Beretta BRX1 vs Blaser R8

[Theleatherman]

I got to try the Beretta BRX1 recently, the plastic, stock version in .30-06 with the 57 cm barrel. I have to say, it really surprised me. The rifle shot great, grouping 1 MOA, felt solid and well-balanced, and pointed naturally. Perfect for driven hunts and stalking. The rifle feels light and quick, easy to handle, and the stock fits well. Recoil was mild and very manageable. Accuracy was honestly better than expected. The bolt swap system is good (worst than the blaser). You can change it from right- to left-handed in seconds, no tools needed. Taking it apart is also super simple, stock, receiver block, and forend all come off separately very easily, you can change from plastic to wood in seconds. And the price… yeah, that’s a big win. It’s way cheaper than an R8 but still feels like a quality rifle.

Now, if Beretta could add a scope mounting system that keeps zero when removed (like the Blaser saddle mount), and they offered a few heavy calibers like .375 and .416, they’d have the perfect rifle as a rental rifle for outfitters. It’s affordable, easy to swap barrels, works for righties and lefties, and it’s accurate.

But, the R8 is still the handier rifle overall, shorter, perfectly balanced, and the straight pull action is just smoother. The trigger feels better too. It’s got more options, finishes, and setups, so you can really get what you want.

The problem with Blaser now (besides the price) is that they’ve created so many different versions that not all of them are compatible anymore (even though they easily could be), and that just doesn’t make sense for the customer. Success, Ultimate, Professional, Safari, Silenced have parts don’t always fit between them anymore. Stocks, barrels, even forends can be different, and everything’s gotten crazy expensive.

Beretta kept things simple. Three main parts stock, receiver, forend and everything fits together easily. Easy to change, to clean and to modify.

Imagine if Blaser went the same way, one universal receiver block (Maybe another for the Ultimate X, in black, with engravings, wood sideplates, color case hardened, etc) different stocks (plastic, wood, thumbhole, adjustable comb, stock modules,etc) and different forends (stutzen style, wood or plastic, heavy barrel versions, built-in bipod mounts, with leather grips,etc.) Then you could build your own setup for example, a Success stock, a Selous-style receiver, and a wooden forend all fitting perfectly, even with thick barrels, like the silenced ones, and if you have a normal barrel, you just need to buy one piece (the forend)

What do you guys think about this idea?

 

[Art Lambart II]

I'm looking at a BRX1 for my wife and daughter to use on our 2027 safari. I would like the 308 barrel but I my have to get the 6.5CR for recoil reasons.

 

[JoninCO]

I think it's great for people who can't or won't buy a Blaser. I'm already invested in R8s, so I don't have the need but for $1899 MSRP for the carbon barrel version it's certainly more appealing than $6K for a Blaser with a threaded barrel. It has some really nice features and the ones I shot seemed like great rifles. I think the bolt design, which is basically an AR-10 bolt with the charging handle on the side that cams/rotates it, is very clever. I have their Ranch Rifle on my list, that will be a super handy truck gun where I live.

The last movie Beretta apparently saw was "Field of Dreams", and if you build it they will come. They've had a great many duds pursuing new platforms in the US market (APX, ARX160, Benelli Lupo, Sako M10, etc.) and my concern is the same as it was with those; Beretta won't market the rifle to a new market that doesn't understand it. When they don't sell enough because they didn't try to sell enough, the math won't support making and stocking all of the auxiliary products (barrels, bolts, stocks, etc.) for the ecosystem and the modularity will be moot. Tale as old as time, and it isn't just Beretta. The 20 of us that bought Sauer 404s (a brilliant and underserved/under-appreciated rifle) got a Sauer 505 on the market before we got our barrels from 2014. All the 505 guys will be saying the same thing when the 606 comes out in 2034.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

I just bought one in 300 winchester with the 22" barrel for $1350.
My son is left handed so will try the bolt swap soon also.
I haven't had time to go shooting with it yet but pleased so far.
It's set up with a Leopold vx5 and scytheti suppressor.

 

[Borderer]

I seriously thought about buying one before I bought my R8, but the only time I have seen one was a jammed rifle on a range. Also a second hand R8 in an unpopular UK calibre (30-06) doesn't cost much more.

The ability to add a 22 hornet and a 375 H and H barrel is great. It is now my only rifle.

 

[analog_peninsula]

21 of us bought Sauer 404s, not just 20 of us.

 

[BeeMaa]

I'm in too deep with the Blaser R8 and I also believe it's the better rifle for a number of reasons. There are too many factors that tip the scales in favor of the R8. I've outlined the advantages of the R8 several times over a traditional rifle and modified it for the Beretta BRX1. Below is that list with the ones that apply to the Beretta in red.

