Blaser R8 - Why do African PH’s and Alaskan Bear Guides Choose Not To Use Blaser R8’s?

[BeeMaa]

I was reading the earlier posts about having .300 WM and a .375 H&H as being ideal. So I started to feel pretty superior and smug having come to the same conclusion (great minds tend to think alike) and then sipping a fine Merlot to revel in my smugness and superiority. But then I thought, I really need a .416 RM.

Then I saw your post.
Damn you.
DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT.
I'm soooooooooo jealous.

Oh well the cost of a .416 barrel isn't too bad.
The wife will never go for it.
She'll blow a fuse If I get it.
DAMMIT.

The beauty of my situation is Mrs BeeMaa hunts.
And is looking to hunt Buff at some point.
This made it "necessary" for me to have a 416RM.
That way she can have the 375.
Or at least that's the current plan.

Get it, better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Then again, there is a reason I have multiple ex-wives.

Agreed.
Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.
And how exactly would she find out anyway?
Do it super sneaky, tell her Santa brought it...for the kids.

 

[BigSteve57]

The beauty of my situation is Mrs BeeMaa hunts.
And is looking to hunt Buff at some point.
This made it "necessary" for me to have a 416RM.
That way she can have the 375.
Or at least that's the current plan.

Agreed.
Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.
And how exactly would she find out anyway?
Do it super sneaky, tell her Santa brought it...for the kids.

My wife hunts too. It was she that got me into hunting in the first place. I was the city boy that married the farmer's daughter. So it cuts both ways. Yes she is into guns & hunting but therein lies the problem: I can't bullshit her.

 

[BeeMaa]

My wife hunts too. It was she that got me into hunting in the first place. I was the city boy that married the farmer's daughter. So it cuts both ways. Yes she is into guns & hunting but therein lies the problem: I can't bullshit her.

Then your wife "needs" a 416RM.
And you get a set of Courtneys.

 

[BigSteve57]

Then your wife "needs" a 416RM.
And you get a set of Courtneys.

Yeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. It isn't all rosey being married to a shooter. There have been times when I wanted to get a new outfit and be taken out to dinner & dancing and my wife said NOPE not in the budget due to her having just bought 2000 rounds of 9mm.

 

[BeeMaa]

Yeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. It isn't all rosey being married to a shooter. There have been times when I wanted to get a new outfit and be taken out to dinner & dancing and my wife said NOPE not in the budget due to her having just bought 2000 rounds of 9mm.

That's a keeper.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I was reading the earlier posts about having .300 WM and a .375 H&H as being ideal. So I started to feel pretty superior and smug having come to the same conclusion (great minds tend to think alike) and then sipping a fine Merlot to revel in my smugness and superiority. But then I thought, I really need a .416 RM.

Then I saw your post.
Damn you.
DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT.
I'm soooooooooo jealous.

Oh well the cost of a .416 barrel isn't too bad.
The wife will never go for it.
She'll blow a fuse If I get it.
DAMMIT.

@BigSteve57
Don't worry about the wife mate. They reckon it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Go buy it.
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

I, for one, do not want an R8 for several reasons.
1. It could possibly be more addicting than the Ruger No. 1.
2. The barrels could replicate secretly and create a mess like my Encores.
3. The rifles in my collection would suffer from further favoritism.
4. I might have to get two of them because of the Missus.
5. I'd be compelled to join in on these silly threads even more.
6. The OP's question had a blatantly obvious answer and was unnecessary.
7. Why on Earth did they use such a cheap weapon light in the Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle on page one or two? Everything else was high quality.
8. I skipped most of the size and distance contests presumably found on pages 2-8.
9. Comes after the number 8.
10. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

[BeeMaa]

I, for one, do not want an R8 for several reasons.
1. It could possibly be more addicting than the Ruger No. 1.
2. The barrels could replicate secretly and create a mess like my Encores.
3. The rifles in my collection would suffer from further favoritism.
4. I might have to get two of them because of the Missus.
5. I'd be compelled to join in on these silly threads even more.
6. The OP's question had a blatantly obvious answer and was unnecessary.
7. Why on Earth did they use such a cheap weapon light in the Ultimate Dangerous Game Rifle on page one or two? Everything else was high quality.
8. I skipped most of the size and distance contests presumably found on pages 2-8.
9. Comes after the number 8.
10. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

That's funny...
So what model are you going to get?

 

[Forrest Halley]

That's funny...
So what model are you going to get?

Do they make a keychain? That's about what I can afford at present given the impending arrival of the first-born and this curious little cylindrical item that will keep the peace around the house.

 

[BeeMaa]

Do they make a keychain? That's about what I can afford at present given the impending arrival of the first-born and this curious little cylindrical item that will keep the peace around the house.

