Blaser Rifles?

[Saul]

I was watching Dark and Dangerous with Ivan Carter and one of the clients with him was shooting a Blaser bolt rifle, if you can call it that. They were huntig leopard and I was very impresses with the accuracy from this rifle. So impressed, in fact, that I looked up the rifle and saw them going for around $14,000. While I'm not one to care so much about cost if it is really good, I can't see why I would buy one. I have a Weatherby Mark V that shoots more accurately then me. It also has an insanely strong action and beautiful stock. Does anyone here own a weatherby, and if so, what is your opinion on them. I was looking at the R8 or R93.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I own Weatherby's, my family has owned them for years.
I do not have any in Weatherby calibers.
Beautiful wood, craftsmanship, etc.
Mine are accurate and do the job. That is all I require.

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

I have owned a few weatherby's and they where ok rifles. I do own several Blasers and they are all great shooting guns sub MOA with Them the advantage of the Blaser is they are takedown rifles with the ability to switch barrels and calibers. I think your price is a bit off they start around 3k for a synthetic stock and 6k for a wood. A little pricey to start but barrels are about 1k after that if they are in your budget they are good guns can you get a weatherby to shoot great yes most of the weatherby'a I owned did not shoot sub MOA with factory ammo I did have one I 22-250 that did shoot great. I have a Blaser in 257 weatherby that shoots 1/2 MOA or better

 

[Mr Free Market]

I own 4 Blaser R93s ( .243 / 6.5x55 / .308 / 8x57 ) & 2 Blaser S2s ( .30R & .375 ) and quite simply they just work. Incredible out of the box accuracy, fantastic triggers & once you get used to the straight pull action, unbelievably fast to cycle

Being a left hander, of course it couldn't be easier to change convert from right to left handed; just slip a LH bolt in & job done

Of course the perfect rifle has yet to be built - & Blasers aren't without their (ahem! ) issues, but IMHO if you think a Blaser might work for you, try one out, you mightn't regret it

 

[Red Leg]

I have an S2. Bolt rifle accuracy in a double rifle package.

 

[Code4]

Nothing wrong with R8 Blasers apart from the steep entry price and you do need some time to get used to the bolt operation if you are used to turnbolts (well I did. I couldn't just pick it up and use it). Extremely accurate and versatile and the travel case is worth the outlay as it makes up for a compact piece of kit, if flying.

Buy the R8. You can buy cheap 2nd hand R93's in the UK but not many R8's. Blaser changed the lock up mechanism for the R8 but won't say why ! Anybody want to guess ?

 

[Grady]

I own the R-93 (22-250, 264 Win Mag, 30-06, 300 RUM, 375 H&H) and the F3 Competition Skeet Shotgun (2 Barrels with Briely sub-gauge tubes) and think Blaser is a quality gun. While I was living in Germany, I was fortunate enought to visit the factory for a tour in Isny...Completely impressed! As everyone said, they are sub MOA out of the box. As a reloader, with some work, I was able to get 1/2 MOA in the 30-06, 22-250 and RUM. I am currently working on the 264 and 375. Yes the entry price is a little steep, but well worth the Money. I wish they would have stayed with the R93, they changed the action to accomidate the new magazine design and unfortunately the barrels are not interchangable. Either way, if I were to buy the gun now, which I would!, I would go with the R8, but when I purchased my R93 the R8 was not out yet. The R-93 barrels are available, but the R8 is the way to go but if you find an R93 at a good price, don't pass it up.

 

[Mr Free Market]

I own the R-93 (22-250, 264 Win Mag, 30-06, 300 RUM, 375 H&H) and the F3 Competition Skeet Shotgun (2 Barrels with Briely sub-gauge tubes) and think Blaser is a quality gun. While I was living in Germany, I was fortunate enought to visit the factory for a tour in Isny...Completely impressed! As everyone said, they are sub MOA out of the box. As a reloader, with some work, I was able to get 1/2 MOA in the 30-06, 22-250 and RUM. I am currently working on the 264 and 375. Yes the entry price is a little steep, but well worth the Money. I wish they would have stayed with the R93, they changed the action to accomidate the new magazine design and unfortunately the barrels are not interchangable. Either way, if I were to buy the gun now, which I would!, I would go with the R8, but when I purchased my R93 the R8 was not out yet. The R-93 barrels are available, but the R8 is the way to go but if you find an R93 at a good price, don't pass it up.

Agreed

 

[Code4]

I wish they would have stayed with the R93, they changed the action to accomidate the new magazine design

You need to do some more research on that point. You will be surprised, and not in a nice way.

 

[Grumulkin]

I was watching Dark and Dangerous with Ivan Carter and one of the clients with him was shooting a Blaser bolt rifle, if you can call it that. They were huntig leopard and I was very impresses with the accuracy from this rifle. So impressed, in fact, that I looked up the rifle and saw them going for around $14,000. While I'm not one to care so much about cost if it is really good, I can't see why I would buy one. I have a Weatherby Mark V that shoots more accurately then me. It also has an insanely strong action and beautiful stock. Does anyone here own a weatherby, and if so, what is your opinion on them. I was looking at the R8 or R93.