• Quick takedown for easy travel.
• Magazine on top of trigger group shortening the rifle by 4".
• Best factory trigger I've ever had at 2#.
• QD scope mount that holds zero.
• Scope mounted on the barrel for more consistent accuracy and return to zero.
• Excellent factory iron sights.
• Decocking safety mechanism that is arguably the safest in the industry.
• One stock for any caliber from 17HMR to 500J.
• Multiple barrel contours for the same caliber, further customizing your fit.
• Kickstop easily added to help with felt recoil.
• Mix and match components as you please to find the right balance for you.
• Timber, synthetic, thumbhole, adjustable...etc stocks available.
• Easy resale of most components you don't need along with good deals being found on the used market.
• Incredible accuracy with factory ammo.
• Incredibly reliable (BRX is still new), I've shot thousands of rounds with no failures.
• Do I need to mention how fast they reload?
• Dealer support. Could also apply to Beretta, but I have no personal experience.
• Aftermarket barrels, stocks, scope mounts and accessories.

The BRX1 is a fine rifle and I truly hope you enjoy it, but there is a price difference for a reason.

 

[uplander01]

If I was a Blaser guy I'd be really insulted that the Beretta rifle was even being compared to a Blaser.

LOL

 

[BeeMaa]

@Theleatherman - You have to remember that the Blaser R8 came out in 2008. That means they have had a lot of time to learn and grow with that system. It's also the third generation of straight pulls that Blaser has made commercially. The others being the R84 (1984) and R93 (1993), both of which gave them the experience needed to create the R8. It also gave them market share allowing them to become a big brand within the Continental hunting community and beyond.

That's over 40 years experience for Blaser making straight pull rifles. They have also had to keep people interested in the brand for that entire time. That means they have evolved along the way with a few different receivers and stocks, but pretty much everything else is interchangeable from one R8 to another.

This isn't a knock on Beretta, who's the oldest gunmaker in the world (founded in 1526) but they don't have the knowledge and experience on straight pull actions. On top of that, rifles are a side hustle for them...they are a shotgun company first and foremost. Some of the nicest O/U's, SxS's and autoloaders come from their doors. Not to mention all the competitors using and being sponsored by them. Rifles will remain on the back burner and not see near the advancement (R&D funding) that the shotgun divisions will. It's not their primary focus.

 

[BeeMaa]

If I was a Blaser guy I'd be really insulted that the Beretta rifle was even being compared to a Blaser.

LOL

The Savage Impulse was an even lower blow.

 

[UpNorthMI]

The Beretta BRX1 is well priced and appears to be a reasonable rifle based on the examples I have handled at a number of gun events. Unfortunately for Beretta, I believe that Blaser has the straight pull market largely to themselves. Just look at the number of guns sold already by Blaser. While a Blazer R8 is a much more expensive gun, it may offer an overall lower cost of ownership when you consider the resale value and the resale market for any Blaser rifle or component.

I purchased my first Blaser R8 for European driven boar shooting, a large number of European driven shooting hunters are using the Blaser R8, I'm not sure those European hunters are going to be buying cheaper lower cost rifles as they are often limited in the number of guns they can own and they like to buy and own nice quality rifles and optics. That's why BMW and Mercedes are probably 2 of the most popular vehicles on the autobahn.

Personally I continued to invest in Blaser due to the easy take down and ability to travel easily with the rifles, Bee Maa covers many of the other advantages above in his posts. Once you go Blaser it's hard to come back to any other straight pull for any reason. Investing in Blaser is a bit like having a bad medical condition, it just gets worse with time, lots of barrels, scope mounts etc. I was never a Blaser lover but now have to admit that they are good rifles with many great features, the saddle scope mount is one of the best features, in some cases I have 3 optics for the same rifle, a normal scope, a red dot and a thermal scope, it is possible to swap between the 3 solutions, depending on the task. My Blaser dedication increased as I purchased several more rifles over time as I wanted one in several locations, one for my son and recently a big bore version in .416.

The US market may be the biggest rifle market in the world but I wonder how many buyers are looking for a straight pull rifle and for what reason. I'm not sure Savage or Beretta can really get traction enough to make their offerings commercially viable in the longer term. It's hard to go up against an entrenched market leader even if you have a product that is less than half the price. Most of the people I hunt with typically have no knowledge of straight pull rifles and just buy regular bolt action guns for hunting. It would be interesting to understand the US rifle market by product type split.

I admire Beretta for developing the BRX1 and for setting a very competitive price but unfortunately my personal view is that it's life could be short lived and that the Blaser R8 will continue to be firmly the market leader in this segment.