 

[TOBY458]

Here's the Blaser that I've been looking at. Says one size fits all. Should be very easy to schlep.

 

[BeeMaa]

Here's the Blaser that I've been looking at. Says one size fits all. Should be very easy to schlep.

View attachment 379317

Nice.
Good thing you can carry it safely with the chamber loaded.

 

[Newby]

View attachment 379309

Pretty low grade piece of wood there . Shouldn't cost more than a few hundred dollars to upgrade that to at least Grade 6.

 

[mark-hunter]

As a side note, post 174, on this topic:
I noticed that on this forum there is no such thing, as a short thread about Blaser R8.

 

[Art Lambart II]

@Red Leg
Unfortunately they don't do it in a useful North American/ PG caliber.
That being the mighty 35 Whelen. If'n they did I'm sure you could even persuade @Shootist43 to get an R8 in 6.5x55 and a Whelen barrel to go with it.
Bob

Bob,

@Shootist43 need to buy a R8 in 375 H&H with a spare 300WM barrel. I'd love a barrel in 35 Whelen but if I all ready have the 375 I don't need a 35 Whelen or the 9.3x62. As much as it pains me to say this a 6.5 Creedmore would be a nice barrel to have for the R8.

 

[BeeMaa]

Bob,

@Shootist43 need to buy a R8 in 375 H&H with a spare 300WM barrel. I'd love a barrel in 35 Whelen but if I all ready have the 375 I don't need a 35 Whelen or the 9.3x62. As much as it pains me to say this a 6.5 Creedmore would be a nice barrel to have for the R8.

Awful nice of you to offer up your Father like that.
Looking like lumps of coal for your Christmas.

But seriously...6.5CM?
Get your self a proper quarter-bore in the 257WBY.
Then you get to keep the same bolt head.
And save your Father some $$$.
Wouldn't that be sweet of you.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Awful nice of you to offer up your Father like that.
Looking like lumps of coal for your Christmas.

But seriously...6.5CM?
Get your self a proper quarter-bore in the 257WBY.
Then you get to keep the same bolt head.
And save your Father some $$$.
Wouldn't that be sweet of you.

@BeeMaa
I concur the 257 Weatherby and forget the crudmore. Instead of the 300wm go the full hog and get a 300 H&H instead.
Now we're talking do you really think the old fella will get it for you.
I could see him with one one 6.5x55s and a 35 Whelen barrel as well.
Keep dreaming Art,
Bob

 

[BeeMaa]

@BeeMaa
I concur the 257 Weatherby and forget the crudmore. Instead of the 300wm go the full hog and get a 300 H&H instead.
Now we're talking do you really think the old fella will get it for you.
I could see him with one one 6.5x55s and a 35 Whelen barrel as well.
Keep dreaming Art,
Bob

I could absolutely see @Shootist43 with a 6.5x55SE.
Then a 30-06 because he's just that traditional.
I think @Art Lambart II is hoping against hope for a 375...
He best fill his own stocking this year.

 

[Art Lambart II]

I could absolutely see @Shootist43 with a 6.5x55SE.
Then a 30-06 because he's just that traditional.
I think @Art Lambart II is hoping against hope for a 375...
He best fill his own stocking this year.

The truth is that if @Shootist43 bought an R8 for himself in 6.5x55 he would buy the second barrel in another classic cartridge the 9.3x62 mainly because he doesn't own one yet. As for the 6.5 CM I'm not really a fan but I realize its utility as a practice and hunting round for small/medium-sized game.

 

[tn4lee]

Few young PH's can afford one. Few older PH's have any incentive to change what has been working for them for 20 years. They have a disincentive to switch to a new manual of arms.

As to why London best makers whose stock in trade is selling tradition, I think that is rather obvious and certainly not an argument against modern designs.

A few anecdotes hardly count as conclusive evidence. For example, I have had exactly 1 rifles fail to fire due to a direct problem with the rifle, which happened to be a GMA M98 action that had a bad heat treat on the bolt face which caused a crack and a piece to break off after 4-500 rounds. I would not proclaim it an unreliable design. Anecdotes are anecdotes and we all have them. Get a good data set and I'll pay more attention.

As to why the problem with my rifle didn't cause me any problems? I shot the hell out of it before it mattered. VERY few problems are going to be caused because you chose an R8 over an M98 or a (gasp!) push-feed action over a controlled-feed action. The vast majority of problems on a hunt will come from insufficient range time. Assuming even a marginally reasonable weapon choice, by far the most likely cause of a problem on a hunt comes from the shooter not the weapon.

Your opening paragraph sums what others have been saying very eloquently.