Blaser R8 and R93 - School Me.

Bowie

Bowie

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So what is the lowdown on these rifles? The good, the bad and the ugly (other than the usual Euro ugly). They seem to be well made, yet I hear grumbling about them in certain circles. What's the real deal? Suitable for dangerous game?
Thanks
 
Best hunting rifle you can buy, IMHO. The R93 is my go-to for serious hunting, when I'm not looking for additional challenges brought on by the limitations of my gun.

Pros: Interchangeable barrels/chamberings. Outstanding out-of-the-box accuracy and triggers. Virtually perfect return to zero when disassembled/re-assembled, even when removing/replacing scope. Semi-takedown, i.e. barrel comes off but fore-end stays on receiver. Super-fast straight pull bolt. Amazing gun fit (for me, at least! :)) resulting in great handling and minimal recoil.

Cons: Stupid expensive. Kinda ugly. Not as readily available as typical domestic-made guns. Push feed.

The R93 is still available, but the R8 is the up-and-coming Blaser product. I prefer the R93 (lighter, sleeker, top-feed only) but the detachable-mag R8 is probably going to eventually replace it.
 
What jjohnwm said basically. A couple of points to add; you can have a round in the chamber without any worry of a discharge, unlike guns with safeties that block the trigger or firing pin. The Blaser is cocked only when you engage the slide. Also, the OAL is 3-4" less than a comparable bolt action while maintaining the same barrel length. In standard chamberings the OAL with a 22 3/4" bbl is 40", and that's with a 1" recoil pad.

A couple of points on reloading: Due to the collet system of engaging the case, all rounds have to be full length resized, otherwise light/no primer strikes can occur. I have barrels in 22-250, 264WM and 338 WM and all three shoot an easy sub MOA and better with everything I've fed them. In other words, there's no reason to really tinker with load development or seating depth. This is isn't a gun for aftermarket add ons or people who like to "customize". Everything is near perfect from the factory. Many barrels are available with open sights as well, something which is sorely missing on NA guns IMO.

It seems people either love them or hate them. I've basically sold all my other guns and buy barrels for the R93. I have a 7mm-08 coming soon. It's not a gun to mix and match with your bolt guns though, as you get used to the straight pull.

There are those who are worried by the bolt blowing up and taking out your face, but while this has happened, it was due to reloads with incorrect powder or powder charges. Any rifle has the potential to disintegrate and the R93/R8 have withstood pressure tests higher than bolt guns. I don't see a reason why it couldn't be a DGR. Lots of people hunt dangerous game with push feeds and I have yet to meet someone who cycles their rifle upside down repeatedly, which necessitates a CRF.

The downside is price. Barrels cost $900 and up, factory QD mounts about $400. There are some US websites/EE's where one can get good deals on Blaser stuff. Shipping to Canada is always an issue though.
 
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horshur said:
if you loose your magazine or forget it the gun is useless....
Click to expand...

The R93 mag is an internal device, removed/changed only when necessitated by swapping barrels. Otherwise, you never really need to remove it for normal field maintenance or use.

The R8 is detach-mag. When you lose it you just smack yourself in the forehead and say "So THAT'S why those guys like the R93 better!" :)
 
jjohnwm said:
The R93 mag is an internal device, removed/changed only when necessitated by swapping barrels. Otherwise, you never really need to remove it for normal field maintenance or use.

The R8 is detach-mag. When you lose it you just smack yourself in the forehead and say "So THAT'S why those guys like the R93 better!" :)
Click to expand...

Right, I forgot about the R8 system, my bad.
 
We have a pretty good selection of Blaser rifles here at the range and both Markus and John (owners here) have a number of personally owned ones. If you are coming through town give us a buzz and you can try one out for yourself. We also have the Makura stock available. These are neat for the R8 as you can store a spare magazine or the magazine covers in the stock. This helps reduce the chances of forgetting them!
 
I have borrowed a R93 during a couple of hunts in Germany. Worked flawlessly, took zero getting used to other than the concept of the cocker/decocker, which is a superior way to ensure safety anyway. I really liked the rifle and would own one now except that I also like playing with various vintage mauser sporting rifles and can't seem to part myself from the old classics.
 
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