For Sale Blaser R8 Professional 375 H&H & 7mm Rem Mag

[PARA45]

Thank God I have a safari to pay, and I'm leaving today. Toby you are killing me, the force is very strong with this rifle! Beautiful set up! Somebody please buy this rifle, help out an AH brother.

 

[TOBY458]

Thank God I have a safari to pay, and I'm leaving today. Toby you are killing me, the force is very strong with this rifle! Beautiful set up! Somebody please buy this rifle, help out an AH brother.

Just full of excuses! Lol!

 

[BeeMaa]

This is what happens when I go on vacation and unplug for a few days...

What a great caliber combo. I'm seriously considering taking this off your hands so I can sell it back to you after the safari. Don't worry, I'll make you a good deal on the re-sale.

 

[TOBY458]

This is what happens when I go on vacation and unplug for a few days...

What a great caliber combo. I'm seriously considering taking this off your hands so I can sell it back to you after the safari. Don't worry, I'll make you a good deal on the re-sale.

I'll let you know how this all plays out when I get my re-barreled 416 Rem back this week. If I like it, that's probably going to be my one gun solution for Elephant, Hippo and Buffalo on my upcoming trip. I doubt we'll be doing much PG hunting, so not much need for a smaller caliber.

 

[Backyardsniper]

T

Nice! What rings and bases did you put on it?

The leupold QR with medium rings. I think the low would have been too low for me.

 

[TOBY458]

T

The leupold QR with medium rings. I think the low would have been too low for me.

Could you post a picture of your setup? As I am thinking of going with a different setup on my Kodiak 375.

 

[MerlinMc]

I have this same stock and barrel. Super comfortable to shoot even for a light (weight) person. It has worked well on a variety of PG + DG + more.

 

[khharris]

For some reason I cannot get the pictures to load right now. This might be a stupid question but as long as the stock isn’t LH/RH can the bolt be interchanged. I’m a LH shooter so have always wondered this. Thanks for the insight.

 

[TOBY458]

On

For some reason I cannot get the pictures to load right now. This might be a stupid question but as long as the stock isn’t LH/RH can the bolt be interchanged. I’m a LH shooter so have always wondered this. Thanks for the insight.

On the synthetic Professional stock, such as this one, yes it is ambidextrous. The wooden stocks and thumbhole stocks are not ambidextrous. So a simple bolt assembly and bolt head swap is all you need to switch to LH on this particular rifle.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Could you post a picture of your setup? As I am thinking of going with a different setup on my Kodiak 375.

 

[TOBY458]

View attachment 468072View attachment 468073View attachment 468074

Thanks! I always wondered how those attached to the rifle. I see now they clamp on just like Sako Optilock mounts. I assume the rings are held in place by the levers and detach easily?

 

[Backyardsniper]

Yeah. They have a stud that locks in that little notch at the back of the rear base. The rings are held in by the levers on the other side. They go in and out easily, have to have them lined up right when they go in it is a precise fit but its a +/- 5 second job. I had the same set up on a 30/06 version of this same rifle, a Sako Arctos, and they are extremely repeatable. I took the scope on and off a bunch and it always went exactly back to zero.

 

[MerlinMc]

On

On the synthetic Professional stock, such as this one, yes it is ambidextrous. The wooden stocks and thumbhole stocks are not ambidextrous. So a simple bolt assembly and bolt head swap is all you need to switch to LH on this particular rifle.

I shoot right-handed and unusually use a right hand bolt. When shooting from a. blind/hide with the rifle on a tripod, I will often use a left hand bolt for faster cycling.

 

[TOBY458]

I shoot right-handed and unusually use a right hand bolt. When shooting from a. blind/hide with the rifle on a tripod, I will often use a left hand bolt for faster cycling.

In that case, you'd use a left hand bolt assembly and a right hand bolt head. That way the rounds are ejected to the right.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Man, I didn't realize you could customize those rifles that much. That is a pretty slick set up.

 

[MerlinMc]

In that case, you'd use a left hand bolt assembly and a right hand bolt head. That way the rounds are ejected to the right.

That is exactly what I do!

 

[TOBY458]

Well, I've done some thinking, and fondling this evening. Since this is my fourth R8, and have always missed them when I sold them, I'm going to hold on to this one. May even take it along with a bigger rifle on my Elephant hunt this year. Who knows, maybe just load up some 300 gr CEB flat point solids and hunt elephant with it! This thing is so lightweight to carry, it would be great for the anticipated long walks of this hunt. I mean, what's not to like about a 7.5 lb 375? Like carrying around a deer rifle for buffalo! Plus....I can actually see those high viz sights! So, for now, it's staying in my safe.

 

[One Day...]

One thought TOBY, if you use the .375 on Elephant: 350 gr really up guns the caliber in .416 territory. I used the Norma PH 350 gr Woodleigh solid load in my R8 with great effectiveness, as a backup to my .470 double, and it was a good thing I had it because my shot came across a clearing. Super deep and straight penetration.

 

[TOBY458]

One thought TOBY, if you use the .375 on Elephant: 350 gr really up guns the caliber in .416 territory. I used the Norma PH 350 gr Woodleigh solid load in my R8 with great effectiveness, as a backup to my .470 double, and it was a good thing I had it because my shot came across a clearing. Super deep and straight penetration.

I thought about that too. I do have a box of 50 Woodleigh 350gr solids on hand myself. I like 300gr TSX for my Buffalo load, so I was thinking the 300gr CEB flat point brass solids would match up with those as far as POI is concerned. From what I've read, the 300gr CEB solids will whistle right through an Elephant, and I've read the same about the 350 gr Woodleighs. So not sure which is better. As for softs, I can definitely see where a 350gr expanding bullet could give you a larger diameter bullet once expansion takes place, giving the "upgun" effect that many speak of.
On your Elephant, did you get complete penetration on the body shots you took?

 

[One Day...]

I hear you loud & clear. My usual .375 load now is also the 300 gr TSX and it is so good that I am not really sure I will buy 300 gr banded solids anymore, the TSX behaves more like an expanding solid than a traditional soft. For Buff I reckon it to be good enough for about any shot angle, but this has all become somewhat a moot point for me since I bought a .458 Lott barrel for the R8. The .375 pipe will do great for Leopard, Eland, etc. I intended to use if for Lion this coming August but the PH is asking that I bring the .458 pipe instead. Sure, why not, I do not think that it is needed but I see no reason to antagonize him and I like to shoot the Lott anyway...

My two shots on Elephant last August were quartering shots taken from front of right hip toward left shoulder. Not an ideal shot, but it was the only one I got, and I am glad I had the extra penetration of the additional 50 gr regardless of the solid construction. This is exactly why I went 350 gr rather than 300 gr. They did not punch through and the skinners forgot to retrieve them (argh !!!) when skinning and butchering. We can logically deduce from the fact that the elephant died that the slugs penetrated at least to the lungs...