Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How many Blaser men here?

Actually there are few advantages to the Blaser setup that come to mind.....

1. Ever taken a look at the bedding system on a Blaser stock? I can garuantee that there are very few factory rifles that come with such a solid and consistent setup that is two finely machined blocks on which the barrels rests. How many threads are there on this forum and others regarding factory bedding jobs that have to be redone? Some factory rifles not bedded at all!

2. Take a look at the magazine setup. Its a vertical stack mag and the top round in the mag is directly in line with the barrel - so the bolt just feeds the round straight into the chamber. Feeding is flawless regardless of projecile shape, cartridge dimensions with respect to rebated rims, sharp shouldered or even fat little cases. They all feed flawlessly. So does a 500 jeffreys - one of the hardest cartrdiges to get to feed. Simple. How often to we read about fellow shooters with feeding problems in conventional rifles? All the time.

3. The bolt. When pressure builds in the chamber, the petals on the bolt are forced open against the rim of the barrel and give almost 100% concentric consistent contact with the lockup part of the barrel (minus the extractor). Most rifles have 2 lugs and probably 50% contact or less? Thats got to contribute to better accuracy!

4. The R8 has a new trigger system called a desmodronic trigger. No springs in it so its a very simple trigger and its reset everytime the bolt is pulled back. Its also very crisp with no creep. No need for timney trigger replacements!

5. The QD saddle mounts are ingenious! Want two loads for you 300 win mag? Say a 150 load for lighter deer and a 200gn load for the bigger stuff? Just setup 2 scopes, one for each load in each saddle mount and change between the two as required in a matter of seconds. Its so easy! And the mounts are designed to be removed 250 000 times I believe before they show signs of significant wear. (think that may last me! ;))

I too like other rifles - and would get bored hunting with just one type of gun. So I have several other makes in my safe including some cheapies like Vanguards and Rugers, some Mausers and Weatherbies and I like them all but I have to admire the level of fit and finish and the engineering ingenuity that has gone into the Blaser System. Maybe not to everyones taste but it really is very clever and I post these points hoping that next time the guys that critisise this rifle so much will take a little time to actually look one over.

Happy hunting & all the best to everyone in the new year!

Thats funny and something I didnt consider...

Blasers and fat chic's. I don't care who you are, that's funny.

Took my Blaser R93 Professional to the range this past Wednesday with a .375 H&H barrel mounted. Scope was a Swarovski Z6i 1.7-10x42 in a saddle mount. Also brought a Kimber Caprivi .375 with Swaro PH 1.5-6x42 illuminated scope.

The Blaser put 3 Federal 300 grain TSX rounds into 2" @ 100 yards. A 3 shot group with 270 grain Remington Core-Lokts went into an inch. 3 Nosler factory loaded custom grade 260 grain Accubonds went into 5/8".

The Kimber put 3 270 grain Core-Lokts into 1.5". 3 of the Federal TSX 300 grain loads resulted in a 5/8" group. Didn't get to try the Kimber with the Accubonds.

The Blaser shot all three loads to more or less the same point of impact. The 300 grain TSX loads were 5.5" lower than the Core-Lokts in the Kimber.

The fixed sights on the Blaser were 1 FOOT HIGH at 50 yards with the 300 grain TSX load! The Kimber was right on with the 300 grain TSX using irons at the same distance. Six o'clock hold for both.

I'm evaluating rifles and loads for a 2012 leopard hunt I have booked in Namibia.

Both of these .375's would likely work well. They are ammo sensitive. IMO, the trigger on the R93 is too light for a DG rifle. The Kimber is a very crisp 3.5 lbs which is just fine.

Also intend to investigate the .30/06, .300 Win mag, .338 Win and 9.3x62 barrels I have for the R93, as well as conventional CRF (Mauser and Winchester) rifles in those same calibers.

The "iron" sights on the Blaser are really plastic, as is the trigger guard and trigger. I'm not certain the Blaser is really "Africa Tough". The Kimber is. The Blaser is, however, lighter and easier to carry.

How many of you have hunted the Blaser hard in rugged country during an African hunt? Any problems?

Here I go again. I'm not sure what you mean by "African tough". To my way of thinking and experience, much of NA hunting offers up much more potential abuse for a firearm than Africa does. Hunted the red, dry dust of Namibia with the R93 in 375 for ten days, took ten species with eleven shots (added a finisher for a gemsbok) with nary a problem. Many, many R93s have passed the African test. Again, not trying to promote it, just attempting to be factual.

I would choose more on which rifle shoots best with the load you choose and your final point of comfort,.. but rest in the fact that either rifle will do fine.

And edited to add though I no longer have an R93, my wife is a petite, slim "chic".

Plastic sights, trigger guard and trigger! Really!

Yes--plastic! At least on the R93 Professional in .375.

George:

What prompted you to divest yourself of your R93?

I took a shine to the Blaser K95 single shot and traded my R93 ensemble for the Prestige model but with some wood upgrades, an octagonal barrel, and ebony tipped for end.

