Mauser 98 vs Blaser R8

[Tex .416]

Looking to purchase either 2 Mauser 98 experts in .375 H&H and .308 win or Blaser R8 Kilombero with a .375 H&H barrel and .308 win barrel. Which would you choose and why and which would be more durable.

At that price point, a few others to consider are the Heym Martini, Dumoulin, and also there are lots of beautiful customs for that price or less in .375, .30-06, and .308.

R8 has two points against it for me. After 50+ years of using a bolt action, in a high stress situation I question whether my brain will default to trying to lift the bolt handle up rather than back. Also, I do not trust the straight pull design for safety in the event of a catastrophic failure. Its predecessor model, the R93, had some horrible failures reported in this forum and elsewhere. Supposedly the design flaws were corrected and thus became the R8.

 

[roklok]

The only rifle that I have truly had fail me while hunting (let's leave scopes out of the discussion) was an FN Mauser in .375. Upon cycling the bolt, I ended up with it in one hand and the rifle in another. Fortunately, the target was an expiring oryx rather than an inbound wounded buffalo. In more than 10 years of use and multiple trips to Africa, the R8 has been totally reliable.

I would be interested in hearing more about this. Was it an FN with a true M98 style bolt stop or one of the later style bolt stop as used on the FN produced Brownings ? What exactly failed to cause the bolt stop to be ineffective ?

 

[Russ16]

Both will serve you well.

My answer is less logical if always rather have tie rifles than one rifle with two different barrels.

I went down Thai road with multi barrel shotgun sets and came to the same conclusion—I’d rather have two guns.

I understand the convenience of traveling with multiple barrels in a compact case or the gun broken down. Multi barre sets just don’t appeal to me.

 

[BeeMaa]

There is a sporter R8 with very nice wood at my local store. Reasonably priced.

BeeMaa you left out “ Best factory iron sights”

View attachment 665197View attachment 665198

I’ll add it to the list.

 

[BeeMaa]

At that price point, a few others to consider are the Heym Martini, Dumoulin, and also there are lots of beautiful customs for that price or less in .375, .30-06, and .308.

R8 has two points against it for me. After 50+ years of using a bolt action, in a high stress situation I question whether my brain will default to trying to lift the bolt handle up rather than back. Also, I do not trust the straight pull design for safety in the event of a catastrophic failure. Its predecessor model, the R93, had some horrible failures reported in this forum and elsewhere. Supposedly the design flaws were corrected and thus became the R8.

FYI - I had nearly 45 years hunting with traditional bolt action rifles before switching to a Blaser R8. After a few dry fire sessions, I was good. Don’t underestimate an old dog learning new tricks.

As for the reliability, I’ve yet to see first hand definitive evidence of a failure that was not caused by operator error regardless of the kind of action. Every failure I’ve seen can trace its origin to poor maintenance and/or inadequate training. Take care of your equipment, and it will take care of you.

 

[rookhawk]

Looking to purchase either 2 Mauser 98 experts in .375 H&H and .308 win or Blaser R8 Kilombero with a .375 H&H barrel and .308 win barrel. Which would you choose and why and which would be more durable.

Neither would be my preference.

Long term, a used modern mauser doesn't hold its value even though its a wonderful gun. For about the same money from the same manufacturer, you can get a mauser 98 finished by Rigby. Those hold most of their value because the MSRPs continue to climb and there is a strong secondary market.

The R8 is technological. When they invent the R9 or whatever they call the next one, they'll be as irrelevant as the predecessor, the R93 is today. The aesthetic leaves something to be desired and its restorability isn't much with all the polymer, plastic, and carbon. But a Rigby on a mauser action that is oil finished? Well cared for and restored occasionally, you can see what they look like after about 100 years of service.

Just my take.

 

[John Wasmuth]

The only rifle that I have truly had fail me while hunting (let's leave scopes out of the discussion) was an FN Mauser in .375. Upon cycling the bolt, I ended up with it in one hand and the rifle in another. Fortunately, the target was an expiring oryx rather than an inbound wounded buffalo. In more than 10 years of use and multiple trips to Africa, the R8 has been totally reliable.

How in the world did this happen? Did the bolt stop break?

 

[meigsbucks]

I own both and lean towards the R8:bandwagon for most of the reasons @One Day denotes. I still use Mausers and think it just comes down to personal preference. For me, the only real downside to the R8 is cost of the rifle and components.
I own five barrels for the R8 but won’t be ditching other rifles in its favor. For me, they can coexist on any hunt.

 

[rookhawk]

Mauser 98 Expert:

from US$14,457.00

Rigby Highland Stalker:

from $15,995.00

 

[Red Leg]

I would be interested in hearing more about this. Was it an FN with a true M98 style bolt stop or one of the later style bolt stop as used on the FN produced Brownings ? What exactly failed to cause the bolt stop to be ineffective ?

How in the world did this happen? Did the bolt stop break?

It is a custom rifle built on the FN action with the double hinged bolt release. It will not tolerate a hint of dust in the release mechanism.

 

[dogcat1]

Depends on what you are hunting. I have both guns in many calibers.
I prefer the Blaser R8 as it is very accurate and simple.
I like the Mauser 98/Model 70 because I have used it on dangerous game.

After shooting both a lot, I would not hesitate to use either on any hunt in Africa or the world.