Blaser -- What is all the excitement about?

[Opposite Pole]

If I had to have a switch barrel rifle I’d go for the R8’s stablemate the Mauser M03 - I just prefer the look of a classic bolt action.

Sauer 404 is worth a look too.

 

[Glenn Slaven]

Thanks for all the reply's now I just need to see one in person. One last question, do all the barrels interchange with all the actions? How does this work?

I have the standard Professional stocks and will take anything up to .375 H&H. If I want to do the semi weight barrels, Blaser said they would open up the channel on my stock and it would take both weight barrels.

 

[Red Leg]

Thanks for all the reply's now I just need to see one in person. One last question, do all the barrels interchange with all the actions? How does this work?

It is pretty simple and you can download the Blaser PDF that lays out the options .

http://www.blaser-usa.com/fileadmin/editor/caliber-pdf/Blaser_Calibers_Bolt_Action_R8_EN.pdf

But basically, you can match 37 calibers (.204 - .375 H&H) with the alloy receiver and anything with the steel receiver up through .500 Jeffrey. The barrels come in four different weights/widths. The big driver is actually the rifle's forearm - not the action. If you get an alloy or steel receiver with standard barrel you will only be able to use standard profile barrels. This is not really an issue, because everything through .375 is available in standard configuration and makes up into a beautifully balanced rifle whether steel or alloy. If your rifle has a "semi-weight" barrel, it makes up into almost the same calibers at that weight, plus it will also handle all the standard profiles, but with just a bit more gap in the forend.
The .416 RM, .458 Lott, and .500 Jeff require a "Safari" 22 mm profile barrel.

Changing between calibers is very easy. If in the same case family, simply pop on the new barrel - about thirty-seconds and go hunting (assuming a dedicated scope for each barrel). If on the other hand, one is switching from .300 WM or .375H&H to 6.5x54, one simply places a different insert in the magazine and attaches a different bolt head - that takes about a minute and a half - then go hunting.

 

[cmk]

I don't have one, nor do I really want one. But I have handled and shot a few rounds. Seems to work well, and ergonomy of the stock was really working for me, could not really percieve any difference in 300WM with and without a (decently sized) suppressor mounted. My own observation of their popularity in Scandinavia/northern Europe:

Of importance (real and percieved)
* As have been said, in places where there are limits on how many guns you can own, it can be so that a switch-barrel gun only counts as one. This adds to popularity.
* Due to the construction, the overall length of the assembled rifle can be a couple of inches shorter without sacrificing barrel length. Popular in general, especially so in this time of suppressors, and even more so for the forms of driven hunts, where a dog handler follow his/her dog through the forests in pursuit of the quarry. It will not protrude as far above the shoulder as a 'regular' rifle, which makes it handy when following through thick brush. Also makes for a short handy rifle in general.
* Barrel-mounted optics with better chances of keeping the same point of impact between barrel changes.
* Fashion. Simple as that. Blasers are the new black. To some extent there is a silent bragging factor not to be ignored. It shows that you have a bit of money to spend. I believe that the social aspects can be a bit different, as it is quite common to end up on a hunt through a friend (or a friend of a friend), where there are 15 other people that haven't met you (or necessarily each other) before. So it is not always you and your closest few buddies that go hunt for a day.
* The safety/cocking. But I still think that muzzle control is more important.
* Can be had in left-hand configuration (but it will cost you extra)

Of percieved (but not real) importance for choosing a Blaser (R8 or R93)
* Speed of the follow up shot. I really do not think that the extra 0.25 seconds (or whatever) compared to a traditional repeater are a factor in reality. And for those driven hunts of boar and other non-dangerous game, people can (and sometimes do) get a semi-auto (where legal).

Of less importance to the popularity, but still an observation on what makes Blasers good rifles:
* Barrel-steel quality is supposedly very good, with excellent hardening/tempering for optimal surface hardness without being too brittle.
* Out-of-the-box precision. Not really surprising, as modern manufacturing makes this achiveable for far cheaper guns. Like Tikka T3, Sauer 101 etc.
* Compact storage. But I don't think that most owners actually do utilize the take-down feature all that much.

Probably a few more things to mention for the reasons for getting a Blaser, but... for some reason I've never really wanted one. No doubt that it is a quality product, with some excellent features. Just feels that they lack a bit of soul, I think. Sort of an engineers solution to an artists problem.