 

[Theleatherman]

Don’t get me wrong, as I said before, I still prefer the R8 for handling and that straight-pull feel. If I had to choose one rifle to take out right now, it’d probably be the Blaser. That said, I really believe Blaser could learn a lot from what Beretta did with the BRX1 when it comes to modularity.

Even so, my first thought of the Beretta was that it would be perfect as a rental gun for outfitters because of its modularity. To make the perfect rental rifle they’d only need to add a scope-mount system that holds zero and offer a few heavier barrels (no need to copy Blaser’s entire calibre range, just the most used). The Ranch model looks especially promising; it’s doing exactly what Blaser should be doing by letting you swap components quickly and easily. For example, fit a plastic buttstock and a wooden handguard without having to buy whole new stocks with the receiver and magazine.

For Blaser, that would be a huge win and, honestly, cheaper for them in the long run. If they standardized on a single receiver/magazine/firing mechanism for all the rifles (keeping the Ultimate X as its own special case) production would be simpler and costs would fall. And they can easily do that, look for example at this luxus model, with its engraved receiver, but with a carbon fiber stock (made by Gustaff), not needing the Success magazine which is different. And if added to this, te customer could choose different buttstocks and different forends,
the level of customization would be even better. You wouldn’t need full stocks for different barrels, just another handguard/forend

 

[WI-2021]

I bought a BRX1 recently. After the rebate I'm about $1250 into it and like it so far, but it's only been on two range trips. Mine's in .300WM and topped with a Nightforce SHV 3-10. I also have a Silencerco Scythe-Ti on it. The appeal of it was relatively easy takedown and the fact that I could convert it to LH in about 30 seconds. It's easily sub-MOA with cheap 180 grain Power-Shoks, but doesn't like 200 grain Terminal Ascents quite as much; I got about 1.5" for five shots with those, so still hunting accurate.

The only downside is that the bolt stroke is long. It's a long action and there's extra travel for the bolt head to cam. It's right on the edge of hitting me in the face when cycled unless I pick my head up slightly. A longer cartridge probably isn't an option for this reason, but it would be nice to see some bigger options like 9.3x62 and .458WM available.

Do I think it's comparable to an R8? Good question as I have no experience with an R8. Given the price points, I would certainly have higher expectations for an R8, and obviously there are many more options available for them. The BRX1 certainly blows Savage's straight pull out of the water though, which is a much closer comparison in terms of price.

The BRX1 is certainly a well-engineered rifle, particularly in terms of the RH-LH adaptability. I hope it's a success, but I suspect that most American hunters will just buy a more traditional bolt-action. If the short .308 barrel is ever available separately I will probably pick one up.

 

[Muskox]

I am a long time Blaser r8 owner.

I have owned about 5 stocks and 10 barrels.

In all honestly the R8 is kind of a pain in the ass.

I'd rather have stand alone rifles that were more in line with the vision of what I want on a hunt.

An R8 is damn heavy especially with a big scope, most of my set ups are over 10 pounds finished weight with a sling and a magazine full.

Even my R8 with the FBT carbon fiber stock and a standard 6.5 CM barrel is still 8.999 pounds with a 30mm scope.

I drug an R8 with a semi-weight barrel in 8x57 on a lot of mountain hunts in the past 3 years, and I'd honestly rather hunt with something else.

So no while I love the R8, it always shoots MOA, and I like the safety. But It is too much of a generalist and too little of specialist.

I would also say that for the one rifle owner the k95 is too much of a specialist.

Someone said that all R8's are not compatible, this is bullshit.

Every R8 can be made to shoot every Blaser barrel in the inventory.

Every bolt head fits to every bolt carrier, and every scope mount is the same.

 

[BeeMaa]

A longer cartridge probably isn't an option for this reason, but it would be nice to see some bigger options like 9.3x62 and .458WM available.

The 300WM and 458WM have the exact same OAL of 3.34”.

I don’t know why other makers stop at the .30 calibers or maybe go up to .338”, but if they chamber the 300WM, OAL isn’t the problem.

My guess would be that there are very limited sales of firearms above .30 cal, present company excluded of course.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

Jake at eurooptic told me that barrel assemblies are supposed to be on the way now.
And allegedly 375 H&H and possibly 416 Rigby are in the plans as well

 

[WI-2021]

The 300WM and 458WM have the exact same OAL of 3.34”.

I don’t know why other makers stop at the .30 calibers or maybe go up to .338”, but if they chamber the 300WM, OAL isn’t the problem.

My guess would be that there are very limited sales of firearms above .30 cal, present company excluded of course.

Agreed. I was referring to .375 H&H, .416 RM, or .458 Lott being a potential problem. .458 WM would fit, as would .338 WM. At least around here ammo for anything over .30 is hard to find. There are a few exceptions, but for most of the bigger rounds you're ordering or handloading.