As I read all these posts I have to laugh since a good friend of mine makes a decent living fixing most of the ones that some think here are bulletproof. One of his most common repairs is CRF rifles that don't feed right. Another that he sees quite frequently is 700 bolts that have the brazed on bolt handle break off. And of course the maintenance and repairs; rebarreling, bedding, bluing, ceracoating, nitriting, trigger upgrades and the rest of the laundry list of things that those 'dependable' rifles come in for. And speaking of the CRF rifles I took him an Enfield P14 that belongs to a friend of mine recently that isn't picking up the shells to feed them into the chamber. So far that rifle has been a nightmare and my buddy will have more money in it when it's finished than if he'd have just bought a new one.

I've been in his shop and watched him tell people who want to build a custom rifle that they might as well buy a Mauser M03, Blaser or Sauer and get it all in one package. He does get their attention when they see the numbers come together. And the fact that they can add one barrel for probably a third the cost compared to having a second custom rifle built. Adding a few parts here and there can give someone a complete battery capable of taking everything from a prairie dog to elephants and using the same basic rifle, same trigger with the same feel. You can practice with a 243 barrel and go hunt with a 300 barrel thus saving you a substantial amount of dough on ammo and a whole lot less pain in the shoulder! I practice my freehand shooting using the cheaper ammo and it works great.

Now if someone just doesn't like the way the gun looks or functions that's fine. We all have our idea of what looks good and what's ugly. But just to rip something when you don't have first hand experience to do so isn't fair to the product or to yourself. I know I've had to eat my words more than once when I repeated something someone else told me as fact and found out the hard way that they were wrong.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Pay your money, take your pick. The Blasers are not for me, and I'm similarly unattracted to other German guns (save for the Lindner Dalys). It might be interesting to see the tastes of the Blaser connoisseurs in shotguns...Kreighoffs, I'll bet.

I think both are ugly as sin, and I have to work to find a Merkel attractive (though some of the older ones are compelling if for no other reason than their workmanship).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for function, style and looks I cast my lot with the Model 98 Mauser and its relatives (Model 70s, etc.).

Back in 1998 I was at a gunshow where a dealer had a Kreighoff over/under rifle chambered in 375 H&H. It was actually a very small rifle for that cartridge but the engraving and workmanship was something to behold. Been a long time so I don't remember the specific asking price but it was around $37,000. That was the one rifle that caught my eye like none before or after.

I sold my last Win 70 featherweight earlier this year. It was a stainless 270 Win and was also one of the prettiest rifles I've ever owned. It also shot factory Federals under 1" consistently without ever having a thing done to it. Right out of the box it was accurate. As much as I liked it I knew I wasn't ever going to hunt with it so might as well send it to somebody that would not only appreciate it for it's looks but use it as well.

Lots of very good looking guns to choose from and that's a good thing!

Wow haven't looked at this thread for a few days and amazed that it has turned into a "rich man" vs. "poor man", American vs. Euro, simple vs. over engineered, and all kinds of personal name calling thrown in for good measure.

I recently ordered a R8 and here's why. First off I never found the R93 very appealing. the Fancy wood, flashy engraving of mermaids having sex with unicorns and such really dont cut it either

But a friend of mine bought a R8 professional in 06 and brought it over to my place and we gave it a pretty good workout on my backyard range..each putting about 100 rounds through it. Everything from mil surplus to handloads. Nary a bobble and it was accurate all the way out to 500 yards, and it handles really well. The trigger was excellent. And even though I am a lefty I could work the bolt pretty well. We took it apart, detached the scope and put it back together again and it held zero. The short overall length with a 23" barrel was nice as well.

So I warmed up to it and decided to order one. Have more rifles than I NEED for sure but I will sell a couple to fund this and so it goes................

Bought it cause I liked it and I can. Good enough reason to me to buy anything I guess.

Lefty C

Sooooooo many pages.....

At the end of the day. Buy what your comfortable with, get out there & have some fun whilst doing it

For me, there is nothing more suited...., accurate, convenient, reliable & it fits me so well.

Good stalking

After looking over the R8 modular system, is it feasible to build one by parts alone? I find the concept intriguing except the stock...I need a monte carlo style to fit right.

So I could feasibly buy barrels, the "receiver" parts and have a custom stock done from say lonewolf stocks to finish it off and call it a complete rifle? Will the parts bought carry any kind of warranty?

You are correct. You can build a gun with just parts. In fact there are stock makers who have made stocks out of mesquite as well out of Carbon Fiber. One thing to remember is if you were to buy one you'd want to buy the Jaeger or other 'wood stock' model. The wood can be removed and these stocks can be installed then. You have to have the 'innards' that come with one of the stocks (known as the 'frame') and the wood stock models are a lot easier to have custom wood or carbon fiber replacements made for. The "Professional" polymer stock has the innards in it and you'd basically be dismembering it by removing them and having them installed in a new replacement stock. Another thing to keep in mind is you can buy a higher end wood stock and replace them with the custom wood or carbon thus keeping your higher quality wood ones in new condition. Or even sell them if you don't see yourself ever using them again. Any part of any R93 or R8 is bought and sold daily. Some guys will buy the used ones and then dismember them and sell the parts.

To my knowledge any Blaser part carries a 10 year warranty. You might want to double check that with a dealer but that is my understanding.

Here are two carbon fiber stocks that one of the blaser owners is making:

http://www.blaserbuds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4861&p=42153#p42153

http://www.blaserbuds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=4580



Here is the one KDF did in Mesquite. 5th pic down from the top: "Custom Blaser R93"

http://www.kdfguns.com/custom.html