R8 Custom Barrels-Dream Come True!

[Philip Glass]

I just found this custom barrel manufacturer of Blaser R8 barrels. I have ordered two of them and will report on this thread how well they shoot for me. I am having a .375 Ruger and 6.5 PRC made now. They have good prices and turn around times are very good. Blaser has such an antiquated and limited selection of calibers it surprises me. So many European calibers that most of us are not interested in. The .375 Ruger with its shorter case is ideal for the Blaser action. They will not make it because they have .375 H&H and .375 Blaser which does not exist ammo wise in the US.
More to come!

https://www.jsipandsons.com/r8-barrels

 

[Opposite Pole]

Would you happen to know if 404 Jeff is available?

 

[Opposite Pole]

There are also these guys
http://bixn-andy.at/en/laeufe/

 

[Red Leg]

I just found this custom barrel manufacturer of Blaser R8 barrels. I have ordered two of them and will report on this thread how well they shoot for me. I am having a .375 Ruger and 6.5 PRC made now. They have good prices and turn around times are very good. Blaser has such an antiquated and limited selection of calibers it surprises me. So many European calibers that most of us are not interested in. The .375 Ruger with its shorter case is ideal for the Blaser action. They will not make it because they have .375 H&H and .375 Blaser which does not exist ammo wise in the US.
More to come!

https://www.jsipandsons.com/r8-barrels

Look forward to hearing how these work out. 9.3x62 or even .318 WR would be interesting. Looks like no open sights?

 

[Hoss Delgado]

IS .500 Jeffery available ?
Blaser used to make an R8 in .500 Jeffery in the past .

 

[Philip Glass]

Look forward to hearing how these work out. 9.3x62 or even .318 WR would be interesting. Looks like no open sights?

I believe open sights can be added as well as threading, fluting, spiral fluting, brakes, and more. All for less than a new Blaser barrel.

 

[Philip Glass]

IS .500 Jeffery available ?
Blaser used to make an R8 in .500 Jeffery in the past .

Yes .500 Jeffrey is available from Blaser. Here is the list of Blaser calibers:

http://www.blaser-usa.com/fileadmin/editor/caliber-pdf/Blaser_Calibers_Bolt_Action_R8_EN.pdf

 

[Philip Glass]

Would you happen to know if 404 Jeff is available?

Not sure you’d have to give them a call. They will make anything that will fit the Blaser boltheads.
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

There are also these guys
http://bixn-andy.at/en/laeufe/

He may be a good option for our European friends as he looks to be in Germany. I wonder how many barrels he makes as Blaser has the European calibers well covered. Just a thought.
Philip

 

[Opposite Pole]

He may be a good option for our European friends as he looks to be in Germany. I wonder how many barrels he makes as Blaser has the European calibers well covered. Just a thought.
Philip

He’s Austrian and uses Austrian proof house. I’ll get in touch with him when I come back from my holidays and see if he can make 404. I’d be interested in that. R8 is available in 300RUM which if I’m not mistaken is based on 404 Jeff.

 

[TheoR8]

Would you happen to know if 404 Jeff is available?

I have asked him that question on the BlaserBuds forum and this was his response.

The 404 Jeffery is possible, I will have to open up a belted mag bolt head to the 404 and fit the extractor. Whatever barrel length and contour will work, also we can install open sights.

 

[Shootist43]

Fastrig, are you following this post? Here is the answer you were looking for.

 

[dchamp]

I just found this custom barrel manufacturer of Blaser R8 barrels. I have ordered two of them and will report on this thread how well they shoot for me. I am having a .375 Ruger and 6.5 PRC made now. They have good prices and turn around times are very good. Blaser has such an antiquated and limited selection of calibers it surprises me. So many European calibers that most of us are not interested in. The .375 Ruger with its shorter case is ideal for the Blaser action. They will not make it because they have .375 H&H and .375 Blaser which does not exist ammo wise in the US.
More to come!

https://www.jsipandsons.com/r8-barrels

Congratulations, I too have a Sip barrel for my R8 in 8 Rem Mag (26") and so far I am happy with it. It shoots Remington factory ammo well but does not like the hand load I have for my other rifle so some new load development is in order.

I have two questions for you. What barrel lengths did you get and what magazine inserts are you using for each barrel. I would think the magnum insert or maybe the 9.3x62 would be fine for the .375 Ruger. For the 6.5 PRC maybe the 6.5-284 or 300WSM inserts would work, I'm not sure. Anyway just curious.

I look forward to your thoughts/results on the .375 Ruger and 6.5 PRC in the R8 platform. I have a friend who is thinking about getting the 6.5 PRC for his R8.

 

[wesheltonj]

Interesting, but sounds like the twist rate is cut and not hammer forged like the factory barrels.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Interesting, but sounds like the twist rate is cut and not hammer forged like the factory barrels.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Cut rifling is typically a slow, low volume operations and yields excellent barrels. For instance, Krieger does cut rifling. Hammer forged rifling is typically for mass production and can also produces excellent results.

 

[wesheltonj]

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Cut rifling is typically a slow, low volume operations and yields excellent barrels. For instance, Krieger does cut rifling. Hammer forged rifling is typically for mass production and can also produces excellent results.

Other then SAKO and Blaser both have hammer forged rifling and both claim no break-in is neccessary.

 

[Opposite Pole]

But break-in is not that big a deal IMO. You gotta clean the gun few extra times initially that’s all.

 

[BigSteve57]

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Cut rifling is typically a slow, low volume operations and yields excellent barrels. For instance, Krieger does cut rifling. Hammer forged rifling is typically for mass production and can also produces excellent results.

Not a bad thing at all. I have a Krieger cut barrel on my competition .223/5.56 competition rifle. I get < 1/2 MOA accuracy from a bench with it. But there are cut barrels and then there's Krieger cut barrels; Krieger does it right.

However, I'd I'd take a hammer forged that is done right over any other. Blaser does it right and I would only buy their barrels as I have experience with Blaser barrels and I do not know enough about the other manufacturers and their processes.

REF: https://www.africahunting.com/threa...ls-test-shows-how-heat-effects-barrels.50505/

How are Hammer Forged Barrels Made? And Why?
https://gatdaily.com/hammer-forged-barrels-made-2/

Hammer Forged Barrels:
http://www.vsms.org/Forum/Seite_34_forget-barrels/S34.htm

 

[Philip Glass]

Congratulations, I too have a Sip barrel for my R8 in 8 Rem Mag (26") and so far I am happy with it. It shoots Remington factory ammo well but does not like the hand load I have for my other rifle so some new load development is in order.

I have two questions for you. What barrel lengths did you get and what magazine inserts are you using for each barrel. I would think the magnum insert or maybe the 9.3x62 would be fine for the .375 Ruger. For the 6.5 PRC maybe the 6.5-284 or 300WSM inserts would work, I'm not sure. Anyway just curious.

I look forward to your thoughts/results on the .375 Ruger and 6.5 PRC in the R8 platform. I have a friend who is thinking about getting the 6.5 PRC for his R8.

I am getting 26” in the 6.5 with 1 in 8 twist and 24” for .375 Ruger with 1 in 12 twist. I don’t have them just yet but .300WSM mag should work for 6.5 and the .300 RUM for .375. Can’t wait to get them and try them out!

 

[Tra3]

@Philip Glass I’m curious how you came to decide on the 6.5 PRC? When you hunt with your son, what does he use? My son (now 13) used a 6.5 CM last summer. We return to Namibia again next summer.