Transitioning To A Blaser R8 - A Two Months / 500 Rounds Review

[Wyatt Smith]

Many guns tend to fail when babied.

 

[One Day...]

Everything in that post could’ve been said as simply as:

Push the bolt firmly forward when cycling

Exactly. Push the bolt handle until it hits a firm stop. Gun will go bang every time in my experience.

I do not disagree, and I believe that this is what I recommend

One could add: re-size fully your reloads

The point of the post was not to tell folks what to do, it is indeed rather intuitive , the point of the post was to explain to folks who thought they had done what was needed (the action appeared closed), why it was in fact not closed and why, to their befuddlement, the gun went click instead of bang

If the "why does not it work?" is of no interest, then indeed the post can be "don't ask questions, just slam the darn thing shut!".

Wow! Way too complicated for me when just trying to hunt/shoot something. I’ll stick with a traditional bolt action. Preferably my Browning with a 60 degree bolt throw for PG and my CZ for DG. LOL

I’m way to dumb for an R8.

Not anymore complicated than anything else

I am betting that if I posted to explain why a turn bolt goes click instead of bang if the headspace is wrong, some folks would think that a turn bolt is too complicated

Or I could explain why an underloaded reload is just as likely to explode and destroy a rifle as an overloaded reload, or why pistol powder is deadly in a rifle cartridge, etc. etc. and some folks could conclude that it is too complicated to reload. Wrong conclusion



Let us just conclude by saying that there is less of a visual clue when the R8 bolt is not in battery than when a turn bolt is not in a battery, hence the need for a more detailed explanation for those to whom it happened and who did not understand why.

By the way, this is not entirely bad, because a fair number of folks manage to shoehorn an oversize reload in their turn bolt chamber by camming forcefully the action closed ... and may end up with a round or brass stuck in their rifle. Game over until they can get to a rubber mallet at home... and sometimes even that does not work...

At least with the R8 you may hear 'click', but the fix is as simple and as fast as cycling the action and feeding a properly sized round.

Which impediment would you rather be in?

 

[One Day...]

Many guns tend to fail when babied.

Yep, especially in-line actions, whether they be manual or (semi) automatic. They all miss the blatant visual clue of the bolt turned down.

This is why experienced shooters keep saying "do not ride the slide of a pistol or the bolt of a semi auto home, let it fly/slam home"...

Same concept.

Who do you blame when the slide of a 1911 or the bolt of an AR15 is not fully in battery after riding it to the breach? The gun or the shooter? Was the shooter too dumb to use the 1911 or the AR15?

Etc. etc.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yep, especially in-line actions, whether they be manual or (semi) automatic. They all miss the blatant visual clue of the bolt turned down.

This is why experienced shooters keep saying "do not ride the slide of a pistol or the bolt of a semi auto home, let it fly/slam home"...

Same concept.

Who do you blame when the slide of a 1911 or the bolt of an AR15 is not fully in battery after riding it to the breach? The gun or the shooter? Was the shooter too dumb to use the 1911 or the AR15?

Etc. etc.

Well, I’ve NEVER been “out of battery” with my Glocks on combat courses. Come to think of it, I’ve never been out of battery on my AR15 or Browning/Remington/CZ bolt action rifles. I slam everything though. I still would like to acquire a Blaser R8 eventually. I think it’s a FINE action and rifle. You have to SLAM it though. LOL

 

[TOBY458]

Well, I’ve NEVER been “out of battery” with my Glocks on combat courses. Come to think of it, I’ve never been out of battery on my AR15 or Browning/Remington/CZ bolt action rifles. I slam everything though. I still would like to acquire a Blaser R8 eventually. I think it’s a FINE action and rifle. You have to SLAM it though. LOL

I’ve never had to slam any of my R8s to make them fire. Just close as normal and make sure you push the handle forward until it stops completely. It’s really that simple.

 

[Red Leg]

Well, I’ve NEVER been “out of battery” with my Glocks on combat courses. Come to think of it, I’ve never been out of battery on my AR15 or Browning/Remington/CZ bolt action rifles. I slam everything though. I still would like to acquire a Blaser R8 eventually. I think it’s a FINE action and rifle. You have to SLAM it though. LOL

No you don't. Just close the bolt. I have been using them for more than a decade.

 

[Daisy]

Well, I’ve NEVER been “out of battery” with my Glocks on combat courses. Come to think of it, I’ve never been out of battery on my AR15 or Browning/Remington/CZ bolt action rifles. I slam everything though. I still would like to acquire a Blaser R8 eventually. I think it’s a FINE action and rifle. You have to SLAM it though. LOL

I shoot both glocks and ar15 regularly. Last time hunting I tried to baby the cycle. It went click when I went to shoot a coyote.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

One could always run the ammo they intend to use through their rifle to ensure it all fits. It is a good idea with any action type.