 

[Philip Glass]

I have been reading and doing my homework -- a common thread has appeared (at least to me) it seems many of the folks on here are going to blaser firearms-- I have never seen one in person, but I have seen the videos and have seen them on tv shows. Can someone please shed some light on what exactly it is that makes these guns so attractive to you?
Fit& finish? Some look like works of art, others are utilitarian and still command a high price
Shootability?
Recoil management -- do they recoil less?
Is it just about the interchangeability of barrels making travel easier?
Do all receivers work with all the different barrels or is it just model to model-- it appears they are model to model
I apologize if I sound like a simpleton, but if I dont ask I'll never know--and please dont hesitate to break this whole thing down into language a 5 year old could read--I am honestly interested -- I have been to a few forums and am still somewhat unclear on the Blaser mystique. If it is a super long explanation and a phone call would suffice pm me and Ill give you my number-- I am honestly asking here-- or maybe I just want some new toys... not sure yet

One of the guys on here said “Blaser has a way of latching onto your mind and not letting go”. It’s true! It’s the most ingenious rifle ever conceived. For the most part I am a traditionalist and tend to keep things simple. I am a hunter not a gun guru.
I had been studying the Blaser for about a year and then while getting my 12yo son ready for Namibia I had a thought. He is right handed but left eye dominant so he shoots left handed. I had him banging gongs as fast as he can shoot and he just could not manage his Ruger bolt quickly. Being right handed and having a rough bolt to work with the left hand he had to bring the gun down to reload. Unacceptable! I decided to go ahead and get him a left handed Blaser Pro S which is the entry level rifle. With the Blaser kickstop installed he is shooting a 7mm Mag very well. And the Blaser R8 is fast almost like semiauto once you get accustomed to it.I have a R8 with .375 and .300 RUM barrels coming soon.
The only problem I can find is if you want a rail scope the selection is limited and they are expensive for the good ones.
You will find many people on here knocking the R8 but most are folks who will never be in the market for one anyway. There are many gripes about the price or some crazy stories about the R98 which is no longer made. That said it is worth a good long look. Save your coins
Philip

 

[HWL]

The rifle you are talking about......changing barrels from .500 Jeffrey to .243 Winchester.

HWL

 

[BigSteve57]

The rifle you are talking about......changing barrels from .500 Jeffrey to .243 Winchester.HWL

I saw a demo very similar to this at the 2012 NRA show in St Louis. It's what ultimately sold me on Blaser. I have no regrets whatsoever. I'd replace every one of my beloved traditional bolt action hunting guns for Blasers if it weren't for the fact that I'd take a beating price-wise when selling them.

 

[BigSteve57]

It's the overall machining with the Blasers. Plus, the barrels are hammer forged which among other things means no barrel break in and longer barrel life if I understand it all correctly.

I purchased my first Blaser R8 Kilombero .375 H&H in the spring of 2013 from Bart's Gun Shop in MD. Bart's was one of two shops in the state of MD that stocked and dealt with Blaser rifles and shotguns. Blaser's are tough to find (at least they were) and I considered myself lucky to find a shop so close to me.

What follows is a recollection of a comparison of a Blaser shotgun and another high end shotgun.

A couple of years after my R8 purchase my wife and I decided we might like to shoot trap & skeet. Jack Bart was huge in the trap & skeet sport and we met him at a Komen Shoot for the Cure event at Loch Raven shooting range. The next step was to meet Jack at his shop to look at guns. We looked at quite a few lines of shotguns: Blaser, Beretta, Krieghoff, Browning and others. I mentioned to Jack that I owned a Blaser R8 (I didn't deal with Jack directly when I bought the R8).

I also mentioned we'd like a platform where we could change barrels. Jack mentioned that changing barrels was a "guarenteed fit" on the Blasers. Other shotguns advertise interchangeability but often require hand fitting. He reiterated, never with Blasers.

Jack then offered to show me a higher end gun which I was leaning toward and a Blaser F3 BOTH FIELD STRIPPED. And so right on the counter he stripped both guns and showed me the internal comparison. Outside the guns were very polished, in fact both were perfect. However inside the guns it was shocking. My recollection was that the innards, parts & receiver, on the Blaser were like a mirror. The other gun reminded me of my 1944 Springfield Garand; machining marks everywhere.

And that's the point. Blaser borders on the ridiculous when it comes to machining and that's why their stuff interchanges and why scopes return to zero like they're supposed to.

BTW, we never bought the trap guns.

 

[Ridgewalker]

One of my issues would be carrying the takedown case with extra barrels and scopes. It just seems like, for and older smaller guy, it could be tougher than a Pelican case with rollers on one end.
Any comments?
Thanks!

 

[Red Leg]

One of my issues would be carrying the takedown case with extra barrels and scopes. It just seems like, for and older smaller guy, it could be tougher than a Pelican case with rollers on one end.
Any comments?
Thanks!

So I have never purchased a case with one of my rifles. I do own two break-down cases that roll that I use for the Blaser and for shotguns (OU/SxS) when I travel. Like you, if it doesn’t roll, it doesn’t fly.

 

[BigSteve57]

One of my issues would be carrying the takedown case with extra barrels and scopes. It just seems like, for and older smaller guy, it could be tougher than a Pelican case with rollers on one end.
Any comments?
Thanks!

