Any thoughts on the new Blaser R8 Ultimate X?

[Tanks]

I too don’t have the upper body strength to carry a big PRS rifle around all day! I think around 9 lbs is ideal, lighter and the gun doesn’t balance as well and wobbles too much.

Most PRS rifles push almost 20 pounds with some exceeding it with a scope.

 

[Inline6]

Most PRS rifles push almost 20 pounds with some exceeding it with a scope.

Most are well over that, they now sell weight kits to make them even heavier. The PRS is not the field matches they once were. They were practical, now it's more of a race game like 3 gun so to speak.

 

[Tanks]

Yeah, the MPA Matrix chassis I have on order is 6.2 pounds and has all kinds of places to add weight. The barrel is 6.2 pounds as well. Add the action, scope and rings totaling 5 pounds I am at 17+ pounds without adding any weight to balance the rifle, and that is without ammo and magazine.

 

[Inline6]

My AI is 20#s and a few oz with a full mag. 10 years ago people thought it was. Crazy heavy, now some of these guys are pushing 27#. 20 is about the most I would want for a field rifle, my 308 AI trainer is a little better at 16.8# that is a 20" barrel and a can. Still shorter than my 6XC with a brake.

 

[Kalthoff]

Driven hunts on red dear, fallow dear and wild boar are major events in the calendar of many hunters in Northern Europe.

During a driven hunt, a low magazine capacity can be a serious limitation. Ideally you want a large capacity magazine in the rifle and spare magazines to hand.

The normal R8 would be imminently suited for driven hunts due to its good pointability and the straitpull system, however it is let down by its low magazine capacity (3 cartridges only in many of the calibers preferred for driven hunts) and by the eye-wateringly high price for extra magazines (2-4 times what other european manufacters charges for magazines with twice the capacity).

The Blaser R8 Ultimate X is designed to rectify these two issues in order to win over a portion of the Northern European Huntres who are at the moment choosing rifles from other manufacturers, due to these issues. If it will succeed or fail only time will tell.