bbraden
Well-Known Member
Around 8-10 months.
Blaser R8
- Thread starter Threejs
- Start date
Painless300
Well-Known Member
Just watch a video of how to take apart the bolt and you will be just fine with your Mauser or R700 platform
bbraden
Well-Known Member
Can't say I've ever done that. But I've taken the bolt head/face out a hundred times and that's super simple.
Painless300
Well-Known Member
Not saying you ever have to pull it apart but just looks very complicated.
I did get to hold one of these at the Dallas Safari show in ATL this weekend and the straight pull is very slick. I particularly liked the Ultimate stock with the adjustable cheek piece.
It was around $8000 out the door with a 300 win mag barrel so pretty spendy! However I can certainly see the benefit if you needed to have two guns like some African hunting trips.
I did get to hold one of these at the Dallas Safari show in ATL this weekend and the straight pull is very slick. I particularly liked the Ultimate stock with the adjustable cheek piece.
It was around $8000 out the door with a 300 win mag barrel so pretty spendy! However I can certainly see the benefit if you needed to have two guns like some African hunting trips.
bbraden
Well-Known Member
I was banking on it when I acquired this rifle years ago, but I actually didn't find the "two guns" concept very useful this last summer on my trip to Africa. South African Police treat the second barrel just like a second firearm so it's no help in the permitting. Ended up bringing an entirely different rifle for my wife b/c I wanted mine and she wanted hers. And oftentimes your Impala hunt turns into a Gemsbok hunt, etc. in the blink of an eye. Best just to bring the biggest rifle you can comfortably shoot and carry it the whole time. .300WM was "right sized" for everything on my list. The second barrel unfortunately doesn't fit the bill for a backup gun either, in the event you have catastrophic failure of the action or stock or something. So I always bring a separate backup rifle on my more local deer and elk hunts, etc. and my add'l Blaser barrels stay home. Just sharing my experience.
The wood stocked guns are way more expensive and I like my polymer stock just fine. I wouldn't be able to justify the nice stock and extra cost for how I treat my rifles.
But yes, you can't beat how slick the actions are, even after miles and miles in or on-back of a truck. And the fact that the action is all completely shrouded when it's closed keeps dust out of the tender parts much better. A quick external wipedown has always sufficed. I don't see a reason to take the bolt apart ever - maybe after 20-30 years or something to give it a proper cleaning but after 10 years or so of hard use and never taking the bolt apart everything still works like clockwork.
Airedale56
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Chase.
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I've been travel hunting with an R8 for about 5 years now. Local hunting in Florida doesn't require anything bigger than a .308, frequently smaller, but the R8 is an outstanding travel rifle and is ideal for Africa. Safety on means bolt and trigger are locked, so you can track Cape buffalo with a round in the chamber. Unlike a double, though, I've got 3 down rounds of .375. Last few years I've been hunting elk with the R8 as well. Great rifle.
I've owned and sold a Blaser R93 in .338 WM (took an elk at 307 yards). For the past 4 years, I've owned a Blaser R8 with a .308 Win. setup and a .375 H&H setup.
The R8 took several plains game animals and a Cape buffalo in 1 shot.
Was nice to be confident in a fast 3rd shot if needed. I needed 4 shots before my first elk stopped running. The guide was impressed with how quickly the Blaser was able to shoot follow-up shots at over 300 yards given it was my first big game hunt.
Blasers are easily disassembled for configuration changes, for cleaning, for packing relatively small to travel, or for safety. When I get in the truck I remove the trigger and box magazine as a unit, then snap it back in when I get out of the truck.
I'm a big fan of the Blaser platform to train in .308 (or some less expense caliber) and then hunt with essentially the same rifle in a big bore caliber capable of taking dangerous game.
It's also easy to move the same scope between different barrels (have to re-zero for the new load). I recently ordered a shorter barrel in .375 H&H to hunt with a suppressor. Bought the new and sold the old with NO FFL required - just trading barrels over eBay.
Blasers are accurate, flexible and beautifully engineered.
Glad to advise anyone in the LRH community on how to get into a used R8 at a reasonable price. I assembled mine over time with mainly lightly used parts at less than $4k.
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You can start under $4k in my experience ymmv
I installed a Blaser "kickstop"
mercury recoil reducer in my R8. Recoil from the .375 H&H is not an issue for me or even shooters weighing 160 lbs.
I can remove it for the .308 but I haven't messed with it since installing it. Blaser service is excellent in the US.
I've got a R8 with Synthetic stock. Got it about 11 years ago and love it. it came in a fitted case in 30/06 with a Ziess scope. I purchased a second barrel in 300 win mag and a second scope mount for my Leupold Mark 6 3-18X44. I had the privilege of going to Leupold and shoot on their 1000 yard range. I was supplied with the military's 300 sniper ammo (Sierra 190 grain), which I was able to hit the steel plate they had. With a little work reloading I was able to duplicate the load and got it to group under 1/2" at 100 yards. (Hornady .30 @ 200gr), 74 grains of H1000, CCI Br2 primers, and once fired. Federal Match brass.
I've shot it at my club on a running deer (60 yards wide 100 yds running at about 8mph, and able to get 2 shots in that time and distance and still hit the target.