But but but...
A Pelican iM3100 Rifle case HAS rollers. It also also falls under the dimension requirements for regular non-oversized checked baggage saving possibly $150 US EACH WAY.At least that's how it worked out for me on a recent domestic US flight - the (edit: savings on) baggage penalties on one flight more than paid for the case!!!

This is my Pelican iM3100 before I cut the foam. I could easily fit 2 barrels & 1 scope. 2 Barrels and 2 scopes might be a tight fit but probably do-able. But scopes can be taken on carry-on baggage anyway.

 

[Ragman]

Dang you guys! You're all making me want one and they're over my budget!

 

[BigSteve57]

Dang you guys! You're all making me want one and they're over my budget!

I'm probably getting tiresome.
Go long. Think about the 2nd rifle you want but having to get just the barrel. Again also baggage cost saving if you travel by air.

 

[Saul]

My experience with Blaser is limited to the Tactical 2 .338 Lapua and a R93 .500 Jeffrey I fiddled with at a gun shop. The Tactical 2 is a great shooter, super accurate and the adjustable stock seriously helps with recoil. The straight pull took less time getting used to than I anticipated. I wish they would sell this gun again as an R8. I would buy one of those in a heartbeat. The .500 Jeffrey felt great in hand and the ergonomics were good, though stock was a little short for me, especially in such a cartridge. Could not justify the cost of it, especially with the R8s already out at the time and I really prefer a more traditional rifle setup for dangerous game guns, as well as a .505 Gibbs fan. For the money, I would also prefer a double. I am always in the market for a new gun so if an R8 crosses my path for a good deal I might end up getting one at some point, or if they ever make the Tactical 2 in the R8 I definitely will.

 

[Opposite Pole]

My experience with Blaser is limited to the Tactical 2 .338 Lapua and a R93 .500 Jeffrey I fiddled with at a gun shop. The Tactical 2 is a great shooter, super accurate and the adjustable stock seriously helps with recoil. The straight pull took less time getting used to than I anticipated. I wish they would sell this gun again as an R8. I would buy one of those in a heartbeat. The .500 Jeffrey felt great in hand and the ergonomics were good, though stock was a little short for me, especially in such a cartridge. Could not justify the cost of it, especially with the R8s already out at the time and I really prefer a more traditional rifle setup for dangerous game guns, as well as a .505 Gibbs fan. For the money, I would also prefer a double. I am always in the market for a new gun so if an R8 crosses my path for a good deal I might end up getting one at some point, or if they ever make the Tactical 2 in the R8 I definitely will.

For LRS replacements look at R8 with GRS stocks and match barrels.

 

[Dinsdale]

One of my issues would be carrying the takedown case with extra barrels and scopes. It just seems like, for and older smaller guy, it could be tougher than a Pelican case with rollers on one end.
Any comments?
Thanks!

Same rifle, same Pelican case with 2 different inserts, one for taking 2 barrels and one for a single barrel.

What I take in total;

Check the rifle and ammo case; carry on the day pack.

 

[BigSteve57]

Same rifle, same Pelican case with 2 different inserts, one for taking 2 barrels and one for a single barrel.


What I take in total;

Check the rifle and ammo case; carry on the day pack.

AH HA! So it is possible to get 2 barrels & 2 scopes in that case. Nice work!

 

[stug]

Pretty sure that when Blaser make a barrel the chamber and bore are hammer forged at the same time off the one mandrel. This means the chamber and bore are perfectly aligned ( so long as the mandrel is made perfectly).

 

[Opposite Pole]

AH HA! So it is possible to get 2 barrels & 2 scopes in that case. Nice work!

I've got a different case, it's a Pelican 1750 but I had the foam inserts made in a two layer set up. This works really well for Blaser type break downs. Pictured below with my 12G Beretta with 28" barrels. You could have a setup like this in a much shorter case if you were to pack only one firearm. I'm guessing in iM3100 you could pack 3 or 4 sets of barrels and scopes. I've flow with this set up multiple times and can confirm it survives air travel type handling.

 

[BigSteve57]

I've got a different case, it's a Pelican 1750 but I had the foam inserts made in a two layer set up. This works really well for Blaser type break downs. Pictured below with my 12G Beretta with 28" barrels. You could have a setup like this in a much shorter case if you were to pack only one firearm. I'm guessing in iM3100 you could pack 3 or 4 sets of barrels and scopes. I've flow with this set up multiple times and can confirm it survives air travel type handling.

You have an interesting setup there!
We have 2 Pelican 1750's which we use for transporting "traditional" rifles so I'm really intrigued as to how far I can go with them.

Regarding your top photo: I'm probably being dense but how do you keep the barrels on the top lid from impinging on the stocks on the bottom when the case is laying flat? Do you have some sort of thin foam layer you place in between?

Follow on question: what's that case weigh when packed like the top photo?