 300. All mine are aluminum receivers to keep the weight down. Way too much overlap, but a lot of fun in the process.

 

[Rule 303]

You are a lost cause. The idea, or so I thought, of the Blasers was to have one action and numerous barrels, not numerous actions and barrels for each action.

 

[R eight]

I am a long time R8 user and am genuinely curious why select those three and particularly both of the last two where the overlap is particularly large. All will handily deal with any dangerous game animal on earth. A barrel that extends the use of your rifle both in Africa and worldwide would seem logical.

I would also recommend scoping the .416 with an illuminated 1x6 or 1x8. It is almost as versatile as the .375 and at 1 power you are essentially using a red dot. Yet, you will still have a rifle in hand that will let you take the kudu or sable of a lifetime at .250 yards while trying to walk down a buffalo or elephant.

G'day Red Leg,
from a purely hunting perspective I can't fault your logic. However, the reason I bought this rifle is for both target/competitive shooting and hunting. I realise that sounds pretty close to being an oxymoron.

I got into this target/competitive shooting primarily because I wanted to practice with my hunting rifles, which I do regularly. I found that I really enjoyed the social and competitive (friendly) aspects of shooting. Especially when most are like minded Hunters & Shooters.

In the Big Game Rifle (BGR) competitions that I shoot there are 3 main categories of rifles. Group 1 which is roughly 9.3 x 62 & 375H&H type stuff. Group 2 in which cartridges like 416 Rigby, 458 Lott are shot. And in Group 3 cartridges like 500 Nitro, 505 Gibbs are used.

Currently,

In Group 1 I'm using either my R8 with the 9.3 x62 barrel or a Rigby 375 H&H. Mainly the R8 though because of it's many features.

In Group 2 I use a Rigby SSB in 416 Rigby.

In Group 3 a Sako 85 in 500 Jeffery.

All of those rifles are perfect for both hunting and shooting in the BGR comps. Their only draw back is there are two many to lug around, especially when travelling by air. Hence the decision to buy this R8 PH.

I already have 2 x standard R8 professionals with barrels .22 RF, 223, 308, 30/06 and 9.3 x62. And as we Blaser owners know they function perfectly. The only barrels that I'm still to purchase for those are a 300 win mag and a 375 H&H. Both of those will be the standard, not the "Safari" style.

Anyway, that's why, well at least that's what I tell myself, I have what I have. Africa is on the cards for the near future. Hopeful buffalo and or elephant. My only dilemma.... will it be Rigby and/or Blaser R8.

 

[R eight]

Can you weigh the gun and post the results?

Will do.

 

[R eight]

You made a great choice. Since airing mine, I’ve added four barrels.
Like @Red Leg, I question why three barrels all geared toward DG? I would have thought maybe adding a .300 mag or .30/06 instead of either the .416 or .500 would give you a more versatile package. But that’s the beauty of the R8, you can add everything from a .22LR to the .500J.

Good to see another R8 user. I pretty much covered what you asked in my reply to Red Leg. And yes, when my 500 J barrel arrives I will have everything covered from .22 rf up. I even have a spare left handed bolt carrier and bolt heads for the outfits. Anyway, I out it down to Blaser addiction. Let's hope there is no cure.

 

[R eight]

You are a lost cause. The idea, or so I thought, of the Blasers was to have one action and numerous barrels, not numerous actions and barrels for each action.

Greg, I'm not too sure that you and thinking has ever been a good idea.

See you in a couple of weeks mate.

 

[TOBY458]

You are a lost cause. The idea, or so I thought, of the Blasers was to have one action and numerous barrels, not numerous actions and barrels for each action.

You mean you can swap the barrels on these things??? Damnit! LOL!

 

[R eight]

Can you weigh the gun and post the results?

That’s with the 416 RM barrel. 5.04 Kg. Just over 11 lbs.

I thought I’d also weigh my Sako 85 in 500 Jeffery just for the hell of it. 4.13 KG. Just under 9 1/2 lbs. Recoil in the Sako is stout and manageable. But not enjoyable. I’m now confident that shooting the R8 with the 500 Jeffery barrel will be very manageable and maybe even almost comfortable. Anyway I’m looking forward to its arrival.