1. They call the Blaser R 93 and R 8 "bolt action" rifles but, as you have apparently deduced, though they look like bolt guns, the way they operate is more like a pump action gun.

2. I'm not sure what rifle you were looking at for $14,000; some cost that much or even more but I've never paid close to that for a Blaser. Also, I've never paid close to $1,000 for an R 93 barrel.

3. Consider that if you buy a traditional new bolt action rifle, many times you will then pay for a trigger job and to have the magazine reworked. You don't have to do that with an R 93. The trigger is perfect out of the box and feeding is perfect. You can take the barrel off, take the scope off and remount them and it will shoot just like it did before which is to say very well. You can also get the rifle in a travel case that falls within airline specifications so don't have to pay extra bagge fees. When you consider all that, they may not seem so expensive. My only complaint about the R 93 is where they put the front sling swivel stud which makes it impossible to mount the usual Harris bipod.

4. In addition to Blasers, I also have a Weatherby Mark V Deluxe in 378 Weatherby Magnum; no brake by the way. It's beautiful, slim, fairly light and a REAL hammer. The only reason I wouldn't take it to Africa are the baggage fees for oversized baggage I would have to pay if I took it. It is a fantastic gun though.

My Weatherby seems to shoot OK.

A pretty sweet shooting low recoil gun.

 

[Grady]

1. They call the Blaser R 93 and R 8 "bolt action" rifles but, as you have apparently deduced, though they look like bolt guns, the way they operate is more like a pump action gun.
.

Grumulkin, Not sure why you are saying the R-93/R-8 operate like a "pump action gun", my -93 is definately a bolt action and operates like one. Granted, it is a straight pull bolt that is "non-traditional" but is it definately a bolt. When you say it is more like a pump action, the Krieghoff Simpro is the one that comes to mind.

 

[Grumulkin]

Pump action guns and semiautos have bolts but one doesn't have to turn anything to move the bolt back to chamber a fresh round. The R 93 and R 8 both look like bolt action guns but to chamber a new round it's pretty much the same front to back then back to front motion that you would see with a pump or semiauto.

The R 93 and R 8 are called bolt action guns and I'm OK with that.

 

[85Tecate]

Caught the Blaser bug a few months ago. Cannot decide on an R8 or S2 (I'm sure both at some point).

Does anyone know if they have good deals on these at the annual conventions...SCI or DSC? I've never been to either of the annual conventions but plan to attend SCI next year.

 

[Timt]

I do love my blasers, always have and always will!
Just sold my second blaser r93 (both r93 varmints in .308) just two days ago and I am replacing it with a blaser r8 in cal .308 and either 416rem or 500Jeffery.
Once I got used to the straight pull action I fell in love with the trigger and the accuracy of the rifle straight from factory.

This is the first three shots fired from my K95 single shot in 7x57r @ 100yds before zeroing...

 

[85Tecate]

I was watching Dark and Dangerous with Ivan Carter and one of the clients with him was shooting a Blaser bolt rifle, if you can call it that. They were huntig leopard and I was very impresses with the accuracy from this rifle. So impressed, in fact, that I looked up the rifle and saw them going for around $14,000. While I'm not one to care so much about cost if it is really good, I can't see why I would buy one. I have a Weatherby Mark V that shoots more accurately then me. It also has an insanely strong action and beautiful stock. Does anyone here own a weatherby, and if so, what is your opinion on them. I was looking at the R8 or R93.

I have multiple Weatherbys and they are by far my go-to rifles. Kick like a damn mule though...I don't shoot my .378 any more. Aside from an Elephant, there is nothing that the .340 could not handle unless you are flat out looking for heavier gr bullets. I realize you need 375 and larger in SA for the big 5, but I would not take the .378... would go with a Rigby or Lott. If I'm not mistaken, the muzzle energy out of the .378 is a tad above a .470 NE.

Anyway, I love Weatherby rifles but want to add a Blaser to the collection just as a matter of principle at this point.

 

[Grumulkin]

Caught the Blaser bug a few months ago. Cannot decide on an R8 or S2 (I'm sure both at some point).

Does anyone know if they have good deals on these at the annual conventions...SCI or DSC? I've never been to either of the annual conventions but plan to attend SCI next year.

I doubt you'll get an exceptional deal at the SCI or DSC conventions. A guy is trying to sell an S2 in 470 NE on blaserbuds.com and other Blasers come up for sale there. Eurooptic.com is another place to shop for Blasers.

 

[JimP]

I have multiple Weatherbys and they are by far my go-to rifles. Kick like a damn mule though...I don't shoot my .378 any more. Aside from an Elephant, there is nothing that the .340 could not handle unless you are flat out looking for heavier gr bullets. I realize you need 375 and larger in SA for the big 5, but I would not take the .378... would go with a Rigby or Lott. If I'm not mistaken, the muzzle energy out of the .378 is a tad above a .470 NE.

Anyway, I love Weatherby rifles but want to add a Blaser to the collection just as a matter of principle at this point.

You do have to remember that if you reload you can download those Weatherby's to a round that doesn't kick like a mule.

I have to agree on the .340 it is a impressive round and if it wasn't for caliber restrictions would be a fine go to round for a lot of animals with the heaver premium bullets.