Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles crazy good gun choice?

I have a chance to get this Blaser "Professional Hunter" Steel Receiver, Safari Grade Rifle "package" with 2 barrels, primary as the Selous Safari barrel in .416 RemMag & the extra 2nd barrel in .300 WM Safari, Blaser Illumination control bolt housing ( works w/Zeiss VariPoint IC scopes), Blaser QD saddle mount w/ 30mm rings, Blaser Black neoprene sling and Custom Pelican Travel Case.
This is Blaser's top rifle with strongest receiver (steel vs. aluminum) with Tan synthetic stock with Black inserts, w/ Mercury Recoil Reducer installed in stock butt.
It is brand new. $8,600. ( guy will now take $7,000.)
OR these:
*CZ 550 upgraded by AHR with their "CZ upgrade #2" (http://hunting-rifles.com/CZ/CZowners.htm)
*Benelli R1 in .338 WM w/extra 20" .30-06 barrel.
Thompson (T/C) Dimension in .300 WM w/extra .22-250 cal. barrel.
4 - $600. scopes for the above 3 rifles/barrels.
Total: about the same as the Blaser "package".

ps. Blaser has one intangible "wife factor"...as in "gee honey, it is just only ONE more rifle"...lol

I hunt MT., WY., ID., NV. and AK. mostly.
Which would you choose and why?

The CZ550....its good stuff.

the Blaser will have schitt for resale value ( and you will resell it...)

And the TC Dimension is just offensive on all levels...

Yep, what the Poobah said!

Of the choices you listed, the blaser package seems the nicer of the two.

None of the above. The AHR would be a nice addition, but I would pass on the Benelli &TC. Maybe pickup the AHR in one of the .416s and a nice pre-64 in 300 H&H with good scopes for each.

"the Blaser will have schitt for resale value ( and you will resell it...)"
seriously, how do you know this? :
1."schitt for resale value"
2."and you will resell it..."

No, I am not being sarcastic, no tone...really just want to know what you base these #1 & #2 above, on? I am having reservations about it, but would love to hear the logic behind what you say...affirmation.
Whatever complaints I have about experiences on this and other forums, no one has to participate if it sucks, but I KNOW there are a lot of more knowledgable guys here than I, so again, What do you base those statements on...resale value & I will sell it?

"And the TC Dimension is just offensive on all levels..."
Why...looks like an affordable & versatile rifle with good reviews as to accuracy.

I vote "D". None of the above........

Seems a Cooper or a Dakota would fit the same bill and have a warmer fuzzier feeling but it is JMO

I think anyone posting to your question says "This is my budget, what do you think?" Not really an attack on your choices but opinions on SEVEN thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket wondering what to buy

W

So Wrong I don't know where to begin. I've bought and sold so many Blaser componets I can't count them all, and trust me you don't lose anything. I could take that rifle your looking at and sell all the pieces off 1 by 1 for a considerable profit in probably a weeks time. People on this site are clueless about Blasers and haters because they don't have them. I currently own 3 and love them for. For the traveling hunter, which it sounds like you are, there is no choice better than the Blaser R93 or R8.

I would like to know why you want this "Africa" package blaser though? Alex at Eurooptics can hook you up with an aluminum receiver R-8 package for much less money. But if you just want the ultimate, you found it.

Yeah, I want a CZ over this. What a joke

http://www.eurooptic.com/blaser-r8-ultimate-safari-package.aspx

You're going from one extreme to the other with your choices...The blaser isn't needed, especially at that price. You can get one hell of a good rifle for far less than the $7,000.00 you were quoted....If it were me, I'd opt for the CZ 550 option. How does your CZ shoot right now?? I've got a CZ 550 that shoots pretty dang good with just a good bedding job and a little trigger adjustment. That's the route I'd take but it seems you may have your heart set on the blaser...The other poster may be right that a lot of us here don't know squat about the blaser. I'd say that $7,000.00 for a funky looking european rifle may be some other forum's cup of tea...Maybe you can take your buddy and go somewhere else and ask...See ya..

My vote is "None of the above."

"Crazy good?" Maybe for some, just "crazy" as far as my needs/wants/likes go.

Same of the other option.

But if you like it and feel its a good deal, my preferences are irrelevant. Buy it and enjoy!

Buy a Sako Black Bear in 9.3x62, and a Leupold 3.5-10x40, then send me the left over $5,000.

It will kill whatever needs killing

What he said. I cannot warm up to a blather. CZ's are skookum.

What else do you have for rigs at this time?

Personally, I can't find a reason to buy any of them. For that kind of coinage one could put together a couple of really nice rigs.

Dober

Aside from knee jerk answers and tradition can ANYONE give me ONE reason why the Blaser will have poor resale and I WILL sell it?

"What else do you have for rigs at this time?"

Griffin & Howe pre-'64 model 70. .375H&H
Weatherby Lazermark V .300 Wby.
Marlin 1895 SBL .45-70 w/ WWG "tune".
Benelli M4 H2O
Benelli M2 Tactical
S&W .500 "Bear Graphic" Edition
Sig P-220 SS Elite
Walther P99 AS

I would buy a Savage before I bought a Blaser. They've got to be one of the most hideous rifles out there.

For the price of one you could get yourself two really nice custom or semi custom rifles.

Of all the guns listed the only thing I'd want is the Pre-'64 Model 70 in .375H&H. The new FN Winchesters are really awesome IMO. Check them out.

The package that the poster is looking at is not the normal set-up for a Blaser. If he bought a normal R-8 kit, it would be many thousands less

I also have a real issue that price is always brought up when talking about Blaser on this board. When you start getting 3 and 4 barrel set-ups the actual overall cost of the package comes down proportional to buying 3 or 4 custom rifles. Plus there are 2 very good message boards dedicated to Blaser rifles that each have classified sections, featuring mostly modular parts for the blaser system. If you buy parts over time, you really don't notice the cost as much as buying complete rifles.

Savage, good one

Well,that is what I was reasoning...$7k / by 2 = $3,500.
This model Blaser has a STEEL receiver, not aluminum, and heavy safari barrels with barrel band swivels, very balanced and accurate, I hear.